Just a Little Break

I have been on a tear the past 6 months, writing a blog post almost every week.  As you can see, I have one post for the month of June.  It's good to take a bit of break and get material together for some future posts.  Last week, I went on my first meetup with another photographer, Joseph Brunjes (Joby) , a native North Carolinian that you may have heard speak on the Film Photography Project Podcast. Joby's an excellent large-format photographer and a first-rate person, and we had a great day at Linville Falls, which is only a little over an hour away from me.  You can view some of Joby's work on Instagram. 

Joby at Duggars Creek with his Noblex camera

Linville Falls, taken with a Nikon 1V1 and c-mount lens.

We had guests for 5 days last week, so I had to remove all of my film-developing stuff from the downstairs bathroom.  I hope to get back to the accumulating film in the coming week. I also finally got my stereo stuff set up downstairs, records out of the boxes, and CDs accessible.  It's been almost a year since we moved here, and yet there are boxes that have not been emptied.  We took our guests to the Biltmore Estate, which is a great place to visit, and while the inside is quite dim, one can get some good results with a little care and a large-aperture lens.  If the indoors isn't your thing, the trails and gardens are sure to delight.  We have a year's pass, which is definitely worth the it!

A few photos from Biltmore, all taken with my Nikon 1V1.  I'll see y'all again in July!

Creativity with the Nikon 1V1

With all the hoopla about the new mirrorless Nikon Z system, I just shrug my shoulders and say "meh."   I have enough glass and bodies for 35mm Nikons that I can't get all caught up in the ever-expensive staircase to the "next" system.  I already own one Nikon mirrorless camera and lens system, and it's the Nikon 1.  What? That piece of crap?  Those cameras made for "soccer moms"?
I purchased a Nikon 1J1 and 1V1 and lenses back in 2013.  I liked the small size, the ability to change lenses, and the ability to adapt other lenses to these pocketable cameras.  Yes, these cameras have their quirks, and Nikon has a reputation for dumbing-down consumer-level cameras.  However, I love using the Nikon 1 cameras with a c-mount adapter, as the image circle is perfect for the sensor size.  C-mount lenses are usually fairly cheap, and can come from 16mm movie cameras as well as older video camera systems.  I have several favorites that I enjoy using for certain types of photography, such as the examples that will follow.  Of course, with any lens that does not electronically connect to the Nikon 1 body, one can only use manual mode.  As one gets used to a lens, it becomes pretty easy to gauge the exposure, and you also have immediate feedback.  The small size of the camera makes it quite easy to carry, and I like the 1V1 because it has an electronic viewfinder as well as rear LCD screen.   You'll note that I taped over the camera info on the front, as well as the mode select wheel on the back.  Taping that over keeps me from accidentally changing the mode. Ten megapixels is fine.  I have made and sold some nice prints from this camera.

Today we went to the North Carolina Arboretum to see the Bonsai Show, and it was fantastic.  The camera allowed me to photograph the trees not as they are, but as something a bit more isolated from the surroundings.  I shot in b&w because that's how I wanted them to be seen.   The grounds of the Arboretum are also really nice, and today was just a bit wet, so that the water gave things a bit of a sheen.