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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Winged predators

The fast buzzing dragonflies fly erratically in the summer heat, darting along the water.
And every so often they come to rest on their favourite patch that they claim their own.


adapted Pentax-110 50mm f2.8 (freelens technique)  1/30sec

Fascinating bright colors make them very attractive although at closer look some might appear a bit menacing. They are predators snatching other bugs mid flight


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/1250sec



adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/1250sec

But what goes around comes around and themselves become meal for others.


adapted Jupiter-11  135mm f4  1/160sec


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Going deeper into the weird

Further and further I slip away from the norm, from what most want.
I find the pursuit of perfection futile and senseless if only applied to one parameter: sharpness.
I find less focus in images that are regarded as technically sharp but lack direction and emphasis on the subject that matters.


adapted Kodak Anstigmat 63mm f2.7  1/640sec

Lately I have been exploring the style applied to impressionist paintings: dots and brush strokes that form an image but are not intended to document a scene but rather give a feel for the moment.


refitted Helios-89  30mm f1.9  1/800sec

Purist photographers are applauded by such "low standard" style and a few years ago I would have been too...
Oh, how things change :-)


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/250sec



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Beach kangaroos

A storm has been brewing for a few hours and the dark clouds started gathering and moving in.
I headed for the beach trying to capture the dramatic sky when I noticed a few kangaroos grazing on the dunes.
Just as I was photographing the shore a couple of kangaroos hopped right down to the water's edge wanting to dip their toes. A few minutes later a few more came and soon there were twenty or so.
In a rather bizarre moment they all lined up and started to wade, mother with joey in pouch, letting the spilling waves lap up to their bellies


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/4000sec

The dark sky served me a surreal scene with the parting clouds and the bright sun complements to the moment. I stood in awe and observed what was going to happen next.
Some hopped around, some just let the waves wash them a bit to then gather again and slowly retreat to the dunes again to forage.


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/2500sec

The evening brought some very soft light where I could capture them again in a large grassy field.


adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/100sec




adapted Jupiter-11 135mm f4  1/500sec

These are wild kangaroos, free to roam without enclosures, as nature intended.
I can not bring myself to enjoy observing wild animals in any other way...

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