Yates Mill in Black and White

Here are some more from the day, same camera, but set to black and white. I really did not tweak these much at all in post production because I liked them as they were.

Yates Mill

Last Saturday I went to Yates Mill again, this time with a friend from work who was breaking in a new camera. It's always better to go shooting with a friend, and it got me thinking: someone who does not know a lot about cameras, but has a great imagination and can see in their head the image the want, with just a little help, will always take better pictures then someone who knows a lot about camera gear and technique, but can only repeat ideas he has already seen. My friend's pictures were amazing. Sorry, but you'll have to settle for mine. 

Enjoy!

We ran into a guy who was just starting a family photoshoot. I think the track suit  pants were a bold choice!

Yates Mill (Part 4 of 4)

Finally, the Leica 50mm/2 Summicron! A classic lens that has been around longer then I have (not this particular one)! Why? because it's a great design. Sharp, fast, everything you could want. Mine has some scratches on the front (not deep ones) so I have to be careful about flare and glare from shooting across the light or into light sources. Oh well... I try not to look into the sun anyway! Seriously, I think it still does a spectacular job! what do you think?

I hope you enjoyed my day (hour) at Yates Mill. If you are in the neighborhood, check it out. http://www.ncsu.edu/project/yates-mill/home.htm .They worked hard on the restoration, and is certainly worth your time! If nothing else, it's a great place to bring your camera!

Yates Mill (Part 2 of 4)

Next up is the Leica 28mm/2.8 Elmarit. I am most interested in the difference between it and the lenses that will come before it and after it (the 15mm and the 35mm). Is there enough difference to justify having it and the 35mm? Does it still feel wide after seeing the 15mm? It is a gorgeous lens..... just not a cheap one!

Anyway, here's the images

Yates Mill (Part 1 of 4)

I went to Yates Mill last Saturday because it is a beautifully restored mill with some historical significance and has water, wood, trees, stone and other things of interest. I packed along my Leica M8 and a few lenses that I wished to compare in terms of sharpness, image rendering, and most importantly to me, what I am drawn to when I have it on the camera.

I often feel the lens on the camera makes you see differently, and while this is certainly true on a SLR, like a Nikon D90, there is really no reason it should be so on a range-finder. This is because even though you have frame lines to tell you where the image will stop being captured, you still see the entire scene (it does not zoom in and out as you change lenses). I figure I would post each lens separately and let you decide. Granted I was in slightly different places , as I did not shoot each lens at each location, but that is also part of the journey, what if I had only brought the one lens?

First up: the Voigtlander 15mm/4.5 Super Wide Heliar!

enjoy!