Live on a fantasy = naughty talk !

This is a photo of a girl’s figure (The image has bee removed / disappeared) costed almost 2 million yen = about £14,000.  (You may see more photos in this link.  >>> http://onecall2ch.com/archives/8593286.html )  It seems, her name was Megumi Kato — though I have no idea whether she was a character in a comic story ?  Apparently the person who bought this figure (one of 10 people) was quite rich and having many more figures in his collection which were displayed in a special room !   The guy seemed to be  hooked by the love for the fantasy world. —– Was that anything wrong ? —– In fact, there has been many many stories of “A man fall in love with a doll” in the history.  Or, even with shoes, under wares etc etc = so-called fetishism.  A man can love anything, pretty deeply.  But sometime people call it “Obsession”.   Anyway there is no sane love .

You might say, this is a bit healthier choice as she is a real woman (girl ?) in flesh.  She, Ai Shinozaki is, probably the most adored idol in Japan.  If you Google her name, you may find the 10s of thousands of items in their list. = on top you may find a site having her nearly 5000 photos in their collection.   Obviously, she is not a world-class beauty, — you may even say plain, some even call her pig though, yet the boss of Japanese Woman’s Association ( somewhat that kind) complained that because of her, so many Japanese man has been trapped by her and kept away from “normal” marriage. 

It might be true. = Psychologically being in love with her, the one can feel somewhat the same kind of comfort and the excitement, without having all the awkward trouble and the cost of real life. — Delusion can have anything.   Why not and what’s wrong.    😀

Don’t you remember, when you were in early teens, you’ve fallen into love with somebody (often others say, “Why her ?”) the one, even never seen her reality, worse still even without knowing the name.  Unlike a girl seeing in a train, young man can download or print-out  Ai Shinozaki’s half-naked body.   As she got very strange and strong pull, on top of her big boob, she is the idol pretty enough to fall in love yet still having no mess of life with real woman.  If a man want to have a sex, it’s easily available anywhere = So, who need to get marry = hence now-a-day 1/3 of eligible Japanese men are not keen to get involved in relation, let alone get marry.   Cynical irony is, since the male and female population is about the same, effect of the attitude of the men affects the women.

When the effect of the baby boom started to bite on the 70s, the population difference of men and women forced-out million of women from having the relation = women were forced to live alone hence the needs of equal pay and all sorts of women’s right became the serious issue.   Since then, the Human-right, Protection of this and that etc getting further and further creating independent-minded women, sexually liberated women etc = to the man, it’s mean better not getting involved, better keep distance from them otherwise the worst could be sued and be claimed compensation.   The society was disintegrated, or even into anonymity.  

In principal, equal number of both sex and the monogamy system was to guaranty every member of the society to have an equal chance to have a mate and rise a family.  In order to reinforce this system, the availability of sex was strictly controlled (= only allowed between married couple) and the relation has to be “contracted under authority / even by the God” and hard to divorce. —– To establish this system, mankind spent thousand of years of trial and error while negotiating with “Human Nature” !    But, once the fragile balance was broken, only the chaos would come.   Not only the less and less marriage, the spread of SD especially syphilis among the young Japanese people are alarming rate.  And it push the birth rate even lower.

—– In different aspect, this chaos could be a remedy provided by the Dharma to curb the exploding world population.  😀

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New year 2017

In brief moment, morning sky showed a sign of sun rise though, soon after it was covered with thick cloud.  So, this was the only shot for the New year.  (Heavily cropped 18mm lens wide image.) 

New year has arrived with almost nothing special (as I don’t drink) only with distant firework noises and the Big-ben’s gong from the radio. 

Something funny about was the song, Auld long syne.  This old Scottish song might be the most well-known song all over the world. (It seemed every where in the world, people singing this song back of the New year report.)  This song came to Japan almost 150 years ago.  Japanese new Government then sent out many researcher or study group to the west to find and study the advanced western system and the technology.  (So, Political system from Britten, Technology from Germany, Law system from France and strangely, lots of Scottish, Irish songs — but with heavy misinterpretation.)   Such as like almost Anti-war “Danny Boy” was changed to praise the old family ethos.   Likewise, a song missing the old-time and the friends, Auld long syne was changed to a song, sending out the hard-working student from the school. (So, this song became exclusively for a school graduation.) 

— At least, I graduated from Junior, secondary, High and University though, I attended only a Junior School Graduation due to a consequence to be who I am.  (I was fully aware what I was going to do with its consequence.)   Since I was a bad boy, secondary School suspended my Graduation.  I carried out a silly prank to disrupt Hi-School ceremony and the time of my Uni’s, I was in the remote islands for a botanical research expedition.  So that I have quite heavy emotion behind this song.   “What was my life for ?” “Has it been worthwhile ?” — I would say that I was lucky enough to do as much as what I wanted.  (You can do the same = Just Do.  Not leave the regret of didn’t do, but rather burnt fingers by challenging !  Its mean, “To be there, on its moment.  Don’t escape or avoid ” So that, I lived the life what my Karma gave it for me. = I can confidently say, this IS the Zen as I’ve tested on my life.) 

___/\___

PS :  This is a follow-up = a bit more likely photo on the next morning.  🙂

( Taken on 2nd Jan’ 2017, 08:32 GMT)

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Winter Cherry (again) – (2)

Just take picture of mere cherry flowers, this set up must be the most swaggering one. 

Still I’m not doing this for ostentatious show off.  simply because, the lens (rear part of a video camera wide converter) has 160mm focal length, hence it need to have quite long extension (therefore, need to use a bellows).  And why I wanted to use this lens here, you will see it in those photos.  Wide converter was made by a reputed good lens maker Tokina, not a jokey Chinese crap.  — I wanted their lens component, not the function of wide converter.  So, I hacksawed it to take a front concave lens out. (which became to the front element of “Wide angle Pinhole Machine“.  And the left over converging lens became a fuzzy long focal lens as you can see it here.  😀 

Those optical devices were designed to give decent requisite function in certain quality, it’s mean, those optics has been designed to eliminate the aberration by combining the different types of lenses — in other words, if the front and rear element was separated, aberration couldn’t be corrected.  

(Photo left = despite of heavy halation, this lens gives quite sharp image.  And having a nice softness.)

So, this rear part of the lens showed quite a blur yet still, it retains the certain sharpness (= It’s a funny lens ! —– I like it though, shame, it’s so awkward to use.)

Ideally those photos should have rather dark blue sky to show white halo around the flowers though, the sky was just hopelessly gray. (Another solution would be, go back there with a flash or LED ring light when the ambient light was getting dimmer. —– I might do it. )

And, to everybody, a Happy New Year for 2017

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Winter Cherry (again !)

OMG, —– when I walked close by, I noticed that, that Cherry is flowering again. —– Since she is flowering every winter, it shouldn’t be any surprise though, when actually face it, still it was a OMG.

Though this time all the flowers are rather high on the branches.  I went back there with “Tele-photo Pinhole” = simply it was the DD Pinhole further extended by the extension rings which made it to 105mm Tele-photo.  (If it was a lens, extension ring will work as a close-up device but for a pinhole, it only makes the effective focal length longer. — in fact, as it will make the image larger, it would have a close-up effect as well though, pinhole has no focus at all, in any “focal length”, if you close to the subject, you will get larger image any way.)  So, what so ever the theory, Pinhole image is Pinhole like image.  Too fuzzy.  Still  if anybody want to see more decent sharper images of the same flowers, I got many many other shot. = please go back to them.   😀

(On the photos above, left and middle were the same flower though, the middle photo was by the Mag lens (and heavily cropped)

I may need to come back with other kind of lenses.  😀

Incidentally, soon after I wrote London weather was mild, suddenly it became cold.  And, this is my first frosty photo of this season. (by the Mag lens)

So, anybody in the cold, Please survive well.

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Chilly still very hot !

It’s a dark gray winter (in theory though, the reality here in London it has been quite mild) — so, why not to have burning red staffs ! (Somebody kindly educate me, the history how such hot staff was named as Chilly !    😀 )

I’m not dealing with Xmas kind though, I have to deal with closing shops or stoppage of the transport etc —– so, I decided to get lazy while saving a work by cooking a Chinese Ma-po-Tofu for three days meal.  It’s a hot staff.  So, not only a hot Chinese seasoning Toban-jan, I bought a bowl full of chilly.  It was the medium size one on the photo though, it found to be a seriously hot staff.  (On the photo, left large one is rather sweet and having the “most Chilly Pepper like exquisite flavor”.  And, right small one is notoriously, killingly hot ! = better not to handle it with your bare hand !)

Seriously hot still, they are classified as edible = fit to human consumption.  So, they can be cooked just like other vegetables, chopped and boiled with others, carrot, onion, potato etc. with your seasoning.     —– Three days portion of Ma-po-tofu was a big amount ! = 500g of minced beef (rather horrifying staff to some of you) four fist sized onions, one 12″ size carrot (grated), one big spoonful of minced Garrick, five big spoonful of Chinese Toban-jan, four hot chilly, 800g  (one pack) of  Tofu, one spoonful of sugar, etc. of seasoning (such as Chinese 5 spices etc.) = altogether put into a big pan !   So, this is Ma-po-tofu.  (As it was originated from Szechuan, it is hot indeed — still, we can survive. (as I did.  😀 )  (You may find a bit more moderate recipe in the net. )

There seems to be a quite common boast all over the world which is, “Our cooking is the hottest in the world” (Egyptian said so, Mexican, Malaysian, Korean, Jamaican, —– etc all insisted so, alongside the amount of drink he can take, and how big his penis is.  So, they are the things what the man try to cling in his pride.  (In material level though.)   (Do you do ?    😀 ) 

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Lens quality — in different aspect

While watching the morning sky (8:52 AM  GMT  24-12-2016) I saw a light of an air craft.  I clicked my Nikon D810 with Zeiss Distagon 18mm (for Nikon mount) thinking if the light was captured.

—– With my amazement, not only the light but also the air craft itself was clearly captured. 

It’s difficult to see on the original photo, still on the enlarged image, not just the light but the shape of the airliner was clearly seen.  Yes, this IS what we call the resolution, the quality of the lens.  (May be, the quality reflecting its Thousand pound price, more precisely. —– still, this lens was made by the Coshina, Japan whom Zeiss entrusted.)  (By the way, those photos were taken through the dusty double grazing window, so, they were not in the optimum quality. = I’m not such keen to wide open the window or go cold outside for this kind of shooting. — sorry, lazzy me.)

I found an interest to see the comparison of the lenses.  (Photo above was the same Zeiss 18mm image and its part enlargement of the bottom right — See a crane and its red light behind the tree branches.)

Oh, how sweet !  This image was made by the homemade Mag Lens. — not much details (because of heavy Coma aberration) yet, strangely the image of the tree was somewhat retained.  That was why I love this lens !  If you know any optical filter or digital manipulation which could create same to this effect, please let me know.

This was rather surprising, what I found was some detailed images from utterly cheap (two plastic) Toy Camera lenses ! = faint though, the red light was still visible.  —– This image might impose you a question, in reality, what quality you actually need, with what price ?   Wasn’t that just a useless obsession or vanity to have 40, 50 Mp Hi-resi images = What are you going to do with it ? And after you died, who is going to keep your photos ?  (My photos are destined for a landfill, that why I’m showing them here in 700 x 300 pic size while I can, for somebody to have a fun,  Ha ha ha.   😀 )   (The quality of a photograph is not its sharpness but its context.)

For a comparison, the another thousand pound lens = Canon EF 24~70mm F2.8 was mounted on Sony A7R, fixed as a 28mm lens — though, may be with fully open F2.8 or being as a Zoom lens otherwise because of Canon = showed some details and the red light but far behind the Zeiss’ sharpness.   

So, they were some rough guide to the lens quality. — or I’m saying, toy camera or homemade lens are not too bad.    😀

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Fortnum and Mason (+ other)

It seems this is the only a post looks like a festive season.  If you are celebrating, enjoy it.  

Merry Merry something !

(The lens used were Homemade Mag lens on Sony A7R)

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Oxford Street (and Selfridge) Xmas shot

Those photos were taken by the lenses, homemade Mag Lens or Halina wide Lens though, few of them were by the Gaudy Lens on the Tilting Bellows with Sony A7R.

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Halina Wide or its lens

Often I’ve been using a term “Junk” or “Toy Camera” quite casually, despite of a bit of guilty   conscious.    Many years ago, once I strongly complained to Nikon, when they produced a (relatively) cheap Nikon EM with its back-light compensation button in blue plastic (it really looks cheap plastic) I said to them (to the boss of Nikon UK) “Don’t make cheap camera looks cheap” “Although, it is cheap, for the young student from a poor back ground, it must be an affordable limit, and their dream and the treasured possession” “Make it looks cheap and make them feel shabby wouldn’t create the future of Nikon any good return”= so, they changed the button to chrome colored. —– Yes for some people, so-called Toy Camera was still only a camera they could afford. 

On the photo, you may see 4 of the Canon EFS 18~55 — in fact I had 2 more which I’ve completely taken down to the pieces for study or use the motor etc. for the other purpose (such as this front element or that).

People may misconceived that a kind of the work I’ve been doing, it must be done in a well equipped proper workshop. (Quite few people thought I got a Lathe machine, even a Laser Cutter.)  They were wrong, the works were done in my kitchen mostly by a hacksaw.  (if it was a very dusty work, done in a bath tub (without water of course)

Forget a political correctness kind —– the reality IS, the cheap camera which end-up in an odds-ends box as a junk was just made by an ABS plastic mold + plastic parts = nothing like each mechanical unit was assembled on the metal frame like a more expensive counterpart.    So, to disassemble a junk camera meant hacksaw the area I need to gauged out from the lest. 

Then, gauged out lens unit (in this case 2 plastic lenses) was temporally attached on the camera to see the exact position. (Photo left)   And test mount the lens unit on the camera body cap. (Photo middle)  On the end, this is the finished product. (Photo right)

While toiling with such hard work, what sort of the image could be created ?   In reality, nothing special or rather say, it’s a crap.

Not necessary the infinity, but this is a far enough distant objects.   Tree twig looks twig = seems OK.

And without having refocus (no such things here), the subjects, a meter or so looks like what we are seeing.  May be this is the point, we are amazed.  (Really ? !)

Wait a moment, think again.  A lens of 28mm (for full frame) would have rather large depth of field.  Say, fix the distance to 1.7m and set the aperture for F8, the subjects from 0.8m to somewhat 20m (almost “far”) would be (regarded to be) in focus. 

So, this IS the image made by a lens (Canon EFS 18~55) fix to 28mm, 1.7m and F8.

And this IS the close distance image made by the same lens without chang anything. (focus was still 1.7m)

It must be clear, so-called omunifocus is not necessary an amazing phenomenon. Here is a very simple common sence in photography = Stopped down wide-angle lens can shoot anything.  (But the trouble IS, it would make the photo looks messy — to express, the less is more)   🙂

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WW Party on the Boat

WW gathering (some says, it is Wireless Workshop, others say Wednesday Workshop or Wireless Wednesday ? ? ? = since it started as a group hacking into 2.4 GHz Wireless Data link) had a party in a Pub in the Westminster, and to go there we took a boat on the Thames river.

So, from Greenwich Pier we took a boat TRS (Thames River Service).    It was still 4:30 though, it was already after sunset = night voyage.    How fancy !

And we arrived to the Westminster = its mean the foot of Big-ben.

After that, not much to show.  😀

By the way, a white dot on the right end was the Super full moon ! —– though don’t ask any better picture.  The lens was a junk (£5) Canon EFS 18~55 lens on Sony A7 camera — ( it’s mean no F-aperture control = fully open.)   And the shake of the images were not because of the moving ship or I was drunk,  I purposely made them for a sake of the art = believe me.     He he he.    😀

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