It’s the Gaudy Lens

I developped 10s of devices/lenses to obtain painting like fuzzy effect

— and so far this gaudy lens seemed to be the best device for the job.

No filter or attachment available on the market  nor digital

manipuration can make the same effect.

(simplly nobody else needed => no manifacturer wanted to make)

So, I’m enjoying a dance alone in the middle of nowhere.   😀

The best things of this gaudy lens is, its balance of fuzzyness

and the ability to retain a certain details of the image.

(In fact, I can controle it by the size of paper hole/iris and

the amount of over-exposure/halation = so, it is not

like a wild animal of DD-Pinhole)  Ha ha ha  😀

.

 

Meadow by Twisted Lens

This was the first field test of the so-called

Twisted Lens = Two convex lenses stacked on a bellows.

As the lens was on a bellows they were easily

re-positioned = so, the effect of blur was adjusted.

As the lens was on the bellows, they were rather awkward

to use, nevertheless it managed to produce the photos.

You might wonder why I fuss about such fuzzy images =

The reason is, in our eyes we may not seeing sharp clear

images — they might be the brain re-constructed image.

(Remember, we never see straight line with rownd eye balls

— straight line IS the re-construction in the brain) 

That’s why we are surprised and impressed by the sharp

clear photos, same as when we see a detailed close-up

photo of an insect which we can’t see otherwise.

[]

Takumi

At the Wireless Wednesday gathering in Greenwich, we had

2 laptops to repair.  One was a quite hi-spec Dell which needed

to change a HDD and the other was HP. 

Dell needed to completely disassemble to see the back of mother

board = so many screws had to be removed, and the cables had

to be disconnected etc etc.

—– Then, when two of the cables to Wi-fi module needed to be

re-connected, the guy who has been dealing with this kind of

the work very well, couldn’t manage to insert the connector,

and neither the other guy managed to do too. — strange ? ? ?

The cables to Wi-fi module were not simple power wire kind but

the hi-frequency coaxial cables.   So, the connecting post was not a

simple metal stud but a coaxial connector and the male connector

has to be inserted exactly parallel to the female counter part,

otherwise the needle thin center pin would be broken.

—– While watching them try, I found their finger couldn’t keep

the cable straight, neither the finger pushing it is steady.

= So, it was the time for the Zen Buddhist to join the game.

And the cables were safely connected.   😀

[]

When earthquake struck Kumamoto,  Japan,  quite few hi-tech

company there had to close and it sent a shiver to many other

manufacturers in the world.  Such as Sony has their factory for

image sensor there = if it’s production stopped and the export

delayed, the production of iPhone in China would be stopped.

(Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad had to postporn the

sale of their medium format camera H6D, because the production

of 100 Mp image sensor  in  Sony, Kumamoto  was disrupted —

in fact, 80% 0f digital camera in the world relying on Sony)

When China got their industrial development,  they took over

the top position of manufacturing business — that they thought.

— While ago, China’s Premier Lee Karchan was so annoyed to

find that they needed to import even a ball of ball-point pen.

In deed, 60% of  iPhone was made by the Japanese components =

the components of which China couldn’t make by themselves

even when they bought and used the same machine.

So the world started to pay an attention,  Why only Japanese got a

skill to make certain component or device, and started to talk about

the Takumi (匠), such as the Mind-set of Takumi, Skill of Takumi.

(Takumi mean, the Master of something) —– the economists,

industrialists etc talking a lots about the Takumi though so far non

of them seemed to be aware of the sublimated tradition of the Zen.

When a craftsman (even an engineer) try to learn, they try it again

and again and develop a state of concentration of the mind = this is

a condition what Zen Buddhists call Mushin.  Since the concentration

in Mushin is to vacate the brain, not push high tension to the mind,

such as the blood pressure,  testosterone level doesn’t go high = able to

keep the mind and the hands calm and steady.  (= able to do the job

without an emotion or any useless thought.)

= And this was the way to use the tool and in control in making.

So, this IS what the Takumi doing.

___/\___

[]

 

 

Tulip tulip (in Focus Shift Photo)

You must feel a sigh of relief — this is normal shot.   🙂

So, this is it.   Aren’t they pretty ?   🙂

.                 

 

 

 

 

Ephemeral Evanescence

Beauty in Japanese nature and the people’s life style, well

harmonized with its nature is so famous = so, you may think.

And you may think a famous touristic spot of such as the

Cherry Blossom is naturally there from ancient time.

Well, this IS the biggest paradox or contradiction, even

a trick in the Japanese culture.  = Virtually all the famous

Cherry spots are intentionally created by planting the tree

which was artificially grafted and propagated Somei-yoshino. 

—– Cherry tree has limited life about 60~100 years. 

Therefore, those Cherries of the famous places has been

re-planted 2~3 times since the original Somei-yoshino came.

(simply, when the tree became too big,  they brake and fall)

Because of the Somei-yoshino could only be propagated by

grafting,  unless the tree was intentionally planted,

it wouldn’t exist there.  They are the Created Art.

The situation is the same in those Japanese gardens,

even a garden in the Buddhist temple was “created”

= Still they look like a real landscape in great nature.

(I don’t think, you ever imagined that famous Rock Garden

in the Ryoan-ji temple did naturally exists there.  😀  )

It’s like a Bonsai !    Looks like a great tree in the nature —

though, to create those realistic Bonsai tree, the craftsman

spent 10 even 50 years to shape it. = This IS the Zen. 

The most peculiar things in the Japanese culture / Ethos is

such Zen Ethos has been kept not only by the monk or

religious people but by everybody without their conscious.

Zen doesn’t speak. It have to be learned by looking and to

try oneself. Therefore, what learned couldn’t be explained.

(Because they are not aware of it, they don’t talk about,

therefore, foreign journalist could not find and describe it.

= So, the Japanese mind/attitude/Ethos stay in the myth.)

And the Zen Ethos of impermanence/ephemerality, even a

death has been symbolized in the Japanese Cherry Blossom.

( = Beauty in its fall !)

(Hence, lots of Japanese Military establishments having their emblem

with Cherry flower pattern, and their barrack has Cherry garden.  

And the Kamikaze suicidal-rocket-bomb made on the last stage of the

last war was named Ouka = 桜花 = Cherry Blossom )

[]

Zen and its ethos keep driving the Japanese to even more

refinement/improvement = So that, the next generation of

Somei-yoshino is coming as the Jindai-akebono which is

stronger than Somei-yoshino against the virus.

(This new variety of Cherry has been created by crossing the

Edo-higan Zakura and the (almost original) Somei-yoshino

back from Washington USA.  Now the Flower Association of

Japan stop to distribute Somei-yoshino and recommending

to plant Jindai-akebono.)  (The name Jindai =  because it 

was established in the Jindai Botanical Garden in Tokyo)

—– to express the beauty and its ephemerality and the tree

to symbolize it = Cherry = and the quest to develop stronger

tree in order to express ephemerality is a real paradox.  😀

[]

 

 

Citron bath on Winter Solstices (for Monkey)

冬至でサルもゆず湯

>>> http://www.jiji.com/jc/pp?d=pp_2015&p=latest-jpp020507192

To make a Citron Bath on Winter Solstice is a Japanese tradition.

It was regarded to be good for the winter health.

So, why not to Monkeys too.   🙂

[]

Cult Party

My friend’s Immersible Cult got 2 years anniversary and had

an end of the year party.  Especially they organized “Tokyo Dream”

party this year which was even featured in the Evening Standard

ES magazine, the party got quite few Japanese guests as well.

Free meals and drinks — though, they were completely vegetarian 

= boiled alive potatoes, skinned alive carrot etc etc.

= not much mercy for them.   🙂

In fact the guests are the staffs or the freelance artists who has been

involved into those projects etc = worked together, familiar faces.

Still, I do necessary know every faces neither who was doing what.

(In this time, those fuzzy photos were taken by a homemade

So-called Gaudy Lens — though some of them were out of focus)

Then the attraction started = Japanese singing/performing group

Frank Chickens. (Started here as the female Ninja !)

But, I’m not sure what are they doing.  🙂

The singers group Frank Chickens started 70s —–

and now having some new and young members.

(and even Irish and Polish men as well)

They sound something Rockefeller Building — ?

Don’t ask me what.  🙂

Then the party went into a dancing conclusion.

And so on, so on ~ ~ ~ till early morning.

[]

New Year’s Card 2016

So, It’s the season again.   🙂     2016 is a year of Monkey !

The card samples here are from Japan Post and they are free to

download for personal use.

In their original site you can see lots lots more design though, you need

Japanese reading still, you can try click and find what’s there.

Some of the cards  showed the pattern of　申 it is in fact the

letter of monkey.  Normally, we (Japanese) use the letter  猿　

for the monkey, but Chinese use the  猴  for the monkey.

Still, only to say the Year of Monkey  we use  申  for monkey.

Don’t ask me why, it’s the ancient 4000 years tradition.

🙂  🙂  🙂

Those Links also provide Free Design Templates.

They are reputed, trouble-free good site.  = Worth visiting.  🙂

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/categories/CAT-ST01-0016/index.html  — (Canon)

http://www.designbank-nenga.com/

http://nengarank.com/html/index.html

http://www.wanpagu.com/top_illustration.html

[]

 

Pinhole Machine in the Field

It’s not a Pinball Machine.  And a photo above is a Japanese maple ! 

As I explained in the Previous post, it is a combined / selectable Pinhole.

Single Pinhole, Multiple Pinholes and a Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole

were all in one panel, with or without a Wide-angle Front Lens.

Those were taken by the Concentric-DD pinhole.

They too, by the DD pinhole with the typical radiating halation.

And those images were taken by the Multiple (4) Pinholes.

If you carefully check the photo, you will find the 4 repeated images.

And DD pinhole image again. (Some years ago I made similar image !)

In the same time same subject but by the Multiple Pinholes.

Taken by a single pinhole though, with a very slow shutter speed =

camera was shaken, bird has moved = hence utterly blurry image.  🙂

Still, they were the very painterly images which I wanted.

By the DD Pinhole.

Last moment of sun hit the Single Pinhole and created

fantastic diffraction pattern.

Single Pinhole with half a second shutter speed = camera shake.   😀

And this image —– 1.6 second exposure.

(I would rather say, not too bad for a hand-held shot !)

I think, the Lens (?) worked well for the purpose to produce

impressionists like / painterly image !   🙂

(You must have seen the most unusable photos here though,

if you like to have so-called good photo, use Phone-camera.)

[]

Evolution of PINHOLE System

Till now, I made quite a lot of Pinhole to take pictures for my

Canon, Nikon and invented “Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole,

and Wide-angle Pinhole. 

On top of those, even Double, Triple Pinhole, Tri-Color Pinhole

— on the end, it’s a mess. = In order to rationalize, I designed a

Convertible Type = Simple Single Pinhole, up-to-4 Multiple Pinhole

and Concentric-DD Pinhole with Selecting Tab, on the Nikon Mount

(Which is easily converted to the Canon) together with Detachable

Wide-angle Lens on front. 

So, the sample images were, Top photo Left = by Single Pinhole, 

Middle = Triple Pinholes,  Right= Concentric-Double-Density Pinhole.

In this photo, Left is the Detachable Wide-angle (Diverging) Lens. 

In the Middle, Triangle-ish panel which got 3 selection of Pinholes can 

be moved to each position.      Right is a NikonAI  to  CanonEF adapter.

Photo left is my kitchen.

Or you may call my work shop.

—– you may realized, how

my work is casual.   😀

Still, it’s OK to produce

properly machined like quality ! 

And the photo here showed the effect of = with or without the

wide-angle lens.

And the photo here, right, the panel shows 4 holes — by moving

rear panel, the selected Pinhole will come to the position.

Photos from the window —

Left = Single Pinhole,   Middle = Triple Pinhole. 

Right = Concentric-DD Pinhole.

—– So, I have to go out to make worthwhile pictures !

* * *

Incidentally, a test shot of “that rose” with this DD Pinhole was:

Considering it IS mere hole, without focus or any control, still

the image was somewhat comparable to a good German lens

—– isn’t this, amazing ?

—– Or, unlike the Leiz, the Zeiss might have kept their belief

on “Natural Optical Image” like this !

—– Mind you, the Pinhole is not a “Light-bending” Lens or a

Grass, therefore neither has aberration inherent to the Lens at all.

Still, the outer (larger)  hole of Double-Density Pinhole here is

acting as a “Dispersed” Light-pass, hence showing similar effect of 

the Spherical Aberration (= effect of light coming from not only the 

center but the outer area of the lens as well which is not necessary

converges the light to the same point = make the image softer.

[]