Wind Gravity | Directed down Slope incline Scale flow |
F
rom on top of the dam at Hazel Hill Lake, a clump of red grass stands out against the deep blue water. Several hours exploring this small area provided a pleasant photographic outing, and another valuable resource close to home gains recognition. This image was captured with my new “silver nose” Olympus 55mm f1.2 lens (made in 1974), which features radioactive rear-earth trace elements. Although not considered dangerous, this glass formulation can cause the lens to yellow with age, a characteristic which I find fascinating. Lens designers primarily used thorium oxide in the glass for the optical properties of high refractivity and low dispersion to improve image quality. Based on very early results, this may become my favorite lens.
“The camera introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses.” - Walter Benjamin
