Re: My 2c contribution to the forum. gene wright mentioned

[Simon Nathan <simonwide@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

many years back photographer gene wright specialized
in selling san francisco photographs from his shop at 1412 grant ave. some
were flat and some were taken with his panophic, prepanon name for panon,
objected to by canon because canon objects to everything. anyhow gene mounted
his curved photos in curved format, both horizontal and vertical. you kinda
stood inside a six to ten foot semi circle. distortion? how could you say
when he'd restored image to way camera wrote it down (scanned is modern
word, n'est-ce pas?), dang, but it was effective enough to earn him 
a good living. he was first customer for the upland. calif cyclopan disaster.
carol doda was down the street a few block. gene moved to carmel and doesn't
send me christmas cards any more. simon nathan

Craig Woods wrote:

Could someone please explain "distortion' as related to a swing lens camera.
My photographic training, many years ago at the Regent St Polytechnic in
London, tells me that there is no distortion from a swing lens camera...the
focal distance being the same throughout. In fact the apparent dsitortion of
U/W lenses on a flat format e.g 6x17 introduce a distortion that is not
visually apparent. I know a good photographer must have the ability to
pre-visualise a photograph and see as the camera sees but I personally
dislike the image size fall-off, to coin an expression, of these lenses. I
own an old Panon that shoots a 6x12 cm and covers 140 degrees and I can't
see any distortion. Does a 360 camera like a roundshot have distortion? Mono
syllabic answers please.
Craig Woods
-----Original Message-----
From: YDegroot@xxxxxxx <YDegroot@xxxxxxx>
To: panorama-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <panorama-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 24 February 1999 10:25
Subject: RE: My contribution to the forum.

I don't just complain. I just don't like bickering between people through a
public medium. I agree and disagree with the statement that one's work has
nothign to do with one's personality. Agree that he/she can still shoot
great
photos. But disagree as far as the pratical end of it. As a former photo
editor, I never used people again who were a pain in the butt, who were
terribly arrogant, etc.

I have talked about panoramic topics, about my cameras, etc.

I shoot with Linhof 617, homemade 6x18 (using B/J & Navy Torpedo parts), and
very wide angle cameras, such as Brooks Plaubel 100 VW.

I have had a range of  swing lenses, but really did not like the
distortions,
so sold them all.

I mostly shoot nature, but from a very individual, unique perspective, which
I
call tunnel vision. Hard to explain.

Here's something to discuss: many photographers say light is everything. To
me
composition is everything. And every kind of light evokes a certain approach
to compostion. In other words. Almost every scene has its ideal composition
under a certain unique and ideal light, that may come around only once a
day,
or even less frequent. Thus, there is never a bad time to photograph.
Whether
it rains, whether the skies are just gray, there's sunset, whatever. There's
always something that looks unique in that condition of light.