Plough in Rain

Mick Fagan
Posts: 412
Joined: 24 Sep 2015, 21:20
Location: Melbourne

Plough in Rain

Postby Mick Fagan » 02 Jan 2018, 13:43

Last year after a very long search (3-4 years) I eventually found a 250mm lens for my 4x5 cameras, shortly after acquiring said lens we were off for a few months to Europe, as you do.

Upon returning I had very little time to do photography and more importantly, fiddle with the 250mm lens.

We visited some friends a few days before the New Year and with very overcast conditions I thought I would use the 250 on one of their old farming implements that dot some of their gardens.

It started to rain steadily around the time I was ready to shoot, which was good and bad. Good in that the iron gained some much needed contrast on the background, interesting in that the background was softened by the rain, bad in that I had to work very fast to keep the camera from getting too wet.

Developed the film on New Years day, then scanned the negative within an hour of drying. I cropped the top and bottom of the negative to give me a landscape format.

This is about the third time I have used this lens; I am quite pleased with it.

Fujinon W f/6.3 250mm
Ilford FP4+
D76 1:1

180001_Plough_2018_004_web.jpg

User avatar
Maris
Posts: 882
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: Plough in Rain

Postby Maris » 05 Jan 2018, 11:48

Mick, that Fuji 250mm is working well, or you know what you are doing, or both. Main subject sharp and well contrasted is a given but look behind the plough. A potentially busy and distracting background is softened just right; it's there but not THERE. You can't do that with a short focus lens.

Mick Fagan
Posts: 412
Joined: 24 Sep 2015, 21:20
Location: Melbourne

Re: Plough in Rain

Postby Mick Fagan » 05 Jan 2018, 14:34

I agree with you Maris, I did this first with my 150 and was quite happy, then the rain started falling and I wondered what another sheet would be like as the plough was starting to darken nicely. I had a real good look on the GG and thought I would put the 250 on and moved back about 2m for a tighter view. My focus was on the seat with both lenses, as soon as I saw the background soften the way it did with the 250, I decided to do another sheet; I'm so glad I did.

The negatives are quite similar, but the 250 is a better lens overall, not just the different focal length; to my eye, it has a smidge more inherent contrast over the 150. Just possibly, more resolution to boot; although I have no scientific way of measuring whether or not that is the case.

I did both at f/22 after first thinking about f/11 for the 150 to try and differentiate the background, but not liking what was and what was not in focus, with regard to the plough itself, that is. I exposed the 150 at f/22 in an effort to get as much of the plough in reasonable focus.

As for knowing what I'm doing, well, I'm constantly learning...

Mick.


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