I thought that I would take my Helios 58mm f2 for a walk around the neighborhood to see what it could do outside. We have had very little snow this winter and when we do get some, it is usually not much. I like to photograph in the snow, so if it snows I head out with my camera. Dried flowers are getting harder to find as winter progresses and I was lucky to find this well preserved hydrangea in someone’s yard after a 20 minute walk. I like the little bit of snow clinging to the petals and the lovely bokeh of the Helios gives a frosty feeling.
On the way home, I found this trio of dried leaves hanging together in a gully near my house. Again the Helios produced an interesting swirl on the leaves and dead branches in the background giving a hint of being in the woods. I prefer it in black and white because the leaves and surroundings were a very pale tan. The black & white brings out the detail in the leaves.
In this last photo, I wanted to test out the Helios using it to photograph a (barely)snowy landscape. I drove a few miles from home to some fields. In this case, while I like the photo, the Helios did not do anything that distinguishes it from other 58mm lenses. I will have to experiment some more, but so far I prefer it for more close-up work where I can shoot with a wide aperture.
