“...the start of a relationship is not the high point that romantic art assumes; it is merely the first step of a far longer, more ambivalent, and yet quietly audacious journey on which we should direct our intelligence and scrutiny.”
Minolta 55mm f1.7 Although an underrated lens, it produces its own unique look.
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending and witnessing my cousin getting hitched. To me, weddings have always been a fun time with family, food, and laughter. Although by no means do I consider myself wanting to be or consider myself as a wedding photographer, I did enjoy taking photographs of my cousin and his newly wedded wife. This also meant that I had the chance to try out more of my recent purchase; the Minolta 55mm f1.7. As I stated from my previous post, the lens tends to capture images quite softly, yet I don't mind since it gives the photo that unique vintage look that you would expect from an old lens.
The Minolta lens continuously proposes to give me a challenge of focusing manually and I like it. What helps significantly in manually focusing with this vintage lens is the Fujifilm's focus peaking, but with subjects moving around consistently it's hard to have those subjects continuously focused and at the same time keep a steady hand to snap the photos. It is frustrating since most of us have been so dependent on autofocus. I can think back when technology was not this advanced and only film cameras were available. Photographers didn't have focus peaking and certainly they didn't have instant gratification of checking and seeing the photos right away on an LED screen, so I really can't give an excuse as to why the photo is out of focus.
Moreover, like a seed that has been planted beneath the soil, it must have consistent attention in order for it to be nourished and be cultivated. Just as love is a relationship between two people, so is my relationship with photography. It has its moments of major and minor successes and setbacks. But with discipline and tenacity, in time, it will flourish over the long term.
I enjoyed taking photos of these two lovelies and wish them the best.
Trust the process and keep shooting away kiddos.
