ManuelLaMantia wrote:
I would like to have the Loxia 21 but for my experience I have to say the Zony 16-35 seems to have a built-in anti haze filter
Manuel
That is a great way of putting it. I find that I actually have to sometimes have a negative Clarity setting with that lens. I have only ever done that previously when I stopped down the Contax 100/2 beyond f/5.6 when shooting portraits or when using the ZE 2/135 for portraits beyond WO. Those statements put the "lowly" zoom into a rarefied class.
It is not a perfect lens, but it is a really surprisingly good one...probably excellent, especially if you take into account that it is a zoom. Being able to shoot handheld on an IBIS body at 1/5 sec and get sharp images is just insane.
Last light on the Antelao taken from the skylight of our 'Mansarda' Dolomiti, Italia
the FE70-300 G was my most used lens throughout the whole of our time int he mountains
A found portrait out of the Loxia 85/2.4.
And a note that Zeiss's latest Lenspire 9/2017 has a short take of their views on bokeh, from the designer's point of view, incl:
"But ultimately blurriness is a somewhat hazy term that primarily comes down to a subjective judgement. That’s
why no set of scientific measurements can ever be a proper substitute for the visual impression of a photograph taken under realistic conditions. We appreciate that fact – and that is why we equip our photographers and brand ambassadors with lenses right from the start of the prototype phase so that we can gather as many images and appraisals as possible."
I'm intrigued by how you got a terrific shot like this. You obviously don't know the guy, but you are very close to him, aiming a 55mm lens at him. But his expression and reactions seem to be as though you are not there. It does remind me of some of Gary Winogrand's shots. Here is one of Winogrand's student's description of how he shot on the street:
"We quickly learned Winogrand’s technique–he walked slowly or stood in the middle of pedestrian traffic as people went by. He shot prolifically. I watched him walk a short block and shoot an entire roll without breaking stride. As he reloaded, I asked him if he felt bad about missing pictures when he reloaded. “No,” he replied, “there are no pictures when I reload.” He was constantly looking around, and often would see a situation on the other side of a busy intersection. Ignoring traffic, he would run across the street to get the picture.” – Mason Resnick
I apologize for my tardy reply to your post. Thank you so much for the kind words (and for the extremely flattering reference to Gary Winogrand). In a certain sense, I am "not there". I photograph with the camera at waist level at least 95% of the time, no matter what the subject, human or otherwise. (I would never buy a camera that did not have a tilt screen.) But nowadays the vast majority of people take photographs with a mobile phone held out at arm's length and more serious photographers (a minority) compose through a viewfinder. So I suspect that I become essentially invisible because my potential subjects do not believe it is possible for anyone to take a photograph whilst looking at them rather than at or through the camera.
Interestingly though, about ten minutes after I'd taken the picture you referred to, another guy I'd photographed came back and asked me what I was photographing. I told him I was photographing people as they passed by and showed him the picture I'd taken of him. (I just checked that frame and he's looking directly at the camera.) What are you going to do with the photographs, he asked. I'm hoping eventually to publish a book, I replied. He was totally happy with that response and went on his way.
I wasn't aware that Gary Winogrand "walked slowly or stood in the middle of pedestrian traffic as people went by" but, as it happens, that's exactly what I do. Sometimes I stand or sit where there is a constant flow of pedestrians and allow the pictures to come to me; at other times, I walk through the social landscape and attempt to find pictures. On most days, I alternate between those strategies. For the picture of the man striding past, I was sitting on a bollard. For the one I posted a couple of days ago of the couple sitting on the bench in the park, I was walking slowly towards them.
Winogrand worked with a Leica and (frequently) a 28mm lens. I've done some experimenting with a 28mm but find that one needs to get much closer than I'm currently comfortable with. When I'm stationary, I find a 55mm lens frequently works well but when I'm on the move I prefer a 45mm so I carry two bodies.
The G 28, 45 and 90 are spectacular. Been processing shots recently and they're surprising me even though I've used them for a bit... Mine is with the 1500mm PCX and stock filter stack. probably over-processed these...
kevindar wrote:
Love the colors and micro contrast. How much is the lens vs great post processing? beautiful shots.
"Pushed to the edge" that's what Katie told me afterwards regarding this pose . Indeed, there was not much surface on the fence for her to balance plus, we were leery about the fence falling apart. I ended up only taking 4-5 images there instead of more normally and here is one of them. She likes the results though.
