Ghosts of summers past

[vieri]

I recently got back to Digital Medium Format after a couple of years of absence, getting a Pentax 645D with some lens, oldies and new. To put it through its paces, last month I went to the beautiful Cinque Terre in Italy. Here is the story and the images.

Many years ago, as a teenager I used to go on holiday with my family to beautiful Riomaggiore, the first village of the Cinque Terre, on Italy's west coast. During the day, I spent my time on the rocky seaside, jumping in and out of the sea, or go to see friends in Manarola, the next village; after dinner, we'd enjoy the cool evenings walking around the village, eating ice cream, talking with friends. I haven't been to the Cinque Terre since, missing for more than two decades, until this winter I decided to go back to revisit the places where I used to spend my summer days and see what they'd look like both through the looking glass of time and through the lens of my camera.

The pool's waters


The rocks and the stones are the same, and so is the sea; what is different are the feet walking on them and their intent.

Trapped


Walking on them back then it felt like being on my personal springboard towards the open sea, and with it towards the future; now it felt like awaking long sleeping GHOSTS OF SUMMERS PAST, each with their own story to tell.

Sunbed


Night swimming


The images in this Portfolio tell some of these stories, each being the ghost of events that happened there more than 20 years ago. Please check out GHOSTS OF SUMMERS PAST for the rest of the images.

Now for the technical details: all images have been shot with the Pentax 645D, equipped with the Pentax 645D FA 55mm f/2.8 and the oldies but goodies manual focus Pentax 645 A 150mm f/3.5 and Pentax 645 A 200mm f/4.

Thank you for viewing! Best regards,

Vieri

 

[fotografz]

Freaking love that first one Veri!

Really love the whole emotive story idea of "Ghosts of Summers Past".

- Marc

 

[dchew]

Great story to go with some great images!

Dave

 

[tsjanik]

First and third are stunners. Great story, although I'm at an age where two decades doesn't seem like that many years

Tom

PS. The 150mm f/3.5 seems to be a forgotten lens compared to the FA f/2.8; very sharp and amazingly compact.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

First and third are stunners.

+1 :thumbs:

 

[D&A]

Lovely, lovely images and a wonderful story behind them! They're so evocative, moody and convey a sense of place.This is where is less about the camera/lenses and more about the images. Nice indeed!

Dave (D&A)

 

[vieri]

Freaking love that first one Veri!

Really love the whole emotive story idea of "Ghosts of Summers Past".

- Marc

Great story to go with some great images!

Dave

First and third are stunners. Great story, although I'm at an age where two decades doesn't seem like that many years

Tom

PS. The 150mm f/3.5 seems to be a forgotten lens compared to the FA f/2.8; very sharp and amazingly compact.

+1 :thumbs:

Lovely, lovely images and a wonderful story behind them! They're so evocative, moody and convey a sense of place.This is where is less about the camera/lenses and more about the images. Nice indeed!

Dave (D&A)

Thank you very much everyone, I really appreciated your taking the time and commenting.

About the 150mm f/3.5 I have to say I have been impressed with it, compact and so light that I thought it was just an empty barrel with no glass inside, but very competent.

About the story, it has been pleasantly weird to go back there after so many years; even if it feels like yesterday since I have been there last, being there with grey hairs and in winter vs the summer memories I had as a teenager made quite a strong impression on me...

 

[D&A]

The FA 150mm f2.8 645 lens is somewhat different optically than the manual focus 150mm f3.5, but both feel like empty barrels with no glass. They're deceptively light. The Fa 150mm f2.8 has a gentle rendition compared to the bitingly sharp 120mm f4 macro...making it especially suitable for portrait work when used at f2.8 and f4 and becomes extremely nice and sharp beyond. It appears to have been designed for this purpose.

Dave (D&A)

 

[darr]

Very beautiful!

 

[vieri]

The FA 150mm f2.8 645 lens is somewhat different optically than the manual focus 150mm f3.5, but both feel like empty barrels with no glass. They're deceptively light. The Fa 150mm f2.8 has a gentle rendition compared to the bitingly sharp 120mm f4 macro...making it especially suitable for portrait work when used at f2.8 and f4 and becomes extremely nice and sharp beyond. It appears to have been designed for this purpose.

Dave (D&A)

Dave, thank you for sharing with us your impressions on the 150s. I haven't tried the f2.8, but I am looking forward to do so as soon as I can put my hands on a copy (or two) of this lens, either in the AF or MF flavour. The f3.5 is similar to what you reported, more of a portrait lens in character than the 120 macro which is bitingly sharp and not too flattering.

Very beautiful!

Thank you very much, much appreciated!