Lens design: super-sharp center gradually fading out.

[xkaes]

The Fuji SF is not sure if it wants to be a triplet or a SF lens.

The Fujinon SF lenses are triplets -- without the discs -- and you can control the effect by stopping down. And with the discs, you can adjust the SF effect. If I am correct, the Imagons are two element optics, and work similarly -- with and without discs. But a good achromatic or apochromatic close-up lens -- adapter to a shutter -- can accomplish much the same:

http://fuzzcraft.com/achromats.html

The black edges can be accomplished in many ways, either on camera or on enlarger.

[EdSawyer]

Much of her Immediate Family work is just lenses shot on a much larger format of film than they were designed for. They effectively become wide-angles, and you can see it in the way they fall off. Great stuff, her best work by far, IMNSHO.

[Pere Casals]

I am also a an admirer of Ms. Mann—both her photography and writing (Hold Stilll is a wonderful biography.) This is a trailer for the film Blood Ties about Sally Mann's Immediate Family series— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUc4D8T5aeE It contains glimpses of her camera and lens, looks like nothing special is going on here in terms of equipment. The talent and vision on the other hand are quite special.

ART21: How much time did it take you to master the technique?
MANN: I never mastered it.



https://www.artsy.net/article/art21-...lodion-process

The greatest artists are normally reluctant to accept how good is their work.

Much of her Immediate Family work is just lenses shot on a much larger format of film than they were designed for. They effectively become wide-angles, and you can see it in the way they fall off. Great stuff, her best work by far, IMNSHO.

Also a lot of dipped glass... !