Photos That My Daughter Used To Create Her Reel

My Vintage Arsenal: 1959 Nikkor Pat. Pending 105mm • 1985 Helios 44-2 58mm • 1987 Pentacon 30mm

People who know me, know that I LOVE to shoot with vintage lenses (AKA 'Old Glass'). There is a character and warmth to them that you simply cannot replicate with modern filters and technology. My infatuation began probably five years ago when I saw a post on Facebook that was a collection of images that just looked different but I couldn't put my finger on the 'why?'. I dove deep into the comments and read that the lens was a Soviet Era lens called a "Helios". This lens was East Berlin's Cold War Era attempt to duplicate a well known lens made by Carl Zeiss, and was technically a flawed reproduction that gave it its distinct character commonly known in photographic circles as 'swirly bokeh' or a blurry background that appears as a vortex. I had to have one! The lens hadn't become trendy yet, as it is today, so I was able to score a nice copy on eBay for sixty-five bucks. It may be the most used lens in my kit today. You'd be lucky to find a decent specimen for less than $125 now that the word's out.

Since that first purchase, I've bought and sold another half dozen vintage lenses to finally arrive at my honed down collection that covers a wide gamut of subjects and moods. My most recently purchased (and now oldest in my kit) 1959 Nikkor, another wonderful eBay find from Japan, was a favorite of Linda McCartney and used for many of her iconic portraits in the 60's and 70's. This lens is one of only 170k produced before it went to mass production, and is marked as such - "Pat. Pending" - on the barrel. To round off my collection, I have a 1987 Pentacon 30mm that takes gorgeous landscapes with a mid century modern feel.

1959 Nikkor • 1985 Helios • 1987 Pentacon

People who know me, know that I LOVE to shoot with vintage lenses (AKA 'Old Glass'). There is a character and warmth to them that you simply cannot replicate with modern filters and technology. My infatuation began probably five years ago when I saw a post on Facebook that was a collection of images that just looked different but I couldn't put my finger on the 'why?'. I dove deep into the comments and read that the lens was a Soviet Era lens called a "Helios". This lens was East Berlin's Cold War Era attempt to duplicate a well known lens made by Carl Zeiss, and was technically a flawed reproduction that gave it its distinct character commonly known in photographic circles as 'swirly bokeh' or a blurry background that appears as a vortex. I had to have one! The lens hadn't become trendy yet, as it is today, so I was able to score a nice copy on eBay for sixty-five bucks. It may be the most used lens in my kit today. You'd be lucky to find a decent specimen for less than $125 now that the word's out.

Since that first purchase, I've bought and sold another half dozen vintage lens to finally arrive at my honed down collection that covers a wide gamut of subjects and moods. My most recently purchased (and now oldest in my kit) 1959 Nikkor, another wonderful eBay find from Japan, was a favorite of Linda McCartney and used for many of her iconic portraits in the 60's and 70's. This lens is one of only 170k produced before it went to mass production, and is marked as such - "Pat. Pending" - on the barrel. To round off my collection, I have a 1987 Pentacon 30mm that takes gorgeous landscapes with an mid century modern feel.

The challenge of shooting with old glass is that they're 100% manual. All of the settings are dialed in separately and meticulously, so I've practiced like a gunslinger working on his quickdraw to be ready at a moment's notice. I've absolutely missed opportunities when my subject doesn't cooperate the way I predicted, but have captured some of my favorite images when things go as planned. One thing I've had to work on shooting with these old lenses is patience which anyone who knows me will tell you is not my strong suit in everyday life.

To see more images shot only with my vintage lenses, visit my Books page and click on the book thumbnail "Focus On What's Important". Enjoy!

Photo Humor ... "I hope, when I die, that my wife doesn't sell my photo gear for what I told her I paid for it".

Michelle and I are just back from a quickie, birthday gift from her to me, trip to Sedona Arizona. What amazing country! I think we hiked 15 miles in two days including the Soldier Pass Trail where we ended up at the Soldier Pass Cave. Another day we drove our rented 4x4 to the trailhead to Devils Bridge and hiked in for a photo opp on the bridge itself. I have a pretty bad fear of heights, and debated for ten minutes whether I'd actually walk out there but thought to myself, "You didn't come all this way to just look at it". Looking at the photo below, the first one, makes the hair stand up on my neck especially when I rememeber Michelle suggesting that we turn around for a photo of us looking out over the valley. She reminded me to not look down as she held my hand while we turned around.

We packed what we thought were appropriate clothes anticipating that we might run into some snow while we were there. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Other than a couple breezy evenings, the daytime temps were in the mid to high 80's and 90 the day we left. I had to buy a couple cheap souvenir tee shirts because the only two short sleeve tees that I brought were drenched in sweat by the end of day two.

We'd toyed with driving to Antelope Canyon while we were there, but decided we were too crunched for time on this short impromptu vacation. We've talked for a few years about a family trip to The Grand Canyon, so maybe we'll carve out more time and hit Antelope Canyon then.

 

Hanging with My Homie

Devil's Bridge

Hot Day!

Cool Rock Formation

Full Dad Regalia

Michelle and I are just back from a quickie, birthday gift from her to me, trip to Sedona Arizona. What amazing country! I think we hiked 15 miles in two days including the Soldier Pass Trail where we ended up at the Soldier Pass Cave. Another day we drove our rented 4x4 to the trailhead to Devils Bridge and hiked in for a photo opp on the bridge itself. I have a pretty bad fear of heights, and debated for ten minutes whether I'd actually walk out there but thought to myself, "You didn't come all this way to just look at it". Looking at the photo below, the first one, makes the hair stand up on my neck especially when I rememeber Michelle suggesting that we turn around for a photo of us looking out over the valley. She reminded me to not look down as she held my hand while we turned around. We packed what we thought were appropriate clothes anticipating that we might run into some snow while we were there. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Other than a couple breezy evenings, the daytime temps were in the mid to high 80's and 90 the day we left. I had to buy a couple cheap souvenir tee shirts because the only two short sleeve tees that I brought were drenched in sweat by the end of day two.

We'd toyed with driving to Antelope Canyon while we were there, but decided we were too crunched for time on this short impromptu vacation. We've talked for a few years about a family trip to The Grand Canyon, so maybe we'll carve out more time and hit Antelope Canyon then.

I could never be a studio photographer. I respect those who do it, but give me the great outdoors! I love the anticipation and unpredictability of a sunset and the feeling of cold, crisp morning air in my lungs as I wait for the sun to rise. I enjoy the challenge of the uncertainties that Mother Nature throws at me and the feeling of satisfaction when she and I are aligned on the same wavelength. I've driven, flown and walked thousands miles in pursuit of the perfect shot, and have stood in pouring rain and temperatures so cold that I had to hope that I released the shutter fully because I couldn't actually feel the button. The best part is rummaging through my photos years later and landing on those that let me relive the experience again all the way down to the numb fingertips and rain soaked parka.

I keep my kit light and never carry more than three or four lenses and essential peripherals in a small, easily accessible over the shoulder sling bag anywhere I go. I learned early on in my photographic journey the importance of being nimble, and have had to run many times to capture a fleeting moment that I would have otherwise missed if I was clumsily lugging forty pounds of gear in a full sprint. As the saying goes, "Time waits for no man".

Of course none of this would be possible without the enthusiastic support and encouragement that I get from friends and family. My wife, Michelle, is my #1 scout and ardent supporter always alerting me to interesting photo prospects and arranging amazing excursions to satisfy my photo appetite including trips to Italy, The Netherlands, Hawaii and so many more. She is actually an amazing photographer in her own right, so she understands when I stop every ten feet to snap yet another photo. Sometimes she waits for me, but most of the time she ventures on ahead or off to the side to capture her own moments. She's the Yin to my Yang.

I've never allowed myself to be pigeon-holed into anything, in art and in life, and the same is true with my photography. I get as much joy out of shooting with my $65 vintage Russian eBay find lens as I do with my expensive landscape lenses. I'm often asked what type of photography I like the most, and though I may tend toward landscape, I thoroughly enjoy the creative necessity of shooting with old, imperfect glass. Regardless of the tangibles that I carry on a shoot, it's the loveliness of communing with nature and the conversations with strangers that I encounter that gives me true joy as a photographer.

 

Man at Work

Credit: Ray Cheung

Credit: Me!

Credit: Jose Lopez

Credit: Mick Aldworth

I could never be a studio photographer. I respect those who do it, but give me the great outdoors! I love the anticipation and unpredictability of a sunset and the feeling of cold, crisp morning air in my lungs as I wait for the sun to rise. I enjoy the challenge of the uncertainties that Mother Nature throws at me and the feeling of satisfaction when she and I are aligned on the same wavelength. I've driven, flown and walked thousands miles in pursuit of the perfect shot, and have stood in pouring rain and temperatures so cold that I had to hope that I released the shutter fully because I couldn't actually feel the button. The best part is rummaging through my photos years later and landing on those that let me relive the experience again all the way down to the numb fingertips and rain soaked parka.

I keep my kit light and never carry more than three or four lenses and essential peripherals in a small, easily accessible over the shoulder sling bag anywhere I go. I learned early on in my photographic journey the importance of being nimble, and have had to run many times to capture a fleeting moment that I would have otherwise missed if I was clumsily lugging forty pounds of gear in a full sprint. As the saying goes, "Time waits for no man".

Of course none of this would be possible without the enthusiastic support and encouragement that I get from friends and family. My wife, Michelle, is my #1 scout and ardent supporter always alerting me to interesting photo prospects and arranging amazing excursions to satisfy my photo appetite including trips to Italy, The Netherlands, Hawaii and so many more. She is actually an amazing photographer in her own right, so she understands when I stop every ten feet to snap yet another photo. Sometimes she waits for me, but most of the time she ventures on ahead or off to the side to capture her own moments. She's the Yin to my Yang.

I've never allowed myself to be pigeon-holed into anything, in art and in life, and the same is true with my photography. I get as much joy out of shooting with my $65 vintage Russian eBay find lens as I do with my expensive landscape lenses. I'm often asked what type of photography I like the most, and though I may tend toward landscape, I thoroughly enjoy the creative necessity of shooting with old, imperfect glass. Regardless of the tangibles that I carry on a shoot, it's the loveliness of communing with nature and the conversations with strangers that I encounter that gives me true joy as a photographer.

Man at Work

Credit: Ray Cheung

Credit: Me!

Credit: Jose Lopez

Credit: Mick Aldworth