an old family friend

we were huddled in the garage, waiting for the rain to ease up and this image magically appears...an old family friend.

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useful things

The 24-70mm lens is a bit heavy specially with the battery grip added but after using it this morning have chosen it as the lens of choice for walking around. The raincoats (all of 80cents) was a lifesaver at the Great Wall. It kept us fairly dry and the sandals was solid as I didn't slip at all while going up and down the wall ( once ;D ) and getting it wet was not a worry.

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right/correct lens

I walked around with the 17-35mm lens to Tsiannamen Square and though it worked with a few of the wide shots for the most part I didn't like the results. Shooting too close which was most of the time resulted in distortion I didn't like. The 50mm might have been a slightly better choice and using narrow dof could create some interesting
compositions but would have limited use for when there wasn't enough space to back up. The 24-70mm would have been the best choice although a bit heavy. Should have left the dead weight tripod.

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Intramuros

Went with Hans to Intramuros which turned out to be a different location from where I expected to go. Nice shooting, kind of hot, but it turned out quite good after I went to the 50mm f1.4. What a terrific little, lightweight lens.

diff place - diff images

So many different images from a different place... and being able to see more now. The images of Manila are so many and so varied...what is common is so unique in its own way.

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Salvadori Dali-like - a Hipstamatic pak

I really need a goatee if I want to pull this off...

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English Bay on Canada Day

The light was colourless but the clouds were interesting and so was the light. I anticipated that this would result in a b&w image and I was right for a change.

Tex-Mex

I have a few variations of Hipstamatic and always found it hard to choose, that is until I discovered random mode ;). Now it's easy...

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a bit of gold

I was hoping for a little golden glow today and I did from the walls but not the sky which was weak. The whole intent was to get a multi-exposure and combine it into one image to get detail in both the bright and dark areas of the image. I used 2 images which I blended together using layer mask. I like the results from this method as opposed to using HDR techniques.

parking lot photography

There are times when the skies and the clouds are so nice but you just can't get to a scenic location so you take what you can. Using a polarizer and intensifier really enhances the image but I really didn't expect this b&w to come out like this...

kitsilano beach

It seems like such a long time since I've been to the beach at sunset and on the way home I realized just how much I missed it and how much I enjoy being out during this time of day when it's peaceful and cool. The colours surprised me and I really need to bear down and try and understand it more. The colour tones should be in my head before I shoot and not be a surprise when I see it on my lcd. I have been to this same location a number of times now and have come to the realization that the change in tides, clouds, sunset make for different photos. The rocks visible on the beach are different, the cloud formations are different and how the sun sets is also different. But please check the settings before shooting...lucky to get away with an incorrect +1EV setting from a previous shot.

first day of summer

It was the first day of summer and it was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. Just had to go to the beach and shoot the sunset. It was wonderful being there today.

ominous

I was surprised with this photo. I never expected the very flat tones I got from the background as compared to the colourful banners. Liked the result...

light streaks

The results from the ProHDR continue to amaze me. Having the IPhone and this App allows me to take photos I normally would not do or be able to do. Too bad the quality is not the best. Hopefully the IPhone 5 will be better.

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shoot when you can

Always something to learn even if it's not perfect. Didn't have all the equipment except for the tripod but couldn't attach the camera to it as I didn't have the bracket. Tough trying to keep still. Overcast day with some clouds and might have been better with filters. Came out blah for the most part but applying tonal contrast improved the image dramatically. So much to learn about light differences.

looking up

Amazing how good some photos are with the ProHDR and Camera+ apps on an IPhone 4 and with the IPhone 5 coming up it could get better.

ProHDR Alley

Experimenting with a new ProHDR app on the IPhone and the results look promising.

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better results

I tried the B&W 10-stop and Singh-Ray Vari ND 3-8 stop again. I can't remember if I did the full 8-stop on the ND but I must have used at least 4 or 5 to make it a 14-15-stop ND. Took 135 seconds but the key was using the Nikon NX2 software and using the eyedrop selection of a white spot in the photo to do the white balance. Worked a lot better this time.

Spanish Banks

Went to Spanish Banks while daughter was at soccer practice. Shot without the 10-stop filter and I thought the colours came out better. Too bad the sky was a bit blah but then again without the 10-stop filter I could only get 2 second exposures at most.

View from Stanley Park

Tried a 5-6 minute exposure but had to use a 10-stop and 8-stop ND filter. The WB really gets messed up and the exposure and sharpness is a bit off. The 10-stop filter is the guilty party I think.