The only thing a photograph can do is describe. My experience has been that in forest a dagor describes out of focus areas beautifully, a plasmat such as a sironar s horribly and there is no doubt in my mind that a Kodak portrait lens is amongst the worst. Obviously, it's a portrait lens designed to smooth over ugly complexions so the photographer can describe only form. Everything about soft focus lenses is stupid, except occasionally when used by outstanding photographers in order to describe something that can't be described otherwise. To me it's like talking in pidgin. The lowest common denominator. Mr Weston knew his stuff, Strand too, and neither will ever be accused of sharpness for sharpness sake either. At least the pictorialists were trying to do something other than make fuzzy pictures. please recognise that fuzzy pictures for the sake of it are the domain of the lens enthusiast. So by all means, talk pidgin to your hearts content. It's fun, but it limits what you can communicate.
David Cary
www.milfordguide.nz
Photographs describe and interpret. How I choose to describe this scene is up to me. I enjoy it and others do not. It is what I love about what we do as photographic artists.
It boggles me mind why some people always seek to force their aesthetic on others. You may not like soft-focus lenses. That does not make them stupid. It only makes them "lenses you do not like". No more no less. No one has the right to dictate to another on this forum or elsewhere what they should or should not like. And throwing out the Strands and the Westons does not make your case either. You may not like Jim's images. Good for you. You have no right to denigrate them though. Really uncalled for!....And by the way, even pidgin has an art to it, even if it is low in your terrestrial esttmates!
Well, I pay no mind to some people who have a right to their opinion. I love what I do and that is all that matters to me. I could never understand the comments from this guy.
There was a 305 that sold for $499.00 the other day. Good buy in my opinion. 700.00 is tops I feel.
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