Posts
Ah, March. #3 Son's birthday month. Given that his birthday is so early in the month (4th), I have to wonder what LM and I might have been celebrating in early June that ... oh. Yeah. June is our Anniversary Month. We used to do a LOT of celebrating in June. :)
Last night, in order to fulfill the requirements of #3 Son's theater class, he and I went to see a performance at Second City, in Chicago. He has to write a paper detailing the 'audience experience' at a live, non-student production. So we went into the city to see the 34th review at Second City, "The Best Friggin' Time of Your Life". It was hilarious. Amazing. I have to make sure that it doesn't take me this long to get back there again (I haven't been to Second City in many years).
I have been ragging on #3 son to get his head out of his ass and start paying attention to where he is - as an Asperger's boy, he has a 'tunnel vision' of sorts, and he is very unaware of his surroundings - what there is, where it came from, and how it relates to the rest of the world. On the drive home from Second City, he said, "If this was bait to get me to learn about the City, you win." YES! What he doesn't yet realize, of course, is that it is not me who has won. Not me at all. Someday, maybe he will see. (I plan to teach my son 'The City' during this coming summer - of course, I'll never be able to teach him EVERYTHING - hopefully I can teach him enough to where he can begin to explore on his own - to where he will have the DESIRE to learn on his own. Chicago is a World Class City - it has treasures for the heart, the mind, and the soul - if you know where to look - if you WANT to know where to look.)
As a photographer who now shoots digital (although I do plan to shoot some film in some upcoming work I'm planning) instead of film, it galls me to think that my small collection of truly great German glass (I have a collection of Exakta cameras from the 1950's) sits in a canvas bag because the cameras they fit are FILM cameras, not digital. That is going to change. I have ordered an adapter which will allow me to mount my German glass on my Canon digital camera and shoot those lenses. Granted, there will be no automation in the lenses. There will be no auto focus. I may even have to meter by hand. Oh, the horror. (Where is my sarcasm font when I need it?)
The design for the Tessar lens, from Germany, is either 99 or 100 years old this year - depending on who you believe and how you measure. The thing is, the design has been around for a long, long time - and modern lenses are hard pressed to produce the quality of image that these old German lens formulations can. I hope to show you what I mean in the near future.
Cubs won today. There are beginning to play better ball. Stay tuned.
Ndinombethe.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Ahh, metering and focusing, setting apertures manually. It almost feels like a magician waving his magic wand, willing that rabbit out of the hat. Or in this case, a beautiful picture out of the pixels.
I just made the leap to DSLR in January and despite the fact that my Minolta lenses are laying in their bag unusued, I still have that need to tinker, to do as much as I can without the benefit of the technology the camera affords me.
So I completely understand that itch to use the Tessar...
The darkroom is one of the fun parts of shooting film. Do you have one?
I inherited a TON of old cameras from my uncle when he passed 13 years ago. I call them "accordion cameras." I have no idea of their models/makes or if they still work or if film is still made for them, but they are awesome and I wish I could take them out for a spin. Glad you're getting the German glass out of the bag.
And, hopefully, I can get back to regular blog reading. :)
Back to # 3 son; what a gift you're giving him by helping him know and love the city. My father did that for me in Boston many years ago and, although I don't live there anymore, I developed a love and appreciation for it that has extended to large cities that I've lived near ever since. Now, including Rome.
Son #3 is going to end up being so gratified by his... "field trips" in the city with you. You're a good dad!
As far as the camera lingo goes, I'm looking forward to seeing the results of the new adapter with the old lenses.
My #3 daughter turns 14 today and... yeah, she's a teenager. Not a typical one, but the over- emotional crazy stuff is still there.
My digital camera no longer has auto- focus. Hasn't for a long time. It's been through a lot, to say the least, but I like it manual, anyway.
Thank you for the kind words today:) Just what I needed. You're the best!
Good luck converting the German glass. I can't wait to see your film work.
Good luck to #3 too. Sounds like he may have turned a corner, literally and figuratively.
I am sure that #3 will appreciate you getting him out exploring. Nothing builds confidence like finding your way around semi-familiar places. At least that is how it works for me.
Had to laugh at the timing of birthdays and celebrating of the anniversary..!
Second City -- isn't that where a lot of the original SNL cast came from? Cool homework.
Post a Comment