Quest for the magnificent light

This week's post is the last one in "The other perspective" series. (Links to  Part I and Part II ) My intention was to give some insight into what I think about sunset photography. More specifically, how I see it right now... Photography itself is just a method of interpreting the world and preserving memories; it needs to constantly evolve with us through our lifetime. Because the world is also changing...  I discover new things and unique moments literally every day,  since I have started taking photos after a long break. Just a nice fallen leaf on the pavement, a remarkable cloud formation, or beautiful forest scenery lit by scattered light. I didn't really notice them before, because everything seemed to be just part of the "normal life" .  However those moments are  noteworthy and not just simple accessories or scenes of everyday life.  That's an important thing I realized.    Compostion Let's ta...

The previous post covered the first aspect of taking sunset images: the timing. Let's continue with another important topic, the  weather conditions . This shouldn't be a suprise, as actual weather plays a decisive role in general landscape photography as well.   Weather conditions Obviously there is no point in going out on an overcast day, or when thick cloud cover is just above the horizon. More surprisingly, sunset with totally clear sky is extremely boring as well! But why? Just have a look at the following image! It was taken right after a powerful snow storm  hit my country in March. (Pretty unusual event here!) I found a spot, where a snow-covered boat was sitting right before the the setting sun. Nice theme, isn't it? However it turned out to be quite boring; just a hint of orange with lots of bluish white. I added soft focusing effect in post processing to emphasize its dreamy atmosphere. But this effect still can't save the image... ...

It's time to write about one of my favourite screw mount lens, the Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm F3.5 MC . First some words about the exterior. The lens is painted in black with white and red markings. It looks professional, and the colors nicely match Canon bodies as well. I showcase the lens here on a "retro" Praktica film body.     The front element   Side view   When you pick up the lens, you immediately realize that the build quality is good; it is made of lot of metal parts and some plastic. I heard that the internal contains more plastic in my late, red MC version; but its weight still shows that there is good old glass inside. :) Weakest point seems to be the aperture mechanism, but fortunately mine is pretty well-preserved, and don't have any mechanical problems. Aperture can be set between F3.5 - F22. There is a depth of field scale, as you can expect.   DOF scale  The lens has only...

I have to admit that the backwater near my home in Tiszafüred impressed me a lot. Sunsets are always amazing there! And I just had to walk a few minutes from my home to enjoy them, which I miss a lot since I have moved to Budapest. This was the most significant impact, which made me a hobby photographer.  In early spring I took a walk on the dam around the backwater with my trusty 5D. I found this bike waiting for its owner in the glowing, late-afternoon light... Gone fishing.  Metadata Camera: Canon 5D Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f3.5 MC

Spring suddenly arrived, so I have a number of images waiting for processing! A few weeks ago I took a walk with my family in a local zoo, and also brought my new toy for a test drive. I mentioned new toy? Oh yes! There is a neverending debate about full frame digital cameras on all forums and photo sites. Some say that full frame is unnecessary, because APS-C sensor satisfy all our needs and it is just an expensive toy for the rich. Others say that full frame gives more options, and of course, less depth of field, which can't be reproduced by APS-C cameras. My biggest problem with the Sony NEX is the crop factor, which makes it difficult to find good and fast wide angle and normal lens for the platform. (Remember, I mostly used old, film-era glass!) I know that Carl Zeiss, probably the most famous optical company, is going to introduce some fine primes for the system, but I will wait and see the results before I make the financial investment in tha...

This season is not the most attractive for a photographer in my zone. Colours are washed out, gray cloud cover dominates the sky and there is snow everywhere. Fortunately when the sun is shining, all the sunbeams are those golden, magical types; these can turn a boring Sunday afternoon into a great time to shoot landscape. This is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago! Low flying clouds made that afternoon even more exciting, because sun rays painted them with phenomenal colours. Let's see the result! Borderline Metadata Camera: Sony Alpha Nex-5N Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm