3 New Pages for the Soft Focus Crowd

[Jim Galli]

It's been a while since I've added new pages at my little web site.

Easter weekend did the trick. Here (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Portraits/The_Gary_Portraits_I.html) are 3 new pages with photos made with some very ecclectic soft foci types.

I used the Pinkham Bi-Quality (Series IV Visual Quality) 14", a 15" no name achromatic meniscus, Voigtlander Euryscop, Voigtlander Petzval, Wolly Velostigmat with Fuzz-U-Lator modification, Wollensak Beach Series B, and finally, the Cooke Aviar.

Hope you have some fun wading through the stuff.

Dis-Claimer; I didn't say any of it was any good. Just that you can get an idea what the different soft focus lenses can do for you.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Portraits/The_Gary_Portraits_I.html

[cdholden]

Jim,
I always enjoy seeing the photos you made with lenses I have never been able to work with. Many of these I will never get to work with...
Which of the shots did Gary choose as the gift to the Mrs?
Chris

[Glenn Thoreson]

There's ome nice shots in there that I really like. Ya done good, methinks. :D

[Jim Galli]

Thanks Chris and Glenn. Gary is home visiting family over Easter break and hasn't seen the pics yet. Don't know which he'll like.

Another little note. On page 3 the distortion on the end of the tool chest is because of film curl in the scanner. These were just quick and dirty on the Epson V700. The Aerial Recon film has some annoying curl into the emulsion.

[Alex Wei]

Jim, thanks for the hard work. I really enjoy the pictures made by Pinkham Bi-Quality and
Euryscop. Which one is cheaper to get? :)

[Diane Maher]

Fuzz-u-lator! I love that term. Is it a separate wheel on the lens? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)

I can't describe my Cooke PS 945 like that. :o :D

[Mark Sawyer]

Beautiful stuff, Jim! That last shot with the Velostigmat of the cke bottle & glass really shines. And though both are lovely, I think I might actually prefer that no-name meniscus to the mighty Pinkham & Smith! But such things change from photo to photo, which is just how it should be...

[Toyon]

The Beach is a very interesting lens, though I suspect that the extreme softness you see wide open is atypical. Since they were hand-polished to be aspherical, they probably vary quite a bit. Beautiful either way though.

[Jim Galli]

Jim, thanks for the hard work. I really enjoy the pictures made by Pinkham Bi-Quality and
Euryscop. Which one is cheaper to get? :)

The Euryscop is in a whole different price field from the Pinkhams. Anything that says Pinkham on it seems to have blasted into the stratosphere, while the Voigtlander Euryscop, while spiraling upward a bit in the last few years remains affordable. The bigger ones particularly are a bit spendier which is consistent with their general rarity. True also with most lenses.


Fuzz-u-lator! I love that term. Is it a separate wheel on the lens? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)

I can't describe my Cooke PS 945 like that.

I credit our own Mark Sawyer with the brilliant term; fuzz-u-lator. There have been a couple of threads about modifying the ordinary Velostigmat that had the factory 1-5 softness control to let it keep on going and going far beyond the original factory intent. The original 1-5 didn't really do much. But when you get to 45 or 65, they really are spectacularly soft :D It amounts to a thread at the front of the lens that seperates element No. 1 and no. 2. Factory it would only let you unthread the thing the space of 1 thread width. By removing the factory 'stop', certain deviants around here are increasing that space to about 5+ times what the factory setting was, which greatly increases the softness. Fun to do and the pictures are really interesting.

[Hugo Zhang]

Jim,

These are great pictures and that Beach lens has something, doesn't it?

Thanks for sharing!
Hugo

[Paul Bujak]

Wow! That Jim Galli is really an inspiration. While I have never met him, I have purchased items from him on the 'bay and through the forum and had some email conversations with him.

For a guy with unlimited resources of LGM-supplied lenses and cameras, he really knows how to use the equipment. Coke bottles, glasses and grass seed! Who'da thunk it? Jim really can make beautiful and interesting photos out of... practically nothing?! I am in awe.

More, JG, more!

Paul in Ohio

[Paul Kierstead]

I really like that Beach at f/45. It has a very pleasant look about it, without being overt.

[Jon Wilson]

Thank you for sharing Jim. Another wonderful sprinkling of your magic with a wide variety of gems. I always enjoy your work. It is always inspiring. I hope I will have some time this weekend to expose some sheets and print in my new darkroom.

Please post more! Jon