Yellow — Photos from Park

Probably the most common spring flower, Butter Cup.  ( Poisonus, Ranunculas Family)

I’m not sure whether they got honey — anyhow, the insect (here winged Aphis) would come

= So, a green Spider is hiding and awaits them to come.

I thought, this Wasp came to Honey though, I found,  it was not Honey but after a Spider !

Inside of a pretty flower, there quite a bloody battle was going on. 

M m m ?   No comment needed.

End of the day, way back home — He would be a star player and she might become a top model ?  

[]

Estranged Buddhism = Pretense of Zen

Some days ago I encountered a man claim to be a Zenist who happened to

have read my blog, [Spoon] post and he asked me what the Spoon is to do

anything with the Zen Buddhism ?

I explained my thought behind of [Spoon] and asked him what is he doing

in Zen Buddhism. 

He said, “ I’m DOING Zen, as I am sitting and meditating everyday”. 

Though, anything beyond this he evaded the question pretending he knows everything

better than me, but it is unexplainable since, the ultimate truth can not be expressed

in the words.

So I asked again, what is his meditation for, is it to see the Dharma and

its Panya Paramita ?  He said “ I’m seeing the emptiness”

And said “ Zenist doesn’t debate” then he became silent.

—– M m m, sound familiar, = not in Zen but in Taoism.

Word to word, it is from the Taoist book, Tao te Ching (道徳経).

[]

Like the idea of Soto Zen such as [Not express in the words] (不立文字) hence

[Direct transmission of mind to mind] (以心伝心) are all came from Chinese Taoism.

(Hence, to justify this story, famous [Flower summon] = [ Pick a Flower and Smile

Mantra] (捻華微笑経) was written in China.)

Even without the verbal explanation, while living in a Temple, a novice

can learn the Buddhism Teachings in the practice of the dairy life by way

of  [Doing the same everyday] (hence able to learn Mushin).

Though, the trouble was, how to introduce Zen Buddhism to the west.

It is impossible to teach it in one or two demonstrations. = Still it had to be explained,

or written down in an instruction book, which was not in their tradition, not mention

the monk was not necessary good for how to explain it in English.

So that, the explanation of Zen was conveniently borrowed from the

existing translation of the Tao te Ching book.

= Hence, the Zen in the west adopted a Myth in the Taoism.

And pretending to be a Sage, dwelling in the Mythical Truth, became a

stereotype of a Zen Buddhist.  Enigma became their sales point  😀

(But, while believing that the sitting is DOING the ZEN. —– hasn’t they ever

wondered,  why Tea Making or Sword Mastery is Zen too ? —– No wonder,

Spoon carving is too remote for them 😀 )

[]

Lord Buddha didn’t give a damn to such Myth (Metaphysics) at all.

When asked about those Metaphysical question, he didn’t even bothered

to answer.  = All about the matters to the life is, to live a real life, not to dwell in a

pretense in fancy idea.  Yes, the truth could be empty = so what ?

= Does it mean “Can we live in a vacuum ?” —– Joking, we are still in the same

Samsara and still need to live mundane dairy life = nothing noble or fancy

= any fixed fancy idea or pretense is just a delusion.

[]

Wu (or Mu in Japanese =無 ), Wu-i (or Mu-i =無為 ) in Taoism is literally Nothing

and Do nothing intentionally.  But Void or Emptiness in Buddhism is the matters in

our perception = uncertainty of our Mind and the Self.  And even though Dharma

is the physical reality, it is constantly changing

= Nothing is certain in both way (See and be seen), hence it can only be

clearly seen by the Eyes of No-eyes, Mind of No-mind. (Mind without

any Preconception or Thinking) = VOID in Buddhism is the metaphor

of this EMPTY MIND.   Hence, live in Mushin is the answer.

Before Zen, Buddhism has to be understood first.  And never mixed up with Taoism.

(Zen is a mere Practice to get MUSHIN = instead to get Mushin, but end up in a

Metaphysics of Taoism is nothing but a waste of time and the LIFE.

= Carving a Spoon is much more fun, than pretending noble EMPTY face

 and do nothing.  😀 )

___/\___

[]

[]

DIY or Expect Others to Do it for You ?

Somebody asked me “ How I could cut a plastic jar (in Lens Cap post = link here)

so clean and precise”. —– well, there was a bit of preparation to do it which you

can see in the photo I’ve took on the time.

When you cut or chisel the material, there is a rule [Firmly fix either the tool or the material].

Even to peel a skin of an apple by a knife, there is a knack,

“It got firmly hold the knife and only rotates the Apple, not other-way round”.

Therefore, to cut the plastic jar, a sharp blade was fixed on the flat board by a G-clamp

(hight was adjusted by something such as aluminum bar etc under the blade which got

suitable thickness) and plastic jar was rotated on the flat base while pressing against

the blade.  (while rotates it, never wobble and rotates many times

= cut it gradually deeper)

This principle is always the same = cut a pipe or bar using a hacksaw, fix the material or object

on a vice clamp.   When drilling a hole = only the drill bit moves but not the material.

On a Lathe Machine or Wood-turning Lathe, only the material rotates and the cutting-bite which

was fixed to the machine, moves slowly while having the position precisely controlled.

[]

In a hind sight, I was lucky to grown-up in Japan where everything had been burnt

down and had nothing else of the abandoned field with wild flowers and insects.

Having no ready-made toys, we had to improvise or make our own toys.  And in the

magazines, there was a lots of article of “How to Make Something by Ourself.”

—– Grown-up was literally meant to know How to Do = not just

to know the names and words.

[]

Do It Yourself mean, to learn the material, and to know and having the control

of all the process, and to take a responsibility for the result = no one else there to

take a blame but oneself.

—– in this aspect, I really pities the kids and the grown-up version of those kids = young peoples

of today = while growing up with a toy bought by somebody-else’s (parent’s) money, without

knowing how it’s works, let alone how it was made, and only know to buy another one, or blame

somebody-else, such as the manufacturer,  when it was broken.  No idea of how to repair it.

[]

This utterly irresponsible, only expecting to others to do, mentality is the

fundamental problem of the whole society today.

Without knowing whole system, but only know to press a button (like a game-machine), and handling

even a financial operation, just for a short-eye-sighted gain, only on his narrow scope of speculation

= then end-up to pile-up uncontrollable amount of debts = yet still expecting somebody-else

(IMF etc) to bail-out their problem. —– (But, where the money of IMF come from ?)

A system having no feed-back and built-in self regulating mechanism,

it can not be called a system.

[]

Still amazing things are, the people are flocking to buy share of FACEBOOK,

while speculating it would grow and creates big profit.  But the reason why F’ is

floating their share in this moment is, that they realized no more growth in

a sale of AD business = This is the last opportunity they can fool the people.

GM has already stopped to advertise in F’ since it didn’t sell their car. 

And as majority of the F’ user were shifted to see F’ in their Smart-phone,

= who want to see an obstructive AD in their small screen ?

This is the typical sample of “Greed blind the people”  😀

Where the money to fill their Greed come from ? = are they still expecting

somebody else to create the money and give to them ?  Because of it is nothing

certain, F’ is doing it somebody else’s money. ( Sell the Share to public) !  😀

[]

Heaven’s Thunder to New French President Holland

When I heard the story how New French President Holland was treated with a heavy

rain and the thunders, I burst into laughing with my own memory.

When I was in Japan, I had ill-fated marriage —– I’ve married when I was 22 years, still in my Uni’.

In fact, everything had just carried out but not necessary in my control. My parent’s prediction was,

“ The inevitable separation is there, it’s mean, the best time for it is, now ” though, it was too late.

= hence, marriage process went on as it was expected in the traditional custom in a formalized way.

[]

A sort of resistance to prevent the notorieties and the old members of wife’s family (bit too traditional,

big clan’s) coming to the wedding, I planed its party in a mountain top Hut, which was a sister Hut of

the mountain shelter where I was a voluntary keeper since I was 15 (= first year in a High School).

Wedding ceremony was conducted in a big Shinto Shrine, Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社), and we drove up

mountain hi-way with 10 of the cars. Then we started to climb to the top, on foot for 15 min’ walk.

—– It was a beautiful blue sky though, utterly out of blue, while we were in the middle of climb,

suddenly big cloud appeared sky above, and started a heavy torrential rain.

I run up to the Hut and grubbed all umbrellas and back to the guests of party though, it was such a

heavy shower, everybody,  include my Mother,  the Best-man (my Professor in Sociology), and

the staffs from Makino Harbarium, members of the Alpine Club and old mates, all got soaked down

to their undies.  When everybody reached to the Hut (and everybody changed to their pyjama) the

rain stopped and back to the blue sky. How beautiful.

[]The word of my Mother was “ Oh dear, this is what the Heaven is telling you”.

—– After 7 years, we divorced and I left Japan.   And I’m still single. (how peaceful 😀 )

—– It could be just a sheer coincidence, yet still, there could be something.

When our Emperor Hirohito departed, the day of his funeral was in the sleet. Even though a day

before, a day after were both fine day. —– I thought “ Oh, even the Heaven cries for him”.

[]

—– You may say “ It’s utterly nuts” and I’ve been saying “ There is no mumbo-jumbo”

though, there are too many strange phenomena in my life, such as  [8150 story] (link here) or my

Cat’s stories to name but few. — So, I’m well qualified to make a joke “ Oh, dear, new French

President Holland is going to open the hell” 😀

Good luck for him (to challenge hopelessly impossible task. Apart from attracting the voters

with sweet words while giving a false expectation, actually achieve the growth with no cash left in

the pocket, it’s a hell lots of good luck from the Heaven needed).

___/\___

[]

Homemade Lens Cap

While walking in the town with my camera on my shoulder, I realized, I’ve dropped a lens hood

and a cap of my Fish-eye Lens.   Because of the fish-eye lens is protruding on its front, the

Lens cap is a special type.  To buy this type must cost more than £ 50 and may need to order.

—– any how, I didn’t even check the price. I know it is extortionately expensive.

I absolutely have no will to buy it.

[]

Since when the camera industry started, their business model is always the same. Like Kodak

and their Brawny camera, camera itself was sold cheap = can be sold even without profit.

The profit was made from the sale of film and its print making process. Polaroid did the same.

But what about the camera maker who is not selling the film. = While selling the camera itself

cheap, their profit came from the sale of accessories such as interchangeable lens, flash light

even a piece of plastic, such as a lens cap, so, the price is kept such high.

—– Many years ago, a boss of big camera company complained me “ We are effectively

making promotional incentive goods to sell the film. The more we work hard and sell more

attractive cameras which makes more people taking photo, it only creates the more profit to

the Film company, not for us 😦 ”

[]

Then, the Digital revolution completely changed the rules of the game.

Photography no longer need to use the film, hence both Kodak and Polaroid bankrupted.

(Fuji Film escaped this by investing digital imaging technology long before digital cameras

appeared, such as working with Xerox and bought Electronic Scanner’s maker, Crossfield,

then utilizing their film emulsion technology, they diversified, expanded even into forefront

of nano technology).

[]

Thanks to have, such as image-sensor manufacturer, like Toshiba, Sony next door, Japanese

Digital camera evolved very quick though I didn’t buy them until I was fully convinced

that the sensor reached to the level of a film camera. ( I’m not implying such as a

top grade DSLR reached as good as Film camera, but when I saw the sample photos of

Canon 5D, I found the photo showed a flaw of the lens, it’s mean the resolution

of the sensor was reached to the limit of average lens = good enough for average

use) —– So that I bought 5D Mk-2  for my first ever Digital Camera.

(I waited a full-frame DSLR for my collection of ultra-wide and fisheye lenses)

—– comparing the cost of film and its process, still it is cheap, and no need

to mention its convenience to use in the Internet environment.

[]

But coming down to a low-tech, just for a molded plastic lens cap, I wouldn’t pay a price of

hi-tech camera.   I’m an humble, or more precisely mean, poor person. (In principle 🙂 )

So, I decided to make it myself and went to Pound-shop to find the best suited material.

= basically, cap for Fish-eye lens is a pan-shaped shallow cap.  Only a matter is, its diameter.

On the photo right, what I found were a fancy color-changing light and moisturizing hand

cream (of its container, not the cream of cause 😀 )

Light housing has bayonet craw which somewhat fit to the lens front bayonet though, it was

made by Styrole Plastic, hence it may easily brake when it got impact. The cream jar was

made by Polypropylene, hence having certain flexibility to grip the lens top with right fiction.

So that, I’ve chosen to use cream jar. And for top lid, I found a junk Pendulum

of old clock 😉  = Cut the jar to a shallow ring and hot-glued the metal disc of pendulum.

Voilà, a lens cap which cost me only £1 —– still I need to work a bit more to prevent it

accidentally come off and lost again.

So, this is the finished product with some stitching work.  = Over the metal cap,

I cover it with chamois and the additional Velcro strap is to tether the cap

to the lens. 

[]

As I’ve been keep saying, this kind of DIY work is a game. = the more free minded

approach, it would be a fun.   (Not mention, it would save the cost too.

It’s far better to use the same money to a memory card kind) 😀 —– only remaining

headache is “ What to do with a moisturizing cream now kept in honey jar ?” I don’t take or

use any artificial things include the medicine on to my body, especially what can you expect

from £1 cream.—– Anyhow, sweet peach smelled, smooth skin Yoshizen may not be

anything near to sexy.  Yuck ! Ha ha ha 😀

[]

PS:   Strangely, I lost the Lens cap again, and I had to make yet another one.

—– As I don’t have anymore clock pendulum, instead I used a cap of pickles jar.

And in this time I got nice colored leather for a cover.   (Click the photo to enlarge and

see the hand stitch = it is a simple practice, hence good Buddhist’s practice of Mushin.  😀 )

Cap works, with a hint of vinegar smell, and if I press its center, it makes a click sound.  😀

[]

Effort ?

An exchange of Comments in the [Spoon !] post may highlight the point of this Blog.

A person called [EML to OUTLOOK] commented ;

“ I have learn some good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting.

I wonder how much effort you place to make the sort of great informative web site.”

—

What I replied was ;

“For your eyes, it may looks an effort though, the notion of effort is = If you got to

do it for somebody else or for something obliged to do. (not necessary wanted to do)

But in this case, to sharpening the tool, to carving the wood, to take photos of

it and to write about = all together for no purpose and I have no obligation.

I’m just doing it.

( —– What can I expect and going to do with those utterly useless SPOON  😀 )

If you do something such as a game and completely absorbed in it, you may not

feel you are putting an effort (even though you put so much time and energy)

= same as that.

But, was this for myself ? = Zen doesn’t feel even myself was doing it.

Just the hand was doing it.

This is the Zen in action, or it can be said, living Zen. Zen need no effort.

(This is the reason why such a spoon item is in the Zen Blog)”

[]

As often I said in this blog, the most big misunderstanding in the Zen study

emanated from the word [Mindfulness].

And even more fundamental misunderstanding is = try to DO the ZEN. —– Zen is

not a kind of activity to DO = Zen is a condition like a body temperature. It might be 0.1 degree

higher or lower even you can do the same though, it might have an effect to the result.

You can not intentionally choose to be higher body temperature = it is just to be, as it is. 

What actually I was doing is such as sharpening tool, carving wood or typing.

Or Sword Master’s case, just fighting with his sword = Zen is just a mind-set behind.

[]

Mindfulness is the same = you can not actively DO it.

It is whether you were being absorbed in it or not.

This is the reason, why it is hard to understand, let alone achieve it, when you do something

not familiar or not very keen to do the subject. = And this is the reason why I’m keep writing

“Try to do a thing which is familiar to you or very ordinary such as [Cutting Lemon]

or [Walking] as a practice for Zen.  Instead, if you do very peculiar activity = peculiar only

to a sect of religion = until you get used, its strangeness makes your conscious uneasy = as long as

you feel uneasy, you can not settle with the activity = you can not be absorbed in its subject.

( Hence it takes longer time to get used for it become a daily norm = which you can do it

without conscious = automatic)

[]

The man commented was seeing an [Effort] in this blog, especially to make spoon etc, though

as I wrote in my reply, there wasn’t much effort there. = I got used to do all those process.

—– this is the reason why the Buddhism keep saying [Heijyo-shin / 平常心]

( Mind in ordinary) = Zen is just a condition of the mind in the dairy life and

it is nothing special.

[]

There is a fundamental paradox in the condition of the mind —– people were

attracted by a peculiarity of a strange religion which give an impression of something special

= which may give a person to feel “I’m special = better than others” —– though, as long as the

person having this kind of arrogant feeling or Ego, there is absolutely no benefit

of such religion other than a placebo effects of such [special] feeling.

[]

Nothing special or noble, let alone peculiar super-natural vision etc.

in Zen.   Only Zen makes difference in the results in the dairy life.

That’s all.

(The best thing of it is, we can do it without effort = since we can do it while

absorbed in its subject, hence with much higher efficiency 😀

 —– I mean not just carving a Spoon.   😀 )

___/\___

[]

[]

Spoon !

One of the group I’ve been involved is OWN (Open Wireless Network) and their

weekly workshop = where people exchange the information and the skills around Computer,

Wifi connection, and all sorts of electronics (and having usual silly chats.   🙂 )

After a while, I suddenly realized, a guy who I’ve been thinking a graphic designer was in fact

a silver-smith.  (In any trade, people using the computer devices, having the same kind of

trouble or discovering useful knack etc. to talk about).

[]

I know few Jewelry Designers though, to encounter a silversmith who is doing welding

work of silver and gold every week, is a different matter.  Since I’ve been making a kind

of  twisted wire sculptures (Link here), to which if necessary I been using lead-solder which is

not strong enough (Lead-free solder is even worse ) = I need to use proper welding.

So that, I’ve been thinking to make a Spot-welder using series connected PC power supply

(such as 30A, 12Vx3 = 36V, with huge bank of Capacitors) though, I haven’t done yet.   🙂

I also have Arc-welder though, it has to be used in the proper workshop, not in a flat.

So that, to meet well-seasoned silversmith is a good coincidence and a sign,

it must be a time to work out, long over due silver work.

[]

Photo top is a Cherry-wood Spoon which I carved more than 10 years ago thinking

to put the hands, made by a silver wire.

= Here, it was completed with the proper silver wire acquired through him.

——– (Wood carving is not necessary done by the Chisel alone.  Fretsaw, Files for

——– metal work, Drill etc etc.  The most useful tool for this kind of fine carvings is

——– a Small piece of Blade in a holder and a Sawing Needle sharpened in angle

——– = work as a minute-size round head chisel.  Work start to make tools  🙂 )

—– Why spoon ?   Why spoon has the hands ? —– I would only say “why not”. 

Spoon can be a Female Figure as well, hence it got hands.  I make something

with joke = I don’t like ostentatious, typical art-like art.  😉

If I see a wood, I carve it with my chisel. That’s all. That’s how creativity works.

To create something, there is no reason or explanation needed. It just happen !

In fact, this wood had happened to come from a cherry stump left in a garden. —– When I

removed it with my hatchet, I found it is a good wood to carve = so I carved it.

It occurred just as coincidence.  I take a coincidence as a given opportunity.

( —– In the mountain, often I needed to make a spoon but this was the first time I ever

carved nude figure = I learned a lot about sculpture and it opened new field to me.  😀 )

[]

  So, this photo is yet another Cherry wood Spoon.

  In fact, it was the last remaining wood, top end of the stump,

 hence the head part was cracked off, and I left her as it is.

 I liked this, as it showed an unexpected fate.

 In the carving, half of the design was the idea of the

 sculptor though, the wood itself determine the rest.

 The reason why this nude figure putting her hands there was

 = the wood had a hole in the left chest.

 In order to hide the hole, left hand had to come there = and

 right hand was placed in symmetry. (Click photo to enlarge)

In wood carvings, we can’t go back.  Once chiseled off.  That’s the end.

While carving without a model, I wasn’t sure of her back shoulder —– I’ve carved again

and again feeling not quite right hence, originally planed rather chubby figure shed a

fresh and getting thinner and thinner, ended up like this.

Still I wouldn’t complain the end result, as the shape came in its own.

[]

Our life is the same. = Want to live in such a way, was what we had wished.

Though, the actual figure was shaped by the external event and the condition

etc. etc.  Once chiseled-out, no one can glue it back and re-do.  Only one LIFE.

So, that the final work is the interaction of two or more forces which makes it even more

unpredictable, hence adding even more fun to live a life.  😀

[]

Keep clear eyes to see the flow of happening — If it was [Unpredicted], it

might be happened as [It should happened] = no time for Regret or

Resentment to dowel the past = The matter is What the next move is ? 

Cracked-off head told me  [Not cling to a crèche = Free the Mind].

This is what the LIFE is.

[]

Compassion and Charity in Dharma

When we saw somebody lost a balance and seemingly fall, we just give a hand to

hold the person. ———- why ? ? ?

Give a thought. —– Why do we need to give a hand to this person ? Why this guy shouldn’t fall ?

Why with my hand, why not other’s ? —– This guy even might have a Karma to fall here, and

hit the head and to die. —– Or, is it to prevent a messy situation developed and don’t want to

see bloody scene ? = are ALL, in the THINKING.

[]

But without any thinking, instantly we just stretch a hand to support the person.

Have we ever taught to hold a person to prevent fall ?   Who told you to do so ?

= Without any knowledge, without any thought, WE JUST DO IT. = WHY ? ? ?

Because it is in our nature. Instantly see what is necessary, what is right and good.

So that, Lord Buddha explained that this is the Dharma which, we were born with.

[]

There is no word on the beginning.   So we needed to invent a word for this phenomenon, as

[Compassion].   And after started to notice this, started to talk and teach brah brah brah.

Without we know its whole mechanism and details, we knew it’s there of which we named

DHARMA.   And we knew, it is functioning without we think nor even noticing it. = in other

words, it is there, in the same time it is within us.

—– If we start to think, it is not necessary rational nor beneficial for us.

—– Why, do I need to help this person.   Yet we automatically do it. = don’t need

to think too much. = better leave the matter to the hand of DHARMA.

[]

And this is what all about the teachings

of Lord Buddha.

His teachings are all not about to reach the Darma, but to eliminate the obstacles

which prevents the Dharma prevailing. — such as “Why do I need to help other = Ego”.

“Has it any benefit for me to do this ? = Greed”.

“Oh, this person is falling, —– should I help but how = too much useless thinking to waste the

time and make it too late”

= So that, the core teaching was to eliminate the useless thinking = without own

thinking we can react to the situation = it’s mean, we can do it without SELF

= Self itself is not exists.  ( He just pointed out the facts and its explanation,

same as the science = anything fancy imaginative stories were added by others)

[]

Natural flow of inspiration doesn’t necessary having a convenient order or structure.

Lord Buddha’s teachings must be given as his wisdoms, situation by situation on the spot.

The structure and the classification, listing and the numbering must came much later = after

the teachings were written down as the scripture.

Trouble in the Buddhism teachings are, the person who compiled it didn’t necessary understood

what the [Mushin] is or knowing the effect of having the Dharma in him.

Therefore, he only guessed and listed up each description of act from hear-say.  

So that, in the Buddhism Scriptures, each duties were listed

as if it is an each discreet mind and act. (List of DO and DO-NOT)

(It was like a man who doesn’t know the Dancing, to teach How to Step and

How to move Hands all separately without accompanying music  😀 )

In the state of the mind = in Mushin, Compassion, no Ego, no Greed, no

Wrong intention etc etc are in fact, just one mind.  It is an inseparable one state

to see the good or better at once, which also controls action or body movement.

( So, the Best Judgment, Creativity or the Mastery Skill are all bore-out from this)

Though, it couldn’t even be observable by the person. —– If it was in conscious

of the person, such as “ This is a compassion” = it is a sham and just a pretense.

This is the reason why being in the state of  Mushin and in Ichijo is so crucial.

[]

When your hand spontaneously hold the person,  it was a real compassion and

the prevailed DHARMA.

___/\___

[]

Brutal Nature = or is it just a Nature ?

They are the photos of a Dandelion seed magnified  x16 times (in length, on 36×24 screen)

the Lens used was the one I’ve hand-made to take May Fly Egg before (click the Link here).

———— (This photo is a comparison, taken by Pentax 20mm F4  Lens, in Revers with Extension Ring,

————  but to make a comparison, photo was trimmed to the same size = x16,  like the photo above. 

————  As it was able to stop down to F8 ,  Depth of Field was much deeper than Microscope Lens )

As often the case, it looks pretty and fragile though, nature do have sharp claw and poison.

= Disneylized  romanticized look is just a thin veneer ( still, it would inspire a child’s dream

” Like a Dandelion seed,  fly away in a wind and have a bloom somewhere in a new world” =

how romantic ! ) though = they also live in the same, or even harsher Samsara.  

(And they are really the Nemesis of a gardener   😀 ) —– Through the evolution, Dandelion

seed must have adopted this looks brutal barbed armor, against eaten by a bird.

And this photo was taken by Canon EF Macro F2.8 , at F2.8,  magnification was  x1.

And in comparison, this photo was taken by a lens, once regarded to be one of the best

Macro Lens, Tamron SP 90mm F2.5  at F2.5  with Extension Rings,  magnification was  x1.5.

( Because of this lens has some softness at F2.5, quite few photographer loved it for female

portrait, but I used this lens only for closeup work ) —– all those shots here are for the tests

of shallow focus and the soft image at the fully opened F aperture, since when I found an

Olympus 50mm Macro F2 lens has phenomenal off-focus “Boke” = I wanted to investigate.

[]

In photography, there are two opposite approaches to emphasize the subject = one is using

wide angle lens and close to the subject, hence make the subject over-sized.   😀

The another is, to use telephoto lens, and focus only to the subject. —– even though I like to

do [Man-watching] in distance, when I come to take photo, I don’t like sneak view. 

I like to have face to face, and communicate with the subject, or to commit to the situation. 

( This is the attitude of [Engagement] of the Existentialism and the  Mahayana Buddhism. ) 

—– As I started my photography taking photos of plants, insects = use smaller F-aperture

to get sharper image, deep depth of field was the norm. = I was not a man to use the lens with 

its F-aperture fully opened —– unless the situation demand, under a dim light.  🙂 )

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In the life, nothing is simple but having many contradicting facets.   Behind of loving care

of  Tiger mother to her cab, there are misery of a Deer family.   Even a fluffy dandelion seed

having such fierce face which I didn’t know until I gave a very close look.

We tend to makeup a convenient story from just one facet, in most of the case with our

ignorance, or even worse, with a sake of convenience to make the story nice and sweet.

So that, such as in the Eightfold Right Path of Buddhism = to make Right Speech needs to

have right knowledge and the understanding.   It’s  quite a tall order isn’t it.  

And with a crèche, we casually use an expression how gorgeous the spring blossoms are,

or glorious golden color of autumn trees and so on, but nature may not be there to

please mankind = Flower was there, waiting the insects, and we just happen to be there.

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To interpret the Nature in our sake is just our Ego, and romanticize it would be a delusion.

Who said, Mankind conquer the Nature ?  — We only found a bit of way to tamper it, that all.

They may not willfully Brutal against us, as they have no self or Ego, but the Mechanism.

This Mechanism contain us as its part, but they operates without recognize us.

—– and this System is what the Nature mean.   And this is the Dharma in Buddhism.

To see it beautiful or brutal is in our eyes, in fact it’s all in our Mind.  Nature is just there.

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Shallow Focus — Pan Focus (with tilting lens)

Some sharp eyed reader quizzed me, the photos of Dandelion seed are odd on previous post.

Very good eyes and the knowledge on photographic image !  —– So, I reveal the trick behind.

There is no such things [Lens Rivers Adapter for Canon EF lens].

But it is just a lens mount ring with a male filter thread on the other end.  That’s all.

If Canon is not selling,  make it ourself.   Why not  😀

Anyone can put two together with glue !   What’s the hands for ?  (not much brain needed ) 😀

But to make it,  I wouldn’t just glue together straight —– I glued them in 40 degree in angle !

(I wanted to make it 45 degree though, it was too much, and caused image-cut off = I had to

compromise though, the photo is using the image to the edge, quality became pretty low )

—– With this tilted lens, Focused field is 80 degree in angle to the camera = much easy to have

a light and able to creates Pan-Focus effect.  (Photo above, Left)

But, when it was tilted to the opposite angle,  focused field is perpendicular to the object, hence

it shows very shallow focus and exaggerated off-the-focus “Boke“.  (Photo above, Center)

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In fact, I’ve been using this Pan-Focus effect since I created Yoshi-Handy and Conica-Tilt

40 years ago, long before Canon TS lens. (You can see both cameras in an old post = Link here)

unlike this Tilted Revers Ring on 5D,  Conica Tilt gave a Pan-Focus from lens front to infinity.

———————- (Without the Lens lock pin, lens was secured by a crow inside, operated by the top-left round lever)

———————- (Incidentally, the Iris was automatically operated by a solenoid on the moment of shatter release)

To have a pan-focus to infinity in one shot, one side of the lens has to sink into the camera body,

so that, the camera front had to be Huck-sawed,  giving a margin of lens movement.

(See the inside detail in a photo right —– to do this kind of work = to prevent the camera

mechanism jammed by the metal dust, all the mechanism had to be removed

= it’s mean, camera had to be completely disassembled and made it to an empty shell).

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With this modification, lens can tilt 30 degree max, and one side of the lens is effectively

extended 18 mm = with such extension  to 15 or 16 mm lens meant, it is effectively

life-size macro !   (As I was an original member of  PCW (Personal Computer World Magazine,

until they were bought up by I.P.C) this tilting lens camera enabled to produce a photo 

“Foreground  is a CPU chip, and background is the computer company’s building, in one shot”)

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I’m planning to make yet another lens tilting camera using Canon 5D body (though, I have to

do its hack-saw work without disassembling the camera body   😀  )   May be I Just Do It. 

( It is a Zen in ACTION !   With open-minded way, there is no prohibition.  Only, Do the best  :-))

This is a photo of a Canon EOS Body.   Although this is the Body of EOS RT,  as most of the

camera designer in the same company are using the same layout of  the mechanism, even

using the same frame die-cast,  (since the position of Switch, lens-lock-pin are all same)

it wouldn’t be so different on 5D body.  = to modify the body to tilting-lens body only needs

to remove the metal frame marked between yellow stickers. ( —– in theory.   😀 )

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