There's
not much blue to be found in the skies these days, so I have to look
for it elsewhere. I would have preferred a dose of yellow, but that
color is tougher to find.
Blue
Glenda │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.5 1/100s ISO100
Some
of you may have noticed my new blog format. It's intended to make the
photos more dominant as these are supposed to be the focus of this
site. By removing the side bar, the site's look will be more
consistent across the various platforms (mobile and desktop).
Hopefully there won't be too many teething problems...
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.
No,
we weren't able to get on this tram, it seemed to be reserved for
more important people than ourselves. But the weather was more suited
to cycling anyway.
This
being the very last Queen's Day in the Netherlands before the new
king takes over, the public will surely give her majesty a sendoff to
remember. At the very least, everything will be decked out in a sea
of orange like never before. Too bad that someone who loves color as
much as myself won't be in attendance.
The
fact that there's no one around despite the glorious sunshine could
be due to the continuing cold snap. Normally, I prefer taking photos
in good light, but it's getting to the point where even gray skies
would be preferable if they brought some warmer temperatures.
Shimmering
Gate │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.8 1/800s ISO100
Here
are two very different views of the same object. One is a semblance
of reality, the other a distorted abstraction. In the first image
light leaks around the back of the object, in the second image it is
blasted by the sun.
Blasted
Abstraction │ GF2 + Lumix 7-14mm F4.0 │ 7mm F4.0 1/500s ISO100
In
a final image the object is no longer the center of attention.
Transient
Reality │ GF2 + Nikkor-P 105mm F2.5 │ 105mm F5.6 1/2000s ISO100
I
live in an area that's below sea level so it's hardly surprising that
there are plenty of soggy patches of land. This parcel of bush between
the row houses is so wet that few venture into it. I guess not many
like to slog through the mud. The decaying vegetation and abandoned
industrial relics make interesting subjects though.
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
I've
taken photos of the EYE Film Museum before, but the light was never
this good. I took some photos with my lovely RX1, but nothing can
beat an ultra wide angle for this building. The dramatic perspective
accentuates the acute angles and the building seems as if it's
counting down to take off.
Splitting
│ GF2 + Lumix 7-14mm F4.0 │ 7mm F4.0 1/80s ISO100
Model City │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.0 1/40s ISO250
Sucking
in the Street │ Sony RX1 │ 35mm F2.5 1/2000s ISO100
When
I use a camera with a smaller sensor, I need to make choices. In high
contrast scenes, either the shadows or the highlights need to be
sacrificed: there won't be details and colors in both. That's not a
problem as long as I take limitations of the sensor into account when
I'm composing the photo.
The
huge sensor in the RX1 gives me more choices though. I can still
expose for either the shadows or highlights, but now for the first
time I can have both.
While not as dramatic as they would've been with my super wide angle on the GF2, these make me confident that architecture photography is possible with a 35mm lens. In fact, quite a lot is possible with only 35mm...
All photos with the Sony RX1 at ISO 100. The overall shots are at F5.6, the details at F4.0 (for those that care).
This
will be the first post in a series on Amsterdam's Light Festival.
Although most of the works won't be unveiled until at the end of this
week, a few are already transforming the dark December nights along
the Amstel River. This 7m tall egg is aptly named “OVO.” I had
noticed the colors changing but the mist spraying from above caught
me off guard: the bulbous front end of my ultra wide lens was
immediately coated in fine droplets.
OVO
up │ GF2 + Lumix 7-14mm F4.0 │ 7mm F4.0 1s ISO100
OVO
down │ GF2 + Lumix 7-14mm F4.0 │ 7mm F4.0 2s ISO100
I
had hoped to start shooting the light festival with the RX1, but the
camera that I ordered way back in October still hasn't arrived. I
console myself with the thought that these kinds of dramatic,
all-encompassing perspectives wouldn't be possible with an RX1
anyway.
