In Profile

Here's a profile to consider. This is the end of a hollow tree trunk that fell down years ago. Most of the tree has been reclaimed by ivy and it is slowly disappearing back into the hedge. However the sharp edge where the wood gave way has slowly been weathered to this nice rounded abstract shape. The Zuiko 70-300mm provided this image.

Now this is a different material, different era and very different photographic gear. This worn sandstone profile from the south coast was taken on Provia slide film a decade ago with a Nikon camera and lens. I quite like the hint of a stern face in the rock.

Now a more familiar profile from last week. 

This Victorian cross is echoed by its distant cousin across the village churchyard, lit by low winter sunshine. In this case I used an Olympus E600 camera fitted with a Russian Industar 50 manual lens. This is a 1970s copy of the 1907 four element classic Zeiss Tessar design. So - you have to focus and stop down by eye, you have to use your hand to avoid flare from sunlight, the lens lubrication seizes up in low temperatures like this, and you tend to look foolish with a silly little lens on your digital SLR camera.

However, for all its weaknesses, the old Industar produces sharp images and does make very smooth bokeh effects in those out of focus areas.