Lensbaby that is—a system of "creative
lenses" for DSLR cameras. You could probably do most (most likely all if you're really, really good) of the
effects in an image editing program these days, but doing the work in-camera
appealed to me. That, and I figured the learning curve on the lenses would be
less than the learning curve on the software. (Not to mention less time
consuming: Point and shoot, or sit and fiddle for hours…)
I hate learning curves. It's probably the reason I don't play an instrument—I
hate to practice.
I have good beginner's luck, though. Fourth
shot off with the new lens:
Then I get cocky and think "I can do
this!" and I start to play around and it all goes downhill from there… [Ask
me about the one and only time I tried downhill skiing.]
But from the first 68 attempts I managed a few
keepers, some technically-okay-but-not-interesting, a few near misses, and a
few dozen I'm not even going to bother to post. (Ouch. Reality Check.)
Missed the exposure and focus by a smudge, dang
it. Photoshop (Elements) to the rescue! I know how to lighten, darken and
sharpen…
Ta-da!
Yeah, fudged that one a bit, too.
And these… Two shots with nearly the same
composition but with different exposures making the color saturation come out markedly
dissimilar. Kinda like the effect myself; it conveys two totally different
moods of what is, essentially, exactly the same photo…
Eh, I think one out of twenty or so shots is a
good average for the first time out with a new gadget. And I'm so very grateful
for the digital technology--I would never have started to shoot if I'd only had
film to work with…
I am also very grateful to have such gorgeous,
patient and captive models on which to practice. This one is my Cassandra. A
real handful much of the time (gotta love that torbie cattitude!), but she sure
knows how to vogue...
What, exactly, does the creative lens do?
Compare a normal shot from one of my "regular" lenses, an 18-55mm zoom set at 36mm and f5 with the Lensbaby shot (Sweet 35) set somewhere around f4 or f5.6 (the
lenses don't communicate with the camera body, so I have to be more diligent
about start recording what settings I'm using)...
Of course the new toy had to be returned
because I received duplicate lenses in the kit instead of the two different ones it was supposed to
contain. Argh. Sigh. At least the snow that had followed a few hours behind the UPS truck (easily 7 inches, probably more)
meant I had a day to play (because I was sick of clearing off the truck and the
wind was too nasty to want to go out in yet more snow).
But B&H Photo had a new kit in my hands exactly a week later.
Naturally, we are currently trapped in that horrible in-between season where it is no longer Winter (I can't believe I'm saying that) but Spring is being a bit timid about appearing (can you blame her? Every blooming thing out there is waiting for Winter to reappear, say Gotcha and laugh evilly)... So what does one do when one needs to practice and is tired of annoying her cats? Why, sit outside on a sunny afternoon in that still-low, glowing light and just start shooting whatever is on hand. Like a rock. And a piece of that wow-it's-already-green moss. And a marble. And oh, I have those cool ceramic mushrooms in the house...
Still life!
This is a learning curve I might enjoy...
