Info’ and Link for 2013 NEW YEAR CARD Design

—– (You may see rather funny, in the design above = A snake is in a Shape of  Kanji Character

—– ／巳　which mean snake though, this letter has been used only to describe Snake-year —–

—– otherwise another Kanji / 蛇  will be used for a Snake in general)

[]

Gosh, I started to receive the Search-terms for New Year’s Card again. 🙂

And the Japan Post started to sell their Official New Year’s Card / 年賀状(Nenga-jo) with

lottery /お歳玉 (Otoshi-dama) = (It’s the institutionalized Japanese annual custom =

never mind a Christmas Card, but without having the New Year’s Cards / 年賀状

Japanese couldn’t have a New Year. (Well, the Wise-man in Japan Post said so) 😀

[]

Still, it’s early November, we got plenty time = So that, as a first step, I’ll give you

the Info’ and the Link to see what they got in their Japanese website.

= If you are a non Japanese, you either ask your Japanese friend or try Google Translate

kind and bit by bit explore into their collection of the Snake-year’s / 巳年 design.

Web-design is structurally more or less the same in any languages, even if they are all

in Japanese, still you can guess and give a likely click = it would work. (if not try again ;-))

Websites listed here is the well known trusted sites, and there wouldn’t be any risqué of

you fallen into a trick by mistakenly clicking any button. —– still, some button may be

saying “Buy the Design for Commercial Use” kind = you will see it on a following page —>

Just go back one page, and try another button = no harm would be done 😀

Later, I’ll make a post = a show-case of the design —– mean time, have a fun to explore

the Japanese sites such as ——-

デザインバンク．年賀．designbank-nenga.com/

年賀状無料素材（年賀状テンプレート／年賀状イラスト）のご利用について

個人・法人にかかわらず、年賀状としてのご利用はすべて無料です。DM（ダイレクトメール）など商用へのご利用も無料になりました。
色変え、リサイズなど素材の加工は原則自由です。画像への直リンクは禁止です。無料素材の二次使用・再配布は原則禁止です。
素材の著作権は年賀状デザインバンクdesignbank-nenga.comに帰属します。
素材使用に際して生じたトラブルについて当サイトは一切責任を負いません。詳しくは利用規約とプライバシーポリシーをご参照下さい

当サイトの年賀状素材に満足されなかった方、いまいちピンとこないと思われた方は年賀状の無料素材を扱っている年賀状無料Koos・素材JPN・お得WEBなどからお探し下さい。管理の行き届いた安全な無料素材検索サイトです。特に無料年賀状素材は一押しです。
また、知名度の高い老舗年賀状サイト（可愛い系なら無料年賀状わんパグ）（ビジュアル系ならStudioYosshe年賀状・干支と年賀状イラスト・COCOの年賀状）などもお勧めです。何れも無料で良質な年賀状素材をご提供されています。

——-

In the above Japanese script, especially last two paragraphs, there are 7 links to other sites.

If you like try them as well.    Especially 　無料年賀状素材。

[]

Stop SMOKING

In England, there was a health campaign held on October, which was

dubbed as “Stoptober” to stop smoking.

—– I was talking with a local man, who remember me used to smoke.   As he has been

trying to stop smoking, asked me how I managed to give-up, “Was that thanks to Zen ?”

[]

My smoking seemed to be a mystery to others, long time. = How a Zennist who doesn’t

drink alcohol, never take drug, even managed to give-up woman, still keep smoking ? ? ?

My joke was “I’m perfectly clean Holy-man except smoking.   So, if I stop smoking

Lord Buddha wants me to work there. It’s mean, I will be called up straight.

—– in other words, me to stay in this dirty world, I was forced to smoke = if I stop,

I would be just gone.” —– then other friend advised me “If you need one vice to stay

in this world, change smoking to woman. It’s would be much healthier and exciting”

“I know, but to have a woman is much more expensive  :-D”

[]

The local man (in fact he is a musician) asked me what sort of mind-set needed to

stop smoking ? —– I answered, there was non. I just stopped. That’s all.

—– people seemed to have a misunderstanding such as

= [To Stop Smoking, it needs a firm determination and lots of efforts] —–

utterly contrary to popular belief, such mind-set has opposite effect.

= People think, [Stop Smoking] is [TO DO Stop Smoking] hence strong will and

the proper mind-set is needed = IT MUST BE a matter of Mindfulness.

—– is utterly wrong.   And it is not Zen.

[Stop Smoking] mean, [Smoking is no longer exists] = Just disappeared. 

Put a Mind or Effort to a thing which is not exists = is nothing but a delusion.

If you need to DO, you have to deal with it with your Mindfulness and the effort.

But, when you deal with a thing which is not exist = you do nothing

(can you DO anything ? ) = you don’t even notice it.

[]

So that, when I stopped smoking = I just stopped.

The last packet on the desk was still containing 4 cigarettes.  (I still remember  😀 )

Technically I could have re-started any moment = anyhow there was no obligation,

nobody watching me still, no such thoughts came up —– because, the notion of

smoking itself had been disappeared = when the target is not there where to put an effort ?

I didn’t need to have such high tension in my mind at all.  The harder, it will crack.

= So, it’s better to be relaxed. —– (easy, easy, it’s only about smoking 😀 )

[]

People has been inventing lords of excuse “Not to Stop Smoking” before-hand, such

as it is addictive etc etc.   Therefore, when they try to stop, they put so much Preparation

and the “Determination” —– from many Rituals (such as to destroy all the related objects,

ashtray, lighter, etc etc) to Declaration to others — 😀

In reality, the more you put Effort or Ritual kind, they stack to your mind and

remind you again and again = prevent you to get rid of the notion of SMOKING.

As long as the notion of Smoking is in your mind = it IS viable CHOICE to DO.

[]

So, the best tactics is, just stop it, even to take notice of it = when you see a

cigarette —– “What is CIGARETTE ?”

In Zen term, this is Mushin.

= vacates the Mind, not mention any related thinkings.

If you need to stop smoking = JUST DO IT IN THIS WAY

= You will succeed.

___/\___

[]

INTUITION

Intuition is a tricky subject. 🙂

Every body knows it is there though, as a mater of fact nobody is sure how it works and

works correctly or not.   Generally, the woman said to be good at with this though, if it is true,

how come 1/3^rd (now it is getting nearly ½) of the marriages end-up in divorce = wasn’t it

correct intuitive choice —– or, correct intuition had been over-ridden by the useless thinking ?

[]

Many Internet blog sites are keep shouting “Be intuitive” though, funny contradiction is,

in the same time, often the very same blogger also saying “Never judge a person in first

impression but to be Kind to others and Open-minded” or

“Never chose a book with its cover” kind of crèche wisdom.

In most of the so-called WISDOM, there is always opposite wisdom as well.

= Silence is Gold and Eloquent is Silver, still many relation brake down because of lack of

communication —– if intuition is so good, why it needs to speak by the words. 😀 😀

Reality is, to see the situation down to the minute details and to pay attention to every

aspects of its implications and give enough consideration and correct rational judgement

is a heavy task, in fact too much to do —> So, don’t bother JUST react and pick-up first idea

—– IS what people calls “Intuitive Decision”.

[]

Our subconscious memory-bank has enormous amount of accumulated data, deposited since

we were born —– the more serious matter, it has been imprinted with the more stronger

emotional tag, often with the accompanying pain,  or if it is important in the family or in the

society,  it has been strengthen by the repeated input as it occurred again and again

= hence, the first INTUITIVE reaction against the situation was based on those

important data without having mere hear-say or “read yesterday” kind of

cheap data and thinking,  therefore it is more or less correct, but not necessary

perfect. —– to compare to the result of “Deep consideration” which has been done by

a not necessary very bright brain = may be the probability of hitting right answer

would be the same.

[]

If the outcome would be the same = right or wrong, half and half, why bother

bothersome consideration or thinking ?   Anyhow, we have to pick-up the

consequence — favorable or not =  This IS what the LIFE is.

This contemplation is the core of the “Intuitionism”.

And to live the Life in natural flow.

And the more importantly,  even the most wisest man in the history,

Lord Buddha has found (= even to such a wisest brain) “the Life is suffering”

= no one can escape from this fundamental truth. (If you feel not seriously suffering

= You’ve done rather well  😉 )

What we can do the most important attitude toward the Life is,

= NOT dwell the idea “IF NOT” = as the situation is changing moment to moment, to

keep regretting a wrong decision which had been made in the past,  and a result already

arrived,  is in the matter of the fact = have to deal though, the new and current situation is

on front of the eyes and it is burning. = This is what we have to fight against.

(If the fire is not big, a pint of beer could be enough to put the fire down otherwise, just run !

Don’t sitting there ! 😀 )

[]

Yes, don’t sitting there.  DO something !  Enjoy a nice and active Weekend. 🙂

___/\___

[]

Yoshi-Handy / Handmade Fish-eye Photos

Those photos were taken by my handmade camera which was nick-named as Yoshi-Handy, by the Director of the Pentax Gallery in Tokyo, Mr. Taizo Nakamura, named after eary1910’s camera style called Handy-Camera, because of its square shape. (Why called handy was = most of other camera then were big wooden camera, not possible to use by hand-held) And the photos here were shot in the north of Thailand, so-called Golden Triangle area in the 70s. I rediscovered this Camera in a box when I needed to find the Side-view Prism adapter (ultra low-angle adapter), a month ago.

I went up north of Thailand, from Cheng-Mai to Cheng-Lai then took a boat to further north and started to climb the mountain, going through many mountain tribe’s villages. I went there with a local guide who came back after working in the Vietnam war hence able to speak in English and having a hand gun.

The purpose was, I wanted to interview and photograph General Twan, an exiled Chinese Army of Chang Kai-sheck who proclaimed to be an anticommunists warrior though, in reality he was the Drug Baron dominating the Opium trade there then. But, we had to abandon the plan as the guide noticed a hatred of those Chinese called Kuomin-tan toward Japanese. = Yes, I realized that the Japanese was the enemy of the Chang Kai-sheck Army and they are still armed, and they made a gesture to swing a hand on the neck (mean cut off the head) or aiming me a hand with pointing finger (mean shoot with a gun).  (Strangely, they seemed to know that I’m a Japanese at once  may be because of my camera).

With after thought, it seemed, I was rather lucky to come back alive, since about the same time an American who went into the same area had been killed by his own guide. = may be my guide saw my strange handmade camera and a huge Pentax 6×7, they couldn’t be sold easily,  therefore not worthwhile to rob and he might have me spared.  🙂

So, I came back from Thailand with 100s roles of films which has been survived even under intense heat and completely soak wet condition. Without capturing General Twan’s photo, rest was mostly shot in Bangkok and its surrounding poor area. It was one of my most adventurous journey in my photographic life. ( It was really a fun )

A month after the shooting, to see the developed results was the most thrilling moment, having a butterfly in the stomach. (— in comparison, DSLR camera has no such intense moment = if no good, just click again on the spot = crucial excitement has lost in the game. :-D)

(Note: The lens fitted here (photo left) is Nikkor Fish-eye 16mm f3.5 with its lens-hood removed)

The camera Yoshi-handy is a very simple camera = Lens > Shutter > Role-film Holder, that’s all. Only unique structure was, the front panel with SLR’s Square-Shutter and the rear panel with Film-Holder was connected with adjustable 4 individual screws, hence the Lens can be tilted to any angle up to 30 degrees.

Lens mount was Nikon though, as the distance from the lens to film is adjustable = any lens with Nikon mount can be used.   Hence, I mainly used Pentax 17mm F4 Fish-eye, PC Nikkor 35mm F2.8 and Pentax 15mm F3.5 (Those Pentax lenses were used with handmade mount adapter).  Though, to have a focus from infinity to almost lens front surface with 30 degree tilt, Copal Square-Shutter had to be modified to make its one-side thinner.

In certain view, to use those 35mm Camera lenses on 2-1/4 or 6×6 format had merely enabled to use the surrounding image circle outside of 35mm format = hence

Fish-eye image become whole circular image though, on that time, there was no

Circular Fish-eye lens for 6×6 medium format camera in the world, let alone

a camera which can focus from infinity to life-size close-up in one shot.

(Only a short-coming of this camera was, as it is using Grand Glass for focus = then change to film-Holder,  it needs the camera fixed on a tripod,  otherwise take a photo while guessing the distance by eyes and set a distance ring manually. = still, once get used, it can be done with ease.  —– A kind of view finder was made out of ubiquitous Door-scope.

= cheap yet good enough for the purpose. 😀 )

This unusual camera with its strange photographs were taken and featured in the British Journal of Photography (17 Dec’ 1976 issue) and exhibited in the Pentax Gallery, then it appeared in the Zoom magazine internationally.(in English = 1978 Oct/Nov issue)

( The another Camera I’ve mentioned in this blog before, Conica Tilt II  was a camera to create the effects of 30 degree tilt, with the convenience of SLR)

Incidentally, the sample photos above were just hand-held digital copy of the 6×6 transparencies on a florescent tube light box = even without dust off, quality may not be as good as done by a proper scanner —– still usable enough for the blog size.

= I’m wondering if it was done by Nikon D810’s HDR function, would the result be much better ? = I’ll test it soon.

Can Ordinary Bicycle Rider become Zennist ?

I’ve wrote about many samples of the Natural Mushin, such as the examples,

Typing, Riding Bicycle even ordinary Walking, or through the practice to Cut

Lemon, Put a Pen onto a paper, just watching a Flow of Water, Sea Wave etc.

= In our daily life a Moment when our brain fallen into the state of the No-Mind [Mushin]

is not a rare occurrence, far from it, it is quite an ordinary psychological condition.

—– If so, you might ask, what makes the difference between those

common Moment of No-Mind to the ZEN.

= The answer is in the person’s Mind, or what the person thinks and accepts

[this is the ZEN] = then, it is the Zen or at least it is a start.

[]

While riding a bicycle or cutting a lemon, once you realized that your mind doesn’t have

any thinking other than a mere feeling of “ I’m riding” and the vision “ Land scape is just

passing by” and “ Air is just flowing on my cheek”, or you just see the Knife cutting a Lemon.

—– You need to feel [Oh, this is the ZEN] or feel [I’m in the ZEN] = and

make it a kind of tag bound two together, so that the notion of ZEN is always

stack to the action, Riding, Cutting or Typing what ever be the action.

[]

And you must became aware, the subject you are acting on, and your action is just passing

on or going on, such as the Landscape, shape of the Lemon or the Letters you are Typing,

next by next and moment to moment, like as to see an endless continuing flow.

= As it is the Flow, it never stays the SAME (of cause, that is what Riding, Cutting or

Typing meant to be = otherwise you can’t reach destination, couldn’t make Lemon Slices

and a cup of tea, or finish Typing).

And you must become aware, “ This is what the action meant, or the situation IS”

= YOU just have to DO, hence the SITUATION CHANGES = You are seeing

its flow as if you are just an observer, despite YOU, Yourself is

ACTING and CAUSING this FLOW.

( You have to see and aware this, as it is just a passing phase = but NOT THINK,  just see

as if it is a distant land scape) —– And need to be convinced and become aware,

This IS the ZEN scape.

[]

This detached eyes is what called OPEN EYES and the OPEN-MINDED MIND.

= with this, you must become aware YOU CAN DO THE THINGS ALMOST

AUTOMATIC, IN QUITE DISPASSIONATE BUT EFFICIENT WAY.

While DOING this or HAVING this eyes, a landscape even a bottom of a woman become

just another landscape ! (fortunately or unfortunately 😀 😀 )

[]

Ultimately, ZEN is to have this MINDSET and the OPEN EYES (often called

Clear-Eyes), by which, strangely you might think

“ With the detached EYES, I can see the Real Detail more”

Details, hence the Change, in minute Moment to Moment = Hence YOUR response as well.

Because of the open-eyes, you can have more facts, hence you can be much

more PRECISE  or less SELECTIVE and more TOLERANT and FLEXIBLE,

(as you can have the More Freedom on YOUR  JUDGMENT and the CHOICE)

and able to pay more attention even to the others as well.

This is what the ZEN IS.

[]

When you try this and became able to DO this, go back to the old posts in this blog

= You must be realized Why, and see What is the psychological mechanism behind.

And see, amazingly all those were taught by

Lord Buddha, 2500 years ago already = this is nothing new or fancy novelty.

( In fact, they are the matter of Subconscious =To see and Feel is done by your intuitive 

Subconscious — but Reasoning and Rational Sorting etc is done by the Thinking. 

ZEN rely on the Subconscious perception and the straight response = hence

eliminates the bias or distortion caused by the intentional Thinking )

= Have a good try or many = it is not difficult as even I hthinkingave done (as DIY).

___/\___

[]

How Buddhism has survived ? / アビダルマを読む？ エッ，マジ？

It was a real history, once there was a time, the Study of the

Abidharma Mantra was the main task of the Buddhist.

If you open and read few pages of such as Abidharma Kosa, you will see the trouble if

anyone has to study those. = they are incredibly complicated, laborious and endless

description of all sorts of definition or the relation of each phenomenon, existences

= which was purported to be the analysis and elucidated structure of the Dharma.

[]

I think, and you can easily see, they were not what

Lord Buddha taught. —– Imagine, if it was taught by him, soon he would see, half of the

disciples are sleeping. = No such non-appetizing or boring teachings were ever given, as

Lord Buddha was not such idiot.

And does anybody think, is any essence or even hint of Buddhism were written in there?

= So, how come, how the tradition or essence of the teachings were

not lost through that period?

—– The secret was hidden in the situation itself.

= If you were a monk then, you were forced to study it.

You got to have strong will to follow the Buddhism.   But if you were having strong Ego, you

might be just run away from the monastery. = in another words, if anybody survived its hell,

it was a person having strong will to serve Buddhism but abandon to have any Ego.

Repeatedly read the same book of Abidharma again and again, you must have memorized

everything hence able to recite all the passages = mouth can move automatic and recite the

words though, the Emotion and the Mind is no longer there = NO THINKING.

[]

Our Brain filter out the same signal. If the same signal is coming again and

again, the threshold of the perception became much higher and it will be

processed without involving any Emotion.

Like the same wall on the street, you wouldn’t pay attention twice = you can see it’s still

there = So What ? = Once you know it has no significance (not special or impose

any danger), the visual signal would be ignored.   It is the same to a radio CM. = even if

you heard it 100 times, you may not remember what it was saying, because it has no

significance or took your attention with interest = it mean, it didn’t take interest of your

Emotion or no longer appearing to your Emotion.

= all those signal / information became transparent = doesn’t trigger any thinking.

[]

= So, the Study of Abidarma Mantra was not what written in there but it was a training

to get rid of the Ego and eliminate the Thinking ( = reach to Mushin).

= this is what all about the Buddhism study needed.

It’s mean, DESPITE of Abidharma, Buddhism tradition was continued. 😀

( In case, if you like and enjoy reading it —– M m m ? Who the hell you are :-D)

___/\___   😀

[]

仏教２５００年の歴史の中にはアビダルマ経が教義の主流であった時代が有ます。

パラパラ数頁を読めばすぐ解る事ですが，とにかくしちめんどくさい事がびっちり延々と書かれている。

誰が見ても明らかですがこんな解りにくく退屈なものを

釈尊が延々と説いたとは考えられない。ほんの数例が喩えとして説かれたと言うのがいい所で，延々とやったら

さすがの直弟子ですら居眠りに落ちていたでしょう。

これが全ての存在物，事象それぞれとその関係（因果／縁）の定義で,これがダルマの解明であるという訳ですが

バラしたカメラ部品全ての説明を受けたからといってカメラは元より写真が何かはまるで解らないというのと

同じで,アビダルマ経の全てを読んでも仏教が何であるかは全く解らない。

＝逆に言えば，読んでも足しにならないものを読む事が 主流であった時代を経て来ながら，

どうやって仏教の教えが失なわれる事なく，綿々と受継がれて来たのかと言う疑問が出て来ます。

［］

この答はその当時の現場の情況を思い浮べてみると解ります。

僧院に入った若い弟子は何が何んでもこのアビダルマ経を学ばざるを得なかった

＝無条件に受入れるしか無くエゴの入り込む余地は無い。さもなければ寺を離れる以外に道は無かった。

＝つまり寺に残るのは苛酷な修行に耐えてでも仏に仕えようという強靭な意志と経文をマスターできる頭を持ち

 ながら, しかもエゴ／自我を消滅できた少数のエリートであったという訳です。

それに加え，冗長な経文をマスターするには何千回も繰返して読む必要が有り,最後には全てを暗唱できる

ようになっていたでしょう。

人間の脳は繰返し入って来る同ー刺激（信号）に対しては刺激の閾値が高くなり，それを感情抜きで

機械的に処理するようになります。

見慣れた物や風景はそこに在るのが見えていても全く注意を引かない（思考に結びつかない）事と同様の

現象で， 経文を唱えるにも頭はほとんど無意識のまま口は自動的に動いて唱えられるようになります。

これは禅で言う［無心］に他なりません。

［］

つまり，アビダルマ経を学ぶという事には，経文の内容の問題ではなく，それを学ぶ実践の過程，

その派生効果の中に仏教の核心（無私，無心への到達）が隠されていたという事です。

（もちろんアビダルマ経は仏教用語の用法やその定義を明確にしたという意味でその後の経典作者や

仏教学者に とっての聖典でもありますが－－－アタシャ苦手だね）（笑）

___/\___

［］

Behind the ” Sea Creature ?”

This was a way how I created a  Jerry-FISHY  photo  🙂

While ago, I was fascinated by Ms Karen’s Jerry-fish photos = I should try though,

south London has no sea, no Jerry-fish in sight (other than dried Chinese food).

So, if I can’t get it = why not make it myself  😀  —– And created a KIND of photo.

But it was not a secret technique = just a well known way to deal with such subject.

It was a Chinese soft plastic toy (a fancy ring, originally having with twinkling LEDs) was

squeezed and tied in the middle, and held on top of a needle an inch high = on a

black velvet, as a back-ground.    And I gave sprinkle of glitters on the black velvet.

Half transparent plastic toy was illuminated by a blue LED.  

As a close-up photo, the back-ground (glitters) were sufficiently out of  focus  to give

a false impression that the Jerry-fish is somewhat floating.

Voila’  a photo looks like a Jerry-fish floating in the water or space was made-up  🙂

As most of the people guessed, other two photos were  in deed a plastic net, which had

come with Garrick.  — In fact, I was experimenting to create a photo, giving an impression

of great distance, like the Space.  (Ms Lemony did it with Spider’s web pretty successfully) 

Though, Garrick net was noway near to a Spider’s web = end up more like a Sea Anemone

—– hence, I put them with Jerry-FISHY photo   🙂

It was a fun  😀

[]

” What are you doing ?”

Somebody, supposed to be a Zen Buddhist teased me

“If you are Zennist, how come, what are you doing in your blog ?”

I answered to him “If you only see it so, your Buddhism is wrong”

[]

The reason why the Buddhism after the Nirvana of

Lord Buddha was formed as known as Hinayana was because the followers just copied the lifestyle

of Lord Buddha (as an Bhikkuh) and kept his teachings.  And it took 500 years for the followers to

realize what the real meaning of his teachings were.

—– It is obvious, if all the people in the country become keen Buddhists / Bikkuh,

Who else can feed those Bhikkuh. Who grows the rice to make foods or fish in the river.

(You may give a thought, in a scope of a sustainability of the society = the socio-economical size

= how may Bhikkuh can the society sustain ? —– number is very limited.)

Lord Buddha was not such idiot.   Buddhism is not forsake the LIFE, but to live with it.

[]

Zen is a psychological technique / Mind-set to DO the THINGS = to have the

LIFE in the best efficiency without having useless hindrances.

Me to do a photography —– after all I used to be a photographer / technical-writer

= What’s wrong, a man keep doing what he was (a sort of) good at.   😀 😀

DOING all those, I need the Zen (such as so-called Mindfulness, Mushin etc etc, hence I keep

my tools in the best condition, let alone to make them etc etc) and I have, at least, having the

results which leaves no (well more or less) regrets.  😀  — (still, I want to do even better

= this is not a greed as my work is not producing any profit or fame.   😀 😀 )

[]

My approach to the camera or photography which is in most of the case, non-conventional,

quite inventive way would solve and help other’s trouble well,  (without costing them  :-D)

—– such as, when the camera or Mob-devise was dropped in the sea water or toilet = just

wash under tap water then dry it with Hair-dryer,  or jammed, stacked Zoom lens may be

saved with just hitting it in all directions.  Or utilizing Chinese toys would save a time and cost,

instead of building a new circuit for electronic controller etc etc.  😀

Life is to live, hence it got be fun, as you can’t avoid — any how.

Make it fun, instead of resenting or complaining.

And by making something would be even more fun.   🙂

___/\___

[]

Ultra Low-Angle Photo (2)

This is yet another shots of moss with Ultra Low-Angle Adapter.

The subject I encountered was Marchantia polimorpha (better known as Umbrella river-wort)

and its Reproductive structure = Gametophores (but the photos here is its female part).

This photo was taken by Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5 (reverse mounted) with Low-Angle Adapter.

(magnification = x1)

This is not a Palm tree but the same Gametophores which was seen through

Low-Angle Adapter with 24mm f2 lens. (magnification = x2.6)

This 24mm lens is the first one Nikon ever put a Close Range Compensation (shifting a lens

element to correct the aberration) in the 70th, hence the image is very sharp even in close up.

And the photos of this moss from more ordinary angle with 55mm lens (reversed)

(magnification = x1)  Dead plant, right photo is showing the male Gametophores.

Straight shot of an Umbrella.  Left photo by 24mm f2 (at f2) (x2.6) and right photo is by 55mm Macro

though, this is a cropped image to the same size of 24mm picture for comparison.

—– to chose its out of focus Bokeh created by large f2 aperture of 24mm lens or sharper image

of Macro lens, would be a matter of taste and its purpose.

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Ultra Low Angle Photo Adapter

This is a photograph of the moss, taken in an ultra-low angle view.

A while ago, one of the most unique photographer in the Net-sphere who is producing the

photos with her exceptionally unique eye-point,

Karen the [Draw and Shoot] showed the photos of tiny Lichen, which were taken extremely

low angle.   Hence I put a comment “To take picture in such low angle must be very hard”

—– and she replied that she was almost standing on her head !

So, I promised her I’ll show an adapter to do such low angle shot. (Thence, it took a while

to find the adapter from tens of the boxes of camera-related junk, odd lenses to electronic

controllers, etc   :-))

—– It was an adapter to take a picture side-way = a prism was mounted on a

lens rear-cap to reflect the light in 90 degree, hence able to take side-view close-up 

while looking down the view finder. ( photo above / center)

Though, as the prism I used was rather small and viewing angle was very narrow,

this adapter is limited to be used only for more than x2 magnification while the lens

was reverse-mounted.

So that, I made another one which can be attached on front of the lens, which is using

a mirror instead of a prism. ( photo above / left)

The quality of the mirror is directly affect the image quality hence, ordinary mirror

couldn’t be used.  (Ordinary mirror has double reflections, one on the surface of the glass

and the other on the metal coating)  so that, I used a surface mirror from a SLR camera.

(= it is a genuine optical quality mirror still we can get, out of a broken old camera, free  !)

The mirror was fixed and glued in 45 degree to a frame of Polarizing Filter, therefore

the mirror can be rotated to a desired direction.  (Photo above is the skeleton. Later,

the light-path other than side-view was  sealed to prevent the double image)

Photo left is the whole assembly of Camera, Macro lens and the Low-Angle Adapter

attached on front. (Though, the lens was reverse mounted on this set-up)

On the actual use, set-up was shown on the Photo right. The test subject = Hazelnut

was in focus and this test shot image is the right photo in the collaged photo before.

Unlike the top photo which was taken with Low-angle Adapter attached on front of lens

(Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5) and the magnification was about x1/2,  this photo above is

x1.2 (with lens reversed) — though, when lens was reversed, to have a focus, it need

to move tripod all together (or got to do it hand-held) = sorry, this photo was not

very sharp 😀

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Small drawback of this adapter is, as it is using a mirror, the photo is the reversed image.

(Can easily be reversed again in Photoshop  🙂 )

The photo below is a normal shot without using Low-angle Adapter.

= You may noticed, the Moss’ pods are aiming left = this is the normal view, but in another

photo above, the pods are all aiming right.  Because, they are the mirror images, though, it

may not be any trouble in most of the case.  🙂

= For some occasion, this adapter might be useful for close-up. 

But, with a telephoto lens, (provided its filter size is smaller than 55mm) you can take

picture while aiming the camera 90 degree away, without let the people know, you

are taking their picture.  ( Though, don’t misuse it.  😀 )

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PS : To the people who want to make this kind of adapter,

—– To get a Frame of Polarizing filter would be rather difficult = instead,

better use a lens-cap which has push-tubs on both side.

Cut a window  38mm x 18mm  in the center of the cap and stick the mirror

from SLR (but only from manual-focus old camera — AF camera has

secondary mirror (more difficult to disassemble) and mirror itself has

half mirror in the center = not suit for this purpose) using Epoxy-pate would

be the easiest as you can shape it to hold the mirror in its position.

Cut a piece of cardboard paper to two of  28Mm x 18mm x 21mm  triangle and

fix it to both end of the window first and fix the mirror on its edge would be a

better approach. (mirror would be fixed not 45 degree but about 48 degree

= this would be better)

If you finger-printed on the mirror, use white-spirit or solvent (on tissue

paper) before Epoxy-pate hardens.

By the way, never attempt to peel off the mirror from its base-panel = mirror

would just break.

Have a good work and Good luck.

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