[Sticky] Submit your glamour shots!

@dev

You know, I think the failure in understanding comes from thinking that a "good photo" is one that is high res and has an infinite depth of field, also reproducing the colors exactly as they appear. If that was truely the case, photography would be very boring and the only art aspect would be framing/ composition. It's not about what you see as much as it is about what you don't and the emotions and motion you can ellicit. The reason I really like your shot of the basket is because it reminds me of the view you would have if you were sleeping on the couch, opened your eyes, and the basket was the first thing you focus on as your eyes opened. But hey, to each their own. I just am always of the thinking, make each frame a painting. We don't need to latch onto hyper realism.

Yes agreed, most people don't get that photography is many things.  It is for sure an art form and its no different from the time people were painting scenery or portraits with abstract impressionistic backgrounds.  Where photography is today with highly resolving  lenses and sensors with tight pixel pitches is for video as that is what people buy these cameras for to make budget films or the latest dumb thing, the video blog.  

   I was at the park today testing to see if my lens has improved after cleaning and it has with improved contrast and sharpness.  Incidentally there was a wedding going on far away from where I was shooting so I took a shot and at had to make a heavy crop. I killed off the resolution but that is not what I was looking for.  Since this Nikkor is a portrait lens I wanted to see how it renders skin tones and its right on the money. Its has that Nikon look without the ugly skin tones from a Nikon digital camera but most of all it has character. I wish I could have got closer but I did not want to disturb them.  

This is getting crazy.   The Nikon focal expander is working so well that I decided to sell off my Zeiss for Canon EF for Zeiss Nikon so I can use the expander. The Nikon has both electric and manual aperture control which the Canon versions do not.   My lenses sold for the price I paid for them and I made money on one of them so no net loss.  I decided to take a detour and try another highly regarded lens from Nikon that I bought used on Amazon because I can return it.  105 f2 DC Nikkor.  It was not very good on the expander optically and it didn't have enough Bokeh which was disappointing.   I decided to remove the expander and just adapted it without the optics and it blew me away.  This has to be the sharpest and best out of focus rendering lens I have used to date.  

This is all experimental and no one knows what adapted lenses will do because there is a lot of unknown optical physics that sometimes doesn't jive with the sensor. Im the only one I know that has used this combo and Im in disbelief with the result.  

 I received another lens. Actually its an exchange of sorts.  I sold off my Canon Zeiss 35mm f2 Distagon and repurchased the Nikon version but in a newer body which is weather resistant but the same optical performance so I can use it with the focal expander.  This has always been one of my best lenses even though I do not particularly like the 35mm focal length.  The micro contrast with those Zeiss colors are pleasing. Zeiss makes some nice lenses but they are all different and this one stands apart for its rich tonality.  The Canon version wasn't working too well and creating aliasing issues but with the focal expander I think its working well now. 

I received an old Nikkor lens the other day.  I got it cheap because it was dirty so I opening it up and cleaned the elements.  Nikkor 85mm f2 AIS probably 80s issue.   

Not too bad.  

 This is one of Canons best portrait  lenses if not the best.  135L f2 also known as the lord of the red rings. I shot this wide open making my focal point the rear wheel and had everything fade out.  The Bokeh renders beautiful with the turning of the leaves.  I have been eyeing this lens since 2006 and now I finally own it. 

Oh yeah. Going to have some fun with this lens. If you guys only knew how I am cheating this expensive hobby by saving thousands of dollars by trying things that haven't been imagined.

Before 

After 

Posted by: @dev

 This is one of Canons best portrait  lenses if not the best.  135L f2 also known as the lord of the red rings. I shot this wide open making my focal point the rear wheel and had everything fade out.  The Bokeh renders beautiful with the turning of the leaves.  I have been eyeing this lens since 2006 and now I finally own it. 

 

   

Simply Fabulous 

   I went to another car show yesterday with another member. This time with another new lens. Canon 85L f1.4 IS .  This lens is phenomenal, actually all of the Canon L primes  I have adapted so far is better than anything else I have tried with the exception of the Nikkor 20mm.   Although I have tried and tested  a wide range of various lenses including high end German and Japanese glass at great expense  Im now of the opinion that Canon makes lenses that have a particular look that sets its self apart from everyone else. They say that Canons color science is the cameras sensor and processing but I think its the lenses. 

Just fantastic.  

The two Mustangs. 

Last two.

I caught the tail end of a Mustang only show. It was small and there were too many cars packed closely together that only a few caught my eye. I decided to try the PC Nikkor lens one last time without the optic expander and no shift to see if there was any improvement. This lens  looked horribly soft  that was ready to dump it back on EBay but wouldn't you know it's the expander that was making this lens horrible. This lens is actually sharp.