Crisscross Twine │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F4.0 1/200s ISO100
It seems a lot of us are motivated to be creative. Some of us grab a camera or type madly on a keyboard. Others feel compelled to fashion a “piece” under a patch of trees, using discarded lumber and twine. Personally, I wouldn't have driven nails into living trees nor left refuse lying on the forest floor. Still, it's a good example of the desire people have to express themselves.
Standing Around │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.2 1/15s ISO100
These were taken during an intermission at yesterday's The Best of IDFA (international Documentary Film Festival) in Diemen.
Sustenance │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.8 1/30s ISO100
Coming Home │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.5 1/2000s ISO100
Sucking in the Street │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.5 1/2000s ISO100
Aftermath │ NEX-7 + Carl Zeiss C Sonnar T* 50mm F1.5 ZM │ 50mm F4.0 1/250s ISO100
Water doesn't flow uphill; eventually all this water will have to be pumped up and out of the polder. In the meantime it's prudent to watch where you step. Is that someone wearing a fur lined hood in July!?
Balancing Act │ NEX-7 + Carl Zeiss C Sonnar T* 50mm F1.5 ZM │ 50mm F2.0 1/4000s ISO100
This is an attempt to balance detail on the left (the church steeple) with color on the right. The gray sky is deliberately overexposed to emphasize the structure of the branches and to bring out the yellow color of the leaves.
Mechanical Spider │ NEX-7 + Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E24mm F1.8 ZA │ 24mm F5.6 1/60s ISO640
After dinner, it's all to easy to take up permanent residence on the sofa. But occasionally I can be persuaded to put on my coat and shoes and to head out for a walk in the neighborhood. Often my efforts are rewarded with some very good light. Maybe the walk also appeases my guilty conscience somewhat after any overindulgence at the dinner table.
In and Up │ NEX-7 + Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E24mm F1.8 ZA │ 24mm F2.0 1/60s ISO800
Bridge Over Untroubled Waters │ GF2 + Lumix 20mm F1.7 │ 20mm F1.7 1/20s ISO800
There's a real value in having a camera kit that's so compact that it doesn't make its presence felt. You can enjoy an evening out and forget that it's there. But when you feel inspired to take the occasional photo, it is there.
The compact NEX-5N would be ideally suited to this purpose if it weren't for the missing compact and bright “normal” prime lens (I'll define that as somewhere between 35 and 55mm full frame equivalent). There is a relatively compact and light NEX 30mm prime from Sigma but with a starting aperture of F2.8 it can hardly be classified as bright. Another option would be Voigtlander's compact 35mm F1.4 manual focus prime. That's certainly a bright lens but at 260g including the adapter it weighs as much as the NEX-5N. So, at the moment nothing can touch my Lumix 20mm F1.7 pancake, even when mounted in front of the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor. That only holds true in low light though.
Given what day it is today, I'm surprised that rumors of a revolutionary, “trans-spheric” F1.2 NEX pancake lens haven't surfaced.
;)
In the first of the series, I’ll feature the Berkendaal apartment complex for seniors. It’s located around the corner from where I live in the Amsterdam suburb of Diemen. The design is by the Döll Atelier voor Bouwkunst.
The building is conceived of as solid white block from which portions have been cut out. Unlike the solid concrete exterior, these cuts are transparent and reflective. The balconies, which are staggered from floor to floor, are the dominant visual element. They create diagonals across the otherwise rectangular facades, making the building appear more dynamic.
Sometimes things just happen: the top photo features both a gull and a jet executing a turn above the building.
;)
;)
I’m not sure why, but I’m drawn to these utilitarian, mostly concrete spaces. Often empty and austere, they set the stage for an invasion by everything from graffiti artists to the tracks made by passing vehicles. I get some pretty strange looks of people wondering why I'm taking pictures in these locations of all places. But that's part of the fun.
;)
