LensBaby Challenge: your very best two images

[Tom Henkel]

The addition of the wide and tele converters and of the 3G make the lensbaby a lot more versatile. However, personally, what I like about it is the simplicity of the original model, either version 1.0 or 2.0

Incidentally, I can't see a difference between the two versions. 2.0 may be sharper, but the photos are so blurred that it hardly matters in my estimate. Unsharpness is a quality for lesnbaby, not a defect ;-)

On the other hand, the wide angle & telephoto adapters open up new avenues for creativity.

The 3G looks awfully time consuming to get the shot set up. But I get the sense that the folks at Lensbaby see different uses for the original version and the 3G. I agree with you that ease of use is one great feature of the original.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The 3G is meant for tripod use. So the time to setup may not be an issue once one has practiced a bit. When I get mine, I'll post!

Asher

 

[Nill Toulme]

I don't think you *have* to use any of the additional gizmos on the 3G. I think it can be used freehand just like the v2.0, if you like and when you like.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

 

[Asher Kelman]

Whoever gets it first!

Asher

 

[Dierk Haasis]

After a long time sitting in front of two TFTs to write several pieces, I forced myself yesterday to go out on a theme-shot.

Hamburg has the second biggest cemetery in the world, following Chicago. Our main graveyard was planned as a combination park for people to rest before they die and afterwards. Every year I want to go out and photograph it, particularly in summer. And every year I don't make it. 2006 at least got me fulfilling half my idea, it's not summer but I was in Ohlsdorf. Perhaps I am convinced, deep inside, that cemeteries go together much better with autumn than any other season ...

As is often the case the trigger was a new toy, my Lensbaby 2.0, which I only own since Wednesday; yesterday was its first day in action:

Upwardly Mobile

Stoneface J

 

[Sean DeMerchant]

Hamburg has the second biggest cemetery in the world, following Chicago.

I dispute this claim. Rosehill Cemetery, the largest in Chicago, is only 350 acres (1.42 square kilometres) and Friedhof Ohlsdorf, with 4.05 km2* area is much larger. Rosehill has some lovely sculpture, do not get me wrong, but it did not strike me as overly large (huge yes, record making no). Albeit, I found the sculpture at Graceland Cemetery even more impressive.

enjoy,

Sean


* Take this number with a grain of salt, it was taken from the internet and it did not have official status nor a directly attributed source.

 

[Asher Kelman]

A

Upwardly Mobile
[/b]

Your first image makes me want to just rest a while and contemplate the incessant loss of time like grains of sand in an hour glass of an angel of death timing your breaths.

The steps coming from the out of focus lower image is effective. My heart missed a beat, as if this is the last steps of the "big journey"!

An amazingly simple image but very powerful. Congratulations. This is a successful use of this very simple lens.

I may want to use it as an illustration.

The second image, may or may not be significant. The first one filled me up and there is no room for me to consider another for a while.

I'll have a good cup of fresh tea! That's what I'll do!

Asher

 

[Dierk Haasis]

Rosehill Cemetery[/URL], the largest in Chicago, is only 350 acres (1.42 square kilometres) and Friedhof Ohlsdorf, with 4.05 km2* area is much larger.

Hm, curious and interesting. My claim about chicago's cemetery being bigger than Hamburg's main [we do have several more smaller, communal ones and a bigger one as part of Ohlsdorf but kilometres away] is one of those 'everybody knows' claims. We were always told that and I never doubted it - which humble being doubts being second?

I dig into the matter.

An amazingly simple image but very powerful. Congratulations. This is a successful use of this very simple lens.

Thanks!

This is one of those images [there are many more, partly strewn across the forum] where I went for my ususal subtle, content-driven approach. Apart from the obvious effect of the soft and blurred outer regions it was the low contrast and colour transfers of the lens I used; although I still had to take a little bit of colour out.

While the image works without knowledge of Germanic mythology, let me just throw that in here without further comment. And don't forget that the title gives it another meaning, too.

The Jesus, by contrast, was the first Lensbaby shot I did. I went for the obvious in that one. Look out for the other shots scattered.


PS: Also did some with a new Fisheye. Hopefully I find the time to write something up about special effects and how to not use them.

 

[Dierk Haasis]

My claim about chicago's cemetery being bigger than Hamburg's main [...]

I dig into the matter.

Oh man, just a look onto the official informational material I used to get around the cemetery ... The headline is: 'Der weltgrößte Parkfriedhof stellt sich vor', which translates to 'Introducing the worlds largest park cemetery'.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Here are my two favorites. I have not given this lens (v2.0) enough attention and need to work with it more.

...and my then-11-year-old son made this one of me:

That was then. Now Lensbaby is more versatile! So who uses Lensbaby and for what effects?

Asher

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

My current two favorite lensbaby pics using a Lensbaby Composer with a single (glass) lens optic always stopped down to f22. For my the lensbaby is the ability to show more an impression than mega-megapixel detail. Somewhat like comparing a sketch to a finished intricately detailed work of art. I love it!

Pesach Sheni (1DsIII). I have a platinum print of this hanging on my wall...

Pagola (5D). Took this just two weeks ago but I already have it printed, it looks incredible in print and I love it!

I have a lot of pictures with kids as an element with this lens. No doubt the simplicity of the look appeals with the innocence of children...

More here: http://www.timelessjewishart.com/dream.html

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Ben

Smashing pictures, as always. You make me want to visit Jerualem

Did you make the platinum print yourself or have it done?

Mike

 

[Alain Briot]

I just purchased a Lensbaby composer with the close up rings. I'm trying it today and I''l be posting images soon.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Ben

Smashing pictures, as always. You make me want to visit Jerualem

Did you make the platinum print yourself or have it done?

Mike

I wish! I had Jim Collum do it for me, the deal was he did two, sent them to me, I signed one and sent it back! Jim's an incredible guy, the print is georgous and I hope to offer a platinum portfolio at some point...

 

[Mike Shimwell]

I wish! I had Jim Collum do it for me, the deal was he did two, sent them to me, I signed one and sent it back! Jim's an incredible guy, the print is georgous and I hope to offer a platinum portfolio at some point...

Sounds like a fair exchange.

A platinum portfolio is a good idea. Hope you can make it work! I've a couple of pictures I'd like to print in platinum, so if I get chance I'll let you know how it goes - and vice versa.

Do you still visit Manchester much?

Mike

 

[Alain Briot]

Edelbrock
Lensbaby Composer. f/8 aperture ring​

 

[Alain Briot]

Hoosier
Lensbaby Composer. f/8 aperture ring​

 

[Alain Briot]

Bel Air
Lensbaby Composer. f/8 aperture ring​

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi Alain,

Very clever work.

Somehow Edelbrock is for me the most effective.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Paul Abbott]

Ben, your images are absolutely wonderful.
I really like the ethereal quality your choice of Lensbaby gives to your scenes, but of course its the views you shoot that works so well in tandem with it. Really nice to see.

 

[Alain Briot]

Thanks Doug.

Here's one more:

Dom Perignon 2002
Andy Warhol Edition​

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Sounds like a fair exchange.

A platinum portfolio is a good idea. Hope you can make it work! I've a couple of pictures I'd like to print in platinum, so if I get chance I'll let you know how it goes - and vice versa.

Do you still visit Manchester much?

Mike

I'm there some 7 months of the year shooting weddings, it's still my bread and butter business.

 

[Alain Briot]

Ben, can you post a crop of one of your photos above at 100% view? Not the whole photo, just part of it. That way I (we) can see the exact effect of the lensbaby setup you use (f/22, single glass, etc.). On the small photos it's only possible to guess the actual effect and look.

Thanks.

ALain

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Good question!

I stop down to f22 because although I like the dreamy drawing of the lens I do wish it was nearer to a flat plane rendition, i.e. without the 'lensbaby' effect. Stopping all the way down and making sure the lens is fully straight (not titlted) helps with this though I'd love for an f32 stop for the lens. Even stopped down the DOF is very shallow for some reason and it only really mitigates the 'lensbaby' look over 50% of the frame.

To show 100% therefore wouldn't make much sense, the 'look' of 100% at the edge is different to at the 1/3rd point and very different to the center. Instead I've uploaded a zoomify version of the picture so you can have a look at the whole thing. Note this is a capture sharpened, 18 megapixels crop from a 1DsIII file so you'll have to imagine the extreme edges. As always and as you will have experienced yourself, in print it looks very different, more cohesive.

www.studio-beni.net/Pesach_Sheni.html

 

[Alain Briot]

That makes sense Ben. The lack of a flat plane is the problem with this lens. Have you considered a flat field, soft-focus lens (the Cooke series for example) ? Lensbaby does offer a soft focus optic for the Composer but the lens still won't have a flat field.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Alain,

Here's one more:

Dom Perignon 2002
Andy Warhol Edition​

It's a nice shot, but somehow I don't find the asymmetrical blurring to be a "feature".

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Alain Briot]

Doug, I agree. I think the champagne is the feature here, not so much the photo!

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

That makes sense Ben. The lack of a flat plane is the problem with this lens. Have you considered a flat field, soft-focus lens (the Cooke series for example) ? Lensbaby does offer a soft focus optic for the Composer but the lens still won't have a flat field.

I'm not hugely enamoured by the concept of a soft focus look, it's easily done if that was what I was looking for, I particularly like the look of the Softar 1 filter for example. I am looking for a more subtle 'dreamy' look rather than the perhaps too obvious and even clinical look of an overall soft effect that you would get with a soft focus filter/lens.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I'm not hugely enamoured by the concept of a soft focus look, it's easily done if that was what I was looking for, I particularly like the look of the Softar 1 filter for example. I am looking for a more subtle 'dreamy' look rather than the perhaps too obvious and even clinical look of an overall soft effect that you would get with a soft focus filter/lens.

Hi Ben,

Just like all tools, there's skill required n how and when to use them well.

The best soft focus comes from Jim Galli's little green men who bring him ancient soft focus lenses!

Asher

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

If you're looking for a soft focus look. It's not really what I wanted though.