The foreground bokeh

In an image, bokeh quality is more important to me than sharpness.
While most of the photographic world seems to be stuck on one single way to measure I.Q. (Image Quality) by carefully analyzing resolution of a lens, I go beyond the simple charts and brick walls test-shots.
I look for how a lens renders the areas that are out of focus.


adapted Kodak Telephoto 152mm f4.5   1/125sec

There were a few lenses that reportedly sounded absolute stunners and I was interested in them. Through sample images I found however that they displayed horribly looking (to my eyes) out of focus areas. The whole image was kind of ruined for me: my eyes were drawn away from the main subject that was in focus, there was a certain "nervous" look to the background, the bokeh was not pleasant.
I never got those lenses despite being very sharp...

From the creative point of view a lens must have a certain look, character if you want, for the areas that happened to be not in focus. I often specifically look for subjects where the areas of blurred background will add so much interest to the image to sometimes become the main point of interest.


adapted Meyer-Optik Trioplan 50mm f2.9  1/400sec

In my quest for creating images that are more fantasy than reality I am constantly experimenting with new optics, mostly of them are old and obscure, some never intended to used on a camera
The focus has now shifted to create images with a dual field bokeh, where the intention is to look for subjects that have a busy depth of field, often natural elements.
On my photowalks I look for vegetation that is veiling a subject that is interesting to me and then I try to photograph it. By carefully focusing and shifting my point of view I search for the angle and composition that will create that dreamy surreal look.


refitted projection lens Will-Wetzlar Maginon 85mm f2.8    1/250sec




refitted projection lens Will-Wetzlar Maginon 85mm f2.8    1/6400sec


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The softer light

Living in Queensland I rarely get to experience the softer light that I remember growing up in Europe. The morning mists and the filtered sun through the forest's canopy are experienced but a few times  throughout the year.
When in Europe I admire the lifting fog and the clouds clinging to the hills after the rain.


M.Zuiko 45mm f3.5  1/2000sec

Walking in the forest towards high alpine lakes I was able to capture images that I often try but fail when in Queensland.


M.Zuiko 14-42mm  EZ   f3.5  1/80sec


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Green time, shoulder deep

I long for green time way more than screen time.
Behind the key board I watch way too much this screen when what I really want is to be outside instead.
I am lucky that wide open spaces with not too much human interference are only a few hours away from here: a 3 nights under the stars is what my mind and body needed.
Green time to balance out my screen time.


adapted lens from miniature SLR system Pentax-110: 70mm f2.8 (fixed)  1/200sec

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Rainforest trees

In the dense subtropical rainforest the trees are overwhelming; I rarely see the whole tree.
The close proximity of the giants keeps my view focused at the base of their trunks, observing the intricate shape of the roots and texture of the bark.


G-Lumix 14mm f4.5  1/4sec

The light is diffused and the moisture allows for vines, lichens and mosses to grow, sometimes creating abstract paintings on their bark.


G-Lumix 14mm f4.5  1/15sec

And the root system is at times rather bizarre, nothing like I have ever seen in a European forest.


M.Zuiko 9-18mm f4.5  1/15sec

Rainforest waterfall

A soft waterfall creates a cooling haven in the rainforest.


Lumix G 14mm f2.5  @f4.5  2sec

Spencers creek

A few minutes of the golden hour illuminated the puffy clouds above our camp.


G-Lumix 14mm f2.5  @8  1/15sec to 1/180sec (composite image)

Fluffy and Tiger

Time over I have observed a similarity of appearance between dog and owners.
This scene seems to fit  :-)


Nikkor 105mm f2.5 RF  @f2.5 1/6000sec

Shelter in the forest

There is no forest more enticing than a snowgum one, up high, close to tree-line.


G-Lumix 14mm   f5.6  4sec

The weather twisted trunks look spooky, the dead branches bleached by the elements; however the soft grass that grows around snowgums is inviting to place my shelter.
I feel safe here knowing that the tortured trees will shed some of the high wind, if it had to pick up during the night.

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Vintage portrait lenses

Only recently I have started to explore portraits.
I am not that great with photographing people close-up as I feel that I am bossing them around when I ask to pose a certain way to get the image I want.
Petra however is happy to accommodate my request while I futz with old vintage manual focus lenses: she understands and enjoys manual lenses herself :-)


Jupiter-9 85mm f2 @f4 1/250sec
I could use an auto-focus lens but I am not too fond of the clinical look I get from them: too sharp and the bokeh is often not as "creamy" as old, simpler optical-design lenses.
It's the quirks and faults of the Russian lenses that I seek in some of my images.
The challenge however is to make them work in demanding light conditions as they tend to flare badly in back-lighting.


Jupiter-8 50mm f2  @f4  1/250sec
I often miss the focus since I like to use them rather wide open and the depth of field on longer lenses is very shallow.
There is no way I can get satisfactory images of fast moving subject but for slower type of photography, I enjoy the feel and look that I get from lenses sometimes older than myself :-)

I wanted to see how 4 different lenses perform in similar lighting, time of the day and conditions.
My favorite look comes from the extremely popular Russian lens (copy of the German CZJ Biotar) : the Helios 44-2. At 58mm f2 it is just the right focal length for portrait. Easy to focus (contrasty enough) and the background blur (bokeh) is very much to my liking.


Helios 44-2  58mm f2  @f2.8  1/20sec
The more compact looking (I have a thing for small camera/lenses) but longer focal length of the Jupiter-9 85mm f2 is a very low contrast lens and not that sharp (at least my copy).
I have to work on my images after I shot them as out of the camera they look very milky.


Jupiter-9 85mm f2  @f4 1/1500sec
In the mix of these old Russian lenses I tried also a very long lens: a Vivitar (made by Komine) 135mm f2.8. It was an impulse by on eBay but a very pleasant surprise.
I find it sharp even wide open and the bokeh is rather pleasant even tho not as creamy.


Vivitar 135mm f2.8   @2.8 1/20sec!
Last but not least I do realize that these lenses are easier to use today than when they were designed for film cameras. The incredible image stabilization on my diminutive Olympus cameras allow me to take images with incredible low shutter speeds. At 270mm (film camera equivalence) I shot the above image at 1/20 sec!    If that was on my Nikon camera many years ago, it would have been a total blur, unrecognizable image :-)

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