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Thread: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

  1. #41

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    I was a one lens per format person for many years -- just what I could afford, then I got use to it. I figured in a world of infinite images, having just one lens cannot reduce the number of possible images.
    Just like having one pair of eyes!
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  2. #42

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    Reflecting on the discussion I thought I'd throw in a few images. Typically I'm chasing an images like the one on the left shot this summer at Little Huson Cave Regional Park on Vancouver Island. 90mm nikor f8 Pretty sharp front to back. Focusing on shapes and tones.

    Second image shot with imagon this week which seems to be experimenting with dream like representation which seems to come from the soft focus lens (still a new approach to me). Blacks seem to want less contrast. So hitting the 1st scene only armed with the imagon would certainly require a different approach.

    Perhaps a project approach (Landscape Dreams) or whatever until a series is complete and then move on. I guess it comes down to defining your vision and then using your dedication and commitment see it realized.

    One of the posts mentioned john Sexton so I watched some interviews of him last night. My take away was his absolute commitment to his vision and then tirelessly sticking with it for the long haul. Bravo to him.

    This thread continues to inspire and provide a great exchange of ideas.

    Thank you all for sharing.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  3. #43
    SF Bay Area 94303
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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    Actually millions of folks are carrying around one camera and one single focal length lens and using it. It is called an iPhone. Someone said it is equivalent to about a 129mm on a 4X5. Depth of focus is somewhat deeper...

  4. #44
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    Consider this: No individual photographer has access to enough lenses for every conceivable photograph! We are all limited to some extent. The Anniversary Speed Graphic was basically a one-lens camera, yet produced some of the great images of its time. For 65 years I've had a range of lenses on small and eventually large format cameras. Probably mostf of the many thousands of photos in that time were made by lenses near normal in focal length. I might go years without using the 20mm or 800mm on 35mm cameras, or the more modest extremes on large format. The photographer who is constrained by photographic requirements imposed my others may need a wide variety of lenses. In my declining years it is obvious that someone free to chose subjects within the range of a single lens can be happy with nothing more.

  5. #45

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    4x5 it is the 120mm and 8 x10 it is the 240mm

  6. #46

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    The opposite approach here. I let the scene in front of me determine camera position (perspective) and framing (focal length) as well as shape (square, panorama, rectangle and everything in between). Then I choose the closest focal length lens I have with me to get the desired image onto the film. Later, when making the print. I crop down to the desired framing and format.

    For me, every image has its own, best focal length requirement. Although I don't have an infinite variety of focal lengths with me, I can sure crop to get what I (and the image) want.

    Having just one focal length would definitely be a limiting frustration for me.

    Best,

    Doremus

  7. #47
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    Quote Originally Posted by LeeSimmons View Post
    Reflecting on the discussion I thought I'd throw in a few images. Typically I'm chasing an images like the one on the left shot this summer at Little Huson Cave Regional Park on Vancouver Island. 90mm nikor f8 Pretty sharp front to back. Focusing on shapes and tones.

    Second image shot with imagon this week which seems to be experimenting with dream like representation which seems to come from the soft focus lens (still a new approach to me). Blacks seem to want less contrast. So hitting the 1st scene only armed with the imagon would certainly require a different approach.

    Perhaps a project approach (Landscape Dreams) or whatever until a series is complete and then move on. I guess it comes down to defining your vision and then using your dedication and commitment see it realized.

    One of the posts mentioned john Sexton so I watched some interviews of him last night. My take away was his absolute commitment to his vision and then tirelessly sticking with it for the long haul. Bravo to him.

    This thread continues to inspire and provide a great exchange of ideas.

    Thank you all for sharing.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	canyon1.jpg 
Views:	90 
Size:	106.5 KB 
ID:	139596Click image for larger version. 

Name:	imagon200_F11.jpg 
Views:	88 
Size:	119.4 KB 
ID:	139597
    I like that imagon photo.

    What you're doing is using light/shapes/tones with the 90 and ADDING with the imagon mood/diffusion in just the right amounts. More things to think about and it's a nice challenge that requires hard work. If you like doing stuff with the 90, nothing wrong with 2 lenses. It's not like 2 girlfriends or something. I can mentally change gears between soft and sharp while shooting because I'm in the lookout for mood in my sharp photos now too.

  8. #48

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    150mm is the only lens I have for my 4x5 LF camera. I live quite happily with it. When I want something longer I crop the view by using a roll film back (and I honestly see no quality differnece on a 12x16 wet print from FP4).
    Linhof Kardan re

  9. #49

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    I have dropped the amount of lenses i use , i had 3 wides for 5x4 58,75 and 90 , now i only have the 90 and am happy with that , I shoot most of my shots on the 90 or the 180 with the occasional 135 or 240 , but 1 lens ?

  10. #50

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    Re: One lens - artistic zen or a limiting frustration

    despite the stack of lenses I have available....because I shoot in a studio of slightly limited length, I end up using a 12" on my 8x10 about 75 percent of the time ( and the 19" about 25 percent); a 240 on my 5x7 and a 150 on my 4x5

    hasn't been a problem so far

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