My favorite lens, responsible for probably 90% of all photos since last December when I bought it, is the Carl Zeiss 21mm.  My major problem with it for shooting landscapes was that I couldn’t experiment with one of my favorite types of photography – long exposures – because the filter thread was so wide at 82mm.  To perform a long exposure (2+ minutes), you need to have a 10-stop neutral density filter, which looks like a piece of black glass, to reduce the light that reaches the sensor.  I finally realized I could use a Lee Filter Kit to screw onto the 82mm thread, and use their square filters on not only this lens – but on all the lenses in my arsenal…but the problem was, due to the earthquake in Japan, everything seemed to be in ridiculously short supply (until this week!).

What better subject than the Memorial Bridge to break in the new toys!  Despite the moody, cloudy and colorless sky, I was excited to see this shot – remarkable clarity and crispness throughout the frame – just what the doctor ordered.