This is my local honky-tonk where you can hear great music and the voice of the people. Texas is like a country within the United States. Things are done a little differently here than other places. Everything tends to be bigger and bolder because Texans are inclined to be optimistic. Being in Texas is a great way to start the new year.
This photograph was made in Big Bend National Park a year ago on one of the officially undocumented trails that originate along the perimeter of the park. Many are commonly used by visitors who know how they exist and the park service even has entry signs at some of the trailheads. They are somewhat hazardous to hike because you are unlikely to encounter any other people. For that reason you don’t want to get into difficulty.
Along this trail there were huge boulders weathered by wind and water into bizarre shapes. Many were marked with petroglyphs. Stories of the unknowable past left by native peoples. The valley floor was covered with ancient fire rings and stone mortars. A ghost world.
I’m now about one third done with my project to shoot with legacy lenses for a year. Using forty plus year old optics full time on a Sony A7II may seem a little unusual. It is a different approach to digital photography and not something to do without planning. For me it is worth doing. Those old lenses are inexpensive and some even give excellent results.
Images captured with legacy lenses often have a different look than those captured with modern optics. Lenses for film cameras were designed using analog methodologies and manufactured with less precise tooling. That gives them what some enthusiasts call ‘character’. When adapted to digital cameras they often render images with unique qualities. That is not to say better qualities than modern lenses.
So far all my project images have been shot with one of four prime lenses in the range of 28-135mm. Not much reach considering I shot many images at 200mm with my X-T1. That would be a field of view around 300mm with the full frame A7II. Using prime lenses with just four available focal lengths has caused me to adapt the way I visualize images. That along with manual lens control has forced me to work slower. I’ve been shooting fewer frames with better results.
The first third of the project has not been as productive as I’d hoped. My time shooting in the field has been less over the last few months than any time in recent years. I expect that to change. I will be shooting more in the Texas Bend as well as around San Antonio in the coming months. Just for starters Día de Muertos is in a couple of weeks. That is always interesting to photograph.
To sum up, the project has exceeded my expectations. I’m enjoying my time with the camera and shooting better images. That makes the project a success to this point. I expected using legacy lenses would be a burden but I like the control they give me. Also the lenses I’m using are producing good results. What’s not to like?