Winter in Calderdale

Winter has truly arrived in Calderdale.

Admittedly, this cold snap isn’t likely to last more than four or five days but it has certainly given us the true experience of a cold winter. It is for me, a blessing and a curse. I’ve managed to take some great snowy photos but given my rehabilitation following my ankle break last summer, it is also a challenge. This is both a physical and mental challenge, in that I’m more cautious about stepping out in snow and ice. I wish it were otherwise and I’m sure I’ll gain confidence the more I push myself.

Photographically, I’ve enjoyed shooting snow, mist and spectacular light. I have used my Nikon Z7ii and also my Pentax K3, which is made for cold, inclement weather. Often, some of my best shots have been from my street or at least, the top of it. The hillside with the tree lines have given me ice old woodland sometimes topped or partially obscured by mist. The sun hits the valley and deep patches of golden light reflect off the snow covered hillside.

The contrast between pure white snow and bright sunlight can be challenging for photographers. There’s always a chance that your images will either come out as very blue or highlights will be blown. Also, snow has a habit of smoothing the details of a landscape. You have to work a little harder to get a decent shot. I try to add features whether they natural or man made to break up the whiteness of the scene. Luckily I live in an area that has both woodland and rocky moorland. I like to use features such as roads or pylons to give a focal point.

The sunrises have also been spectacular with pinks and oranges bursting over the hillsides. I find myself scuttling up to the top of our street, trying to catch the brief moments of intense light. They contrast with the grey/white of the shadows, woods and buildings. I’m trying to embrace this cold winter with all its challenges. I like to see the opportunities and grasp these brief moments in time. I hope you like these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking and editing them.

Vintage

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

You know you’re old, when the word ‘vintage’ describes items that were made 20 years after you were born. technology moves at a pace these days hitherto not seen in the last 100 years. Camera technology and new models of camera body and lens are being brought out every year and with increasing levels of tweaking what is already there. Sigma for example, have released an update version of their 24-70 f2.8 dg dn art lens in the last couple of weeks. This replaces a lens created only a few years ago which was itself, considered excellent. Every camera manufacturer is forever updating their bodies and lenses to improve on what came before. I have the Panasonic S5II which replaced the S5. There was gap of a few years between models and the camera is a big improvement on what was a great camera.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

‘Invest in good glass’ is a phrase photographers advise newbies into the world of photography. It is sensible advice and a good lens will make a good composition into potentially, a great one. What if the lens you are using is 50 years old though ? Did the camera companies know a thing or two about producing high end quality lenses back then? I have been user of old manual focus lenses for nearly 10 years now. To be fair, I used some of them when they were new releases back in the late 70’s and 80’s but that’s beside the point. The advent of mirrorless cameras and adapters have enabled photographers to experiment with film era camera lenses. I have tried a few mounts and different manufacturers in recent times. I am a fan of Olympus Zuiko lenses (beautifully made, generally very contrasty and sharp), Canon FD lenses good too but the manufacturer I always return are Asahi Pentax. Their SMC (super multi coated) lenses produced from the mid 1970’s to the late 1980’s are always my go to choice.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax A 50mm f1.7

There is something about the process of taking a photo that is enhanced by using a manual focus lens. They make you feel more at one with your camera and the advent of focusing tools such as focus peaking, make capturing photos relatively easy. They can be quicker than autofocusing lenses as they don’t hunt for focus. You set the focal distance and everything will be in focus. Pentax made some lovely prime lenses back in the day. To be fair, they still make lovely lenses now but their film era glass have a certain quality about them. The colours are punchy but not lurid. They are slightly cooler than say Olympus Zuiko but attractive. The out of focus areas are very well controlled and you can get some beautiful bokeh with them. The biggest plus for a photographer however is the price of these lenses. The three focal lengths I use are 28mm, 50mm and 135mm. You can get a really good Pentax M lens in all these focal ranges for well under £40.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 135mm f3.5

If you were to only use manual vintage lenses, you could have a complete lens kit (including maybe a 70-210) for under £150. That is half the price of a modern secondhand standard Panasonic kit lens. What you get for that money are high quality metal lenses with beautiful glass. Yes, in tests they don’t perform to modern standards but you learn to work around that. The double advantage for someone who also happens to own a modern Pentax DSLR is that these 50 year old lenses will fit your modern camera without the need for an adapter, That is a huge plus and I continue to take my hat off to Ricoh Pentax for that.

I still use my modern autofocus lenses on both my S5II and Pentax K70. Sometimes, I need their autofocus, their sharpness, their weather sealing. I love the modern lenses but I have more fun with my older ones. They can be unpredictable but that can also be a bonus. You get effects that you would otherwise not with a modern one. If you have never used vintage lenses, I urge you to do so. They are an affordable way of creating interesting photographs. Many filmmakers are now using vintage lenses to get a different, more creative look. I would recommend Pentax or Olympus Zuiko but classics like the Helios 44m. It is an amazing focal length lens, that produces wild swirly bokeh and pretty sharp detail. Get yourself an adapter to fit your camera body and choose according to what lens mount your vintage lens has. Remember to make sure your camera is switched on to shooting without lens. This allows you take a photo. You won’t get exif data but you’ll just have to remember that! Go and have fun and you might get hooked like me!

On The Cusp.

I’m writing this on a dank, grey early December morning. The sky is featureless , light drizzle hangs in the atmosphere and winter has arrived. We generally think of winter being snow covered, crisp and cold. Winters in the UK are more like today as a rule. For the next four months, many days will seem like today. It can be a challenge for a photographer who takes most of his shots outside. It’s not that the weather is so forbidding, more like unappealing. Maybe I’m a lightweight outdoor photographer, easily put off by grey skies and some rain. Christmas is beginning to loom and weight of expectation and frenzy sit in the corner, quietly watching me.

I like Christmas but find it hard to deal with. This will be the first year in my 59 years on this planet, where my mum is no longer with us. My family are spread and my two daughters have new babies. It’s a magical time for many and I do get that. The transformation from autumn to winter is indeterminate. One day it’s bright orange , yellow and brown leaves, brisk cool air ; and the next, cold air, bare trees and grey skies. There is a beauty in a bleak winter landscape and I’ve taken some of my favourite photos at this time of year.

I’m undergoing a sort of seasonal adjustment , one that leads me eventually to think ‘ok, it’s winter now, how do I make the best of it?’ Eventually is maybe the keyword in that last sentence. I’m sure in a day or so, I’ll be more at peace with the familiarity of winter. On the cusp of winter marks change. The run up to Christmas, the realisation that this will be the norm until spring creeps in, is something I think we maybe all experience. It runs deep in our souls however preoccupied, how busy we are. There is some part of us that feels the change of the seasons even if we don’t always acknowledge it.

Give it a couple of weeks and the focus will be on presents, decorations, preparations for the ‘big day’. I will be in organised mode trying to make sure another Christmas can be successfully navigated. A few dry days, some good moody skies and no immediate plans to scupper, will give me that chance to get out with my camera and capture the bleak beauty of December.

Pentaxia

‘Oh right, he’s switched systems, again’. Yeah I hear you thinking this guy can’t stick with one thing. He must be frustrated or believes a new camera will make him a better photographer. Don’t think I haven’t thought this many times over the years. Searching for that perfect system that helps me deliver what I see in that split second before taking the shot. Have I been masking my inner dissatisfaction, am I chopping and changing to make me feel better?

I have moved over to the niche world of Pentax. Once, a titan in the world of photography, a technical innovator of such things as the SLR, new lens construction, championing the use of 35mm film. Pentax have resisted the move towards mirrorless, preferring to stick to producing DSLR cameras (mostly APSC format). In 2016, whether it was pressure to take on Canon and Nikon ; they introduced the Pentax K1. A 36.4mp full frame DSLR with IBIS , pixel shift technology, astrotracer ability; they entered the competitive professional camera market. It is fair to say, I have had my eye on this camera for about 2 years. I’ve been through the Fujifilm system, had a six month dalliance with the Panasonic/Leica L mount to arrive at where I am today.

Took delivery of my new used Pentax K1 last week. It was made in 2017 according to its serial number but doesn’t feel outdated. It’s heavy but very comfortable. Solid, precise and very well made. There were two main reasons I took the leap into Pentax. Firstly, I already own and use the Ricoh GRIIIX. That is a stellar camera with outstanding image quality and the partner company of Pentax. My K1 shares the same image processor as the Ricoh. Secondly, Pentax DSLR cameras are backwards compatible with every K mount lens right back to the 1970s. I have owned several vintage k mount lenses and to have a camera that doesn’t require adapters is a bonus.

Pentax users are described as Pentaxians. They inhabit a world at odds with the conventions of modern digital photography. These woolly coated creatures of middle earth, scuttle about in woods carrying their frankly weird cameras with them. What the big players often overlook however , is the amazing image quality Pentax cameras can deliver. My friend Baldur who now lives in Norway, is a Pentax user. He’s one of the best photographers I’ve met and his choice of camera has never seemed to hold his creativity back. It got me thinking a month or so ago, what if Baldur had a point about Pentax cameras? Like most camera gear lurches, I do a lot of background research as to what I’m getting into. The K1 has sat in the background, tantalising me with its beguiling qualities. I realised that if I was to move into this system, it would require some new learning. I have been such a confirmed mirrorless users for so many years now, it would take a big leap to go to a DSLR. I’ve leapt and what are my first impressions?

Image quality is beyond anything I’ve ever used. The detail, the ability to recover that detail is jaw dropping. The files are bigger so you can now crop and not lose quality. The lens choices are numerous. I started off with two old Sigma lenses. I didn’t have high hopes but they perform beautifully. My old vintage glass is wonderful on it and it confirms my choice. It isn’t that heavy but it is that quality you want in any camera. You just want to take it out of the your bag and take pictures. All the images in this post have been taken with my K1. Am I finally settled on a camera system? There’s no point saying definitively yes but is it the best system I’ve ever used? Probably yes. I have now entered the realm of Pentaxia. I shall be monitoring my feet for excessive hair growth and am ordering some long pipes to sit and blow smoke rings quietly of an evening in a hidden wood or scenic hillside.