Saturday portrait day

Logan and Sloan

I love to take portraits but don't really give myself enough opportunity to do so.

I was happy to hear that my young friend Logan was coming to town from Omaha, in the company of her cousin Sloan.

I have been taking Logan's picture for the last four or five years and am happy that she has a pretty good modeling career going now in Nebraska. Money for the college fund.

Logan and Sloan's grandpa Jim is a good friend of mine. My photography group met for our regular Saturday breakfast at Main St. this week and he brought the two cousins down this morning. The candid shots when they forgot I was there of course worked best. I think they spotted a lizard.

I was using my specially milled nikkor 55mm ƒ1.2, a 1960's era lens. Back when lenses were precision instruments built out of metal, not plastic. It is exceedingly sharp and fast but the coatings weren't so good back then and I got some unusual lens flare. The lens delivers the look that I like, personally. Probably my favorite lens.

I just figured out why my crops have been so tight this week, forgot to take the D850 out of dx mode that I was using to shoot birds. Dumb. Have to do something over and over again to get any good. Nothing like mileage and repetition.

I love manual focus, it lets me be in control, not some stupid algorithm. I try to boost the aperture 2/3 of a stop to give myself a little leeway.

 Owner Chris asked for a picture and I happily assented.

Chris

Chris had a stroke recently and had us all scared but I am happy to say that he appears to be doing well, better and better every week.

Dennis

When you have a lens this fast you want to shoot it as wide open as you can. Or else why have a 1.2?

But focal planes get mighty narrow and there is a limit to what you can do.

Have an interesting shoot planned this afternoon. Stand by.

Fred