Zeiss and Zeiss — (Last shot on the Flower Patch)

It’s still a day before Summer Solstice though, the flower patch

I’ve been photographing was coming to the end.  So, seemingly this

was the last shot there and for this occasion, I used the recycled 

£1 Zeiss Talon lens and the genuine Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm F1.4 

T* lens on Canon 5D Mk-III for a comparison.

On the photos above, left was shot by Talon lens and the right was

by the Planar F1.4 lens.  Since Talon lens was F2.8, the F1.4 lens 

 at F1.4 showed much shallower depth of field.

And here, the left photo was taken by Talon lens and the right photo 

was by the Planar F1.4 lens, but as the modified Talon lens got quite 

long focusing helicoid (it was not a screw helicoid but a rotating cam) 

which allows the 1/3 close-up, against this, 85mm F1.4 lens can close 

only to 1m (1/12), hence the photo right was a heavily cropped image. 

—– still, they showed amazingly similar characteristics, such as

the type of Bokeh.

And the rest of the photos here were from the £1 Recycled Lens = “Zeiss Talon Lens”

In fact, I was rather impressed by this quality performance !

As this lens was designed for a projector lens, (= never used for infinity) 

it was pretty good in close-up work !  (Ordinary lens was designed to work 

best in the infinity and the macro lens was designed to be best in the x10

magnification.) — Then give a thought, if a lens of 2 or 3 lenses structure 

could give such good performance, why we DO need to have an elaborated,

heavy, expensive lens.  (Mind you, all those photos were taken at fully open

F2.8 = anyhow no Iris there.)  😀    

But, this last photo was by the Planar F1.4 lens at F1.4 (all photos’  

aperture were fully open). —– Recycled 50 years old lens costed me   

£1 and the 85mm F1.4 lens was £600 even for a secondhand.

= May be we should start to think about what we really need from

a camera lens.  Like a so-called HD sound (called Hi-Resi in Japan)

do we need such a high resolution —– Does it make any difference

on our life ? — Wasn’t that mere illusion created by the company and

a ploy to sell yet another new model to us ?

What the photo image meant to us ? — DO we ever watched the world

in 10MP details, let alone to remember in such a detail ? ? ?    😀

[]

Daffodil — Lens Test

As the spring has started, I took the lenses (in fact quite few) which I “made” duling 

 the winter hibernation out to the test.  🙂

And those lenses were designed to use with 

 tilting bellows I specially made for Canon 5D.

Photo left, Those three lenses (mounted on the

 Nikon mount adapter) were saved from 

 the broken cameras or lenses.

— Left one came from Canon G9, center one from an old zoom lens and the right one

came from a Wide-adapter and as they are having focal-length about 50mm~60mm

therefore effective F-aperture is about F2 (fully open only ! )   And being used on the

Tilting bellows they are able to give a focus from infinity to more than 1:1 close-up.

(with a bit of difficulty on use.  😀 )

Most of the photos here were taken by the “Center lens” photo before, except

the right photo above, which was taken by the Canon Fisheye lens.

Well, they were just a fraction of test shot —– still, shows some results

which I appreciate a lots.  🙂       ( —– whatever you say.  😀  ) 

[]

Hoben (方便) / Upaya — (2)

Most of the books I refer to, are I brought from Japan and unless I need to find

the English word, I do not look into Wiki kind. —– So, I tell you the truth,

until few days ago, I didn’t know that there a Sanskrit word for Hoben (方便), Upaya

existed.   In Japan Hoben is a widely used word spread out of the Buddhism,

which has an extended meaning of “convenient mean” or “easy alternative” kind,

and the original Buddhist context was masked by those common usage.

Lord Buddha’s witty teachings, which was timely and suit to the occasion, or to

the person speaking to, is a well known stories, hence those witty talk style has

been adapted by the Zen talk, or even by the children’s comic book “Ikkyu-san”.

As its casual use became so common, we almost forgotten it had a Buddhism origin.

—– So that, to find this word, “Upaya” really surprised me, not because of its

meaning but the attitude, the ancient monk did created a dedicated nickname for 

Lord Buddha’s talking style, yet still, they couldn’t find the meaning of

Lord Buddha’s silence.

[]

Do you talk about the prostitute or prostitution in public ? I don’t think you do.

It’s a dirty talk and officially, it’s not exist in your life.  And if it’s not in the society,

neither a word prostitution exists.   It’s mean, even if anybody asked about it, you

can not understand what it mean nor able to answer.

To Lord Buddha, talking about Atman or Self never happened, because no such things

of the Self exists and to talk about a thing which is not exists was nothing but a 

delusion and it is a dirty talk.   Because of it is not exists and as he doesn’t have, it was 

no use to make a question about the Self or its reincarnation to him, because 

he wouldn’t answer anyway, since even no word, no notion was there.

= This was the reason why, to those questions, there was no answer from

Lord Buddha at all.

[]

And when the teaching was related to the Self, there was no explanatory words

but to show the practice which would lead to the “Selfless State of the mind” —–

or just to give a smile, otherwise (if you can’t get it), the excommunication.

(This was the reason why no explanation of “No Self” was in the scripture.

—– either it was omitted because of the conflict with the Hinduism or it couldn’t

be written down because, no such things like a Self exists.)

(In Buddhism, especially in Zen, there is nothing between Yes and No.

Yes mean 200% commitment but if it was No, even a word No itself is no longer exist.

= it is not a denial or even an argument but a total erasure = the subject, the matter

is completely disappeared. = hence no psychological conflict.

When no-self, there is even no subject, who is thinking the matter.)

___/\___

[]

Magnolia in the Park

When I moved in this area, this park was named as the most derelict park

in London by a popular newspaper.  In fact, this local council was the

most mismanaged council in London.  And for such council, the Park kind

has the least priority in their spending list.

So, it looked more like a disused land with over grown grass and the weed and  

the grown trees showed no order (why this tree was here ?  kind of situation.)

But I liked its wild growth,  much better than the trimmed grass.

Make the story short,  I have discovered a Magnolia Grandiflora in this park

= while coming here over ten years, I didn’t know it was here and blooming.  

Because, the tree was hidden behind the many other tall trees.  

I discoved its flower by chance, from the distance.

To take picture of this big flower (often more than 10″ big = hence the name

Grandiflora) it needs to see the flower from above.  It’s mean, unless having

a flower on a cutted branch,  photographer got to be very lucky.

— But I wasn’t.   😦

[]

Riot of Flowers (1)

The photos from the same flower patch and by the same homemade lens.

The different tone was created by the combination of  White Balance in

the camera and a digital adjustment in the PC. 

I like those photo’s  Opal like tone.

[]

Meadow Flower – (2)

Yet another photos from the same flower patch as before.  

And this time, I used the same homemade lens and the Zeiss 85 mm F1.4 lens.

On the photo, if the back ground image was not completely out of focus in a Bokhe,  

such as this one and the top photo, they were taken by 2 element homemade lens.

Other photos, which got strong Bokhe in the back ground, like this one,

it was taken by the Zeiss 85 mm lens with  F1.4  aperture setting.

Not only it is a short telephoto  85 mm,  its extremely bright  1.4 F-aperture gives

very shallow depth of field —– yet still, the image in focus has pretty good details.

(That what this lens was famous for)

The photo Right is in fact the part enlargement of the Left photo.

Likewise, Right photo was a pert enlargement of the photo Left.

When this 85 mm lens was used on the close-up distance, it shows very

soft Bokhe due to the increased Coma aberration, which I like very much. 

Stopped down to a smaller F-aperture, hence increase the depth of field,

photo became like ordinary photo.  🙂

Still, which way to chose is depend on the purpose and the taste.

My original image of the wild flower meadow was in my vague child’s memory,

when the flowers were taller than me, and it was far more than 60 years ago.

There shouldn’t be the same clear images, therefore,  I don’t need to see

the images from a catalog  of a garden-center kind.

(And, I do no longer dealing with the reference book publisher.)

[]

Cherry

One of the most popular tree of Cherry, they got hundred of species and may 

be thousand of garden varieties.    So that, all of their flowers look more or less

the same though, when it came to the fruits, they are amazingly different.  =

Not only the sizes or color —– but only a thing it would be certain, is, the most

of them are not nice to eat at all.   Only an exception I ever encountered was,  

the Cherry trees standing on the road side outskirt of  Wurzburg in Germany.

(Though, I wouldn’t guaranty  you to find the same street and the tree.  😀 )

That cherry was the same kind sold in the shop, the dark colored one.

I guess, the local council just planted the same variety for Cherry fruits.

(But I don’t know how their flowers looks like. )

[]

Many years ago, once European farmers tried to export their cherries to

Japan though, non was sold.  To the Japanese, Cherry got to have the color

like the one in the top photo and of cause the sweetness with subtle acidity.

So, this Cherry got the right color, the size was somewhat a half of “Salable”

standard in Japan but this one got awful bitter taste.

[]

Strangely you may think, not so many fruits yelling Cherry in Japan.  

There are hundreds of different Cherries there though, most of the tree

commonly planted there were the variety called  Somei-yoshino, which

was created  in a Somei village somewhere north of Edo (now called Tokyo).

Since it was a specially created hybrid, this Somei-yoshino is infertile ; ie

there is no cherry fruit !  = No seed.   And all the Somei-yoshino in the world

were propagated from single tree by means of grafting = one by one by hand. 

Therefore, thousands cherry trees planted on the bank of Potomac river

Washington, US were all created in the same manner and genetically

they are all identical clones.

[]

What makes this Somei-yoshino so special was,  when flower is open, there is

no leaves  and when the flower finished, each flower petals falls like a snow.

= Symbolizing the Ethos of Samurai.   The beauty in the death.    ! ! !

[]

Unanswered Questions 無記

Without doubt, the biggest problem in Buddhism is that against some questions why

Lord Buddha didn’t give an answer.  

This is an issue known as “10 (or 14) Unanswered questions” which was known in Japan and China [無記] = Muki or Wu-ji. —– With seeing all those questions, it is obvious, no answer was given to the matter of [Infinite] [Eternal] kind, the time and the space of the Universe, and the matter related to [I] or [Self].

—- obviously, like us, a small mortals fussing about the infinite eternal Universe kind of imaginary matter IS utterly waste of the time.    (Especially when Einstein was not born yet. 😀 )

And the matter of I or Self is not existing = Who can give an answer for “Non-existent phantom” = this was the very fundamental stance of what

Lord Buddha taught, strangely you may think, it was not elucidated in the scripture. —– Why ? Because, such matter was not existing = how to elucidate the Self which is not exists. —– After all, there was no teachings of abstract nor imaginary idea = its mean there was no “Spiritual kind of concept” in the Buddhism.

[]In fact, this is the question even bigger than the “Unanswered Question”.

Lord Buddha denying the existence of the Self / Atman was his fundamental stance therefore, the “matter of the existence of the Self” itself was not existed = because,his own Self was not there. = When he couldn’t see his own Self, in his own mind, how he could guess other’s mind and analyze “so-called Self”. 

(It may sound complicated though, IT’S simple — for instance, you may suffer from Alien fever symptom from the space though, actually no such illness ever existed = it was your imagination.   In such situation, what is the point to discuss the matter — only the remedy is you to open the eyes and become aware that no such fever exist and symptom was own delusion !)

Lord Buddha’s teaching of No-Self couldn’t have even an explanation because the word to deny the Self is, “in effect” recognize the existence of the Self.  It sound strange though, this teachings of Selflessness was not necessary understood even by his closest attendance, Ananda (he was a cousin of Lord Buddha) as he kept asking why not answer.)

When ever a kind of explanation of No-Self appeared in the scripture, it was a kind of metaphor, such as to explain what is Real Giving = “Giving without having a conscious of “I’m giving” is the Real Giving”.    Or even worse, “Giving as not Giving” — You can not understand this by reading or by thinking —- but only by DOING.

(I’m sure, if you DO the giving million times, you will become an expert of giving to hand-out the money to a needy, food for a hungry, a rope for a man to hung without need to think ! ) Like the teachings through Tea-making — after 10, 20 years of practice, when the person fully mastered and able to make a perfect Tea, even with the eyes closed, it’s mean all the procedure has been completely programmed into own subconscious and the motor-region of the brain, therefore all the process of Tea-making could be done without the Self or any thinking (= it has all been done in Mushin) — still, it doesn’t necessary the person did (intellectually) understood the Selflessness.  ( —– Ideally, the person can make a Tea without having any notion of Zen or Buddhism even Tea-making is the best, and it IS closest to be an Ichijo.)

It would be much clearer to see it in the case how to ride a Bicycle = there is no theory or explanation or understanding is necessary, but by actually master it by the body you can ride it. —– Then, when you ride it, you can do it without a conscious of that you ARE riding the bicycle = “You ARE riding it without your SELF” and more importantly, this selfless condition / situation IS NOT an imaginary / spiritual matter. = IT IS A HARD EXISTENCE. = And to become aware or grasp this condition as it IS (without the literal interpretation = without thinking) IS what all about the the teachings of Lord Buddha.  = Just to be riding, as to be Ichijo in riding, even without having the awareness of riding, of course, without the conscious of “Me riding this” = IS the situation becoming a part of the Dharma, or the Dharma itself. (= when you became able to glasp this Dharma, it is your Clear Eyes = So as the Dharma IS not an abstract idea neither imaginary existence = this HARD FACT is the Enlightenment though, in reality, what you ARE seeing IS the same existence and the same fact = this world (nothing new neither special) = hence, it’s a Dog Shit.

And this tradition = learn from the practice, only kept Zen Buddhism as Buddhism of No-Self —– not by the scripture which doesn’t contain the explanation of  [Selflessness]  anyway. —– Think, Selflessness IS NOT a spiritual matter at all.  It IS a fact “you can do it without your own conscious” and its physical, neuro-phisiological mechanism IS the Selflessness.

___/\___

[]

Snap-shot by DD-Pinhole

All the photos here were taken by my ” Wide-angle Double-density Pinhole” on

Canon 5D Mk-III.  In fact on that day, I went for a walk only with this lens (?)

and the Tamron 500 mm Mirror lens, hoping to see Parakeets.

Original pinhole got about 60 degree of view though, with the additional concave

lens ( from a Canon Zoom lens) the angle was greatly widened to nearly 100 degree.

You may guess that the Pinhole Camera needs to have long exposure though,

with the advantage of Hi-ISO digital camera, such as with ISO 12,500,  the shutter

time can be  1/80~1/8 like this outside shot. —– who care with slightly

blared photo on 1/4 or 1/2 slow shutter any way.  😀

The best thing was,  no visual details were given in the image,  

no further information would be needed.   Photo has atmosphere only.

So, the photography (for me at least) purely a fun.

No complicated notion about the subjects or message in the photo 

= image or the subjects were there just as they are.

To see the world in clear eyes, the world showed its fuzzy nature.

This paradox is what the Dharma is.

 ___/\___

[]

Walk on Greenwich (2)

Those photos were taken same time as the previous post,

and this is the group of flower images.  Yes, it’s the spring.

And yet more Magnolia.

This is a Rhododendron ! —– It’s crazy.  Rhododendron in March ? ? ?

And this is a Catkin though, I don’t know the Catkin of which tree.  🙂

——————————————–

Those photos were the odd addition. —— round the corner of the town.

Time to time I see Olive tree, still to see it fruiting was very rare.

By the way, this is my 600th post still, nothing special

= life just goes on as Zen.

___/\___

[]