Mad March Hare

[Pete Askew]

While trying to read some very small writing, I fished out an old, plastic magnifying glass my mother used to have. I'd obviously never tried to look through it before as it just doesn't work. One side is convex as is most of the other. Er, most?! Yes, it was so badly made that the centre has an indent in it and you cannot focus through it. If it wasn't so large I'd have assumed it came from a Christmas cracker! Anyway, rather than throw it out, I wondered what it would be like stuck in front of a lens. 'Interesting' is probably the best description. So here it is in front of a Ricoh GR Digital III.

Ricoh GR Digital III. PP in LR and Nik SilverFX Pro 2.

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Next up, a sort of kaleidoscope thingy!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Pete a good idea, I think Rob must have a few magnifying glasses as well.

 

[Paul Lange]

Sounds like it was a surprise to get anything from it. It does have that plastic camera feel to it, but it is a plastic lens after all. I think experimental stuff like this is great and it is often a source of goods ideas although they may not be as experimental.

Time to ditch those Leicas Pete (and Nikons, and Sinars, and...........and raise funds for a Holga!

 

[Pete Askew]

Pete a good idea, I think Rob must have a few magnifying glasses as well.

No, he just uses Fuji lenses!

I feel safe making that comment - I'm about to visit friends in Switzerland and they have a nuclear fallout shelter in their basement!

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Sounds like it was a surprise to get anything from it. It does have that plastic camera feel to it, but it is a plastic lens after all. I think experimental stuff like this is great and it is often a source of goods ideas although they may not be as experimental.

Time to ditch those Leicas Pete (and Nikons, and Sinars, and...........and raise funds for a Holga!

I nearly bought a Holga once and then thought, "What the hell, I can always stretch cling-film over a real lens!".

 

[Brian Moore]

What a fantastic image. Very creative, Pete. Looks like the optimum focal length for that new er, "lens," is in the background visible between the bunny's ears. (If indeed that what those are.) Looking forward to the next one.

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Brian. It's very strange as you can also see the texture in the textile at the front. The lens is so distorted physically that I think there are focus areas all over the place. I have plans for it but they might have to wait a bit.

 

[Glenn Clabo]

Pete...Ya did it again. Thought provoking...

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks Glenn. When I first looked through it held up as a 'lens' I thought of the distorted nudes of Bill Brandt.

 

[Steve Boykin]

I really like the grain. That was added in Silver EFX? You are right the focus is really cool because you can get the front and the back and it's distorted in the middle (or maybe I'm wrong). So this was just a magnifying glass? I'm really entranced.

 

[Hamish Gill]

how very odd...
Its like a cinematic depiction of a bad trip

 

[Pete Askew]

Just a magnifying glass held in front of then lens and tilted until I got the look I was after. Trippy indeed!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Just a magnifying glass held in front of then lens and tilted until I got the look I was after. Trippy indeed!

So, just like a Lensbaby but cheaper.

 

[Steve Boykin]

So, just like a Lensbaby but cheaper.

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Spooky and creative and 3+ dimensional, Pete! Transfer Triangle...

 

[Glen Roberts]

how very odd...
Its like a cinematic depiction of a bad trip

What... Like a trip to Blackpool !!!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Looks normal to me. What's all the fuss about?

 

[Beth Carter]

looks like something on doctor who, it could have been in the night terrors episode from last year..