abstract photography – The Rusty Ruin Journal

Red paint and contemplation

In my previous post, I wrote about driving through some of the towns along the Murray River. We’ve been here many times but I’ve often found myself uninspired in the photography department, though I’m not entirely sure why. Going for a day-trip with friends is always fun, but sometimes it doesn’t lend itself to me spending time fiddling with camera settings or framing scenes! This time was different though. I found myself with the trusty Olympus E-1 again and looking for the kinds of scenes that the old digital sensor can manage more easily.

*Red paint and corrugated iron – Olympus E-1*

There’s no substitute for time when it comes to photography, at least for me. I’m not one who clicks a thousand photos in an hour. I prefer to be as deliberate as possible. Admittedly, using an old camera like the E-1 teaches me to slow down even more to carefully consider the scene before me. That’s a good thing, I think.

How often is it that we don’t get to slow down and really look at the world around us? How often are we pre-occupied with thoughts of the forever-gone past or the uncertain future? How often do we steal the present moment from ourselves? Once that moment is gone, it’s gone for good.

I like to think that photography has the capacity to teach us something about the hidden details of the world that are ordinarily missed. When I first started teaching myself how to use a DSLR, I turned to a practice called Contemplative Photography, or Miksang.

On such occasions, I found myself a little more in touch with both my mind and the world, with inner and outer touching at the very boundaries, one might say. At these times, there’s no judgement of a scene, just an image pressing gently on the mind, as though it leaps out of the water like a fish to be seen momentarily. There’s no setting up or messing with technology beyond what the eye sees and the press of the button. And arguably, the camera itself is not even needed to see those hidden details in the world.

*All the red envelops you in this moment – Olympus E-1*

Green machines, rusty bolts, and dynamic range

October 20, 2024January 5, 2026Posted in Aesthetics and Technique, Gear Talk, PhotographyTagged abstract photography, Australia, ccd, cmos, digital camera, Nikon, Olympus, Olympus E-1, Olympus E1, Photography, Sony RX100, Vintage digital11 Comments

The clouds are slowly dissipating after several months of grey days. This weekend provided an opportunity to drive around the vibrant towns of the Murray River. I packed my bag with the Olympus E-1, Nikon Z5, and the Sony RX100.

I continue to be impressed with the output from the old E-1, but dynamic range is limited, and careful consideration of a scene is required before clicking the shutter button, I’ve discovered.

*Shadows on emerald metal – Olympus E-1*

Window of opportunity

Every digital sensor (and film, of course) has a limited performance window within which it can optimally render the dynamic range of a scene. If the dynamic range (brightest and darkest areas) of a scene exceed the window, then an exposure decision must be made: crush blacks or burn highlights? Modern sensors have a bigger window, so provide more latitude. The E-1, not so much.

Scenes with plenty of mid-tones and minimal strong highlights / deep shadows are good for this camera. Evenly lit scenes are great too. With excessive tonal ranges, I usually crush blacks because it’s less distracting for the eye, but it depends on how numerous the extreme tonal ranges are and the composition I’ve decided on.

*Unused, catching dust and webs – Olympus E-1*

The onboard tonal response of the Olympus is contrasty. Again, great for evenly lit scenes that could use a contrast bump, but not so great for extreme tonal ranges where pushing them further causes distracting visual elements. The more I use this camera, the better I get at evaluating scenes before picking the camera up. And if I can frame a scene and limit the extreme tonal ranges, I’ll do that. I also commonly dial in some negative Exposure Compensation to protect highlights but only when I want to preserve better gradation of tone over areas where distracting highlights could be a problem. Evenly lit scenes don’t need it unless that’s the look I’m going for.

Calibrated for the old film pros?

It’s clear to me that the RAW files from the Olympus E-1 are different to the RAW files we get from modern cameras, but I don’t think this is a CMOS or CCD issue. The native tonal response of the E-1 produces files that are already contrasty and punchy. The images on this page are essentially the RAW output with barely any editing at all.

Some people might say I should use OM Workspace to get the colour goodness from this camera, but the software remains awful to use. And the few RAW files from the E-1 I’ve loaded into OM Workspace produce much the same initial result as the Adobe Standard profile in Lightroom, though my testing isn’t extensive enough to warrant strong views.

So, back to my speculation on the punchy files from the E-1. In 2003, when the camera was released, digital photography wasn’t mainstream. It’s entirely possible that early cameras like this were internally calibrated to produce images that were as close to certain film types as possible in terms of punchiness and also required less editing in software. Remember, there wasn’t a lot of RAW editing software around at the time.

None of that means these old cameras make filmic photos, but it may explain why there seem to be differences in output compared to our modern cameras. I think this is less about the inherent properties of a CCD sensor and more about what kinds of photos the film companies wanted us to see from their cameras via internal calibrations. Now that photo editing programs are numerous and commonplace, modern cameras that have more dynamic range than the E-1 are calibrated to output flat RAW files that can easily be edited. Just speculation, of course.

*Around the emerald machine – Olympus E-1*

Diffuse sunlight – experimenting with cheap plastic and dreamy filters

September 23, 2024July 28, 2025Posted in Aesthetics and Technique, PhotographyTagged abstract photography, cheap plastic, Contemplative Photography, Diffusion Filter, digital camera, K&F Concept, Nikon, Nikon Z5, Photography, sunset, TiffenLeave a comment

For all of the great cameras and sharp glass on the shelves, it’s liberating to play around with low-tech options sometimes. Maybe there’s a scene in front of you with great lighting but a subject that has been overdone? Maybe you’re gear-fatigued and just want to try something else? Do you know what I do when I’m a bit exhausted with tech and sharp lenses? I put something cheap in front of the camera lens to see what happens…

*Dreams of green cool – Nikon Z5 with cheap plastic*

The time of day was right and the leaves were catching golden light but I was weary of the same tired approach. Sharpness is a state of mind! Great photos have been made with the most primitive film boxes. So, instead of doing the usual, I pulled out a flexible piece of clear plastic and stuck it in front of the sharp Z glass. As you can see, it pulls the light in different directions when moved about. After some Split Toning, Vibrance, and a decrease in Clarity, the photo has a nice dreamy look.

*Dreams of a glassy sun – Nikon Z5 with Diffusion Filter and cheap plastic*

Diffusion filters are a good idea when you want some highlight blooming and a softer tone to a photo. Though the Tiffen Black Mist Pro filter tends to be the top of the price and quality pile, my feeling is that dreaminess can be found in even cheaper materials. I purchased the K&F Concept Black Diffusion filter and it does just fine.

The sun photos were both made with the Black Diffusion filter in place. There’s some nice blooming around the sun, but that’s pretty much obscured by the use of the cheap plastic I used for the photo of the trees. Details are hidden, contrast is lowered, and only bright shapes remain.