WARNING : Blurred photos from Japan

[ndroo]

Did all photos from my trip to Japan using a Lensbaby. Some said I'm crazy, some says they're good. What do you think?

HERE (http://www.ndroo.com/portfolio/gallery/?folder=content/The%20World%20Through%20A%20Lensbaby/Lensbaby%20Goes%20To%20Tokyo%20and%20Nagoya/)

[Arch]

i'm on the 'they're good' side...... you got some great shots and im i'm a fan of the LB so im glad you used it for these.... great work :thumbup:

[2framesbelowzero]

i like many of them..especially the girls shopping and the outdoor stuff.:thumbup:

[Fate]

Great shots and i love your website set up. What do you use for that flash website?>

[spako]

I really like them! great shots! and great website!

[ndroo]

Everyone, thanks. I use imagevuex for the gallery.

[THORHAMMER]

I think there all good shots, however i cant look at more than 3 or 4 LB pics in a row without having a huge urge to be seasick.. lol

[danalec99]

Lovely work with the LB! :thumbup:

[ndroo]

Thorhammer, sorry for making you puke. Hehe. Thanks

Danalec99, thanks :)

[Paul_the_6th]

The pics are great, the lens baby really gives some of the shots alot of power and significance - BUT - with many of the shots, the lensbaby takes away the impact the image would have had without the blur.

Well composed, interesting and individual images but the lensbaby does become slightly overwhelming & undermines several images.

Keep up the good work!

How was japan? I really fancy it but I've never got round to doing any research on it.

[FOTO-GRAFFIC]

Did all photos from my trip to Japan using a Lensbaby. Some said I'm crazy, some says they're good. What do you think?

HERE (http://www.ndroo.com/portfolio/gallery/?folder=content/The%20World%20Through%20A%20Lensbaby/Lensbaby%20Goes%20To%20Tokyo%20and%20Nagoya/)

Can I play Devils Advocate here. I was bought up from my early days in photography to always - always get the best neg you can get. correct exposure - sharp over the area you want to show etc.etc. Once you have the best neg/image you can then do anything you want with it. Now i have nothing against the lensbaby but it is a gimmick - it's like the filters in Photoshop - great that they are everyone goes mad with them when they first start using PS and it ruins some very good images - difference is they can always go back to the originals - with lensbaby you cannot.
I do like your images but would have preffered to have seen them without some of the distortion the gadget has produced which now cannot be corrected. There are some fine examples of cityscapes and one in particular - The next train, but if you look closely the real impact point of the image is the trackside sign - if you had used a post image package then you can determin exactly what you want to blur/defocus and to what extent.
Please, none of this is meant as critisism as I strongly believe in the fact that an image is nothing untill it reacts with the viewer and it is that reaction and the emotion it brings that determins the success of an image -therefore everyone will see an image differently.
I do like your web site and would like to see some more of your work but without the gadgetry attached to the camera.:thumbup:

[yoursatellite]

regardless of the method.....tons of character. nice pics.

[danalec99]

I see where you are coming from, but allow me to be Devil's Advocate's Devil's Advocate. ;)

Now i have nothing against the lensbaby but it is a gimmick - it's like the filters in Photoshop - great that they are everyone goes mad with them when they first start using PS and it ruins some very good images -What if the creator is content with the 'filtered' and/or the 'lensbabied' version?



difference is they can always go back to the originals - with lensbaby you cannot.What if one does not want to? What if the creator made all the creative decisions while he/she was looking through the viewfinder?

[JohnMF]

i like the colours you've got in the street ones

[mentos_007]

I think you are not crazy.. you got some really great images!

[FOTO-GRAFFIC]

I see where you are coming from, but allow me to be Devil's Advocate's Devil's Advocate. ;)

What if the creator is content with the 'filtered' and/or the 'lensbabied' version?



What if one does not want to? What if the creator made all the creative decisions while he/she was looking through the viewfinder?

You are of course correct in making that assumption as the creator/author of the image used the device knowing what it would do. My worry/concern is that this takes something away from the creator being able to change the effect at a later time. I have gone back to images that I took 10 & 15 years ago and re-worked them in a different style to bring out a different aspect of what I was trying to achieve in the first instance. That siad I defend the right of anyone to use what devices they like to achieve the effects they want to convey - but when the Lensbaby falls from grace - as it will just like some of the effects that we had in the days of wet hands and feeling around in the dark, then what of these images.
Some of the truely great photographs and photographers have used an image several times and bought out different characteristics which appeal to a different audience. I cannot argue (nor will I) against your premise here but only wish to point out that it restricts the creator and in doing so reduces the use of such an image.

[danalec99]

I think you view LB as another fancy filter.
LB to me, is a lens. Would we consider un-fishing a fish-eyed image? Or would we consider un-holga-ing an image from a Holga?

it restricts the creator and in doing so reduces the use of such an image. I agree, but only if it is considered as a filter.

[allyv]

I quite like them, not really my cup of tea.

[ndroo]

Everyone, thanks for the comments. Sorry for disappearing for quite a while, life's been busy.

Well as for the debate weather LB is fun/good etc, guess it's up to individuals. I am a big fan of Lomo cams and Holgas. I've heard tons of people asking me why not just try Photoshop my normal photos. To me, it's the fun and satisfaction I derive from the cameras/lense and not on my PC. :)

[ndroo]

My worry/concern is that this takes something away from the creator being able to change the effect at a later time.

Good that there's discussion going on about this. Well, to me, when I know what I want my photos to look like (when I use these 'weird' lenses/filters), I will never want to go back to a 'normal' photo. So the capability to change the effect will not be an issue to me :)

[zombiekilla]

I love them! great job!!!

[holmesfoto]

I am not a Lensbaby fan (photos are just looking like somebody has tried some photoshopping first time). After seeing these fotos I have to change my mind. This effect is giving so much speed to these fotos.

[ndroo]

zombiekilla & holmesfoto, thanks a lot. glad you like em

[MrMatthieu]

I think you have some very nice shots, and some other are just correct and saved by the effect given by the lens baby.

But I have to say that some of your shot are really convincing to me.
So convincing that I am looking forward to buy one of this lensbaby. Which one you use 3G, 2 or basic one.
Is it easy to use because I have not seen pictures nice like yours with this lens, so I just wonder if it nit too difficult to use this.

Matthieu

[becmaclean]

I'm with Thorhammer, why can't I look at blurred images without getting dizzy:lmao: ??

I especially like the "Rainy day in the park" shot. As with many lensbaby shots, it has a dream-like feeling. Are those cherry blossom trees in the background?

I love them all but have to admit that some of them would probably have been spectacular shot with a normal lense setup ie: the grass is greener.

Beautiful though...I'm very jealous, wish I had the opportunity to go somewhere as amazing

[Mithlondor]

Yummys on Sticks is a fantastic shot in my humble opinion :)

[ndroo]

I think you have some very nice shots, and some other are just correct and saved by the effect given by the lens baby.

But I have to say that some of your shot are really convincing to me.
So convincing that I am looking forward to buy one of this lensbaby. Which one you use 3G, 2 or basic one.
Is it easy to use because I have not seen pictures nice like yours with this lens, so I just wonder if it nit too difficult to use this.

Matthieu

Thanks. Just like on a Lomography trip, these shots were mostly taken in a snapshot style, no fancy composition etc. I use LB2 and don't see myself getting a 3G one until they come out with something more interesting. LOL

I'm with Thorhammer, why can't I look at blurred images without getting dizzy:lmao: ??

I especially like the "Rainy day in the park" shot. As with many lensbaby shots, it has a dream-like feeling. Are those cherry blossom trees in the background?

I love them all but have to admit that some of them would probably have been spectacular shot with a normal lense setup ie: the grass is greener.

Beautiful though...I'm very jealous, wish I had the opportunity to go somewhere as amazing

Thanks. Yeah those are cherry blossom trees :)

Yummys on Sticks is a fantastic shot in my humble opinion :)

Thanks. THat makes me hungry when I look at it

[just x joey]

i HATE lensebabies, it makes my eyes water haha

[zaramuni]

I really liked your pictures! I want a lens baby now!

[chroix]

I like them. The pictures of people in the cities eally work. The others are marginal.

[Taceas]

I realize this is another FrankenThread, but I can't see any images on the Portfolio page. Am I missing something?

[_Becka_]

I really like the ones of the people/city, not to sure on the others but you have some great photos there.

[ndroo]

Thanks for the comments, everyone

I realize this is another FrankenThread, but I can't see any images on the Portfolio page. Am I missing something?

Huh? It should be visible ... you have Flash installed on your PC?

[digital flower]

Interesting discussion on LBs. I like your photographs I think the lens works very well here.

[RMThompson]

Great shots + Lens Babies = Not-so-great shots.

The pictures are amazing, great colors, composition, etc, but the LB effect ruins a great many of them, especially when a LOT of these effects can be achieved in Photoshop. I agree that it looks like someone with limited Photoshop skills (like myself) messed with all these pictures.

Trust me, I am no purist, almost every one of my shots includes some about of blur and color correction, but the lens baby just limits EVERYTHING to me.

On the other hand it DOES add something to SOME shots like "uncle" and "up close"