Yoshizen's Blog

Close-up Lens on EF-Macro Lens

(Proxer on) EF100mm(1)A09A0062

Well, those top two photos were taken by Canon EF Macro 100mm F2.8 Lens alone.

(Proxer on) EF100mm(2)A09A0065

This Macro lens has internal focus system and it will be focused down to the life-size.

 For general macro work,  it is convenient to use though, for me,  life-size is often just

not close enough.  So that I specially made additional Proxer / Close-up lens my self.

Proxer on EF100mm(3)396-001

As I detailed in the post, By using the Proxer, the Lens can close to  x2 size, and

in addition, it creates almost phenomenal out-of-focus Bokhe.

Proxer on EF100mm(4)397-001

The Bokhe created by this additional lens looks almost like Air-blush Graphic work.

Still, since this Proxer was made out of the front element of a Zoom Lens, it got double

lens Achromatic construction, no Chromatic aberration was appeared and the focused

image is quite sharp, corner to corner, even when the lens aperture was fully open.

Proxer on EF100mm(5)400-001

Proxer on EF100mm(6)399-001

Proxer on EF100mm(7)401-001

Proxer on EF100mm(8)402-001

Proxer on EF100mm(9)403-001

Proxer on EF100mm(10)404-001

Proxer on EF100mm(11)A09A0029

Proxer on EF100mm(12)A09A0085

All those photos, except top two,  F-aperture was set to F2.8 and the Camera was

set to AV mode.  Auto focus does work though, as the nature of this kind of

close-up work, I used manual focus.   

[]

Ultra heavy Proxer — Close-up Lens from TV Zoom

Proxer 85-Zeiss(1)A09A0119

Those photos were taken by Zeiss 85 mm F 1.4 lens, with my handmade Proxer was

attached to it.  The Proxer = Close-up lens was  in fact, a front element of a Canon

TV-Zoom lens which I’ve cannibalized from a broken lens.  (hence cost nothing  😉 )

As the original lens was a very expensive TV  lens,  it has a very high-quality

Achromatic lens.  ( Even ED glass may have used in its construction.)

Proxer-Zeiss-85mm390-001

In most of the case, it is not very difficult to disassemble the lens —– in this case,

after unscrew 14 small screws, the front Lens was disengaged from its focusing helicoid.

—– then it was glued to a 67 mm filter ring.  (filter glass was removed beforehand)  

Front-element of this lens works as a close-up lens, hence with 85 mm lens it act like

a life-size Macro converter.  —– And with large 1.4 F-aperture, it gives very shallow

depth of field. (and very big Bokhe ! — Still, the focused image itself is quite sharp ! )

Test on F1.4-F2.8-F5.6-(B)393-002

——(Metric ruler was shot in 45 degree.  Left: F1.4  /  Center: F2.8  /   Right: F5.6)

Though, this 3 cm thick solid glass in a solid metal helicoid is really heavy, almost

the same weight of 85 mm lens itself.   😀 

Proxer 85-Zeiss(3)A09A0096

Proxer 85-Zeiss(4)380-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(5)379-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(6B)394-001

(The photo above :  Left was taken F1.4,    but Right photo was F5.6 )

Proxer 85-Zeiss(7)385-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(8)384-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(9)383-001

(In those photos, look at how the single hair of fluff was captured on F 1.4  

= Please click and enlarge twice)

Proxer 85-Zeiss(10)A09A0064

Proxer 85-Zeiss(11)382-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(12)378-001

Proxer 85-Zeiss(13)A09A0074

As you can see from the photos above, off-focused Bokhe is a bit too much for

most of the people’s taste though, that is what I’ve been after.

(This effect couldn’t be mimicked by PS ! ) 

—– to get this effect, I tried many Soft Focus lenses, Filters, Pinhole Photo,

Double-density Pinhole, even Double Focus in Double exposure.  

But there is no sharp core in a Pinhole photo, and the Double exposure has

the trouble to keep the subject exactly in the same position etc etc.  

= After many many years of attempt,  now I think, I got what I wanted.  

Only a problem is, this TV-Zoom Proxer gives only life-size close-up image.  

May be I need to find another lens which got longer focal length.  😀

Still, it’s a start.

Processed Top Photo-A09A0119-009

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Ultra Proxer — Recycled from Old zoom lens

Proxer+EF100mm(1A)A09A9956Proxer is an old name to call Close-up lens which attach on front of the lens.  

The lens I’m talking here is a front lens element  I’ve scavenged from an old zoom lens 85~210 mm F 3.8,  sold under many different names —– the photo was in the previous post (first photo, Front lens was near the left end).

Most of the close-up lens consist simple convex, single meniscus lens mounted on a filter frame.   Same idea to put a magnifier before camera lens and take close-up  photo.  It was convenient to have a small adapter lens to take closer picture, as in the old days there was no such things like a macro setting on the Primary lens (Standard lens).  

—– To make a high-performance Proxer,  I did some cut and bonding works with epoxy glue, which was worthwhile to create a treasure out of junk.  🙂 

home-made Proxer(1)371-001Photo left :  Don’t hesitate to hack-saw a lens barrel.  Once disassembled and the glass was removed, even a precision optical device, is a piece of metal.   = What it used to be is only in your mind.  On this moment you are dealing the work to create something new.  What required here is a careful but very simple and boring push and pull work.  😀  

Center photo :  To the front lens, hack-sawed front barrel (which got 58mm  filter screw )  was screwed back and a filter ring was bonded to its rear side with epoxy glue.  

Photo right :  The finished close-up lend was attached on the front of the Canon EF 100 mm  Macro lens, which also has  58 mm filter size.

Home-made Proxer(2)372-001You might be wondering,  while having macro lens already, and having a skill to use the lens in reverse etc.  = all sorts of close-up trick, why do I need to have yet  another close-up lens. —– well, all of my Macro lenses were down to the life-size, in other words, they take a picture of  36mm x 24mm is the closest.  I simply wanted to close bit more.  (My attention tend to go rather small things.  🙂 )

—– And a real intention was to have much more exaggerated out of focus Bokhe.  (I’m tired with clear images which is everywhere and too easy to come by today.)     

Photo left :   With this close-up lens, when the master lens,  100 mm Macro lens was set to the infinity,   a small dole (36 mm tall) looks like this. (taken F 2.8)

Center Photo :  With close-up lens, when the Master Macro lens was set to the life-size, it produces  x2 larger image (dole’s head is 10mm).   Have look the Bokhe in F 2.8 = max open).  (This Bokhe is quite close to the Olympus Zuiko 50 mm F 2 Macro lens ! )  

Photo right :  A small beetle who happen to came to my room (it’s too hot these days,  the window was fully open) this photo was taken with a bounced flash-light with F 11.

Unlike most of the Proxer, this home-made close-up lens has double lens chromatic structure,  and fully coated. = Think, a cost of common cheap Proxer, and a Front lens which is the most crucial part of the lens structure in a  zoom lens.  

= Difference of quality is obvious.     As you can see it in those sample photos.  

Home-made Proxer(3)374-001A photo of a moth parched on the wall in my room, taken by EF 100 mm Macro with the handmade Proxer. = With F 2.8 the depth of focus is really shallow still, in the focused area, the image is very sharp.

EF 100mm at F2.8 at x1 + ProxerThis is a test shot of the screen of a Tablet (a photo of my umbrella).  This close-up lens maintained very high quality of the image = Very even, corner to corner.  And this is at F 2.8 ! (See details, by click it, and again)

Homemade Proxer Test(2)375Left photo is Macro lens alone and about  1/2 size.   Right photo is, with close-up lens but Master lens was set to Infinity.   Hence this combination can take photo from infinity to  1/1  and with this Proxer to  x2.  (By the way, Canon 5D mk-III has dreadful red-color cast when ISO was set to 6400.   In AWB and in any setting.  Though, at  ISO 100 much better.  = See the photos below)

Canon - Left ISO 3600 / Right - ISO 100(Photo left :  5D but Mk-II.   Photo Right :  The ISO setting was  100  = Much better !)(Those are hand-held photos = only for Color reference.)  To be fair,  I show you the photos by Nikon D810’s color  in similar setting.

Nikon D800 Left ISO 3600, Right ISO 100, 377-001

(Photo Left :  Nikon D810 — ISO 3600    Photo Right :  Same but ISO 100   Both with Micro Nikkor 55mm F3.5 — 1/2 )

Higher ISO setting mean, very low out-put of image sensor has to be amplified electronically to its limit.    While amplifying to such extent, still linearity has to be maintained, while the out-put of each BGR may not having exactly the same character.

= Can of warm is opened.  🙂   In the same time, higher amplification also amplify the noise as well.  

—– I admire and praise  the people who managed it and brought the benefit of very high ISO setting even if it was not (yet) perfect.

Proxer+EF 100mm(2)A09A9955

Proxer+EF 100mm(3)A09A9975

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Junk Lens — How to recycle ?

Junk Lens(1)A09A9793

After digital revolution,  analogue age old lenses become almost a junk. 

Simply,  the camera  and the lens today are too different from their predecessor.

As the lens has to work with the camera which got so many functions therefore

the lens also needs to function such as auto focus, electronically position controlled

F-aperture, distance-coded focus not mention high zoom ratio, of which the zoom

position was also electronically coded. (Those code were used to control Flash-light)

= In order to deal with all those electronics, the lens having its own microchip and

able to communicate with camera’s main CPU.  

Without having those electronics, lens couldn’t be used on the camera —– except 

Canon EOS   (It can take any lens include a Pinhole in AV-Mode,  of course with

manual mode as well.  — But,  Nikon couldn’t make even a single image out of pinhole,  

without giving quite  complicated procedure to set-up the camera side. )  

Though, don’t misunderstand,  even today,  the optics is still optics, it works on the 

same principal,  hence  if you get a convex lens and concave lens scavenged out of old

camera lens, it would make a telescope for a kids to experiment.  Or use them to project

an image or focus LED light etc etc. 

[]

The lens design has also changed a lot such as the use of aspherical lens  (in fact most

of them are a so-called Compound lens,  aspherically moulded plastic was stacked on

glass lens) —– nevertheless, I admit, today’s lens is very well designed in deed.

(Though, why they became so big and heavy ? — considering, how compact camera

became so small and light, while able to take more or less the same picture.    😀 ) 

In those aspects,  may be there is no point to give a damn to the old lens though, still,

such as  F-aperture diaphragm has changed almost nothing (only driving mechanism

may have changed to motor etc.   And the front lens is still, good achromatic lens.  

Not mention the focusing helicoid which is impossible to make by ourselves,  still

having lots of use, not only in the photography.

= We can scavenge a lots out of such old lens.  —– As a matter of fact, good old 

non-plastic lens is far easier to disassemble and Re-use.   (Plastic built lenses were

NOT designed to be serviced as they were built by snap fit or heat-weld.)  

Junk Lens(2)A09A9787

Junk Lens(3)A09A9838

(Lens above is a Canon TV lens, it must had a price of many thousands of pounds. )

The best thing is,  we can find those old lens in a camera shop’s junk box,

with a price of couple of pounds, if not free. 

 To disassemble those lens, there may not need to have more than small

+ AND – screw drivers.  (but need to use the brain a lot = it is a puzzling game) 

In coming posts, I’ll show you what I’m going to do with those “Components”

saved from old lens.

[]

Heavy Assignment — Winding Grip for Hasselblad

Hasselblad(1)A09A9759

When I mentioned my “One hand Shooting” somebody accused me saying that I’m

bluffing such as Hasselbrad couldn’t be used by one hand. —– On that post, I didn’t

go into the details as the post was talking about the flash-light.  

Well, the photo above is the set-up of my “Mid grade shooting”. (I used to make a

joke  “Photo job is just like a set menu = ingredients and the price is accordingly,  

(in Japanese expression, 松, 竹, 梅 定食 / Pine, Bamboo, Plum set).  Pine set uses

either 5″x4″ or Pentax 6×7  with two or three studio flashes, heaviest tripod and an

assistant, therefore the charge would be in the order of thousand+,  Plum set would

be hand-held Pentax 6×7 or 6×6 Hasselblad with may be two lenses. (it depends —)   

Bamboo set is by 35mm camera with Agfa Flash-light — still with umbrella.    🙂

Hassel blad(2)370-001[]

I’ve been using my Hasselblad with modified winding grip.  Hence, right hand alone

can wind and click the camera.  Left hand having the flash though, this flash (with

umbrella) can be instantly joined to the camera bracket hence free the left hand to

adjust the focus, or with the aid of focusing handle, even right-hand holding the grip, 

stretched finger can easily adjust the focus.  (Shutter speed and F-setting will

be done on the beginning as the flash has an auto control, and the lighting in the

room or in the event is more or less constant )

—– Once get used, there was no problem.

[]

 This winding grip was originally for the Bronica camera and I modified it for

Hasselblad.  (in order to couple with grip’s mechanism,  wind-up nob of Hasselblad

was also modified)  

And in the photo, the Prism Finder which looks a bit odd, was originally for Cowa SIX

camera. (I put Flash-light Ready-indicator to this Prism Finder through Hot-Shoe as

well —– click camera before the flash-light was ready, and loose one frame is not

a joke, considering 120-6×6 film gives only 12 frames / 220 Film gives 24 frames )

Olympus T45 with Umbrella-A09A9833

——– (Photo above :  Olympus T45 with 70cm Umbrella to use on a light-stand)

—– As long as it works reliably, it is enough for my use.   Cosmetics is out of scope.

Though, to use a camera in such arrangement  (Flash-light is Olympus T45, the most

powerful and quick-charged flush then) is literally deadly heavy to the hand. 

= It was a price to pay for the quality, but it also justify the charge.  (Trouble of the boss

in the Japanese companies are, they themselves got pretty expensive camera such as

top Nikon or Leica, still they never seen the monster like this = it makes them to

convince that the professional is totally different,  and to pay for its quality.)  😀

[] 

To put some effort to make everyday’s work more comfortable and to improve the

quality, it is what Buddhist calls  [Mindfulness]  to be a life in photographer.  

And those modification work, by hand-tool is a bit by bit work, rather simple manual

work = typical Zen Buddhist’s practice.     So, I would say, it’s better than to spend the

time than to watch useless TV program (anyhow I don’t have a TV  🙂 ) or drinking in

a Pub (neither I drink alcohol or fizzy drink).  = This is the Zen attitude to the life.

Still, I wouldn’t say I’ve achieved something much more than watching TV though,

for me it was a better fun, actually able to see a tangible results.   😉

—– By the way, this Hasselblad was internally half modified, hence I couldn’t sell,

since remained in my hand, together with an EL Body, 250mm lens and 5 of 70mm

film-magazines etc. which nobody wanted to buy — now I got nice antic collection,

starting from Red bellows Kodak Folding No.1 etc, hundred of the antic cameras.  😀

—– it’s mean, some Zennist still got bad habit = collecting junks !  —– I think, to pay

respect to the inventor of each cameras and to guess how those people found the

way to design, and its thinking process  is a very interesting mind-game. 

[] 

Development of Foetus

Wire Figure-Fetus(A)A09A9713

Well, I meant not a baby but wire-Figure in Foetus Posture. 

Wire Figure-Fetus(A2)362-001

Unlike a body posture spreading limbs, Foetus posture might be more awkward to

make sense, because it might become just like a pill of wire.  —– So, I tested how it

could be made simple and still convincingly looks like a human-figure.  — The first

study above was made its back and the legs separately, so each did look “likely” shape.

(I found, in Foetus posture, it doesn’t need to have a head —- We think head was

buried between the shoulder.   🙂 )

Wire Figure-Fetus(B1)361-001

Then, the second attempt was how to reconcile the joint of upper-body and the legs.

—– This one was not successful or smart enough though.

Wire Figure-Fetus(C1)363-001

The head was accommodated in the third model.

Wire Figure-Fetus(C2)364-001

Looks not yet streamlined enough —– though,

so far this is the final piece called Foetus.

[]

Drawing with Invisible Force

Elena's Watercolor Drawing 10-07-2014

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This is a wonderful watercolour drawing by Elene Caravela, which I found in her blog:

elenacaravela.wordpress.com      (Quality sake,  please see her Original Drawing there)

Elena has been one of the most prolific artist and the blogger who showed Watercolors, Oil paintings,

Photographs = very wide coverage of genre in very high quality work.

In the past year or so, I always impressed, even amazed by her drawings,

how her almost whimsical free blush strokes able to capture such vivid and also

realistic human figure. —– What is the secret of her creation ?

[]

To my comment and a notice that I want to re-blog —– she gave me her reply ;

[]

I’d be flattered Yoshi. I guess, I plan in my head a bit to make sure the figure will fit on the page

(mentally count out head size both vertically and horizontally, but really loosely).

Then see the movement on the spine and extremities. The force takes over.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t   🙂

[]

—– As she said, she might have given some consideration to the size of the

head etc. = here the thinking stops, then “the Force takes over”

To see her blush work, there is no hesitation, its quick movement some times creates even

the paint splash or drip. (in another piece) = blush and the hand moves perfectly spontaneous.

So, —— in such spontaneous blush stroke, look again the drawing above, = one blush stroke

perfectly depicted the body-line to the round bottom. — I guess, here not only the

direction of the blush movement, also it involved certain control of the pressure to the blush

and its twists, which determine the width of the line. (though, only a guess — I know the way how

to use curving chisels but not necessary the drawing blush 🙂 ) — all in the moment of one stroke!

This phenomenal control was done by the invisible Force, not possible by a human thinking.

[]

Spontaneity mean, there is no intentional control or thinking. —– This is nothing other than what

Lord Buddha taught = the state of Selfless / Mushin, therefore “The Force takes over”

= this Force is what Buddhists call the Dharma ! (or the Rules of the Universe)

The moment when the blush and the subject meet, the tension and the heat created

on that moment, drives the blush wild. = and creates dynamic impressive piece.

(consideration or useless thinking such as what others or market may think etc. spoil the tension

and the heat, hence makes the piece dull)

But Elena got perfect freedom not bothered by useless thinking, and I guess, when her blush was

driven by the Force, even she, herself may not able to control = blush got its own mind and move

almost automatically.    That is how she creates such impressive work = It’s wild, as it was driven

by the Force of artistic nature. 🙂     That is what the art of Elena stands out.

[]

By the way, don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying Elena’s work is anything to do with Buddhism.

Far from it, the state of Selflessness is one of the inherent human psychological nature.

Buddhism applied it to more general aspects of the life.   Not only the superb blush work, we can

achieve the superb life with it.  = Quite similar to that Love is not because of the Christianity, but

they applied it to much deeper spiritual level.

Zen Buddhism pushed the potential of Selflessness to its extremities.  

—– That is what the Zen Buddhism is. 

[]

Elena has acquired this state of mind while drawing / practicing again and again,

probably  tens of the thousands of  times.  Hence, the Buddhism using the same way of

the approach = practice it again and again until the hand started to move automatically.

= Hand moves automatic = without thinking = without self conscious = Selflessness.

In the  Selflessness, invisible force takes over.  This force is the Dharma. = Under

the control of the Dharma, phenomenal freedom and the result can be achieved.

This is how the  Selflessness in the  Zen Buddhism works.

[]

Handmade Flash System (3) — Macro Flash

Handmade Mcro Flash(B)360-001

In the close-up photography, the exposure was a headache before the TTL metering was invented.    Still, the use of flash-light remained yet another headache —– until TTL auto flash-light was developed.    (When the lens was close-focused, effective F-aperture changes logarithmically (= life-size shot darken 2 F-stop, unless the lens was designed using internal flow focusing system) and the flash-light intensity changes in distance also logarithmically ( = brightness on 0.5m is x4 brighter than it was in 1m distance)  Yet still, in practice, even those TTL flash-light was not necessary convenient to use for the close-ups, as they were not designed to be used in such close distance.

In the other hand, lens has been well advanced to have even extreme close-up, almost to the lens front though, in such close-up position, the big lens front block the light to the very subject.

= flash head has to be positioned, close to the subject.

[]As a matter of fact, close-up photography and its equipments are the cash-cow of the camera manufacturer. = The most of the people who “need” to do the close-up photography is the public institutes,  doing scientific research or even police forensic photography etc.

Therefore, they pay the equipments what they were asked —– anyhow it’s not their money.  (hence, they are so expensive, and creating so much profit.)

And in those scientific photographic front, the use of flash-light was much more preffered over other light-source such as tungsten light, because of the flash-light has no heat problem, and the xenon flash-light contain much more UV or near UV light which is often used for fluorescent effect of certain chemical, hence extremely important for forensic and medical photography.

[]But for a poor man on the street, those Macro Light from camera manufacturer is too expensive, even though, structurally they are not so special. =

So here, yet again, comes the same motto, WHY NOT make it ourselves.

(Though, here is a very strong WARNING !   Electronic flash is a Hi-Voltage  lethal device, even if it was powered by batteries, some of the parts, inside are having more than 300V. And in operation, when it was triggered, some of the lines carries 3~4000V ! = Unless, you are very experienced in Hi-voltage circuit, I wouldn’t recommend you even open the housing of flash.

—– before handle, the capacitors has to be completely discharged through 1K, 5W register) ( I got many experiences of repairing studio-type flash, up to 5000WS, which discharges 1200V and handmade 600WS studio flash for my use. —– I’ll show it to you in another post.)

[]This macro flash was made with an easiest straight approach.

Just take the flash-head out and devised it to mount on the lens front that all.

Still, it rotates (and fixed) any position on front of the lens, and the head also rotates in two axis hence it enable the flash-head aiming to the subject, or rotate it upward and a paper stack to its head would make more natural diffused light as well.

The base of this modification was Nikon SB18 hence it works perfect as a TTL Macro Flash with old F3, FEII, F801 etc. etc. though, as Nikon changed the design of their flash control system in their digital camera, this one doesn’t work with such as latest D810.(so, the photo above may be misleading. 😉 ) May be I should make the same using their latest and cheapest flash. (in fact, structure of the flash head is all same, only 3 cables connected to the tube, I can connect this head even to a Canon flash.)  ( So that, the photo above is just an illustration of mechanically “how it was constructed” and no sample photo of how this Macro Light works 😉 )

[]Funny story of this was, when I showed this to the Nikon (UK), their boss Mr. Obara was annoying so much and said “How come, you buy such cheap flash!” but their engineer was burst into a laughing  “Yes, this is what all about the Macro Flash in deed” and said “You got far better skill than our prototyping engineer” —– though, it was 1986, just before my trouble started. Then I gave-up my photography, and most of my possessions were gone to storage if not sold, hence, there was even a single photo done by this flash ever existed. So that, when I found this in the bottom of cartoon box, I felt a bit of amazement and the sadness.  —– One’s life has all sorts of twist and turns in deed.

(Yet still, I’m glad, my fun loving creativity and the skill on my hand didn’t die with it.)

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Handmade Flash System (2) — Light Bender

Flash System-Kodak(1)A09A9662

As a matter of fact, this is my first Digital Camera. It was a broken Kodak DC215 Digital Zoom camera

which was given by my friend as its battery chamber has been smashed.

So, he gave it for me to play with. Lens was x2 zoom (29~58mm equiv) and Image sensor was 1.5 MP.

( In today’s standard, it is a toy camera level though, 10 years ago, it was rather expensive good

camera 😉 )      Since the camera has been dropped and a corner of it has been smashed, I was not

sure whether it was repairable even if I get spare parts from Kodak. Still, with internal check, the

suspension mechanism of Zoom and Focus was not broken, I tested it with external power supply

—– it was functioning !    So that, not just repair the battery chamber, instead, I made an

additional battery housing attached to the bottom of the camera to use it with

5 rechargeable batteries. (Originally, 1.5V x 4 = 6V —-> 1.2V x 5).

Flash System-Kodak(2)351-001

Flash System-Kodak(3)352-001

Camera has its built-in Flash and it was working though, as I wrote before, I don’t like this kind of

direct flash lighting.    So that, I made a Light reflecting adapter to bend the light upward.

Then with a hand held white paper this light was reflected again toward the subject

therefore able to create more natural lighting with soft shadow. (photos below)

Flash System-Kodak(4A)356-001

(Left: By camera’s built-in Flash.   Center: with the reflecting adapter and a paper.  

Right: (the same)—- the difference is obvious. (This is what the Photography is)

To have a modification of existing flash system, there could be tens of different approaches,

each having pros and cons.    Without a heavy internal modification, put a cover on the existing

flash with light sensor to trigger another flash-light is a viable alternative.  —– In fact, you can

test a small reflector like this, Just use a small piece of  baking-foil, stacked 45 degree on front of

your camera’s flash.  —– If you got a camera, which is no longer in use, why not to try.

There isn’t much mystery in the camera design, if it was designed by a human-being,

why not possible to modified by others.   Just do it.   It’s a fun.   :-)

And it would be a start of ACTIVE creative photography to play with light  !    

[]

Don’t Think -vs- Think yourself

Almost crèche like joke among the Zennist is this contradiction.

Think yourself yet still Don’t think. Well, here is a typical sample.

Multi Meter-Think-350

This is an Electronic multi-meter, and the matter here is its cables. Some of you might think

“What the matter to fuss about such trivial things” and you may say “Anyhow, when we use next time,

we need to loose the cables anyway. Why bother to tidying up each time ?” —– still in the same time,

you may remember the past trouble of entangled cables with other wire. And when the cable was left

loose on the work bench, you may needed to un-entangle them while wasting the time which was

always in the busiest moment.    And in the worst situation, try to pull the cable out, then it was broken,

and in such moment you don’t have a spare. In any account, it is better to keep the cable tidy.

No one can argue or think otherwise.

Not told by others, what you thought and convinced by yourself,

its understanding stays for ever.

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This is the end of argument and the THINKING process.     Once you were convinced,

just DO IT in practice.   (—– only an obstacle is your laziness. 🙂

But, if you a person, aiming better, you will DO IT.   Why not.   This is THE ZEN.)

—– in practice, once you made it as a habit = after use, always just put the cable back to round

the meter and tie it up with the tape. (to make it like in the photo ! )

It is a simple practice hence, no-one need to think or use the brain to do it.

—– the hand will do it automatically as a habit. = When everything are tidy, there

wouldn’t be any havoc on the work. —– This is how “Peace of mind” comes from. 🙂

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Lord Buddha’s teachings are all for gaining the NO SELF, and MUSHIN state of mind.

To be in this state, everything has to be left to the subconscious hence NO conscious thinking there.

Because of this, he showed how he does it and made the followers to copy, or gave an instruction

what to DO.    But never explained why, or what was the intention. Simply because, if it was

explained, the person remember the word, then an action become “an action according to the word”

= stuck to its notion / Thinking.

This is the reason why, if you think, Sitting is for a practice of Mushin, you are wrong.

If you sit, just sit. = If you settle your bottom on the floor, that is what sitting is. You don’t need any

thinking. —– In fact, it doesn’t matter, whether you are standing or walking.

= Just let the body to DO, stand or walk.

Without your thinking, your body knows everything how to keep balance while sitting or walking

whatsoever.   This automatic, inherent perfect control was seen as the Dharma.

(Hence, the Dharma is in you !)

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Then, what you can see or find in the state of absolute Selfless, Mushin —– So far,

NO clear description was ever elucidated by anyone.

Just say, the state of Panya Paramita. —– there might be NOTING.

Or, this Nothing may be the ultimate wisdom what human being can ever get.

So to say, the Dharma is everything, in the same time it is nothing = VOID.

(If you think, it is a matter for you.—– But, if you don’t think, there is no issue here. 😀 😀 )

How great, Zen is. — don’t you agree ? Ha ha ha. 😀

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