My new Petzval 58 mm lens is a continuous challenge, with it’s manual, gear mechanism focus and aperture plates. Maybe one in ten photos really works. This one did. We were out in the woods walking and I was focusing the lens on the dogs when Maria turned to look into the camera, and I hit the shutter.

Maria and I have an agreement, she doesn’t pose and I don’t ask her to pose. But I love taking her portrait, she has an expressive face with much character, and while I meant to shoot the dogs, it turned out to be portrait.

The Petzval has a mind of its own, it pretty much focuses on what it wants to focus and this time, it went for Maria, and blurred the background, including the dogs. It worked for me and also captured the feeling of the deep and dark woods. It felt like a black and white photo to me, in some ways. Captured the soul.