Classic Cars

Back to shooting film again. Leica M4-P, Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM lens,
Kodak UltraMax 400

Easter Bonnets

The Annual Easter Bonnet Festival and Parade on 5th Ave. New York City.

Orchid Show

Today I spent the afternoon visiting the orchid show at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Aside from shooting with my Olympus E-PL1 I also took some shots with my iPhone so I could immediately send the pictures to my wife who didn't get a day off. Somehow the iPhone's Hipstamatic app captured more interesting shots of the orchids. The exaggerated colors made the shots look very painterly.

Spring Blossoms and Jupiter-9

I went back to the same small park in Tappan, NY where I took the photos of the bridge and barn that I posted here in a couple of weeks ago. This time I wanted to try my Jupiter-9, 85mm f2 lens on my Olympus E-PL1. The blossoms are out so I concentrated on them since I only have fifteen minutes left on my quick lunch break. It's a good thing my allergies didn't act up. When I first got this Jupiter-9 lens it was in bad shape. The glass had some fungus in it, the focusing ring was very stiff. I sent the lens for some cleaning and repairs and it came back with the glass looking almost like new. However, the repairman said that the focusing helicals are already worn. Although the lens will focus, it is not smooth as it should be. It is easy to focus from 10 feet and beyond with my Leica and Canon P but a little difficult at closer range and with wide apertures. The focusing helical may not be working properly with the rangefinder cams. Somehow it works better with the E-PL1. This camera's viewfinder has zooming in magnification capability that helps with precise focusing.

Manicure and Bokeh

It's a lazy Sunday morning and my wife was performing one of her favorite weekend rituals, doing her nails. I took the opportunity to try my neglected Nikkor-S 50mm f1.4 lens on my Olympus Pen E-PL1 and see how the lens and camera perform with very poor morning light.