Category Archives: Photographs

A snap over lunch

About the Snap, Street portraits

A picture of a fine man with his first born.

A happy, modern Pietà.

Date: May 11, 2012
Place: Rosamunde on Mission Street
Modus operandi: Looking forward to a cool beer
Weather: Parisian morning sun
Time: 12:39:44
Gear: Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4 MF Nikkor-S
GPS: Click the image.
Medium: Digital
Me: A lovely man with a divine baby
My age: 60

I was traipsing around San Francisco’s Mission District, enjoying the locals and the murals, when hunger did its thing and directed me to the Rosamunde Sausage Grill on Mission at 24th for a pint and a sausage. After trying mightily to engage the very attractive barmaid in idle banter, and failing miserably, I opted instead for the Ninkasi ‘Spring Reign’ blonde ale, and got to chatting with a fellow diner in the welcoming beer cellar setting. The sausage of choice was a fiery Andouille, with the beer serving as fire extinguisher.

Bruce had a very small baby strapped to his chest and was a delightful companion. Handsome, open, with a straight gaze, a ready laugh and a natural curiosity, we got to chatting. He related that he was selling his restaurant down the road to concentrate fully on bringing up the baby. Spotting the Nikon dangling in that insouciant way from my shoulder, a style that only I can pull off, one thing led to another and he agreed to let me snap a picture of the two of them.

I took a small handful of snaps, composed very tightly, at close to full aperture. I lucked out in keeping both Bruce’s eyes (stolen, clearly, from Cary Grant) and the baby’s head and eyelashes sharp. Natural light from the adjacent window provides gentle modeling.

Bruce with his son, Oliver. D700, 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S at f/2. Click the picture.

For those readers who might understandably have questioned my sanity in fine tuning the focus indicator for this lens, the proof of the pudding is above. The eyes and child’s lashes are critically sharp, whereas the father’s chin is already blurred.

A friend with better eyes than mine, not to mention a knowledge of Hindu, relates that the father’s T Shirt is emblazoned with the word ‘Om‘. How apt.

The related large print is in the mail to Bruce as you read this.

Here’s the ‘contact strip’ from Lightroom:

A few from the 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor

Nikon lenses, Photographs

A bargain classic lens.

The Nikkor-S 50mm, f/1.4 lens I own dates from 1968 and needs no excuses. After adding a CPU and adjusting the LED focus confirmation light for critical focus accuracy at closer distances wide open, the results are a wonderful thing to behold. Contrast is high, definition outstanding and the chunky lens balances well on the large D700 body. I use a period Nikon HS-9 hood on mine which helps out with the lens’s modest single anti-reflection coating. But, really, no excuses need be made.

Electrifying, like the lens. At f/1.4. D700.

Whale time. Same gear.

Pretzels, Churros, Corn Dogs …. and sugared water. A highly disciplined display. Same gear.

Pier 39. Same gear.

At the mechanical toy museum. At f/1.4. Same gear.

Marie. Same gear.

Four. In the style of Keld Helmer-Petersen.

Chef and Waiter, at Scoma’s Seafood Restaurant. Same gear.

All snapped a couple of days ago around Fishermen’s Wharf, San Francisco. If you go to the north end where the fishing boats are moored you will find the authentic Fishermen’s Wharf rather than the awful tourist trap down the road at the end of the Embarcadero. There are a couple of really good seafood restaurants among the boats and Scoma’s (last snap above) is one.

Some 135s

Nikon lenses, Photographs

Go by sight, not reviews.

Read up on the 135mm f/3.5 Nikkor-Q I mentioned yesterday and you will find a fair measure of condescension directed at it. How can anything almost half a century old and under $70 be serious? Sure it’s not some f/2 hyper speed monster which comes with a handcart and bragging rights, but I must relate that when I took it for a spin yesterday it really spoke to me. Before long, we were singing. Such is the balance on the camera that the hardware quickly becomes invisible.

The first was one of those where you instantly know you have something special, hoping you press the button before the increase in your pulse rate blurs everything.

Lovers. At full aperture. D700.

Eat Crab. At full aperture. Same gear.

Pastels. At f/11. Same gear.

Gull and flag. f/5.6. Same gear.

I used my tailored lens correction profile for all of these, but it’s hard to tell the difference. A fine lens and not one you will weep over if it does not work for you, at the prices asked.

A couple from the 35mm Nikkor

Nikon lenses, Photographs

Great street snapper.

First snaps through the 40 year old 35mm Nikkor, profiled yesterday.

Yesterday and tomorrow. D700, 35mm. Click the picture for the location.

Oyster vendor. Same gear.

Cheese shop. Same gear, at full aperture.

Flower. Same gear.

Looks like a keeper. The lens has a CPU installed, which took a few minutes, and I used my custom lens correction profile on import to Lightroom 4. The CPU allows the correct profile to be automatically selected and applied in LR or PS.