Thanksgiving portrait with a new lens

[scott]

Hi, all -

My daughter was home for Thanksgiving (son couldn't make it), so I pointed some cameras at her. The 4x5 setups, my first with an old Petzval in what must be five years, were very promising. However (ugh), the holders weren't loaded. Grabbed the wrong ones. Drat. The 5x7 holders, OTOH, were loaded. Three of four turned out (one had some sun on it, no bueno); this one was the first portrait with the WWII-era Ross 5".



Happy with this. This was wide open at f/4; I'm impressed with how sharp it is at the focus point (eyes). This confirms that I really need to break this thing open and clean up the inside lens surfaces, but I'm really happy with the rendering (someone at APUG referred to this lens as "poor" when I was asking questions about it...). The lens was actually purchased for landscapes and occasional seascapes; I've not yet done that. Stay tuned...

Scott

[Brazile]

People slag lenses like that one all the time. Lenses absolutely matter, but so much of what goes into a portrait lies elsewhere; many many lenses are capable of good work as you proved here. Sure, you'll find a disappointing piece of glass here and there, but I've found you can do good work with just about any LF lens in decent condition. This shot capture's M's spirit, which is after all the point!

As for the mishaps. God, I'm still making all those mistakes, I find mostly because I go so long between shoots that I lose my good habits. Just have to persevere, it's worth it.