The Dance of Light

Saturated colors and high contrast are two elements of photography that will grab me every time. I admit it. I'm a sucker for eye candy. One of the more interesting informative articles written by Ken Rockwell is his methods for capturing the colors in his images.

There is a time at sunrise and at sunset when hues become intensely saturated in the fading light. At twilight, the light from mercury vapor street lamps and incandescent and neon lights add to the music. I am finding myself prowling the streets with my camera more and more at these times of day to catch the dance of the fading light across buildings and structures.

When I was in Japan, I was stuck by what I called the colors of Nippon. Pink bulldozers, lavender bridges, and other pastel colors on strong, masculine things created a softness that was unusual, unexpected, and somewhat amusing to my western eyes. Now that I am landlocked back in the Southern United States, I am finding the familiar prevalence of religious icons interesting. When combined with the saturated colors attainable at twilight, the combination can be rather bizarre and unsettling.

I find myself taking the long way home to evaluate another set of decorated crosses beside the road, another facade on an itinerant preacher's refuge, or the symbolic professions of faith that a farmer might erect beside the road. The South is ripe with such spirituality.

Although they have been photographed to a cliche, old Louisiana cemeteries are another source of this type of spiritual symbology. Among the Woodsmen of the World tombstones and disintegrating marble crypts stands proud statuary meant to immortalize those who have long turned to dust. These monuments to spiritual beliefs interest me as well, even if they have been photographed over and over again.

It's my hope that I can photograph them in a new way, and that I can do so in a manner that shows respect, but also illuminates and causes the viewer to ponder the belief systems that join people together. If nothing else, perhaps the images will simply be a reminder to myself that a person is made up of more than flesh and bone.

Meditations on Violence

Over the years, I have found that while crimes of violence usually have common denominators leading up to the actual physical assault, many if not most people are woefully unprepared to deal with a violent attack on their life. On Grant Cunningham's blog, I learned about this book, Meditations on Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller. The author is a corrections officer with real world experience surviving desperate and violent confrontations with hardened human predators in the course of a day's work.

In the dojo of indisputable reality, Miller paints a stark portrait of what works, what doesn't, as well as the myths fantasies that many people cling to regarding their ability to survive and cope with life altering violence. As Miller states early in the book, "you are what you are, not what you think you are."

From Lawrence Kane's review of the work on amazon.com:

"This is a guy who routinely survives brutal encounters that would leave the average person physically and emotionally shattered. Unlike most martial arts instructors, he has first-hand experience that separates longstanding myths and heroic fantasies from merciless reality. Using interesting personal vignettes backed up by solid research and indisputable logic he conveys this hard-earned wisdom in a highly effective manner. His insights on how to make self-defense work and overcome subconscious resistance to meeting violence with violence could very well save a reader's life one day.

While the author's no-nonsense tone can be a bit "street" and his examples a bit graphic at times, his psychology degree shines throughout the writing as well. This combination makes for a fascinating read. One of the best features of the book is an informative matrix that addresses various types of violence, demonstrating how they differ from each other and how the lessons from one type may not apply to the needs of another. Other important topics include the dynamics of violence, predator mindset, adapting training to the realities of violence, making physical defense work, and the after-effects a sudden assault or long-term exposure to a violent environment."

Grant's endorsement is good enough for me. Now I just need to find another worthwhile book so I can get the Super Saver shipping discount.

Couple

Nikon D-200, 85mm ƒ1.8

The Snubby Revolver

Steve Denny, Chris Christian, Gail Pepin, Mas Ayoob, Jon & Terri Strayer, and Herman Gunter talk candidly about the snubby revolver.

Split Prisms

I decided to order a Katz Eye split prism focusing screen for my Nikon D-200. I opted to get the OptiBrite treatment, since I tend to use a wide variety of lenses.

All the reviews of the product that I have read have been positive. The only installation problems I located in my research was with Canon cameras. I figure if I can put in Zimmer knee replacements, I can put in a focusing screen. The most difficult aspect will likely be finding a dust free environment for the installation process. I may perform the camera surgery at the hospital to be certain no dust gets inside. A full review will be done once the manual focus screen is in my digital camera.

Flying Tiger

Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

Katz Eye

One of the limitations I find with the Nikon D-200 is when it comes to using my manual focus Ai-S lenses. I'm pretty handy with a ground glass Fresnel focus screen, but the smaller viewfinder of the DX camera does not make it easy. I found myself longing for a classic split prism screen with the surrounding microprism. I had resigned myself to slightly out of focus manual shots when I learned of the Katz Eye focusing screens on Ken Rockwell's excellent website.

The Katz Eye is an independently manufactured manual focus replacement screen for many different makes and models of auto focus cameras, including the Nikon D-200. From several independent testimonials, it seems as though it does not affect auto focusing of the camera with AF lenses, nor does it affect metering. From Fox O'Rian on flickr:

"I'm impressed with how well centered the prism is relative to the AF points (though it took some careful placement to get it that way.) The AF and metering aren't affected at all by this screen, and I dare say the center AF point is performing better than usual.

Most importantly, the prism and microcollar actually works correctly. When shooting with AF, I can now easily tell if the AF is focusing correctly and if I need to quickly make any minor adjustments in case it was off. This should really help me get more sharp shots more often. It's invaluable with lenses like my 85mm prime."

Copied from the Katz Eye website:

"The Katz Eye™ focusing screen for the Nikon D200 has NO effect on existing viewfinder information. All viewfinder markings, including focusing points and on-demand gridlines will still function normally. The Katz Eye™ focusing screen for the Nikon D200 shows only a very minimal effect on light metering. In our testing, the Katz Eye™ screen tested within factory tolerance in nearly all situations. The only exception is when using spot metering mode with lenses having a maximum aperture slower than f3.5 (higher numerical f-stop). With lenses slower than f3.5, it is advisable to use either centerweighted average metering or matrix metering to preserve accurate meter response. In the event that spot metering mode must be used with a slow lens, it is advisable to set an appropriate exposure compensation by reading the histogram of a test shot.

For many photographers who grew up using manual focus cameras and who still possess a collection of very nice and familiar manual focus glass, a split prism surrounded by a microprism in the viewfinder has an importance that is not entirely related to familiarity. Much of my past photography relied on a shallow depth of field with fast prime lenses.

A few days ago I received an auto focus 50mm ƒ1.8 lens that I won on ebay. My 85mm ƒ1.8 lens is also a fast prime. Essentially, all my manual focus lenses except for the 300mm ƒ4.5 light pipe have been replaced by an equivalent either in a prime lens or through a zoom lens. At 300mm (actually 450mm on a DX camera) the focus assist of the Katz Eye would almost certainly black out. I would gain an extra f-stop by using my manual 50mm ƒ1.4 and 35mm ƒ2.8 Ai-S lenses, but the ISO capability of the D-200 compensates admirably for the loss of one f-stop.

The Katz Eye manual focus screen is $105 without the OptiBrite treatment, $160 with it. There is presently a 10% off Spring special happening. The Katz Eye would have been good to know about when I first purchased the D-200. I had a collection of Ai-S lenses at hand, but I am not sure whether or not I would benefit from such an addition to my camera now. I suspect I would, as I find myself shooting in low light with fast primes frequently. The real question though, is how fast and how accurately the auto focus system works in such an environment. Only time can tell me that.

Independent review of the Katz Eye split prism screen on a Nikon D-200

Katz Eye Installation instructions for the Nikon D-200 (pdf file)

Ugly Gun Sunday

Vietnam Vet

Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

The Nikon F

As I began to delve into photography again over the past few weeks, I have unpacked and unwrapped my collection of old film cameras. At one time, I accumulated and used most of the equipment. My preferred brand of camera was obviously Nikon, and my preferred make was obviously the original Nikon SLR, the Nikon F.

I like the Nikon F because it is a brute of a camera. When the user picks up the conglomeration of leather, brass and glass that make up the Nikon F, there is little doubt that this is a piece of equipment built for serious use. It is a strictly manual camera, yet in today's fast paced course towards becoming obsolete within six months of a camera's introduction, the Nikon F remains one of the toughest, most durable, and versatile cameras ever built.

I like the chunky clunky look of the Photomic viewfinder on top of the Nikon F camera body. It is antithetical to the organic lines of modern camera equipment. Even though the light meter in my Photomicws are long worn out, I never really used them anyway. The viewfinders of the Nikon F are able to be removed and exchanged for different styles, from waist level finders to huge "action" finders for diving and sports, to a simple pentaprism, or even the poor man's waist level finder, no viewfinder at all.

Although the Nikon F appears to be a brick, it feels positively a part of your hand, an extension of yourself, while holding it. The unique feel and handling characteristics of the Nikon line of cameras is is one of the oft stated reasons many people prefer them. That, and the ability to continue to use lenses the photographer already owns. My old pre-AI lenses of the Nikon F era are some of the most precisely made equipment I own.

I don't know why I accumulated the collection of 35mm cameras I did, but I certainly had an affinity for the Nikon F and Nikon F2. I have used some of them, but others have not created a single image in my hands. A few were simply purchased to get the attached lens in a package deal. Although some are battered, all still function in the manual mode, without batteries. Imagine that.

Most of my old Nikon cameras were saved from a trip to the dumpster as people felt the need to upgrade their equipment. I suppose I don't need a logical reason for accumulating them. I just like them. They are reminders of a time that the photographer had to wait until he was in the darkroom to know for certain if his work was good. Reminders of a time when a camera was little more than a tool for the photographer, a time that the photographer's gray matter was also the brain for the camera.

Since I began shooting images again, I have gone digital. Auto focus. The new technology is great. It allows the photographer to concentrate more on the image. The ability to collect hundreds of shots, immediately viewable for disposal or preservation has transformed photography. I have heard several people say that 35mm film will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. In today's consumer driven camera market, I suppose it will. At some point, my old 35mm cameras will be as obsolete as a Polaroid One Step or a Kodak Disc. But even then, they will be a solid reminder that the photographer is the master of the camera, and the beauty of photography cannot be purchased with the next generation of electronics. That is a good enough reason to keep the old leather, brass and glass on my shelf.

A Complex Simplicity

I took two 1911s to the range today, my Springfield Mil-Spec and my Colt M1991A1. Each is an unassuming pistol, purposeful and effective. I do not know why I brought two pistols, let alone these two similar pistols.

I shot the Colt a bit more than the Springfield, but they shot equally well. The Colt just feels more "right" to me somehow, I suppose. Perhaps it's the Colt legacy, perhaps it's the more traditional style, simple sights and a high ejection port. Perhaps it was because I had to do less to the Colt to make it into what I wanted. I do not know the reason, I just shot it more.

As I shot, my mind drifted to Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai of feudal Japan. Musashi, an unconventional warrior, dressed in rags, rarely bathed, and traveled during the zenith of the samurai period, engaging in duels. Musashi was an outsider with allegiance to no lord, but he was a master of using two swords in a technique called niten'ichi. It was an effective, unembellished way of defeating an opponent. Although he engaged in scores of duels, Musashi himself was never defeated. Today, his technique is known as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.

The real legacy of Musashi though, is not one of swordsmanship. It is one of psychological combat. Once his reputation had grown, Musashi challenged one of Japan's most revered samurai of the time, Sasaki Kojirō, to a duel on an island at dawn. A traditional warrior, Kojirō prepared for the duel in prayer. He was known for wielding a katana with extra length, and was an established, well disciplined traditional warrior. Kojirō arrived on time, but his unorthodox opponent was nowhere to be found. For several hours, an enraged and humiliated Kojirō stormed the sands of the island's beach.

When Musashi finally arrived, he was carrying an elongated staff he had carved from the oar of a boat. Kojirō was brought down by a single strike to the head as Musashi side stepped a slash from his opponent's blade. A powerful thrust to the sternum crushed the renowned swordsman's chest.

What is significant is that Musashi did not bring a sword to fight a swordsman. Some would say he brought an oar. I would go further than that. It did not matter what Musashi brought. He brought his mind. He brought his self control. As he approached the infuriated Kojirō, legend has it Musashi taunted him by saying "You have already lost." There is truth there. When a man becomes so enraged that he acts on his anger rather than in a methodical manner to accomplish the task at hand, he has lost.

In his later years, Musashi studied Buddism and became an author and artist. His most widely read work, Go Rin No Sho, is still a relevant treatise on the way of the warrior. A passage reads "In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm."

I did not use my two pistols as Musashi used two swords. I shot them one at a time, trying to pare away any superfluous movement or pretense. Like the 1911 itself, it is Musashi's singularly simple but effective manner of stripping away the unnecessary flourishes to arrive at the elemental purpose of the actions needed that makes him relevant to me.

The Custom Sistema

One of my favorite pistols is a 1911 that I modified myself to meet my own specific requirements for a durable and accurate full sized carry 1911. With a hand fitted Wilson barrel, it is an inherently accurate gun. Over time, I swapped out other parts, until I basically had a new gun.

After shooting a 1911 fitted with an Ed Brown grip safety, I decided that any 1911 I fitted a beavertail to would have one of his grip safeties on it. The Ed Brown grip safety requires the gunsmith to remove a significant amount of metal underneath the grip tangs. As a result, the web of the hand seats underneath the beavertail almost a quarter of an inch higher, placing the shooter's forearm closer to the bore axis for faster follow up shots and reduced perceived recoil. A couple of years back Ed Brown quit producing his grip safety without the "speed bump." That was a regrettable decision from my point of view. I prefer his grip safety, but I don't really care for the lump in my palm while shooting.

In a lot of ways, my modified Sistema is nothing fancy. It still has it's original military sights. The ejection port is GI. The grips are used rubber off a Kimber. The front strap has no checkering and there are no 1* inscriptions on the slide. What it is though, is a consistently reliable and accurate gun. You can read more about my modified Colt Sistema here.

Trigger Pull

The Pro-Arms Team on trigger pull as it relates to carry guns.

Patriotic Grandma

Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

Once On This Island

I took photos at the theater this evening. I stuck with my 85mm lens and shot everything at ƒ1.8. The lens was fast enough capture all but the quickest action. I did not manipulate the ISO. I used spot metering.

While it would have been nice to have a zoom that would open up to a f-stop beginning with a one, I think a 50mm Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8 lens in addition to the 85mm will do.
Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

What is Xavier Reading?

I am poring over some of my old photography books. Most were purchased when I was still in the Navy, and as a result are well traveled and small. They are also 35mm specific. I think they will help me get back into the groove with light. The film to digital information is easy enough to find on the innerweb.

On Defensive Shotgunning

The Pro-Arms gang takes on defensive shotgunning.

Part1

Part 2

The Watchmaker

"Do I feel safer? I just want to feel alive."
Four separate robberies. Each a shoot out.
A watchmaker discusses his mental preparation and the consequences of legitimate self defense.



Hat tip to Sailor Bob.

Grips and Stances

Even though the rain had abated and the sun baked the moisture from the ground, I found myself alone at the range this afternoon. I had planned to shoot a bit with Frieda again, but she had other things to attend to. Since I was alone at the range, I worked on controlled pairs with my two Teflon coated 1911s.

A double tap or "hammer" is a bit different than a controlled pair. When a shooter fires a double tap, he fires off the second shot as soon as the muzzle of the gun settles, without reacquiring a sight picture. With a controlled pair, a flash sight picture is achieved before the second shot is squeezed off. It doesn't always result in greater accuracy, and if the truth be told, most people do a blend of the two.

I have found that the isometric grip I use places the muzzle back on target efficiently. To use that grip, the shooter should wrap his support hand far enough around the other to provide for a firm backwards pull. The knuckles of the support hand should be over the first joint on the primary hand's fingers. Then, as the shooter aligns the sights, the primary hand pushes forward while the support hand pulls back. The pistol is enclosed in a fleshy vise like grip. The grip quickly springs back to it's original configuration after the pistol recoils. While Jack Weaver is generally credited with the two hand shooting grip, many believe it was Jeff Cooper who introduced isometrics into the equation for recoil management. It really doesn't matter where it came from, it works for me.

You can learn more about the big three classical stances at this link.

Welder

Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

Buckshot and Rifled Barrels

Carteach0 puts some buckshot down range through a rifled barrel to answer an age old question........ Good stuff. More here.

Two Dogs, Two Rides

When I took Ilsa out for a ride this morning, Cassie was howling in her crate. The streets were still wet, the sky was gray and humidity hung in the air like syrup on flap jacks. None of that didn't matter to the fireball Golden though. As Ilsa and rolled the Raleigh Public Utility Bike outside, Cassie began her imitation of Linda Blair on the Exorcist.

She wasn't really all that impressive, but it was enough to make me remember her when we got back home.

Ugly Gun Sunday

Mud

It was pouring rain today. I had planned to go to the range with Frieda again, but the walk to the targets would have been through quicksand. So, instead, I went to photograph a potter at his wheel.



Nikon D-200, 85mm ƒ1.8

Question

I am needing to obtain a few of the triangular split rings for a couple of cameras I am tinkering with. Does anyone know what they are actually called so I can Google them, or does anyone know of a source for them?

On the schedule today:
Shooting with Frieda
Wedding

Veteran

Nikon D-200 85mm ƒ1.8

Lens Swap

Makes sense, if a table is available. Learn something every day.

When 85mm is Really 129mm

I make no bones about liking to isolate my subject in a photograph among an indistinct background of relative subdued colors. In the past, with film, that desire led to an appreciation for the 50mm prime lens. To gain the indistinct background, the depth of field must be narrowed by cranking open the aperture.

The 50mm prime lens not only frequently gave the sharpest details and less distortion of the form, but the larger f stops allowed me to isolate my subject as I desired. The ability to shoot in low light with a larger aperture was a bonus. As a result, I ended up with a small collection of 50mm lenses in the ƒ1.4 to ƒ1.2 range. I learned to fill the frame of my photos by shooting close, and moving.

When I purchased my Nikon D-200 complete with an 85mm ƒ1.8 prime lens, I was relieved to get some space between myself and my subject. I did not realize just how much space I was using until I took photos of people at the Tea Party.

I had an immediate advantage in that people thought I was photographing them with their sign when I was actually taking a portrait. When I wanted to get the entire person in the frame though, I had to back up to a distance that confused my subject. Even my fast fifties seemed to need more distance to frame the same subject on the D-200.

After a bit of research at Ken Rockwell's website, I found that what I was sensing was reality. The Nikon D-200 is a DX camera. That means that its sensor is 1.5 times smaller than 35mm film. That is not necessarily a bad thing. What it means is that a lens with a 50mm focal length actually reads as a 75mm lens. My 85mm prime was reading as a 129mm telephoto on the digital camera. My 70-210mm zoom lens reads as a 105-315mm lens! Ken has a page at his website explaining the crop factor when SLR lenses intended for film are used on a digital SLR, as well as a chart to convert the focal lengths.

While I will likely continue to enjoy the 85mm lens for portraiture, I am considering purchasing a 50mm ƒ1.8 prime lens for when I am taking photos of people in tighter quarters. I already have a 18-70mm auto focus zoom lens that fills that focal length, but its aperture is a variable ƒ3.5-4.5. For the isolation of my subject, I want that big hole in the back.

Retired Air Force

I wanted to ask this couple to pose for me, but I lost them in the crowd. They reminded me of the quintessential middle class American couple, quiet, hard working, solidly conservative with a love of country. If they had a son or a daughter who attended a protest against their nation, they would likely have been rather perplexed a few years back. I found it ironic that they would now be attending a protest against the direction their government had taken.


Nikon D-200 70-210 zoom ƒ4

Faces of a Revolution

I went to a Tea Party after work today. What stood out to me was not the signs, but the faces. The people at the Tea Party were solid citizens. Tax paying citizens. Voters. Many were proud to have served their our country in the military. All were productive people. All were concerned about their country falling apart. Of course, the local politicians were on hand for their sound bites and feigned support. Most people there saw right through the attempts to garner a few votes.

Among the signs were flags. The Gadsden flag and the first Navy Jack were proudly flown. One person had Old Glory unfurled upside down. I was glad to see the snakes flying, but I honestly think flying the stars and stripes inverted was pushing it. A maritime signal of distress, in my opinion, should be reserved for when it is warranted.

I found the protest to be a cornucopia of people willing to be photographed. World War II veterans. Working Joes. Housewives. Businessmen. Fathers. Mothers. Teenagers. Kids. I began by photographing the signs they were carrying, often from a distance with my 70-210 zoom lens. Then, as I moved among the crowd with my 18-70mm zoom and my 85mm prime lens in my pockets, I began to ask people if I could photograph them with their signs. Most were happy to have their picture taken, after all, that was why they were there.

I kept my camera set to shoot 4 fps, and captured several shots of each subject, so I could chose the best one. The 70-210 zoom was great for getting candid shots, and the 18-70 was perfect for shooting among the crowd. It wasn't long before I had my 85mm lens locked on the front of the D-200 though. It wasn't the signs of protest that interested me so much as it was the people. Overcoming the reluctance of asking a person to take their photograph was my goal. I commented on their sign, or T-shirt, whatever they had brought to participate, and then simply asked for a photo. I was refused by only one fellow who wanted me to photograph his sign, but not his face.

Each opportunity lasted less than a minute, so the ability to shoot a burst of four or five photos gave me the option of picking the best one, eliminating the photo with a person walking in front of the camera or having their eyes closed. For better or worse, here are my cherry picked and cropped results.










I began to photograph the crowd again.........






In the crowd was a bright face that glowed like one of the Andrews sisters. I decided to find her when the speeches and music were over.




UPDATE: The response to these photos has been so strong and positive that I plan to continue to post a photograph of another Tea Party participant every couple of days until my supply is exhausted. These will be tagged "Faces of a Revolution." Hopefully, by then, there will be another Tea Party. I feel a political tsunami is building.........