Imagist Blog – Page 85 – © 2023 George Lottermoser: photography, graphic design, video, art, literature, zen

aware, motivated, yearning, reaching

“Whether working with a human figure or a still life, I am deeply aware of my spiritual connection with it. In my life, as in my work, I am motivated by a great yearning for balance and harmony beyond the realm of human experience, reaching for the essence of oneness with the Universe.” – Ruth Bernhard

within the process
changing before our eyes, see
us in this mirror

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Leica M8, Visoflex III, 135 Elmar

Fall: both verb and season

we fall
weather leaf or whether life
all returns

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Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit

“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind”

returning (always) to the study of wabi sabi
wherein
the student perceives beauty
in the
ephemeral, transient, isolated, simple, subdued tranquil, natural, intimate, eternal, melancholic, asymmetrical, earthy, organic, rough, uneven, asperities, spacious, humble, sober, intangible yearning, impermanent, passage of time…

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Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit

Contemplate the cycles and seasons of life

snow will soon cover the paths
walked with Sophia
and ice the river
from which this mandala emerged

her fourth fall
my sixty third

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Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit

My old Hasselblad 500CM enters the digital age (for a few minutes)

Since the release of the Hasselblad CFV 39 back I’ve wondered how it would feel and function. Yesterday Steve Goldsmith, from Calumet, kindly drove 2/3rds of the way, through rain and beastly road construction traffic. A big thank you goes out to Steve. We met in Racine and put the back on my old CM and made a few shots with each of my lenses:

40 mm, (click images for larger view)

80 mm

and 150 mm.

(ISO 400)

(ISO 100)

A very interesting experience from the start right through to post processing. Drop in the supplied ground glass with crop indication. Attach the CFV back; just as simple as switching a film back. No cords or electronic connections. Very cool. Buttons and menus are clear and quick.

The view screen had plastic on it and the images looked horrible (hopefully better without the plastic).
Viewing angle is extremely critical on this view screen. Shooting is exactly like using a film back; including the cranking after each frame – which really felt wonderfully nostalgic. Pre-release of mirror and shutter release all work just as it did in the good old days.

Back at the computer: The large 45 MB RAW files take significantly longer to load into Lightroom; when compared to DMR, 5D and M8 files. The files look quite impressive at ISO 100. At ISO 400 a fine grain “noise” begins to emerge in shadows; however with a very tight film grain look. Exporting from these large files also takes a lot more time. In other words big sensors need big computers and hard drives.

Friday’s flower (for Martin Howard)

overcast today,
gray, damp, cool, few flowers left,
leaves turning on trees

shamrock seems sad
[family Leguminosae, in particular the lesser yellow trefoil (Trifolium minus)]
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Leica R8/DMR, 100 mm apo macro elmarit

Trick kite

Last week I stopped at Virmond Park to get my weekly dose of the Great Lake Michigan. There on the bluff I watched a young man attempt to fly a trick kite. The kite had two lines and some serious rigging under it.

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He tried over and over again to create or catch a breeze; just couldn’t get it in the air. A young woman appeared walking out of the trees. And they worked together; yet could not gain flight.

Leica M8, 28mm Summicron

Sunday — Global Union 2009: music, dogs, children, dancing

Alverno College kicked off its 50th annual Alverno Presents season with Global Union 2009 at Humboldt Park this past weekend. Always a wonderful time and place to enjoy people, music, children, dogs and dancing (additonal images in slideshow).

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