( photo things + living life)
I saw this photograph the same moment I was walking around this amazing swimming pool even if I didn't have the camera with me in that moment. The pool was just side by side with the aegean sea, and, in front of use the ancient island of Delos...... I analized sun over the pool around a whole day and finally took the shot in the early morning, when I thought it was the best moment, with that shadows. It's great when you have some days to take a photograph :).
Athens has new underground system for the Olympics 2004. I thought that a shot of this would complete my vacation photographs. I manually duotonized it in PS to better achieve the grey and cold feeling these places always make me feel.
Taken while starting the day in our Mykonos hotel. I used the flash to give light to my "clouds" while exposing for the bright blue sky. It seems it worked. Not digital post-processing other than the usual unsharp mask and a little bit added saturation to compensate camera's low saturation.
Taken just after the sun went down while enjoying some white wine from Santorini Island (btw, really great white wines there!). Digital noise cleaned with NeatImage. Colours adjusted with PS.
This door was placed on a wall outside a taberna in Mykonos. The sun was really up in the sky but some near building casted some interesting shadows over the wood. I liked the theming of the door, and its blue colour is a nice reminder of greece. No digital alterations of any kind.
I found interesting two ideas: to reflect in a typical church the colours of the island, blue, white and red... and also the idea of showing the subject, not by itself but by its shadow.
A quiet corner in the busy streets of Mykonos, where you could travel back in time. Originally taken in colour... it was so dull I preferred to move it to B+W and apply some effects to enhance the retro-look.
Some days ago, the new album by Kings of Convenience was released in Spain. I've not listened to their debut album, but this new album is just amazing. With a subtle instrumentation based on acoustic guitars, simple piano lines, cellos and violas and quiet drums the two components of this norwegian group display an array of emotions, moods, ambients and feelings far away of the mainstream music. It's refreshing, and also very deep. Their lyrics are just amazing.
The first single from the album is "Misread". Just as a sample there goes the lyrics:
If you want to be my friend, and you want to get us along
-please do not expect me to wrap it up and keep it there.
The observation I am doing, could easyly be understood as cynical demaenour,
but one of us misread - what do you know, it happened again
A friend is not a means you utilize to get somewhere,
somehow didn't notice, friendship is an end - what do you know, it happened again.
How come no one told me, all throught history
the loneliest people were the ones who always spoke their truth?.
The ones who made a difference withstanding indifference.
I guess is up to me now - should I take that risk, or just smile?
- what do you know, it happened again.
In the last days I've been following a thread in the Sony Forum of dpreview.com regarding a possible issue of the Sony Cybershot W1. As a result of the discussion a member of the forum stated that people who chose the W1 instead of the V1 where neophytes with no idea of photography.
I've been involved in photography for the last eight years so I don't consider myself a neophyte (nor a professional, of course).
So... I started thinking why choosing the W1 over the V1. I found several reasons, and I would like to share them with you. There they goes:
1. Processor speed.... I was tired of slow camera starts. I've missed lots of shots just because of the camera speed. I've never seen a camera as fast as the W12. That was really a REASON to choose between this and the V1.
2. Video Quality... I know the W1 is not a professional camera (as well as the V1 isn't too).... and the main use for my W1 is to take good captures of my vacations and special moments. In the last times we all have found a great way to present your shots is the use of a (S)VCD movie containing your shots along with nice music, titling, and so on.... being capable of adding some video shots to this, the final result is really enhanced.... so W1 video capabilities where really a plus to select the W1.
3. Within the years I've seen that when I want control over my shots I usually tend to think this way: "I need lots of DOF, or.... I don't want too much DOF -probably because I'm shooting portraits". That kind of control is possible with the W1. It's as simple as selecting one of the two possible apertures in the manual mode and then control the speed for your purposes. For a digicam work I don't really need the full range of apertures.
4. I won't discuss about the lense quality... surelly the vario-sonnar T* lens of the V1 is much better than the vario-tessar lens in the W1, but, if the main use will be 10x15 prints, and SVCD quality videos (where the maximum resolution is about 720x502 pixels)... the W1 is just a really good one. If I need a more professional result, I'll surely don't use a digicam like the W1 or the V1....
5. LCD Screen... oh my god... THAT's a reason. Now I'm taking problems looking at another digicams screen, or even my Nikon F80 viewfinder... the 2.5" LCD is just so great.....
6. Batteries.... oh man, it's so good to have NON proprietary batteries.... a couple of AA rechargeable batteries that will cost about 10€ and will last more than 150shots per load... that I can have three replacements in my bag for less than just one V1 battery...
6. Price. I live in Spain and there's still a difference of about 250-300€ between these two models.... well....
Mediterranean building in its essence... with some global symbols... the mix of tradition and globalization.
Can breathtaking views block your creativity instead of activating it?. I was so amazed with these sunsets that I could barely use my camera. Nothing that I saw in the LCD panel was near the beauty of the moment but I had to try to capture it. Did I got it?.
I'm back from my Greece vacations. 13 days of sun, good food... good life!. This shot was taken during my stay in Santorini Island... I think this island is truly unique and it deserves a trip on its own. Now, back to work :(
The Nob Hill Dawn photograph has won the 1st place in the June Competition of the photographyblog.com website. I wish to thank Mark Goldstain, the man behind Photography Blog, for all the hard work he puts in his website. I'm very happy and this will make me work even harder in future. Thanks!!.
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