Photography by Tennessee Rick

I had never heard of a Petzval lens until week 46 of the 52 Frames challenge in 2021. One could receive extra credit if a photographer chose to use a LensBaby lens. I didn't really think I'd be interested until I read about the Twist 60, a modern version of the original Petzval Lens which had been originally developed in 1840. The Petzval described as the original "portrait lens," boasts of a sharp center of focus with a swirled and darkened bokeh around the edges. The folks here were kind enough to let me try this manual focus lens out on their portrait in our nostalgic journey back to 1840.