1/4 lens !

After two attempt of two 1/2 double lens, it would go to even 1/4, naturally. (Anyway, it was only a matter of hacksaw and a glue work. And it was what an Otaku lives for. 😀 )

Photo left = Covering the lens with black tape and see the effect = even from a small part of the lens, good enough image would be created. Photo right = so, only 1/4 of the lens to produce the main image and 3/4 lens for the out of focus bokeh.

The plastic lens was mounted to the Sony A7R camera (yet the lens can be attached to the Nikon Z as well.)

So, this homemade lens will produce the image even worse than those W-lens A or B ! 😀 —– can you guess how happy I am. Ha Ha Ha 😀

So, they are the regular test shot. (This dry rose has been working for me the past 5 years !)

In case, if anyone wanted to see more natural image for a comparison, those are the images from the ordinary (?) 110 Pentax 24mm lens on the Nikon Z.

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Ensign Viewfinder Camera ?

This photo was taken through the viewfinder of the 1940s Ensign camera.

Ensign camera was produced by the English Houghtons Ltd. And this streamlined Ful-Vue was made around 1946, using 120 film for 6×6 format.

I got this camera from the London Camera Exchange’s odds and ends box however as it came together with other shopping, I don’t know how much the price of this one though —– as it was non working dirty junk, price could not be more than few pound. SO, I spent next few days to clean and repair. (now the camera was cleaned and in good working condition !)

Camera itself was designed in the streamlined style and having large “aerial image viewfinder” (so that, it was named “Ful-Vue”) —– While checking this aerial image, I realised that I can take picture through this viewfinder. = = = So, I fixed a thin Nikon Z mount adaptor on Ensign’s viewfinder.

Unlike aerial image itself, the image through viewfinder lens could give only 1 feet (30 cm) focus. —– still, for close-up photo, its soft image was pretty interesting.

Though the viewfinder lens doesn’t have any great quality. Its got quite a heavy chromatic aberration. (still, for a fuzzy photo fan, those red and blue fringes were the mere accompanying decoration)

A difficulty of shooting with this camera was, to shoot a front subject while looking down, while following the subject which moves opposite direction. (because, they are the mirror image —– yet, strangely, while viewfinder’s aerial image is not reversed, why the photograph through the same lens got to be reversed or upside down ? ? ? 😀

May be I should have proper shooting test of this camera through its main lens, which is about 95 mm focal length with 12 mm diameter (its mean, the lens is about F8) —– but, no F-aperture, or Focus control ! = even worse, I don’t know how fast is its “Instant” shutter speed. (Shutter has Instant and Time ( = B) setting though, there is no tripod screw — How to use this B setting ? ? ? = 1940s people must have very solid steady hand) 😀

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Archery Contest — Zen ? ? ?

There is an annual Archery Contest in a Japanese Buddhists Temple = Sanjyu-sangen-do, Kyoto. (If you are interested in its details, please google > Toshi-ya, Sanjyu-sangen-do ) (the Viz here is the Female Archer’s day’)

What I want to talk about here is not about its history or meaning, but the way how Japanese Archery / Kyu-do was done.

From the Viz here, you must be realised that the Japanese Kyu-do mount the Arrow outside of the Bow, and not aiming the Arrow while watching its direction from the back. Unlike a western archery, cross-bow, or a riful gun there is no “sight” to aim the target. The eyes, the head of archer is the other side. So, you might be wondering how the archer could aim the Arrow to the target ?

Training is to train the body function, its power and the coordination to higher level. —– In the case of Karate, (say, hit an opponent by a fist) the movement and the control is rather simple as it is the matter of the hand’s movement. Though, if it involve a weapon, the coordination has to become a bit more complicated as the movement became indirect. — still, like cutting a lemon, the body (hand) need to keep the knife steady and make its movement constant, while involving rather small number of the muscles, while having the straight feedback of the each movement through the eyes. (On this “cutting lemon” arrangement, even a direction of the knife blade could be changed while the blade is in the middle of lemon.)

Though, the Japanese Kyu-do’s control is incredibly indirect. Certainly the Archer is seeing the target and stand towards the target though, we can not see any further details of the control, how minute adjustment of the angle was transelated into the arm’s muscle or body position etc.

In this field, a book [ZEN in the ART of ARCHERY] by Eugen Herrigel has almost historical significance. (—– though, as the Kyu-do has no mechanical system of the “Control”, neither Zen use the verbal communication to explain how, the book wouldn’t give you any answer how the arrow could hit the tail of the first arrow. But only hinting something spiritual made the arrow to fly.)

In Zen term, it is the state of the Ichijo = Body and the Mind, the Bow and the Arrow, the target, and even the air all became one by abandoning all those. In Buddhists term, it was absorbed by Dharma. = By abandoning all the aim or thought to hit, obtaining the natural control of the Dharma = this paradox IS the core of the Zen Buddhism.

In This extent, the Book by Eugen Herrigel was a very rare and important guide book to learn the Zen. To learn the Zen, an innocent, naive man could not able to learn anything by sitting. Because there wouldn’t be any explanation of Zen let alone what the sitting for. Yet still, that book explain, how to negate the own Ego by exactry follow and copy the way to do the Kyu-do. And the way to abondan even the intention to hit = to become the Void oneself. (The book was written by the outsider = not by Zen monk, hence the trade secret has been exposed ! ) So, the reader could able to learn the mechanism of the Zen.

However, if it was looked at more demystified angle, the control of the Kyu-do might be somewhat similar to the Skiing. Control of the ski board couldn’t be done by just the legs but needs to have all the coordination of the whole body, on top of the snow condition and the topography, even the weather. Then the certain aim or a mind goes to the ski, yet still, we are not skiing while thinking how to ski. There may not be a kind of “The Mind of Ski” —– it could be empty. But, without having any thinking of control, if the aim was goes left, the ski goes left. There may not be any mythical control behind still, in the certain level of advanced skill, whole control of ski or Kyu-do could be done in the almost God’s hand level. —– This advancement could be achieved also under the Zen approach, still, make it thankful to the mythical Dharma or just a physical advancement would be a matter of one’s belief.

—– So, it was the same situation, when I was making aluminium sculpture “Buddha 2009” I needed to find the aluminium pipes for the material, then I found a lots of discarded pipes from a construction site = its always like this happen on me. (What I’m doing synchronise with Dharma —– or they help me) .

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Healthy eating – Paradox

I don’t have any ism other than a habit in my character which is a kind of cleanness = loath to touch anything filthy or dubious = originated from Japanese Shinto. I wash my hair just with a water = use a shampoo may be less than once in a month. I hate to expose my skin to dubious chemical more than a dust in my room.

But I eat something a vegetable in the Brassicaceae family is a matter of my taste = not a kind of healthy concern or any ism. And eating frozen sprouts instead of flesh broccoli or daikon etc, was, I’m just lazy. (You may disappointed to see me not so keen = = = Here is a wise rule, this is the problem of the mind = “If you are too serious, you tend to fail / if your mind was stuck, you loose the ability” —–> Make eating it to almost a unconscious habit which origin was forgotten = = = It IS the same, “If you are too serious / wary too much of your health = you became ill. — This paradox is common with Zen Buddhism !)

I was eating boiled sprouts with salad cream with the same laziness. Once I bought a “light” type salad cream then noticed that such product was something unnaturally plasticky and realised that to make a similar textured, tasted product without using original ingredients, there must be a lots of dubious chemicals and the ingredients were used for a factory production.

Basically, the western food life is dreadful. Eating looks healthy whole grain bread but with animal originated fat (butter) — even worse with trance fatty acid “Margarine” etc etc. —– So, I don’t buy processed food. (Don’t ask me Miso, Suger etc were not processed food ?)

Instead to use salad cream I’m making Miso based Paste = Miso, Chinese Chilli bean Sauce, pinch of Sugar and a bit of Vinegar —–> mix together. (I hope those products were produced in traditional way without using dubious chemicals) (Am I asking too much or ignorant ?)

The paste I made here was also good for other cooking such as Oka-kurage, boiled Daikon etc. —– may be I should make a lot and keep it in a jar for a quick serve to each breakfast = may be safe to keep for a week or two.

Before we start to talk about Eco, Health issue etc, we better look around and think deep. = In order to make a 16 years old Swedish girl who said that she dosen’t want to pollute the air by jet flight, to appear the UN, while 4 times more jet journeys were needed for her staff and her father to travel !

While this girl accusing Japan etc for their coal burning power station, making an exception of China who is the scond largest poluter by their coal burning, saying that they ARE the developping country. (Are they = who said so ? ) We need to see the truth behind the hypocritical farce. And see who is behind her campaign.

That’s what we call deceptive performance, in another word, fraud. 😀

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W 1/2 lens

Here, [W] didn’t mean 2 indivisual lens. = Both of the half cutted lens. Ideally, the soft image should have the nice halo around the sharp core image —– if there was no sharp core image, it was just an obscure bad lens image. = So, how about the one lens was divided into two and the one half makes focused image and the other was making out of focus bokeh on the same one picture ?

From a Kodak (one time use ) Fun camera, the lens panell was cutted-out.

Cut an ordinary lens to optically functioning 2 separate half was not very easy. So, I did it with disposable (one time use) camera’s lens. = Cut it into half (Photo left) and mounted the one half to normal position and the other half to out of focus position (Photo middle). —– (Then I noticed that the lens I experimented makes rather nasty ring bokeh when it was out of focus —– I needed to search more.)

Photo Left was taken by the original single lens. Photo right was done by the W lens.

This W lens is efectively a w-focus lens. I experimented many w-focus image done by double exposure, or lens shift. But here I took a drastic approach to use cutted two halves lenses. —– I think, it wasn’t too bad idea. The work I took was rather awkward though on the end it was well rewarded. ( = I think —– anyhow, I got prenty one time use camera junk to try again and again 😀 )

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Danjiri-matsuri – most dangerouse fest’ in Japan

It seems this fest’ in Kishiwada-city, Osaka is the most dangerous fest’ in Japan —– (after Onbashira fest’ in Suwa-city, Nagano.) (so far 38 death on the record)

Hundreds of the selected participant who might be even returned for fest’, from their work in the another city, pull the float and run to the Shinto Shrine while the float of each neighbourhood competing its speed and skillful control. (If the control wasn’t perfect, its 4 ton (4,000 Kg) float would fall or clash into the house and could make a casualty even a death.) (Each float said to be costed about 100 million yen and years to make)

(Some other Youtube viz of Kishiwada Danjiri, next to this may show the fall or the clash. ( the damaged house will be compensated by the City’s Danjiri insurance.)

Every year with the tens of the thousands of participants, 32 of those floats compating each other, it is nothing but the jaw dropping extreme culture of the Japanese.

—– You may wonder what drives those good grownups to do such crazy things. There is no obligation to the local people to participate, still no outsider was ever allowed to join for fun. It is strictly local afare. There wouldn’t be any fame beyond the own locals let alone any national competition kind = in other words, it is nothing but a gainless rusty local event. —– still, Strangely you may think, there is a hidden element of the Zen which is the backbone of the Japanese ethos here. = NO obligation to participate — yet still, the locals do aware a cause / Karma borne to be a man of Kishiwada = have to run with others, even if it could cost his limb even life itself. There is no glorious theory, story, high level thinking BUT just the humble act = run. — While the one is running, what mind in his head ? = NOTHING —– This nothingness is the ZEN. When Tsunami strike, what people think ? = NOTHING. Since there is nothing, neither grief nor panic = JUST live as normal (which was accustomed = これが平常心). What you need more to live ?

While practicing hundreds of times, all the emotion had worn-out and only the attention to the control details (or the instraction programed into the body) remains = the one became almost like an automatic running machine. = DO as much for the fest’ forget any worry or arrogance.

Despite having nothing, still run, run for better. Regardless whether it looks crazy, if it brings any gain, if it is dangerous, still just run. Why ? —– Run for better ? to achieve something ? —– In fact achieve nothing. While having no mind and achive nothing, still run for better —– Why ? —– Because that IS what the Dharma’s work was prevailing.

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O-M-G — Apple

OMG — the seeds started to germinate inside of fruit !

This photo was taken by a homemade lens called Yashica Macro. https://yoshizen.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/yashica-kyocera-macro-2/

This apple must be rather old — still, not started to rotten = must be sprayed with the strong chemical to make a long shelf-life. Still, the fruit itself has its own internal clock and timed for the moment to come-out.

Of course, the apple was not created to be eaten by a man let alone by Adam. In nature, the fruits will be fallen to the ground and the seeds germinates from its rotten but nutrition rich seeds bed. —– we are only intercepting their process and robbing their opportunity.

If you are “Pro-life” activist, you may plant this seed to a pot to grow an Apple tree —– but sorry Miss Apple, I’m not such tender person (in fact, I had too much trouble before to have too many such pots of plant) I’ll just throw you into a bin. (I’ve been killing too many lives, vegetables, fruits etc etc thrown into my cooking pan etc etc = too late to pretend to become tender hearted hypocrite.)

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Fuzzy Macro for flower

They are the photos made by a homemade lens called NZ-B = It’s a very peculiar lens, = utterly fuzzy though in the certain condition, strangely it shows quite sharp image.

This one may seemed to be taken by any ordinary macro lens though, with a much of amazement, even an annoyance, it was done by the same NZ-B lens on Nikon Z7, AV mode.

In certain extent, this lens would work just like a fuzzy 40 mm F2 lens.

Still, under close look, the image has quite a detail.

Don’t aske me why I didn’t come here a week ago. —– It’s happened as it happened. (That is what the life is.)

When it was far fore-focused, the image became like this = I like this. I think, no other lens ever made the image like this bokeh. And the bokeh image like this only exists photographically = never in the real world.

Hind-focused (photo left) = lens was sunk beyond the infinity position / Focused (middle) / Fore-focused (photo right) = lens helicoid was fully extended = like for a close-up shot.

(Only one exception, the photo above left was taken by the Pentax 110 Auto 24 mm lens)

Quite exotic flower — I have no idea who she is.

Very impressive though, I never seen her anywhere else. — (Is it a kind of Thunbergia ?)

But this one is very common, yet I love this painting like image. (It seemed that the loss of tonal dynamic range was not caused by the softness of the lens but by the brightness adjustment of Picasa and a very bright color = red.)

Still, the same lens can produce prosaically clean photography-like image as well.

The photographer is believing that they are the user of “Photography” though, in reality, the provider of the Photography (= camera maker, photo journalism etc) is using photographer to keep and run the industry and the idea. So that, “Photographer” was made to believe a type of photography which was provided and such stereotypical style “IS” only the photography.

= The belief IS “Photography is to make a faithful copy of the subject” while blindly believing that his own eyes is seeing the true face of the subject. —– In reality, no such certainty ever existed.

And rather fragile looking Scabious —– the lens showed peculiar DOF and the size of back bokeh is gorgeous.

(But have you ever seen such bokeh image in nature ? —– they exists only in the photographic image = they are not real neither your eyes are telling the truth —– So, how can you tell that the photography IS the faithful copy of the real, without knowing your own eyes could not tell what is real.) 😀

(For example, we are not seeing square building, since we got fisheye vision as our eyes are round ball, so that, our brain is reconstructing the image following the stereotype that the building is straight = therefore, the picture of the building has to be square ! —– You see what I mean.)

——- ! ? ? ?

Here a kind of anemone ? —– anyway, the matter is the image. (If you can make a soft image like this using PS I would like to see it !)

I’m not familiar with this flower —– pretty impressive, and it looks even cannivorous. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see the dead bodies of insects laying inside, half digested. (Do you know what IS the truth.)

And suddenly here rather humble looking flower = the color of blue jeans, Indigo came from this plant. (or larger sister of her)

(If I could stop down, the image could have deeper depth of field though this lens has no iris = always fully open F2. But considering the condition as it was fully open F2, the quality of close focused image was amazingly high !)

Then, funny looking chap = the nuts of ceder tree, not a Pokemon still, he looks very very happy today !

The world seems to be pretty peaceful.

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Mindfulness sleeping ?

I found a net post where someone talking about Mindfulness sleeping —– what ?

Mindfulness is a misconceived idea somewhat related to Zen Buddhism. As it was invented in the west, there was no equivalent Japanese notion let alone Chinese or Indian idea. ( Hindu or Tantric practice has something similar, as their belief stands on the existence of the Atman = Perpetual mind — Buddhism stands on the belief of No existence of Atman = Anatman, hence Mushin and No Reincarnation)

So, it is bizarre enough to say “Mindfulness”in the context of Zen. To talk Mindfulness Sleeping is utter nuts. Such a silly notion could obstruct the sleeping but never able to make the person fallen asleep. —– There seems to be several technics such as to imagine your whole body top to bottom and scanning down next by next. —– You might be familiar with counting a sheep jumping over the hedge. (One sheep, two sheep — thousand one sheep — 😀 ) If you have any thought in your mind, it would just distract you to fall asleep. You are wondering around its thinking all night.

When I got into the bed I’ll be asleep within a few minutes. But if got something to think about, I get up again and sit before the keyboard and start drafting the idea. Unless otherwise, I’ll be fallen asleep = You might say how ? —– When you got into the bed = What you see for the last moment. = It might be a tangled bedding fabric over the pillow, or it could be a side lamp next to the bed. —– Whatsoever none of them is worthwhile to think about. —– yet still, when you close your eyes, the image remained in your eyes while the color or brightness reversed. Such an image has no value or meaning at all, so, it wouldn’t bother your brain either. And its image would sink down or dissolved away. When the brain found nothing to do, you just fell asleep.

Zen would teach you, don’t be bothered by a silly idea. Just close your eyes, it is enough to make you asleep. (When all about Zen is “Void” or Mushin (Mind of No-mind) who invented such a silly idea “Mindfulness” to focus particular image or thinking.) 😀 (It seems that the tendency of the Hinduism which want to theorize everything, couldn’t accept “No answer / nothing” = that’s why Buddhism was so revolutionary.)

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New B/W Film from Fuji

Fuji film announced that they’ll restart the production of the B/W film which will come on this autumn for the answer to the strong demand from the users. (Though, it will be available only for the Japanese market)

The film’s speed is ISO 100 only at the moment and so far no information about the other size. The film will be produced using the colour film emulsion technology to have more details in the highlight area which is the weak point in digital photography.

So, fortunately or unfortunately we are going to have more chance to shake a tank in the dark room. = the lonely tense moment which has been long lost in the digital revolution.

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