MANHATTAN – Dull day outside so I spent some time fussing around indoors with my Sony A7riii camera manually focusing my Leica Noctilux lens on it.
Day 3070 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
On this day two years ago (day 2340): Metropolitan Museum
WARREN CONNECTICUT – I took a walk today in a neighbor’s woods where he stores disused farm equipment. Shot with my Sony A7rii and my Leica f.95 Noctilux lens (used wide open in this image), which results in characteristic edgy bokeh. Converted to black and white with my own formula, an attempt to match film response. The Nocti is actually easier to focus on the Sony than it is on a Leica body.
Day 2,880 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
On this day seven years ago (day 323): Infrared abstract on 57th Street.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I strapped my Leica 50mm f.95 Noctilux onto my Leica Monochrom camera today and went out to the Conservatory Garden in Central Park. The concept was to shoot it wide open with an neutral density filter, using live view to focus, rather than the rangefinder which isn’t that reliable at f.95. From a focus standpoint the results were fine, but I’m finding that I don’t really care for the swirly bokeh – the look of the out of focus portions of the image – that characterizes this lens. Judge for yourself.
Day 2,875 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
On this day seven years ago (day 319): Food Market, Nairobi
NEW YORK NEW YORK – A lot of images today. I bolted my f.95 50mm Noctilux lens onto to my Leica Monochrom today and headed out into the world shooting my usual stuff. This is a very special lens, remarkable actually. I used a three stop neutral density filer which permits shooting in daylight at f.95, which permits very selective focus and demonstrates this lens’s unique out of focus signature. I could decide which image I like best so I’ve posted four.
Day 2030 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
On this day three years ago (day 934): World Trade Center II
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I got a new lens today. A Leica Noctilux – affectionately known as a “Nocti”. Further evidence of my infatuation with exotic gear. The Nocti has been backordered for a year or more. At f.95 it’s the fastest still camera lens around. Big and heavy. The point of this lens is to shoot it wide open so I also bought a neutral density filter which permits shooting at f.95 in daylight. I clamped the Nocti onto my Sony Nex-7 and took a walk up Broadway. The focusing with the Nex-7 was a little disappointing. F.95 demands very accurate focus and the Nex didn’t deliver – only about half of the images from the day were technically good. Here is a sampling.
I ended up at the James Beard Foundation Media Awards:
On this day one year ago: Rain.
