A Modest Contribution to Dispelling Diffractiophobia

[Bernice Loui]

No, when in doubt why expose any sheet of film at all?


Bernice

So, when in doubt, stop down your lens!

[Vaughn]

No, when in doubt why expose any sheet of film at all?
Bernice

To make mistakes? To learn? To experiment? To push oneself further?

Film is cheap tuition.

[Bernice Loui]

Took years to bust out of the same f64 habit..

It was a gradual transition partly due to making an awful lot of images using 35mm (mostly Canon) and 120 roll film (mostly Hasselblad) coupled with mostly full aperture images with selective focused areas and not just everything in perceived focused images (ala f64). This introduced the question and issue of lens in to out of focus personality and bokeh at full aperture and slightly less... which drove the fondness for Tessar formula lenses like Kodak Ektar and such, coupled with a dis-like for non iris lenses and some double Gauss large aperture lenses like Planar, Xenotar and such..

All part of the creative/expressive image creating process, for some the f64 ideology-method fits them excellent, for others not so much at all..

Much about image goals and how best to achieve them. IMO, the goal of any image what does the image "feel" like and does this feeling _ emotions occur repeatedly over the years viewing the same image?

Bernice

I learn LF photography under the redwoods, where f64 was a dear dear friend who helped me create a little stillness, a little sense, from the chaos. And where one had to keep camera movements to a minimum because there was rarely one 'plane' in the scene that one could align focus with to be of much use.

Once getting out from under the Redwoods, it was difficult for me to break the habit of always f64-ing it. But my 16x20 silver gelatin prints (from 4x5) usually had an increased feel of sharpness taken at f16 vs f64...everything else being equal.

If a photographer was to apply color in just one small area of a B&W photograph, the viewers' eyes would be directed towards the color...and hopefully the photographer had a decent reason to do so. I feel the same way when focusing. If there is an out of focus area in my image, I'd better have a reason for it, and not just because of any limitations of my lens or the rules of optics.

In most images, I prefer everything reasonably sharp. It echos how I believe our brains 'sees' and creates a feel of a place, and I do not want any areas out of focus to distract from the other elements I am working with (light, for example).

[Vaughn]

=...

Much about image goals and how best to achieve them. IMO, the goal of any image what does the image "feel" like and does this feeling _ emotions occur repeatedly over the years viewing the same image?

Bernice

Hard to objective about one's kids. Images I printed 30 years ago still hang in my brain...even some of the unsuccessful ones -- especially them if I worked with them long and hard.

A few years ago I was making my way along Lost Man Creek and came upon a spot I photographed in the early 80s -- and had worked with the image unsuccessfully. The little spot had not changed, remarkably enough, and all the work I had done with the image flowed back to me. It was a delightful experience...just too bad I never got a print I thought was worth showing. Can't fix so-so composition.

It is getting tougher and tougher to photograph these days. I have lost interest in just creating interesting images of interesting things and/or interesting weather, or creating traveloges of interesting places. It is an interesting mental place to be. I still do it, but improving, hopefully.

[Tin Can]

I think less (laugh now)

I may prefer a sharp PART of an image or none

Look at Iga's image posted today. I called it lovely!

Size of image presentation, aka viewing distance matters

a lot

As I was a 'snap shooter' most of my life, I focused on important and let the rest go

[Bernice Loui]

Might try non-outdoor landscape images with the idea of busting out of that rut.

So much to see and share around us with no need to travel. There was a time when making images of windows and such at home were a thing..


Taking a walk with a roll film or digital camera can open up creative image possibilities as there are images that are best done with a view camera and other images best done with a non-view camera..

Much about seeing and sharing the world around up and giving these nouns "voice"...


Bernice

Hard to objective about one's kids. Images I printed 30 years ago still hang in my brain...even some of the unsuccessful ones -- especially them if I worked with them long and hard.

A few years ago I was making my way along Lost Man Creek and came upon a spot I photographed in the early 80s -- and had worked with the image unsuccessfully. The little spot had not changed, remarkably enough, and all the work I had done with the image flowed back to me. It was a delightful experience...just too bad I never got a print I thought was worth showing. Can't fix so-so composition.

It is getting tougher and tougher to photograph these days. I have lost interest in just creating interesting images of interesting things and/or interesting weather, or creating traveloges of interesting places. It is an interesting mental place to be. I still do it, but improving, hopefully.

[Bernice Loui]

YES, much about letting go and taking in the moment... which is essentially our only perceived reality.

Bernice

[QUOTE=Tin Can;1668670]

I think less (laugh now)

As I was a 'snap shooter' most of my life, I focused on important and let the rest go

[QUOTE]

[John Kasaian]

Sadly, I was denied the f/64 experience.
My 14" Commercial Ektar only stopped down to f/45
What did I miss?

[Robert Opheim]

I have been most concerned about camera movement. I have wondered about lens diffraction as well. I does seem that some 16x20 or 20x24 prints are OK and some are a little too soft. I have looked at lighting as a factor, contrast, micro-contrast (very important). This is a very useful discussion.

[Vaughn]

Bernice Lou; Might try non-outdoor landscape images with the idea of busting out of that rut...

No rut -- on a plateau and do not wish to return to the lowlands of easy meaningless (for me) images...seeking out the trails to higher ground.