Connections - Next Generation (Part 2)

San Francisco Bay Sunrise at 65 MPH.



My 14 year old daughter Riley has been bitten by the photography bug. She demonstrates an innate perspective and in my humble (and highly biased!) opinion, she has a keen sense of creativity and has the "the eye" for composing an image although she has yet to take a photography class. For instance, while returning from a road trip to the Mt. Shasta area Riley was watching a DVD on her Mac PowerBook and when the movie ended she "focused" the PowerBook's camera on her fellow passengers and began snapping photos with a laptop computer! While the resulting images were not very good (methinks that had something to do with the uncooperative subjects) she sees outside of the box and I believe that is a positive characteristic of a potential photographer.

Riley is presently using a Fujifilm F10, a Canon PowerShot A520 and her LG KE850 Prada (2.0 megapixel!) mobile phone...as well as her Apple PowerBook. I am considering the purchase of a Pentax manual camera for her, ideally a Pentax ME Super, which she will use for introduction to photography classes. She will be then able to use all of my Pentax SMC manual glass! Perhaps a Pentax DSLR is also in her future but first things first, of which I believe a film introduction is vital in properly understanding the foundations of photography, especially pertaining to the mechanics of creating an image.

Riley spent pre-school, kindergarten and 1st grade in a Montessori school which I believe gave her a great foundation for the development of artistic and intellectual creativity, has served her well in Elementary, Middle and High school and hopefully throughout her life.

Enough proud pop talk, here are a few snapshots of her budding photographic portfolio :)

Crushed oyster shells and Converse shoes, Colonial Williamsburg, VA.

For people in the center of Washington D.C.

Changing of the Guards at Arlington National Cemetary, Washington D.C.

Three Servicemen Statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

Engraved Wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

Final Resting Place, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

Connections - Pentax Manual Glass (Part 1)

What are the chances that the following three events would synergize and provide me with a better understanding of light and shadows, more wonderment at how much I have to learn (especially from my daughters!), and provide me with a better appreciation of the fact that marketing terms such as "new and improved" are meaningless where the matter of Pentax manual lenses are concerned?

Well, I guess that it isn't to much of a stretch for these events to refine my capacity to understand matters of humbleness, vision and perception...or perhaps, I am just re-learning what I have forgotten. Whatever is the case I am beginning to understand that while my art is very personal it also provides me with the ability to share experiences and inspire others to think and capture moments in time that would never have been seen (by others besides the photographer) if the shutter was not pressed.

Nevertheless, the following recently occurred:

1. I discovered that old Pentax manual-focus lenses work perfectly on modern Pentax digital cameras, including my K10d;
2. My 14 year old daughter Riley has been bitten by the photography bug and she demonstrates an innate perspective, unique creativity and in my humble opinion, she has "the eye";
3. I read an article in Smithsonian magazine (January 2009) titled "Van Gogh's Night Vision" which was superbly written by Paul Trachtman.

Discovering that excellent Pentax SMC optics, some of which are more than 30 years old, function perfectly on a state-of-the-art digital single lens reflex camera has been a boon to me because I have been super reluctant to purchase new motor-driven lenses because I only expose images with total manual control, including setting the exposure (shutter speed and aperture) and focus. For less than the price of one (or two) modern zoom lens I have purchased excellent examples of the following glass:

*SMC Pentax 28mm F3.5
*SMC Pentax-A 35mm F2.8
*SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.4
*SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.7
*SMC Pentax-M 50mm F4 Macro
*SMC Pentax 55mm F1.8
*SMC Pentax-M 135mm F3.5
*SMC Pentax-M 200mm F4
*MC Cosmicar Zoom 35-70mm F4 (Pentax A)
*SMC Pentax-A 35-105mm F3.5

The SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.4 has become a fixture on the Pentax K10D


Crystal Crags State Park (K10D with M50/1.4)


San Francisco as seen from Mt. Tamalpais (K10D with M50/1.4)

On Mt. Shasta (K10D with M50/1.4)

Outside In - Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco (K10D with M50/1.4)

The SMC Pentax-M 135mm F3.5 is also a fine lens!


A Falling Out (K10D with M135/3.5)




Rock Fishing, Slide Ranch - Marin County (K10D with M135/3.5)



San Francisco Asian Art Museum (K10D with M135/3.5)




North Blithedale Ridge - Mill Valley, CA (K10D with M135/3.5)




Sausalito Houseboat Courtyard (K10D with M135/3.5)



A couple from my newly purchased SMC Pentax 28mm F3.5

North Blithedale Ridge - Mill Valley, CA (K10D with K28/3.5)




Confusion - Black on Black (K10D with K28/3.5)


I love the idea of integrating modern technology with relatively old lens technology and creating images. Pentax should be highly commended for designing this capability into their modern hardware; it is one of the many reasons that I will remain a loyal Pentax consumer.

So how does the joy and exuberance I experience of watching my daughter become a photographer and new-found knowledge of Van Gogh's struggles help synergize and guide my learning? Perhaps that is best left for another time...

Introduction

During the last nine months I have re-discovered photography after having spent the previous 14 years on the sidelines raising a family and spending an inordinate amount of time with a telephone stuck out of my ear or on a plane bound for somewhere other than home.

Becoming re-acquainted with composition, perspective and contrast and letting myself see (as opposed to looking at) the light and shadows has been a sort of re-discovery of the joy that photography has brought to my life. Becoming acquainted with a couple of new cameras (Pentax K10d & Fujifilm F31fd) as well as exposing some film in my trusty Canon A-1 has also been a wonderful experience although I have not exposed (or actuated) many images as I have always believed that there is much more to photography than pressing the shutter. In fact, exposing film (or creating a digital file) is not the goal; for me, seeing the world more clearly, being fully aware, learning about light and shadows and how to use the tools that I possess...this is what photography means to me as the images that I expose are some of the breadcrumbs that I leave behind on my life's path.

If my images also move and please other people than I will be (most) fortunate that they cared to look and attempt to see what I felt while composing the image and pressing the shutter. More importantly, I hope that viewers discover their own perspective and the see the unintended.

For now, I will share a photo (top, Fujifilm F31fd) that a very special person took of me while we were blessed with a Dillon Beach sunset that refused to end...and one (below) that came out of the Pentax K10d with kit lens (SMC Pentax-DA 18-55 F3.5-5.6 AL).