Water service, Jax Beach

This was a lens test. Michael Johnston of the T.O.P. blog waxed poetic about the Pentax 50mm f/1.4 lens of old. He explained how it was designed to be, and ended up being, better than the Zeiss Planar of it's day, a legendary lens. He was so compelling that I went over to eBay and looked one up. It was on sale for $48.00! How could I lose? When it came I put it on one of my Micro 4/3 cameras by way of an adapter. This was one of the test shots, on a walk in Jax Beach. It is a lovely lens, based on 200 files. Lower contrast then modern lenses and to my eye it renders color more smoothly. The reds are like velvet.

Amy's Nails, Holga

Umbrella, PVIC

More morning light, PVIC

Sometimes the Holga lens sees color better then my primes.

Tree, Roscoe

Trash bags, PVIC

 I was walking on the wall that runs along the beach here. There are evenly spaced trash containers on the wall. We were coming off three days of heavy winds and cooler weather, for here, so the containers were empty. The heavy winds pulled the bags out and blew them back and forth, thus scoring them in lined patterns. I stopped and took a bunch of shots. This is my favorite. Having the Holga lens on the camera was serendipity, as the softness makes it more ethereal. Luck  and always having a camera on me.

Blue chair, Ponte Vedra Beach

With a nod to Mike Johnston

Hibiscus, garden, Roscoe

Like most of the continental U.S., we have had an easy winter. I have many hibiscus (hibiscus?) around my garden and they usually get knocked back almost to the ground if we even hint at a frost. This year we have only had minor leaf damage and they are blooming a full 6 weeks earlier than they normally do. Thank you El Nino, curse you global warming, or climate change, or, for the ignorami, a normal cycle of temperature that has nothing to do with man's carbon footprint and means we can still burn coal and buy big 'ol damn trucks.

I could only see using a Holga lens for this. I love the soft smearing.

Yellow and blue, Jax Beach

Two weeks ago all of these doors were a very faded green. I go by every week so, to me, it was a jarring change.

Morning light, PVIC

Cloud on the water, Roscoe

Hydrant, St. John's Town Center

Purple, red and red.

More frost damaged elephant ears

 Four more views of frost damaged Elephant ear leaves.

Evening light, Jacksonville Beach

It is only in the winter that we occasionally get crystal clear light, low in the sky, with little or no moisture in the air. The shadows get blacker and the colors glow. It is like ice cream to my eyes.

Pastels, Jacksonville Beach

I love the way the cheap, plastic, Holga lens renders colors.

Palm trunk, Roscoe

We have had a run of Carl Weese days. Low contrast, gray light. This brings out the subtle colors as opposed to our usual bright sunlight.

Green and orange, Jax Beach

Four yellows, Jax Beach

Blue and yellow, Jax Beach