Fun House | 28 | 2.8 | #08

Orthogonal | 28 | 2.8 | #07

Photo tip of the day: Because they’re retroreflective, just a little bit of fill flash has a huge effect on street signs.

One week down… no cat pictures yet!

Defunct | 28 | 2.8 | #06

Yesterday's picture was a restaurant that was demolished (today!) to build a new Sheetz. Today's picture is an old Sheetz that's been replaced by a new location.

Former Mexican Restaurant | 28 | 2.8 | #05

Drain hole | 28 | 2.8 | #04

Minersville Bridge, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

How ’Bout Them Orange Dot?

I used to have a T-shirt from Pasadena’s second-finest institution of higher learning, the Art Center College of Design. I really liked that shirt, and decided to see if it was still for sale on the Internet.

What I found was… different.

Frontin’ | 28 | 2.8 | #03

A cold front came through this afternoon, bringing strong winds. The McFlag in Ebensburg was hanging by a single corner, and pulling hard. The American flag was missing, having blown away or been taken down.

New lens | 28 | 2.8 | #02

The smc PENTAX-A 28 mm f/2.8 arrived today in good condition. Here is the obligatory mirror shot, reversed in Lightroom:

I walked around with it briefly this afternoon. My sample seems optically good, modulo my difficulties focusing (more on that later). It has a couple of mechanical niggles: there’s just a bit of free play in the barrel, and it overexposes by about 2/3 of a stop on my K10D at any aperture other than f/2.8. I don’t expect either of these to be serious issues.

My initial impressions are that the lens is quite sharp from f/4, but it has rather busy bokeh. I’ve got some examples from my walk, but I think I’ll save them for a later discussion.

OMG LENT! | 28 | 2.8 | #01

Today is Ash Wednesday, on which we celebrate the partial combustibility of plant matter, and begin 40 days^* of sacrifice and all-you-can-eat fried seafood. I’ve decided to observe Lent by simplifying my photography. I will use a single lens, forsaking^** all others: the smc PENTAX-A 28 mm f/2.8. And though I’m not making a firm commitment, I intend to make and post a photograph with the lens each day of Lent.

There is one small problem with starting the project today. I don’t have that lens yet. I just bought it from a fellow PDML member, and it’s not going to be delivered until tomorrow. This leaves me with a photograph to make, and no lenses to use. What to do?

Water, Light, and Shadow

The lake on our property was calm and smooth this afternoon. Not to mention completely unfrozen, which is remarkable for Groundhog Boxing Day. The brilliant sunshine played off the surface of the lake this afternoon. The mirrorlike reflection produces a second “sun” that’s below the horizon; when the second sun’s light comes through the windows, it casts shadows high on the walls and on the ceiling.

Seen live, the effect is enhanced by the shimmering quality of the reflected light. But for now you’ll have to settle for some still photographs.