The Camera Forum

Beeswax Lavender Oil Print Finishing - A Fine Art Alternative to Glass

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

I have been experimenting with different print finishing techniques, looking to meet necessary print protection requirements while avoiding the use of heavy cover glass and those annoying reflections its use introduces. Beeswax and lavender oil has proven to be the best solution among everything I have tested.

The Problem with Glass

Most coatings I have found marketed to protect fine art prints fall into two categories: spray lacquers that alter the print’s surface character, and lamination films that seal the print behind plastic. Both change what the viewer sees. Both add something that was not part of the original image.

Carl Zeiss 100mm f/4 Makro-Planar S-Planar - Macro Test on Sony A7S

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

It is amazing what inspirational stories you can find to tell right from your own backyard. This short film actually started life as a macro still lens test, not a video. I wanted a macro still of the tiny bright red flowers that Springtime always brings to our garden, and I grabbed the Carl Zeiss 100mm f/4 S-Planar for the job.

Contax Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar - Hands-On Review on Sony A7S

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

For regular all-around shooting, I find the Contax Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar to be a bit too long for my video tastes. I have not spent nearly the time shooting this tight of a lens as I have with wider angle lenses. On my other hybrid storyteller hand, for still portrait work the Contax Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 is a superb portrait lens that has been a classic in the Zeiss lineup for decades.

Contax Zeiss 28mm f/2 Distagon - Hands-On Review on Sony A7S

Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Looking for a great wide angle prime for your Sony A7S? Look no further. The Contax Zeiss 28mm f/2 Distagon is a champion.

One of the things I always love to do as soon as I can with a new camera body is to test it with the Contax Zeiss prime lenses. These lenses are the older Zeiss primes, built in Japan by Contax to Zeiss specifications and under Zeiss supervision and quality control. Originally intended for the Contax 35mm film camera, each lens in the series is an optimal design for full frame 35mm cameras.

Contax Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon - Hands-On Review on Sony A7S

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

One of the things I always do as soon as I can when I get a new camera body is to test it using my Contax Zeiss collection of prime lenses. These lenses are the older Contax Zeiss primes, built in Japan by Contax to Zeiss specifications and under Zeiss supervision and quality control. Originally intended for the Contax 35mm film camera, each lens in the series is an optimal design for full frame 35mm cameras. I expected the coverage on the Sony A7S to be very good edge to edge, and it is.

About Charles Paul Jones

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Photographer

I picked up my first camera more than 62 years ago. Since then, photography has been the constant thread through a life that has taken some unexpected turns.

I shoot with Leica rangefinders, Sony mirrorless, and a Leaf Aptus 75S medium format back. I print in platinum-palladium on Crane Museo Max, finished with beeswax and lavender oil. My Lightroom catalog contains over 286,000 curated images spanning decades, multiple countries, and subjects ranging from concert photography to vanishing cultures in Mexico.