It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted something on the blog, so I've already broken my resolution to get something up here once a week. Things got a little crazy around here, and after that adventure in Belgium last month I haven't gotten out to do any scenic shooting. My husband has been in and out on one business trip after another, I was transportation-less for about a week, and then the weather was just wretched. Then, to top it off, one of our cats (the esteemed Cat 2) had to have emergency surgery. His brother, Cat 1, has dealt with skin cancer off and on since we moved to Luxembourg, and we were upset to discover a similar looking lump on Cat 2. He also managed to break a tooth pretty badly that was getting infected. So, the vet took care of both concerns and he's been home taking it easy in a private room to keep him from overexerting himself or pulling on the stitches. That means we've all been shut ins for about a week and we still have 5 days to go before his stitches come out. He's doing really well and healing quickly, and it has gone a lot better than it could have. Unlike his brother, Cat 2 is really sensitive to just about anything disturbing his routine and he hasn't been sick a day in his life. So, we thought surgery and recovery would be a major trauma for him. Turns out though, in spite of the indignity of wearing The Dog's shirts, he's kind of enjoying all the special treatment. We're still waiting on the test results, but I'm holding out hope it was just a benign thing and this is the only time he'll have to go through that. Thanks to everyone who've passed on their best wishes. He really appreciates the love ;-)
So, most of my photography has been confined to inside the house for the past couple of weeks. I've added three new additions to my X Series family, the XF 35mm f/2 R WR lens, the MCEX-11 macro extension, and the MCEX-16 macro extension. Why have two 35mm lenses? Well, I view the lenses as companions, not competitors. Obviously, the 35mm f/2 is weather sealed, so that was the biggest attraction for me. I like to carry one of my cameras on me at all times and preferably with the 35mm f/1.4 lens because it was the smallest and brightest lens in the fleet. But, the older version isn't sealed, meaning I wasn't shooting too much when we'd head out in the rain (which is a lot). I'm pretty paranoid about water damage. Also, the f/1.4 has pokey autofocus. I was missing a lot when walking around taking candid street shots. So, since the newer version is so inexpensive, I decided to get it. I'm mostly keeping it on the X-E2 as an everyday carry since that is the smallest combination, but if I'm heading out in wet weather I'll switch it over to the X-T1. I opted for the silver version only because I like the aesthetics. I've been shooting indoors with it almost exclusively and I have to say I'm really impressed with the performance. That doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of the f/1.4 version though. It is still a fabulous lens and particularly adept at portraits and product photography thanks to being f/1.4. And if things aren't moving around too much it is also good for those very low light moments. So, the f/2 is my street lens and the f/1.4 is my interior lens.
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| This was taken with the 35mm f/1.4 on the X-T1 combined with the MCEX-11 |
Now, about the macro extension tubes. I'm fascinated by macro photography. In fact, I'm fascinated by the whole concept of photography showing us things about the world in a new way, a way we can't see with the naked eye. I've been interested in playing around with macro for a while, especially when I come across an image in nature that I want to explore, well, more closely. Fujifilm does make a macro lens, the XF 60mm f/2.4 R Macro, but I don't want to purchase it since I don't shoot macro very often. But, the two extensions are very inexpensive and a much more effective solution for my needs. It wouldn't require carrying around the weight of a lens that wouldn't get used very often, because they basically turn any lens into a macro. I only have two primes, both 35mm, so I can't give you a comprehensive review of how they perform in general, but I have found the most pleasing results come from a fixed lens over one of the zooms. When it comes down to which 35mm lens works best, I choose the f/1.4. Those extra stops goes a long way to making an interesting image, especially since the primes have such a shallow depth of field. With the extension tubes on, you are basically able to bring the camera closer to the object. Hoods get in the way and need to be removed. Camera shake comes into play here quite a bit, so I've found using the eye piece instead of the rear screen helps reduce the shake when shooting handheld. Also, it's best to switch over to manual focus than rely on AF. The brighter the conditions, the more pleasing the results. Here are a some shots I've taken in the last few days. I neglected to write down which tube I was using for each shot, but they both do the same thing. The 16 lets you get closer than the 11, and you can stack them allowing you to get right down on top of the item. Sometimes getting that close throws a shadow over the subject which can make focusing a bit tougher, so as I said, the brighter the conditions, the better.
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| Seal on a replica glass onion bottle. |
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| Whiskey glass. |
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| Bicycle chains |
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| Decorative doodad. |
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| Book spine with fraying jacket. I loved how this picked up the fibers of the paper. |
I'm definitely going to throw one or both of these extensions in the bag from now on when we're heading out on the trails. I'm really looking forward to getting outside and capturing the coming of spring up close. The only downside to these is that they don't come with any caps. I'm just as paranoid about dust and hair getting inside my gear as I am about water, and with no protection the tubes could easily transfer such things to inside the camera. So, I bought two sets of extra lens and body caps when I ordered these. Those are super cheap, so it wasn't that big of deal. Speaking of extra things I had to buy, I also bought a different hood to go with the 35mm f/2. The one that comes with it is a total joke and it really bothered me that it was black when the rest of the lens is silver. Thankfully, I was able to pick up a €5 metal hood in silver that is the spitting image of the much more expensive LH-XF35-2 by Fuji.
They say winter is the best time to experiment and learn more in photography. If you can't get out and shoot, it gives you the time to try out other things. I've taken these several weeks to not only experiment, but also to learn. Like I wrote last time, I've been feeling very compelled to take my study of photography a bit further and delve into the history and heritage of the field. So, for the past four weeks I've been participating in the Seeing Through Photography course offered online by the Museum of Modern Art. I'm almost through it and only have one more quiz and the final project to go. I'll be filling you in on that whole experience once I'm finished and have been awarded the certificate (barring I don't fail the project or something). For now let me just say I've been challenged and blown away repeatedly over the last several weeks. The course hasn't been easy or bug free, but it's been exactly what I was after. It's also the reason why I haven't been able to post on here. There is a ton of homework!
Partly because of what I'm learning and partly because I'm stuck in the house, I've started up a couple of side projects. One of them is, obviously, messing around with macro photography. The other is a personal project about the time I've been cooped up. I've been spending 95% of my time, day and night, in my office where we've set up Cat 2. We have to keep a pretty close eye on him while his incision is healing and he can't be left alone very long (he loves that). I've been shooting a lot in that office, and not just cat photos. My camera has been basically attached to my wrist, and I think I've shot more in the last 5 days then I do on a typical trip! It's kind of a way to document the weird and surreal experience of being voluntarily locked in a small room for 10 days, and also to explore the concepts of space and objects in that space. Watching the light play on the walls, seeing the exact same views from the windows, fixating on things in the room- the texture of the wall, the lampshade. Part of it includes some macro work, but most is just with the 35mm f/2 on the X-E2. I'm not sure if I'm going to upload all these images anywhere or print them or what. We'll see. Photography is relevant to every aspect of life and I've become more and more interested in including it beyond the obvious, spending more time with the camera, enjoying it, and seeing more because of it.
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| Chip Out of the Wall, 15:23, Tuesday. |
Or maybe I'm just loosing my mind. Ha. Anyway, the cat get his stitches out on Monday and we'll both be free. Shortly afterwards, we (my husband and I, not Cat 2) will be hopping on a plane to Reykjavik and then we'll be in a huge wide open space and socializing instead of alone in a tiny room. It should be interesting!
