please critique: 15mm heliar portraits

[pete_loshin3]

Been really enjoying others' posts, particularly enjoy seeing other

peoples' photos and seeing critiques. Here are a few taken with my

Bessa L/15mm heliar. Any comments are welcome.<div></div>

[pete_loshin3]

And another one.<div></div>

[travis1]

I think you have done them quite well. Cute kid as well . What film/developers? How close were you?

[ray_lau1]

Hello loshin

I like this lens also, However, I feel hard to hold horiozonal and vertical.

[andrew_lee2]

For this lens, which is challenging to use well for all but the very competent photographer (I feel), you did quite well. The scans look very soft to me---I know the lens is not this soft. On the first one, it would be worth playing around in the darkroom a bit (traditional or darkroom) to tame the blown-out highlights a bit and coax a bit of detail out of them, through burning and such. Tricky light, you've chosen to shoot in.

[andrew_lee2]

That should have read "traditional or digital," obviously.

[pete_loshin3]

<p>film/dev: not sure, probably Ilford XP-2 (?). Dropped off with the local pro camera shop's minilab.

 

<p>The first shot, I was probably a meter or so away; the second, possibly half a meter.

 

<p>It's an amazing lens, IMO, considering speed/DoF/weight as well as price. Also, really a lot of fun for "tricky" shots (e.g., there's the one where my hand reaches into the frame and "grabs" my kid).

[ray .]

Good photos, but I sure am glad I don't have to babysit the subject. Last time I tried it for some friends was a disaster. The 5 year old girl (whom I know well) was crying for her mom most of the time for 2 days, and got sick to her stomach. I had her lie down with a pail ready in case she had to throw up. She kept alternating from lying flat on her stomach to sitting up as if she was about to need the pail. Funny thing is each time she sat up she had to check and straighten her hair in the closet mirror first. I found that odd considering her supposed dire illness... After forcing me in her condition not to be able to go anywhere outside the house myself the entire day, about 4 pm her friend comes to the door and wants her to play. All of a sudden sick girl is feeling better and asks if she can go. Yeah right, you little brat. Needless to say I won't try this good samaritan act again, NO WAY. I've paid my dues with the good guy routine.

 

.... Now where were we? Something about some photos? ;)

[pete_loshin3]

<P>I'm still learning about scanning; the b/w negs were also very thin (I could use some practice on exposure, too, after only 40 years or so taking pics I still try to get away with too little light). Anyway, those b/w scans were from prints, I believe.

<p>Here's another shot with the same lens, but in color (neg) and scanned from the print.<div></div>

[thomas_moraitis]

I agree about the lack of sharpness in the first two photos. I like the third one, even if it could use some more light IMO. How come that your son isn't reaching for the camera? :-)

[pete_loshin3]

<p>Oops, that color shot wasn't with the Heliar (I mean, there's NO distortion in the corners, right?). That one was probably shot with a P/S, possibly a Hexar autofocus (silver) or a Yashica T4.

<p>Here's one that *was* shot with the Heliar in color.<div></div>

[pete_loshin3]

One more just for fun.<div></div>

[stephen_w.]

<div></div>

[andrew_lee2]

Steve, no way that pic you posted is full frame.

[stephen_w.]

Andrew,

 

Technically, no, it's not full frame, as Walmart and Walgreen Fuji Frontier machines always crop a little, like slide mounts crop. But, if you look closely you can see the outlines of the print that was scanned. I don't have Photoshop, never used it, and do not manipulate. This was a straight flat bed scan of a commercial print; so no, it is not cropped. It was taken about 1/2 meter from the subjects. Buy the lens and try before you accuse someone of manipulation. No way? Si way.