helios44

Extreme DIY: Make an Old Lens ‘Glow’ by Scratching the Glass Elements

A few months ago I was blown away by some photos taken by one Victor Danell with a modified Helios 44 lens. His process was to “polish” the glass elements with a strong abrasive and sand the inside of the barrel in order to increase how light bounces around.

Swirly Bokeh for Cheap: Shooting with a $40 Vintage Soviet Lens

Photographer Manuel Ortiz went out and did something many of us have been considering a lot lately: he bought himself a cheap, vintage Soviet lens. And now, we get to join him to see how this awesome old portrait lens performs when it's attached to the very modern Sony A7R II.