Sunday, September 5, 2010

Continuing the Eureka Project

In the Quiet of the Morning, Eureka

The primary reason I bought the new Canon 5dMII was so I could use a Canon 17mm Tilt/Shift lens (A tilt/shift lens is one that has built-in tilt, shift and rise movements). This allows for perspective control corrections similar to those of press and view cameras. I recently obtained a Canon 17mm T/S lens, and I was able to go out this morning to give it a workout.

I owned and used a wooden Korona 4"x5" view camera for years, and understand what various movements can accomplish so using this lens was not entirely new to me. Nontheless, it is going to take me awhile to "get it down".

Ragg's Rack Room

The Ritz taken with 24-105mm lens
I know that as with anything, it will take awhile for me to learn the ropes with this lens/camera combination. One thing I realize is that I am going to have to learn how the lens focus works when I use the tilt function. Some of my images are very sharp where I focused, but soft at the edges even though I had the lens stopped down to f 11 or f 16.

The Ritz taken with 17mm TS


The lighting at this time of the year in the mornings and evenings is of the quality that I most appreciate. That light brings out some of the qualities of the buildings that I photograph. I think too that the light brings something in me that helps me become more centered. Maybe this has to do with the Earth being near equinox. Maybe I am at my own personal equinox.

Carson Block