Icarex Tessar 2.8/50 - broom

[Orio]

This is really a frustrating year for me photography-wise.
Because of my father's house needing restoration before I can move in, I have very little time available for photography, and very little money available for my purchases.
I had lots of plans for this year, trips that I wanted to make, fairs and street shows that I wanted to attend, and I had to miss them all And I can not buy any new lens until I hear from my tax accountant...

But the most frustrating thing of all is when you have 10 minutes to go out and take a photo, but your mind is so crowded with all the things that you have to do, that you can not really concentrate on the phtoography... and there is nothing I hate more than when I'm not able to be 100% into photographing. Every picture I take, it feels like I could have taken one better... every scene that I visit, it feels like I could have taken 20 other different shots but I was not able to "see" them, because I didn't have the time or i didn't have my mind ready.

Anyway, enough with the griefing, today I could go out for 15 minutes (hurrah!) and I wanted to photograph a few broom shrubs that are not distant from my town, before they completely lose the flowers.

I took with me the 5D with the Zeiss Tessar 2./50 for Icarex. I have to say that this lens really has won my heart. I have the same lens in Jena construction, but this one really has the Oberkochen fingerprint. Incredible "ariosity" in the photographs. Incredible colour fidelity - I was there and I can assure that what the AWB of my Canon recorded, is exactly what the light looked like. This happens very rarely with any of my lenses.
Plus there is an aesthetical quality in the photos that I am not able to describe but I can relate with deeply. These weeks I have tried lots of different Tessars but this lens feels to me really different.
I have taken a bunch of photos, some are wide open some are stopped down (but never more than f/5.6 or sometimes f/8 ), some are closeups some are infinity, well you are photographers so I am not going to label them.
As usual, I did not alter the saturation, and I only had to modify exposure in a couple of cases (at least I have not lost the ability to meter light by not practicing...)
First eight:

[Orio]

Last eight:

[Rob Leslie]

I love to read peoples honest thoughts about their photgraphy experience.

'But the most frustrating thing of all is when you have 10 minutes to go out and take a photo, but your mind is so crowded with all the things that you have to do, that you can not really concentrate on the phtoography... and there is nothing I hate more than when I'm not able to be 100% into photographing. Every picture I take, it feels like I could have taken one better... every scene that I visit, it feels like I could have taken 20 other different shots but I was not able to "see" them, because I didn't have the time or i didn't have my mind ready.'

I often (Or always) come away thinking of the shots I missed, then when I see the results I also see those shots I missed.
I have often read the opinion that poor photographers now take more photos because digital exposures cost nothing.
I always think these people writing such rubbish must know little about taking photos. It takes skill, patience and of course a very good eye to keep shooting one subject in order to get the better picture. The majority will take three or four shots and then have no more ideas or skill to change settings etc.
I wish I could always spend at least twice as much time taking the right photo. I wish I could take some shots turn away and turn back to see another 20 odd possibilities. I just wish I took more photos.
And I'm the guy you often see with two camera bodies because he needs to take more pictures and save time by not having to change the lens all the time!

[Brian]

I love nothing better than a 20 minute walk at the end of the day with my camera. It clears the mind, and the late-day lighting is just so beautiful the photo opportunities seem to just leap into the camera.

[luisalegria]

I sympathise !

I have little time during the day (when there is light) to travel somewhere where I would like to look for pictures.

Most of my opportunities happen because the camera is my constant companion. When I have a few minutes at lunch or while commuting on workdays, or wherever I find myself with the kids on weekends, these have to do. Like with Brian, a lot of this happens in the 20 minutes one can find in the evening.

And those are nice shots. The Italian countryside is lovely and very neat.

[Orio]

The evening sessions are surely relaxing in a way, after a day of work, but I often find my mind tired and my body not wanting to obey. While photography is also physical committment. One has to walk to find good spots. Sometimes to lie down. One has to carry weight. it is part of the fun un a way, but it's something that I feel is necessary, even when you are walking with a simple camera and one lens, you still need to exercise a physical domain over your scene. I just feel it isn't honest to end up in a place and be content of what you first find, without having explored all or at least most of the possibilities.

My real joy, is when I am able to have a full immersion into photography. Prepare the bag the evening before. Wake up early in the morning, take my car and go where I am headed, and for all day, think only of photography. Everything else is secondary. I enjoy to arrive in the evening completely exhausted after having dedicated the 100% of my day to photography.
This is what I really miss this year. I did it for the Carnival and the Castle fair, but after that, had no more available days for that.

[bob955i]

I'm currently on holiday from my work and am waiting for the weather to improve so I can head up north.

If that fails, I'm hoping to be able to get up to St Andrews with the P6 and some Pan-F 50 and over to Edinburgh for Peter's Scott Monument redux.

The current weather is very frustrating.

Re images - #7 in the first set is very pastoral and evocative of the Italian countryside while #5 in the second set gets the vote for 3D.

[Orio]

[Schnauzer]

Nice work Orio. That is indeed a fine lense.

I know what you mean about no time. I'm in the same boat. I live close to some beautiful places and don't have time to go. I have to take pictures of Maxwell or things around my yard.

[Orio]

[estudleon]

Oiro, don't care.

You will enjoy with the future time. You want to have more and more times to spent in the shots way, but perhaps your actual imposibility to do this let you think about new shots or new subjects or do it again over old subjects. If you want to think 100% in photos you may do this from other point of view.

Up, up Orio. The things will be better, and you will take photos, photos, photos again.

[Orio]

[poilu]

this lens is superb in all shots
it give the "I was there"