Photography

My Photography (37) — The City of Bodrum, Turkey, 2017

April 9, 2018 · 16:58

This photo was taken from the Castle of Bodrum, which has a fantastic view of the city, marina, and bay from its walls. Unfortunately, it closes early, so sunset shots are out of the question at the time of year this was taken (September, 2017). If you’re ever in Bodrum, make sure to spend a few hours touring the castle.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 1/200 s, ISO 100.

Huawei P20 Pro Hands-on: 3X Zoom Lens Leaves the Competition Behind →

April 5, 2018 · 12:57

Lars Rehm, for DPReview:

We’ve only had a few days with the Huawei P20 Pro but that has been long enough to say it is the most advanced smartphone camera to date. General image quality is very good, with good detail, very low noise levels across all light levels and excellent dynamic range. In terms of those parameters the differences to other flagship smartphones, for example the Google Pixel 2 or Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus aren’t massive, however.

Where the P20 Pro really leaves the competition behind is zoom. The dedicated 3x tele-lens provides a real advantage in the zoom department and makes this device the best current smartphone for zooming. The triple camera is also capable of creating a natural looking bokeh simulation, and in video mode the image stabilization is up with the very best, creating an almost steady-cam like effect.

While I consider Apple’s software manipulation of the iPhone camera’s shits to still be superior to its competition, I wish they’d try to use physically larger sensors. Portrait Mode should improve at a faster rate, too. I wouldn’t mind a third lens either — an 85 mm equivalent to join the current 28 mm and 56 mm lenses.

My Photography (36) — Beautiful Scilla, Italy, 2017

April 4, 2018 · 11:25

When travelling around Calabria in December 2017, we happened upon the small city of Scilla, which stole my heart away. If you’re ever even remotely close to it, make sure to spend a day there. Don’t forget to have an espresso on the promenade!

Shot with Sony A7R II + Zeiss ZF 100 mm f/2 Makro-Planer T*: f/2, 1/160 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (35) — The Roads in Lapland, Finland, 2017

February 6, 2018 · 08:00

I took the iPhone X to Finland and got a few good shots from it, despite the extreme cold (it did not turn off in temperatures below -20° C). The one above is from our trip back to the airport in Rovaniemi, taken an hour or so after sunrise, with the 56 mm lens. I didn’t shoot RAW — this is a JPG straight from the iPhone with the Photos’ Vivid filter applied.

Shot with iPhone X @ 56 mm: f/2.4, 1/883 s, ISO 16.

My Photography (34) — Sunset in Lapland, Finland, 2017

February 5, 2018 · 08:00

I spent a few days in Lapland, Finland towards the end of 2017 — I believe this was the third time I was there now — and I still can’t get used to the fact that the sun barely rises above the horizon in the winter. If there was less cloud cover, it would light up the sky like in the shot above all day long (a few hours in this case).

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 1/60 s, ISO 250.

My Photography (30) — A Storm Behind Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola, Tropea, Italy, 2017

December 5, 2017 · 14:50

We spent these last few days in Italy, travelling between Lamezia Terme, Tropea, and Scilla — the surprisingly poor (for Italy) but beautiful region of Calabria. The weather wasn’t perfect, but we did get a few sunny days. I also finally had one of my dreams come true — to be right next to a storm, but just far enough to be out of the rain.

Setting up, I never thought I’d get the shot of the storm that started brewing during our dinner in one of the many small restaurants in the old part of Tropea… It’s not perfect, unfortunately — the bright light shining on the island itself is blown — but at the time I was certain there would be enough latitude in the RAW files, to save that part. I was wrong — lesson learned.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/4.5, 30 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (27) — Trust, Bodrum, Turkey, 2017

September 29, 2017 · 12:41

While sightseeing around the marina in Bodrum, I saw this cute cat, lying down in front of a Harley-Davidson (or whatever it was). The bike’s owner was just getting ready to ride off, but the cat was in the way. Even after a huge roar from the engine, it didn’t budge.

Arrogant? Definitely. Very trusting though.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/2.2, 1/6000 s, ISO 100.

Austin Mann Takes the iPhone 8 Plus to India →

September 23, 2017 · 07:39

Austin Mann:

I’m writing to you from a small hotel room in India having just experienced a magical adventure in western India orchestrated by friends at Ker & Downey. I’ve shot thousands of images and countless portraits with the iPhone 8 Plus and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned.

While the iPhone 8 Plus looks essentially the same as the phone we’ve had since the 6 Plus, there are some new features in the 8 Plus which really impact creative pros across the board — most notably Portrait Lighting, along with a few other hidden gems.

I know what I can achieve with my iPhone. While I’m sure the 8 and 8 Plus have great cameras, Austin is the one that can use them to create art, instead of just simple snapshots. Amazing work, as usual — make sure to go to his site to see all of his shots.

Photo credit: Austin Mann

iPhone 8 Plus Is The Best Smartphone Camera Ever Tested By DxOMark →

September 22, 2017 · 18:27

David Cardinal, writing for DxOMark:

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus has a main camera system truly worthy of a flagship phone. Similar to the iPhone 7 Plus, it features two cameras — a wide-angle 12MP main camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with a slower lens for zooming in on subjects and for special effects such as Portrait mode. Comparing the camera datasheets of the older iPhone 7 Plus and the new iPhone 8 Plus make the two look almost identical; however, under-the-hood upgrades have given the 8 Plus an image quality and camera performance boost in almost every one of our tested categories.

I’m still curious as to the exact physical changes in the camera system — Phil Schiller said that the sensors are now larger, but what are their sizes? While the latter certainly helps, it appears that the greatest advances in the near future will be made on the software side.

Seasons Of Norway — A Time-Lapse Adventure In 8K

April 4, 2017 · 09:47

Morten Rustad:

With its imposing mountains, endless plateaus and echoing valleys, Norway is a country where nature takes the lead. Using time-lapse, this film attempts to capture the ebb and flow of the seasons and is a result of one year of planning, a second year of shooting and four months of editing.

20,000 kilometers have been travelled, 200,000 photos taken and 20 terabytes worth of hard drives filled. Months have been spent hiking through the mountains, sleeping in tents and travelling through the entire country hunting for the best locations.

Simply fantastic.

Watch the video →

My Photography (26) — Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE, 2017

March 20, 2017 · 16:55

We had a 7-hour layover in Abu Dhabi, on our way back from the Seychelles, so naturally, we had to go see the city, with the Sheikh Zayed Mosque being our first stop. I still remember when I first saw the city over 30 years ago, basically, a village in the desert — the contrast is amazing — but this place of religion is simply stunning to behold.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/6.3, 119 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (25) — Tail End of the Milky Way, Mahé, Seychelles, 2017

March 18, 2017 · 06:50

I waited 18 days and 18 nights to get this shot. I was planning to do a lot of night sky photography before arriving on Mahé and Praslin, but unfortunately, my plans were for nought. Firstly, the full moon was a huge problem — it was bright enough to cast a shadow. Secondly, the night sky was almost always covered with clouds, which usually dispersed in the morning. Lastly, there is a surprising amount of light pollution on the island — I did not expect this at all.

The shot above is unfortunately far from perfect — you can see one of the ends of the Milky Way on it. Had I waited for the centre of the Milky Way to rise above the horizon, the bright moon would have joined it, ruining the shot. Hope you like it nonetheless.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/2.8, 15 s, ISO 3200.

My Photography (23) — The Most Beautiful Beach in the World, Curieuse, Seychelles, 2017

March 15, 2017 · 16:27

Having spent two weeks over here, I have been fortunate enough to see many beaches on the islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and Curieuse. All of them are beautiful in their own way, but the southern beach on the last of the aforementioned islands is my favourite — calm and peaceful, with crystal clear waters, lazy and colourful fish… It’s as close to perfect as I could imagine.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 1/640 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (22) — Giant 80-Year-Old Tortoise, Curieuse, Seychelles, 2017

March 13, 2017 · 16:19

Giant tortoises can be found on two islands (that I know of) in the Seychelles — on La Digue in a closed off park and running wild (not the perfect phrasing, but you know what I mean) on the small island of Curieuse. They can be fed with various leaves and other shrubs that grow on the island and are quiet friendly. Just don’t put your fingers in their mouths — they will bite it (off?).

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/2.8, 1/800 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (21) — Panorama of Eden Island as Seen From Mahé, Seychelles (100+ MP)

March 12, 2017 · 18:44

We took the scenic route through one of mountain passes on Mahé today, the one second closest to the capital city of Victoria. Since my Sony FE 28 mm wasn’t wide enough to capture the scene above, I decided to try to make a panorama, consisting of 12 individual shots. It came out better than I expected and has around 102 MP after cropping.

Since the JPG at full resolution weighs in at almost 100 MB, you can view the original on 500px. I also posted a 100% crop after the break below.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 1/250 s, ISO 100. Total of 12 shots.

Continue reading →

My Photography (20) — Sunrise in Paradise, Praslin, Seychelles, 2017

March 10, 2017 · 19:06

I am currently traveling and away from all forms of communication, which I have come to consider ubiquitous. I was a bit surprised that connecting to the internet is no simple task over here, despite me being in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I did however want to share this amazing sunrise — one of many — to which we awoke a few days ago. The beauty of this place is that the sun and sky give a unique and equally grand performance every single day.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/10, 30 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (16) — Spiral Staircase, Vatican Museums, 2014

February 16, 2017 · 13:00

The Spiral Staircase in the Vatican Museums was designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932 — we spent only half a day inside, which was definitely not long enough. I suggest putting aside at least a full day, if you’re planning on going there. Two preferably.

Oh, and buy a ticket online, on the Vatican Museums’ webpage (beware of intermediaries!), to skip the line completely!

Shot with Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24 mm f/2.8G: f/8, 1/50, ISO 1400, 14 mm.

My Photography (15) — Bergen by Night, Norway, 2015

February 16, 2017 · 07:00

We spent three days in Bergen with our friends. Our wives and their boy were out taking in the sights of the city, looking for a restaurant, while we jumped on the Fløibanen to get some shots from the hills above the city — Fløyen to be precise. Hectic, but completely worth it.

Shot with Fuji X100T: f/5.6, 30 s, ISO 200.