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Re: [OM] Swaps

Subject: Re: [OM] Swaps
From: "Lex Jenkins" <lexjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 10:31:30 PDT
On Wed, Jun 14, 2000 at 09:24:43PM -0700, Lex Jenkins wrote:
I'm working on a project documenting a particular type of architectural style peculiar to parts of Texas and the SW USA. I figure the 50/3.5 will handle establishing shots and detail shots well enough for my purposes.<

...and Jay Maynard addeth:
What kind of architectural style are you talking about? Is there any of it around Houston, or do I have to drive a day to get there? You might have to talk to Tom Scales about borrowing some of the biggest Zuiko collection in the world to help out with that project...<

Dare I give away my secret project when I haven't yet finished my grant proposal? ;-)

Okay, okay... it's petrified wood. Lots of it used, mostly cosmetically, in place of fieldstone wherever it was available. A rare handful of buildings used it entirely in place of other forms of masonry. Talk about sensory overload! For someone like me it's the equivalent to receiving a boxful of Godiva chocolates (I'm also a caffeine and chocoholic).

I've loved the stuff (p'wood) since I was a kid. After I returned from a stint in the Navy I discovered that one of my favorites, housing a restaurant, had been razed for, of all abominations, a metal drive-thru beer barn! Naturally the beer barn is now gone leaving nothing of that original historical relic in its place. Shameful.

It's prevalent wherever the right combination of factors was present - stands of hardwood trees - generally, open-pored oak was best - high mineral deposits in the terrain, and a good, long, million year soak. That includes parts of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, but I'm confining my research so far to North Central Texas. Dunno whether you'd find any around Houston as I avoid the place like the proverbial cliche - bad for my sinuses.

While I'd happily acknowledge Tom Scales for use of, oh, say, what's probably the most expensive and prized Zuiko in his collection, a 35/2.8 shift, somehow I doubt he'd be equally happy to part with it uncompensated for the year or so it would take to shoot the project. And I doubt I can afford to buy it, alas. I've already priced the Canon T/S lens - it costs more than my three Canon bodies put together.

Anyhow, I've already shot part of the project using conventional 50mm and 35mm lenses and while some purists might cringe at the perspectives, I don't think most folks will be bothered. These are typically single-storey structures so a normal or moderate wide angle lens handles the job pretty well. I try to get elevated enough when possible to minimize the perspective problem.

The real key is, as they say, in the details. Some of these structures hold the fossil record of the region. Most folks don't even recognize the difference between petrified wood and stone until it's pointed out, let alone the prehistoric relics imprinted there.

That's why I want a top quality macro lens. My camera usage pattern is actually no pattern at all. My two Canon T70 bodies may be loaded with Fuji Sensia one day and Superia X-tra 800 the next. Neither has mirror l/u or DOF preview either. My Canon FTbn has developed a problem in the pentaprism that causes me to worry about its reliability in fine focusing situations, such as macro work.

So I decided it would be best to devote one camera to the project, keep it loaded with one film (probably Kodachrome 64 - a longtime favorite - possibly Fuji Astia or Provia) and carry it with me at all times. That's when I fortuitously rescued the OM-1 and Fat Viv from a pawn shop. With its diminutive size and one good lens I'll be set for anything I encounter.

Now all I need is a bumper sticker that reads: "Don't tailgate - I brake for petrified wood!"

Lex
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