How to get a maximum swirl lens effect

I was testing how to achieve maximum swirl effect. Open aperture, focus on a subject at a distance, objects at corners must be closer then subject in the center. And this works only with lenses that aren’t compromised by a mirror between lens and film. No single lens mirror reflex cameras in the club! Only view cameras, range-finder cameras and twin lens reflex! Taken with twin-lens Mamiya C330, 80mm, blue-dot series. Of course Petzval lens is the king of swirl effect

PS: pardon, readers warned me, that some special lenses are doing beautiful swirl also for 35 SLR cameras. Like Russian Helios 40 85mm f/1.5 Lens
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Testiral sem kako bi poudaril swirl efekt, ko se na robovih slika začne rotacijsko pačiti. Recept je: popolnoma odprta zaslonka, subjekt mora biti relativno oddaljen, objekti ob robovih morajo biti bližje, kot subjekt v sredini. Aja, pa to deluje na pravih objektivih, ki niso kompromitirani z zrcalom med lečami in filmom. Se pravi zrcalnorefleksni aparati odpadejo, le mehovke, range-finder in pa dvooke kamere. Na fotografiji posneto z dvooko Mamiyo C330, 80mm, blue-dot serija. A seveda, Petzval objektiv je car swirl efekta.
PS: PArdon, bralci so me opozorili, da imajo tudi posebni objektivi za zrcalno refleksne kamere SWIRL efekt, kot je na primer Helios 40 85mm f/1.5 Lens.

An apple tree with daffodils

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On my last post I published few images that were affected by light leaks in film holder. Yesterday I fixed the filmholder and gave it a go. I photographed an apple tree among daffodils by “Devil’s Tower” (Hudičev turn) in Soteska, Slovenia. At least I hope it’s an old apple tree. I’m already hearing my father how he’s showing off with his knowledge of latin names for trees and asking me for thousand times if we were not thought latin names for trees in secondary school for carpentry. I’m listening this question for last twenty years, and it all started with my secondary school degree in carpentry.
Anyhow, I’m happy that a film holder that I’ve bought on ebay for 15 EUR, is repaired and works nicely. I feel like a Camera Repair Man!
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Na zadnjem postu sem objavil fotografije, kjer se vidi, da mi je kaseta za fim puščala svetlobo in včeraj sem jo dokončno popravil. Preizkusil sem jo pri hudičevem turnu v Soteski in naredil tale posnetek jablane. Vsaj mislim, da je stara jablana. Joj, že kar vidim očeta, kako se bo važil z svojim znanjem latinskih imen dreves in v tisočero vprašal kaj nas niso na lesno tehnični šoli naučili latinska imena dreves. namreč to vprašanje poslušam že zadnjih 20 let, takoj po končani srednji šoli za lesarskega tehnika…
No, kakorkoli že, kaseta deluje, je popravljena in ne pušča svetlobe tako se počutim svetsku, kot bi bil popravljalec kamer!

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Working on a DVD Nikonschool.si

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Dear JC, Igor, Leopard man and other readers of my blog. I’m sorry for haven’t been posting much these days, but as you know that only means that I’m working even more, not less. Now I’m working on a DVD that will include a basic course of photography and user manual for Nikon D7000, D5100 and D3100. I hire few friends to help me with this enormous job and we’re few days from the final stage, that is a recording of a video. I’m really excited far more than you can imagine. I love the keynote and all the animations that is capable of. I know it does sound strange, but I love to do all the basic tests with equipment. Like I did a test at which aperture my lens 50mm f/1,4 is the sharpest and I realize it’s not the middle value 5,6, but it’s one before the last, f/11!!! Shocking I know…

I’m even more excited because the next stage is to start an on-line magazine on photography. That will be a perfect mix for me as a photographer / journalist. At the beginning it’ll be not be written in an imperialistic language, but later who knows…

Test of Nikon D7000 by a perfect family

Test of Nikon D7000 by a perfect family.

Test of a lens Nikkor 85 mm f/1,4 – inspired by Annie Leibovitz

I’m planning to buy a Nikkor lens 85 f/1,4 (eventually) and I test it last Sunday. The inspiration was a book “At Work” by Annie Leibovitz , where on page 161 she’s describing how she took a portrait of Philip Johnson in his garage, so I decided to do something similar just before Sunday’s family lunch. I really like the result and I’ll take more pictures like that but in the meantime I hope you’ll enjoy the behind the scene movie & music of DMP, a song Otrok (A Child). On THAT link you can see also images of Enja, taken for DMP.

PS: More images on my on-line archive:

New Striptiz portrait + video with Nikon D3s

To my series of Striptiz portrait I added a video dimension. I have so much fun with Nikon D3s and Nikon D300s. Here is the portrait and video of the making of this issue of Striptiz portrait in Mladina weekly. For editing of this movie I used Quicktime-pro a software for 35$. I used also garage band to fade out music on the end. If you have any other questions – shoot.

Video with new camera Nikon D3s

Today there was a press conference on new camera Nikon D3s. I was commissioned by Nikon to do a test with the camera through my daily jobs. I7ll write more about it on Friday when I’ll have more time. As you can see from the movie I’m working many jobs at the same time and today I’m finishing this issue of Mladina weekly and tomorrow I have a lecture at Faculty in Sežana. Friday sounds sunny.

PS: Today at 20:00 in Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana there is an opening of exhibition “Photonic Luminatic – new Slovenian photography and video” and you’re all invited! Few of my pics are there as well.

Test of studio lights Profoto and digital back Leaf demonstration in Ljubljana

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In Ljubljana, Plesno mesto, Devova 18 Damjan Šef and his firm Profot have a three days demonstration of digital backs Leaf for Mamiya and Hasselblad and also professional exotic studio lightning Profoto. Here is one picture with Hasselblad and Leaf back dimensions 5336 x 4000 pix. First one is as I shot it and second one is crop on the eye.

Then I try out those big studio umbrellas with flash head 2400 Ws. Amazing light! Here are few pictures with that light behind the lens and also from side.
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Those large umbrellas are wonderful, but way to big for my outdoor work, not mentioning that without flash-head and stand it costs around 1300 EUR. I try out those large grid and here are few pictures with and without the grid. _
Anyhow you can try the equipment by yourself on
Friday 20.3.2009 between 10.00 and 19.00
Sathurday 21.3.2009 between 10.00 and 14.00
Ljubljana, Plesno mesto, Devova 18

Friendly basketball game between Slovenian Ministers Golobič and Lukšič against Croatian minister Dragan Primorac

Today I was photographing a show basketball game between Slovenian Ministers Gregor Golobič and Igor Lukšič and Croatian Minister Dragan Primorac with their team made out of veteran basketball players, famous singers, young basketball players, teachers, etc… The most interesting pictures I’ve did when Minister Lukšič was covering the tank Franjo Arapović He was very persistent that’s for sure and it was very photogenic buzzing around the tank!

I am intrigued by 6×9 landscape pictures

I just returned from the lab Foto Format where they are printing my pictures. One of the pictures is also a picture of my dog in the landscape that I’ve done years ago. It’s done on FUJI GSW 690 and I can’t explain why I was hypnotized by this picture. Dimensions will be 1 x 1,5 meters. I guess I’m still under influence of Leslie Burns-dell’Aqua and her fantastic podcast on Failing is good! Before I left the studio I bought four Ilford Delta 400 films. I payed like 15 EUR and I thought that will be with developing and contact prints 36 EUR for 24 shots on 6×9 format.
I want to do some landscape photography, I want to push it as far as I can and dare to fail!