Photographs (a chance to show off)

[Dragonsdad]

HVC.jpg

[Dragonsdad]

I was 16 when I first met my father and he gave me a Kodak Retinette. no meter / no rangefinder capability
I've had people tell me it was an entry level camera, at best. No doubt they're right but to me, it was the nicest camera I'd ever had my hands on and I felt an obligation to figure out what all the numbers and settings were for. While I still have pictures from the first rolls I ever took with it...
Gill_Netter.jpg

the following is the picture I wanted to take once I got back from gill netting on Bristol Bay that summer.
grave.jpg

I used to pass by it every day while riding the school bus back and forth then, later on my way to and from work.
I meant to take this shot for the longest time. Even so, I figure I got lucky with the converging paths and the cloud lending impact that wouldn't be there in a simple 'record' shot.
I also figure it's going to make for a good closing image.

more on that grave-

https://wanderingnevada.weebly.com/steamboat-springs-pioneer-grave.html

also-
"On the hillside above U.S. Highway 395, near Steamboat Springs, you can find a dark, gray granite marker carved with the image of a covered wagon. Carved words state the spot is the final resting place of Jeremiah Rogers, native of Indiana, born 1830 and died 1861. Rogers apparently died while making the journey to California. Fortunately for him, 20th century descendants hunted down the site of his grave and erected the impressive marker and a small fence to protect his final resting place."

Thanx for the opportunity to share.

[Allen]

Thanx for the opportunity to share.

Thanx for posting.

[Doc Sharptail]

I was 16 when I first met my father and he gave me a Kodak Retinette. no meter / no rangefinder capability

Some got very good glass~ Schneider Kreuznachs and the like. Some also wore American glass that was almost the equivalent of the German stuff.
I would hesitate to call them entry level. Zone focusing and full manual control were the way things were done for the longest time. Coupled rangefinders may have been around, but they were barely affordable in that time period. Image Quality (I/Q) was very high for the retina/retinette series, and they were amongst the first proof that smaller formats would be a viable proposition. Their history is definitely worth looking up.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Dragonsdad]

"Their history is definitely worth looking up."

Would knowing any of that help anyone take better pictures?
I've always viewed my Retinette IIa as having interest to me primarily because it was a gift from my father. There's a story there that I won't get into.

Something that's held my interest in photography has been the opportunity to dive into the various sub-sets of science and art(s) entailed. Just like racing involves a variety of things a guy can get into and still be out racing, two people can be focused on different aspects of photography and still be into photography.

I keep telling myself I'm a print guy.
I admire the thought and effort Ansel Adams and Ed Weston put into their images.
That doesn't mean I follow their rules and guidelines or that I even try, just that I admire their focus.

[Dragonsdad]

Cindy.jpg

Miss Kitty.jpg

PlusX developed in Microdol
50MM stock lens @ wide open aperture / hand held

[Dragonsdad]

IMGP3328.jpg

not unrelated...
I was out chasing deer around in the Ruby Mountains and found a patch of rock chips and flakes that weren't native to the area.
A person could easily skin a rabbit with this sucker.

worked_edge.jpg

IMGP3196_1.jpg

another-
RubyFlake.jpg

[Dragonsdad]

RT_Knife.jpg

[Dragonsdad]

I always struggle with reflective surfaces.
Zoave_Patchbox.jpg

[Doc Sharptail]

I always struggle with reflective surfaces.

Still a nice photo.
If you can't control your light source, a polarizer filter will reduce those glaring reflections immensely, at a cost of 1-1/2 to 2 stops exposure. If you are working from Windows 10, dialing back on the highlights in the Win editing suite will help. Lightroom/Photoshop are supposed to be way better for that sort of thing. Overly heavy editing does show though, and it's always best to start with the image taking conditions first.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Dragonsdad]

Thanx !

[Dragonsdad]

IMGP2993.jpg

[Dragonsdad]

Quartz crystals (Chinese)
quartz_cropped.jpg

[JohnMOhio]

Here is how I look at this photo game. Each photo you take, becomes something that you saw and admired enough to press that button. That instant in time is never repeated. If you think about it, each print tells a story. Most likely one that you envisioned within your mind if only for an instant. Anyone that is fortunate to view that print will probably see it as having a different story about it than what you envisioned. All photos have a story to tell, we only have to use our imagination unless we are the photographer as he or she knows the real story behind the print.

I like it, done well. John

THIS IS INTENDED FOR DRAGONSDAD CONCERNING THE PHOTO WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT PRINTS.

[Dragonsdad]

Here is how I look at this photo game. Each photo you take, becomes something that you saw and admired enough to press that button. That instant in time is never repeated. If you think about it, each print tells a story. Most likely one that you envisioned within your mind if only for an instant. Anyone that is fortunate to view that print will probably see it as having a different story about it than what you envisioned. All photos have a story to tell, we only have to use our imagination unless we are the photographer as he or she knows the real story behind the print.
*** John

***

Interesting viewpoints John.
I used to say "Anything worth looking at twice is worth a picture."

Have you ever had one person stand out from a crowd like nobody else is there?
GDconcertGirls.jpg
(I'd probably get yelled at trying to take this shot nowadays)

I used to say lots of stuff, including... "If I have to explain my shots, I'm not doing it right."
GDConcert_ejected_1.jpg

What I miss, what I don't get posting images on-line is watching how the viewer's eyes moves across the image, seeing what holds someone's attention and their reactions.
Honestly, if an image makes someone pause for a second or nets even the slightest of smiles, I'm a happy camper.

btw-
I took these at a Reno, Grateful Dead concert.
I was freshly home from an overseas tour and decided I wanted to be around people (female women).