Reflections - Figuratively

[Cheryl Slechta]

A quote which I love that I think is attributed to Van Gogh - " Artistic innovation is not linear: The way forward sometimes comes from looking back." I've been doing a lot of "looking back" this year and studying photographers from the 1920's - 50's (as a lot of you all here know). I recently ordered an old Helios 58mm lens from the Ukraine on eBay because it produces "swirling" bokeh. I'm loving the lens although adapting an M42 lens to my Canon SL1 required some doing. (And then taking the darn thing off was another story - thank heavens I didn't attach it to my Mark III). Anyway, the lens cost $70, is metal and a fine lens and I find myself drawn to paring down and simplifying my camera kit. Maybe it's a temporary thing but I don't think so. Wish me luck tonight - I'm the high bidder on eBay right now for a Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex film camera that I'd love to have. So, keep your eye out in the Buy, Sell and Trade Equipment Forum - I'm going to be selling some stuff soon :)

This image was taken in my garden - my peach tree was fooled into thinking it's spring because of all the warm weather we've been having. Last week it was supposed to go down to the low 20's so I took this image with the Helios before the blooms took a hit. Basically straight out of the camera.

Thanks for looking

[Dennis Bishop]

I think you're going to have fun fooling around with this lens. I like the foreground, and I like the background, but I wonder if they should be either more different or more similar, so I played around with both. In the first, I blurred and lightened the background and increased the vibrance and saturation of the foreground.



In the second, I blurred and lightened the foreground but left the background as it was.

[Nancy Bell]

Wow, that lens is cool! Love those repeating and blending round shapes in the bkgd., and that the shapes go different ways, some in streaks and some in clusters. The repeating roundness is the cohesion pulling the chaos together. I see what Dennis has illustrated but I am inclined to the OP. I am fine that the main branches are not clearly distinct from the bkgd. For me since those branches and flowers are not sharp, nor do I think they were meant to be sharp, it is nice that they are more of a part of the whole bubbly image of color and motion. They can even be more blurred into the bkgd for me. Those colors are so spring, I am envious!
Hope you got the film camera on e-bay!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, I like your first post better than the second.
Thanks, Nancy, and yes, I got the camera :) Now I'll need a scanner so that I can upload negatives into Photoshop!

[Nancy Bell]

"Now I'll need a scanner so that I can upload negatives into Photoshop! " Ha ha! It is always something !

[Anita Bower]

What an unusual lens! I like the results! I like the OP and Dennis' first version. Lovely, soft colors to go with all the circles. You are having such fun!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I am intoxicated by the bokeh. I love this look!!! Can the M-42 adapter fit on the 5D? (but then I have read it is hard to get off!!!)

[Cheryl Slechta]

I am intoxicated by the bokeh. I love this look!!! Can the M-42 adapter fit on the 5D? (but then I have read it is hard to get off!!!)

Hi, Jackie, I thought my lens was an M42 so I bought an adapter for Canon EOS but it didn't fit. Then I discovered the lens was an M-39 so I bought a step up/down? ring, attached that and then the adapter and it fit fine. But you're right! I couldn't get it off of my Canon but a friend removed it for me (I had already called Canon and was going to send it back to them for removal.) There are threads all over the internet about removing the adapter so I wasn't the only one. I'm now waiting on an M39 adapter so I won't have to use the ring and it looks different than the M42 so I'm hoping it will be easier to get on and off of my camera. I'm using it on my little SL1 - not brave enough to attach the adapter to the Mark III
But yes, if it got stuck I wouldn't be too unhappy - I love the lens!