From a recent cruise night, in Somerville, New Jersey. Shot with a Leica Noctilux 50/1.0 and Kodak Portra 400 NC film. Shooting at dusk allows me to get the depth of field and the texture I like from this unique lens. The Noctilux is one of the more controversial lenses in 35 mm photography, at least in the rangefinder world. There are those who despise it's existence, performance and price. Others view it as wonderful tool and exploit the character of this behemoth like lens. Luckily I was able to grab a user version several years ago before the current looniness over this lens occurred.
It's easily one of my favorite lenses....
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Down The Rabbit Hole
And so it begins, for me at least. My little corner of the net, blog wise. I've posted on various forums over the years - auto and photo related. I tend to enjoy adding to discussions, and at times I'd like to think I actually know what I'm talking about :) But here - my thoughts will be photo related for the most part, specifically related to one of my preferred shooting styles - close to or wide open. I like the fast optics....really fast for the most part. I'm usually using a 35/1.4, 50/1.0, 85/1.4 and a 300/2.8 to get what I'm after. I'll gladly lug around a heavier lens to exploit the wide aperture and narrow depth of field.
My film cameras are Leica M bodies and a Nikon F3HP and for the DSLR's - I use Nikon bodies, the big ones. I've been using pro cameras for years at this point and the weight & ergonomics have never bothered me. In fact, I think they allow me to shoot at slower shutter speeds due to the balance. Being that I enjoy shooting at dusk and later, this is a key factor for me along with the speed of the lenses.
For anyone who finds themselves here, I hope that you can pick something up from my thoughts and images.
The intro image here was taken with a Leica 180/2.0 Summicron. An absolutely stunning lens in every regard, with the exception of it's weight. When i got the chromes back - I realized I had sort of stumbled upon a look I really liked. I knew taking the shot, that my narrow depth of field might yield some interesting results, but this was more than I expected. It provided me with a new direction to pursue in my personal photography and in turn, my professional work as well. And in thinking about it, I realize that over the years I have had certain images that represent major turning points in my vision and growth as an artist. And that's a good thing for sure....
My film cameras are Leica M bodies and a Nikon F3HP and for the DSLR's - I use Nikon bodies, the big ones. I've been using pro cameras for years at this point and the weight & ergonomics have never bothered me. In fact, I think they allow me to shoot at slower shutter speeds due to the balance. Being that I enjoy shooting at dusk and later, this is a key factor for me along with the speed of the lenses.
For anyone who finds themselves here, I hope that you can pick something up from my thoughts and images.
The intro image here was taken with a Leica 180/2.0 Summicron. An absolutely stunning lens in every regard, with the exception of it's weight. When i got the chromes back - I realized I had sort of stumbled upon a look I really liked. I knew taking the shot, that my narrow depth of field might yield some interesting results, but this was more than I expected. It provided me with a new direction to pursue in my personal photography and in turn, my professional work as well. And in thinking about it, I realize that over the years I have had certain images that represent major turning points in my vision and growth as an artist. And that's a good thing for sure....
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