Indecision and a pilgrimage

It's been a case of no free time at the right time recently. Which has put me at a bit of a loose end. One day last week I decided to carry out an experiment to see which camera of three might be the best option as my 'street' camera. It turned out to be my fishing compact. It focused faster, which was important, and its limitations weren't a hindrance. In second place was my ridiculously expensive compact (which I got at a bargain price). That is as slow to focus as the camera I bought for 'street' photography but smaller and I think the lens is better, or at least I prefer the look of the files it produces. In third place was the camera which should have been best, but for all it's niceties, doesn't deliver the goods.

The Fuji X100 series of cameras trade, I reckon, on their looks and design. I really like the way they are laid out - with one exception. Back button focusing is a fiddle with the button being awkwardly placed for my thumb. I could adjust if it was worth it, but the focusing is too slow for me. Time to get rid in order to stop me using the damned thing. Time to trade methinks.

Stuck for ideas today, a Bank Holiday, I set off fairly early to sheep country. I couldn't decided what lens/es to take. I was tempted to go for the simple option of the super-zoom and 20mm combination, which covers all eventualities, but ended up thinking I'd force myself to look differently with the ultrawide zoom and two macro lenses.

My destination were two of the dales which feature in John and Eliza Forder's books. Apart from the main village which was a little busy they were both very peaceful and there were Swaledale sheep everywhere.

My first stop was pretty random but gave me a chance to get some elevation without having to climb too high. 18mm was too wide, 35mm not long enough. I put the 60mm macro on and found it makes a good landscape lens! Not everyone's idea of a landscape photograph having buildings, road signs, a road and a cyclist. And it was taken around midday! But it's my kind of picture. Deserted landscapes pretending to be of remote places bore me rigid.

Walking back along the road there was bank of ramsons. I spent some time taking rubbish photographs of them with the drystone wall as a background. With subjects like this, particularly hand-held, I struggle to decided what should be in focus. At a small size they are OK, but zooming in reveals the lack of depth of focus.

Walking the other way there was a subject more suited to my lack of technical know how. Felled timber.

Here I didn't find the wide angle a limitation. It actually proved to be about right as there wasn't much space to work in. I liked the idea of showing the cut trunks with the standing timber as a contrast, both visually and conceptually.

The addition of the drystone wall added a third textural element.

My plan had been to stop in Dent and have a wander round but when I got there and saw there were two packed campsites I didn't bother. So much for the pilgrimage. I might return in winter.

With no other plan I carried on up the dale. The narrow roads weren't conducive to random parking so it wasn't until I reached the viaduct at the dale head that I pulled over. Once more an ultrawide lens came in useful. Even if the picture isn't up to much.

Under the viaduct and up the pull out I saw a couple of people taking phone shots of the viaduct. A glance back showed why. The view is pretty good. I stopped in a passing place and immediately wished I'd had the superzoom, or at least a mid-range zoom. As it was, however, being stuck with two focal lengths forced me to find a vantage point which suited one or other of them. As a result I spent more time thinking about framing the shots and ended up with a couple which aren't too bad. Some sheep bottom left would have improved them...

Talking of sheep, a longer lens than 100mm is really required for sheep in the wild. Which is one reason for my sheepscape series. Although there were thousands of sheep about I didn't spot many situations for sheepscapes. Not where I could park up at any rate. One of these days I'll go prepared for this and do some walking. Maybe.

Back home and after culling the crap I was struck by how much detail all three lenses were capable of resolving. Even the ultrawide zoom - which also has out of focus rendering I like. On the drive home I was thinking of selling it as it doesn't fit my usual subject matter or my way of looking at things. Now I'm not so sure. Then again, how often do I need to go wider than 24mm? Not very. A quick check on the focal lengths used in the pictures I haven't deleted which were taken with this lens eight are wider than 24mm and 20 were at 24mm or longer, 35mm was the most used focal length with 12 frames. Logically the lens could/should go.

In one way I wish I only had one lens. A 24-120 would probably suffice for me if I'm honest. Or even a 24-70. The old adage of the fewer choices you have the more creative you have to be springs to mind. First world problems, eh?

---