Monday, October 22, 2007

Times, changes, cameras

I just came across these photos. They are around 15 years old. I walked about town with my lovely friend Bettina, and took her portrait in various settings. I used a medium telephoto lens (135 mm I think), and a ISO 125 film (I used a high-sharpness developer and if I used a faster film, the grain would be enormous). So I had to use a tripod, logging it about all over, setting up, adjusting.
If it was now, I would use one of the new generation digital SLRs, a setting of ISO 1600 or perhaps even 3200, and a image-stabilizing zoom lens, and I would not need a tripod no matter how deep in the woods we were. And I would get better sharpness yet*. Again, gotta love that.



* OK, sharpness is not the most critical thing in portraits, but you need a certain minimum. And you can always subtract it, but not add it.

10 comments:

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Completely off the topic, I feel this gorgeous smile would deserve to be on DOMAI. Doesen't matter that she's wearing clothes. (Okay, so it might matter to some of the paying subscribers. But not to a purist of womanly beauty.)
Inner beauty shining through at its best. Simple natural grace.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

One day when I was with Bettina in a cafe she smiled at me (she smiles a lot), and I laughed delightedly. She asked what I laughed at, and I could only say how lovely she looks.

Anonymous said...

The second photograph is just marvellous. So might be the woman...

Alex said...

Good smiles are hard to come by. I have a friend who has a wonderful smile. At first I was uneasy about just watching her across the restaurant table at lunch, but after a similar moment to that with Bettina in the cafe, we came to accept that part of our relationship.

Why is it hard to give compliments to friends? Or is it just me?

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I find it hard to give compliments to anybody, even when I really want to.

Anonymous said...

Why is it hard to give compliments to friends? Or is it just me?

I think the virtue of giving compliments can be established by practising, if not being gifted as a born complimenter.
Only last weekend I met/came across/saw a beautifully dressed young woman in the tube in London. I watched her a while, yet I wasn't staring; I demonstratively beamed my eyes to the direction where she had composed her clothing in the most elaborate way, I gave her a wink and a smile, she understood, and smiled back before she had to get out of the train.
It was a wonderful experience for both of us.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

"I find it hard to give compliments to anybody, even when I really want to."

Practice makes perfect. I've checked myself. :-)

Anonymous said...

Eolake,

I have placed yur friend Bettina's photograph on the my private album for Friendster. I apologise if that harms you or yur friend in anyways.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I guess that's all right, if you also put in a link and give credit.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I don't know on how to do it on friendster. Sorry, i find it quite hard to do it.