Coming Home

Coming home there are no obstructions, the bumper to bumper traffic is up above, out of the way. If you're talking on your smartphone, there's also a good chance you won't notice the man with the camera in front of his face.

Back in Amsterdam

There's no better way to prove that I'm back in Amsterdam than showing a photo with bicycles in it. The girl stopped to do some texting is causing a little obstruction. It's still much better than the alternative of texting while cycling one handed, which is more common.

Now that I'm back home, I have a lot of photos from London to sort through. I'll be posting more images from my collection over the coming days.

Well Heeled at Night

I need to work a little harder to focus the RX1 at night. The autofocus system acquires the subject quickly and accurately as long as there's enough contrast, as one would expect. As even lower light levels plunge the subject into the deep shadows, the autofocus starts to hunt. In this case, setting the flexible AF spot over an area of the subject with a little more contrast normally allows the system to lock on.

The RX1 took longer than usual to focus on the woman above, but then we're talking about light levels low enough to require a sensitivity of 12,800. While my Panasonic GF2's autofocus feels a little quicker at night, its sensor would have capitulated at anything beyond 1600.

The View from my Bell

This is in front of the bakery. I was just shoving my fresh bread into my panniers (never much room in there) when I noticed the reflection in the bell. Of course I had a camera with me. That's why it has to be compact: so I have it with me even when I'm running errands. Since I don't have a car, I can't just lock all my gear up when I pop into the bakery. Instead, I have to carry everything from place to place. But then I don't have to find one of those elusive and expensive downtown parking spots either. Bicycles can be parked immediately outside the door, propped against a construction sign or whatever else is handy.

Two-wheelers

To focus a manual lens via the GF2's rather average screen I need either a stationary subject (where I have enough of time to nail the focus) or lots of depth of field (margin for error). The latter technique is best when there's lots of light.

Ready to Go │ GF2 + Carl Zeiss C Sonnar T* 50mm F1.5 ZM │ 50mm F2.0 1/2000s ISO100

Part the Sea

When the lower level is full, you have to heave your bicycle into the upper level. Sometimes, both levels are full. Bicycle parking, HS Station, the Hague, Netherlands.

Happy Easter!

In the Netherlands Easter Bunnies travel on yellow bicycles. Here you can see one of the elusive creatures handing an egg to a random stranger. Even the stranger is wearing fur to ward off the unseasonal chill in the air.

Through the Snow

A little snow certainly isn't enough to make Amsterdamers leave their bicycle at home. I was out braving the elements on my trusty steed as well. My bicycle is more than just a means of transportation; it's also part of my photography gear because it provides unfettered access to potential subjects. When I see something that I want to photograph, it's a simple matter of throwing my bicycle against the nearest railing and I'm ready to shoot. You don't have to circle around the block in search of a parking spot nor do you have to feed your hard earned cash into parking meters or scrape the windshield free of ice when you're ready to leave again. That would be enough to make me think twice about stopping to take a few photos. You can't get very far on a bicycle of course and you will have to take measures to warm up again when you get home, but bicycles are great around town. That's probably why I wasn't the only one out cycling in the snow.