Urban motorcycles

I am not a big fan of urban riding with all the stop-go traffic and congestion. But admittedly there are some spots in the city that lend themselves as a backdrop for interesting images.

 

Yamaha XSR700. M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8

Honda CB650R.  Zonlai Discover 25mm f1.8

Yamaha XSR700. Kodak Cine 102mm f2.7

Yamaha XSR700.  Cosmicar 50mm f1.4  (C-mount)

Yamaha XSR700. M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8

Yamaha XSR700.  Cosmicar 50mm f1.4  (C-mount)

Benji. Cosmicar 50mm f1.4  (C-mount)

Outback camping.

Long time sea kayaking buddy, companion of many expeditions, joined me on an overnight ride to the country. We picked the roads less traveled and in the late afternoon we ended up on dusty unsealed ones. We were looking for a secluded spot to camp for the night.


Canon TV-16 50mm f1.4



Vanilla sporting that kind of look that commands respect, the face of wisdom.     Canon TV-16 50mm f1.4


Towards sunset we found what we wanted: a seldom used rural track that was a wide corridor of trees and short grass, with the occasional tree-trunk to sit on.



We were travelling light with tarps instead of tents for shelter. There was a light breeze in the air but it calmed down once dark. No frost yet but it is just a matter of weeks before that will happen.
Clear skies and no light-pollution from the urban sprawl; there was a meteor shower although peaking too early in the morning for me to care waking up and getting a proper look.




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Off the beaten path

When chasing dreams of years past I feel most comfortable when I am in "adventure" mode.
Sea kayak expeditions certainly give me that but a friendly coast that allows me to explore is not always easy to attain.
Before my wet adventures I used to ride motorcycles, adventure bikes, before that class even existed.
I am now back on two wheels and while backroads away from the main highways do give me a sense of escape, my heart is still in the dirt, dirt roads that is.


Yamaha XSR700

My bike needed some tires that would make it sing on gravel, it needed teeth to bight into the soil.
While not really a machine that could cross the desert like my previous rides, this little thumper behaves well enough to be comfortable on country farm roads that are not paved. And that is where I like to ride.





There is no traffic, only the occasional vehicle that is going into town for supplies. There is a bit of dust and a few creek crossings, a bit of loose stones and mud after rain. There are no curbs or shoulders, no speed cameras and drunken drivers, no ass-hauling trucks with swaying trailer. Mostly there is nobody out there, just me. But I see horses and cows, and towards the evening a few kangaroos that hop across the road. Speeds are low but the ride is thrilling in a different way.





And then I stop anywhere I want and there is nothing but silence, maybe an undertone buzzing sound of insects, maybe a laughing kookaburra.
Inevitably my eyes keep on scouting for suitable places to camp even if I have no intention to do that tonight. It's like in the old days when I used to ride with a few buddies, heading West.
Bikes loaded with camping gear and a map stuck to the gas tank. It was pre-digital era where a compass would be consulted occasionally. I still carry a map today even if my phone could get me out of a geographical embarrassment if needed.






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Live for the moment

Live for the moment. Dream tomorrow



Sweden, Baltic coast


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me, hipster?

It was his expression while looking intently at me that made me think: is he the original hipster that started the trend?


adapted Kodak Cine 102mm f2.7


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Winestraße, Steirmark

A wonderful landscape that has been labelled the "Toscana of Austria"
While the images were recorder in full color spectrum I felt that color was not giving justice to these scenes: there was some haze in the air and the light was a bit harsh in some.
Converting them to monochrome helped conveying the unique features that these hills offer



M.Zuiko 75mm f1.8  1/160sec

On the Southern border the Winestraße in places runs right on both sides: vehicles straddle Austria and Slovenia. Before the political relaxation of this region there would be no such liberal thing but now there is no longer anybody to make you sternly aware that you a crossing into "enemy" territory :-)


Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6   1/500sec



adapted CanonTV-16 50mm f1.4  1/800sec



adapted CanonTV-16 50mm f1.4  1/320sec

The little park

There is a park along a creek on my way to work, that I pass every morning.
The drive is short and sometimes I opt to walk that 1/2 hour to get a bit of fresh air.
In winter solstice the sun has been rising later allowing some low light to filter through the trees creating an interesting scene for me.
A few times I wished I was earlier and that I had a camera with me (a phone is not one, for my style)
So, instead of being the usual lazy and sleeping in, I got out of the house earlier last Saturday, with my camera.


refitted F.Zuiko 32mm f1.7 (from Pen EED)  1/1250sec

There was a faint remnant of fog left in the low laying area and the sun illuminated it burning it off. A few joggers were about otherwise the place was still very quiet.
The dew was glistening on the grass blades asking me to have a closer look.

 
adapted Kodak Cine 50mm f1.6  1/5000sec


adapted Kodak Cine 50mm f1.6    1/1250sec


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Because storytelling is what engages us

Because storytelling is what engages us, not facts and figures*

That phrase resonates so well with me where in images I look for a story, not just a record of an event or place.
And that's why I am attracted to images that isolate the subject, take it away from the visual noise of the background and present it with a message, abstract if needed be.


refitted Russian projector lens 35KP-1,8/120 

It's where my mind then has room to explore the scene and create my own scenario or recall a similar situation or place close to my heart. And fundamentally that is why some images might evoke a reaction from some viewers and not from others; it's one's image bank that is tapped into to recall, subconsciously if you want, an emotion from the past.

That is why images with a story are so much more powerful


refitted Russian projector lens KP-16 50mm f1.2


* from this video at 2:44

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More Russian love

I had no idea that the cumbersome Russian would deliver so much love.
At first I had my doubts I would be able to handle such a big thing and appeared rather difficult to get along with.
Then I worked out where she shines best and how to focus on her strengths; if I am careful and don't push her too hard she does reward me.


refitted Russian projector lens 35KP-1,8/120  1/3200sec

The images I can create with that big lens, that never was intended to make but rather show (it's a projection lens after all), are unique.
The blend of relative sharpness and the quirky bokeh for the background really help to isolate subjects where I want to tell a story, instead of just mere recording a place or event.


refitted Russian projector lens 35KP-1,8/120   1/10000sec

refitted Russian projector lens 35KP-1,8/120  1/1250sec

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The gaze

Two black and white images of wild animals
I used an adapted old Russian lens (1957circa) from a rangefinder camera since I like it renders the out of focus background more than my auto-focus modern lenses


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/60sec




adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/160sec


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Story telling through an image

I like the concept of story-telling through a static single image.

While beautiful landscape photographs do capture my attention and I often admire the location and the capturing techniques, rarely are those images remembered.

And then there are moments that are captured where the photograph goes beyond the initial visual appeal: an image that tells a story.

Alone

Cosmicar 50mm f1.4  1/320sec

These images however have limited appeal because each viewer perceives them on a different level, depending on his/her personal life experiences and cultural background.
Images that evoke a certain emotion are very subjective as individuals draw on their emotional precedents (and image memory-bank) to be stirred by the two dimensional representation of a feeling that might have experienced in the past.
To reinforce one's perception the title usually gives away the photographer's intention.

PS. If all you see above is a poorly executed photograph of an old park bench and a blurry passerby in the background, then this concept might be lost on you...

Around the stables

My girlfriend is mad about horses, for me is something new. There was a local event that I went to visit on invite from my friends and wondered around the stables not knowing what to look for, photographically.


Nikkor-P 105mm f2.5 RF  1/1600sec

I had to be cautions enough to know when a horse was not happy having my big lens pointed too close to his body.


refitted Sony Precision Projection 60mm f1.5  1/200sec (adapted here)

 I loved the people around the horses: genuine and unpretentious, friendly and approachable. A warm rural atmosphere pervaded the event.


SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4   1/500sec 

I was also there walking around with the most ridiculous refitted lens that I have tried to date. It was awkward to handle as it was never intended to be fitted onto a camera but the results I achieved were worthy of the trouble.


refitted Sony Precision Projection 60mm f1.5 (?)  1/1250sec


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Where is my master?

An opportunity to try my sudden acquisition of a really weird vintage lens.
This dog was a bit distressed waiting for his owner when  a friend (I assume) came to console him.


Kodak Cine Ektanon 102mm f2.7    1/250sec

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Same place: 3 different moods

I was hoping for a fiery sunset that evening.
All week long the sky has been turning spectacular with powerful red skies; but I was stuck in the city.
Now it was Saturday and I headed to the beach: it was going to be low tide at sunset.
But one thing it's sure with outdoor photography: I can't control the light.
What I thought was going to happen didn't: there was no fiery sky, no dramatic clouds.
The sun lowered to the horizon and then it met low dark clouds. The light went from soft warm to steel cold and flat.

I had a few vintage lenses with me, none of them really designed for my camera. One was a slide projection lens from a Kodak Carousel that I mounted on some macro bellows to be able to focus and certainly the hardest lens to use. Very low contrast, not very sharp and rendering highlights with a glow.


Kodak Ektanar C 102mm f2.8 slide projector lens  1/4000sec

As the light quickly changed I suddenly was faced with a very blue light that robbed all the typical colors of a beach at sunset. What it gave me instead is the opportunity to create a different look, of a more somber and pensive style.


adapter lens from miniature SLR system Pentax-110: 70mm f2.8 (fixed aperture)  1/640sec

Eventually the light faded away and just as I was heading back I notice the mangrove tree silhouetted against the sky.


adapter lens from miniature SLR system Pentax-110: 18mm f2.8 (fixed aperture)  1/200sec


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Content of shit

I read this and made me pause:

Like those pictures you take. The good ones are either art, or portraits, or, at worst, photography. But the really awful ones you put on Facebook -- that picture of the tunafish sandwich you had for lunch, or your dog licking himself, or the adoring selfie -- that shit. And that content is shit!
The Ad Contrarian

Be proud of your work but be your worst critic. Seek perfection but don't be stuck in perfectionism. Create with passion and not for an audience of imaginary friends with shallow "likes".  Explore and go against convention if that is what drives you, as only by seeking and not following you truly will master the art.
For yourself.

That is what I think when I photograph.


G-Lumix 14mm f2.5  

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Snowgum grove

My favourite trees.
Twisted by the harsh winter winds their resilience is inspirational.


G-Lumix 14mm f5.6  1/125sec

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Lost lives

I don't like war memorials as they only remind me of the lives that were lost fighting for a cause that was never truly disclosed.
Visiting one just recently I was confirmed of the absurdity.


Adapted 16mm film projection lens Bell&Howell 2" f1.6   1/640sec




Adapted reverse optics from a vintage Canon 110ED: 26mm f2.0   1/160sec

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Romantic evening walk

At an open space in the city, just before sunset.


adapted Pentax-110 70mm f2.8    1/160sec

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Beach dream ride

The mesmerizing feeling of riding your horse on an empty beach at low tide; like in a dream.
Horse or horse-power; to each their own.


Steinheil Munchen Cintagon 100mm f3.5     @f5.6  1/1250sec

Measuring up

To a photographer friend of mine celebrating his 60th birthday I wrote:

"I am obsessively adapting old crappy glass to fit my Olympus cameras and my images are getting more and more fuzzy.
 But hey, ​I never saw more creativity in me than now, using crippled and technically imperfect lenses.  Something about mellowing out and looking deeper in me to reach a level of expression that I always regarded as girly?
Heck, getting old I no longer am concerned about measuring up with the crowd that likes to measure and I am letting loose of convention."

These days I am more concerned with quality images rather then image quality :-)
Fuzzy lenses and weird swirls, in the woods.


Kodak Ektar 25mm f1.9  1/20sec



Kodak Ektar 25mm f1.9  1/40sec



Kodak Ektar 25mm f1.9  1/80sec


Kodak Ektar 25mm f1.9    1/3200sec





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