Travel

My Photography (39) — Auschwitz-Birkenau, Memorial and Museum, Oświęcim, Poland, 2005

April 16, 2018 · 11:01

My winter trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp located in Oświęcim, Poland was a spontaneous one. It was also my first visit there and 13 years later I can still remember everything that I felt. Just a few minutes in, I was overcome by the depth of the tragic events that occurred there, as if the people felled on the grounds of the camp were still watching and making sure such events never take place in the world again. It was an acutely sobering experience.

Shot with Canon 10D + EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L: f/8, 1/640 s, ISO 100 @ 70 mm.

View more of my photos from Auschwitz →

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.

WWDC on a Budget →

April 5, 2018 · 16:44

Joe Cieplinski, on his blog:

I know conferences can be expensive, and everyone has to judge for themselves what “affordable” means. But I’ve seen a lot of people lately say that they simply can’t do WWDC anymore because it’s “way too expensive” and I wanted to address that.

He has a slew of simple and seemingly obvious, but very useful tips — a must read if you’re planning to go in the future, because it’s a bit late to take into account for WWDC 2018.

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 (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 (29) — A Train With a View, Flåm, Norway, 2015 [wallpaper]

October 31, 2017 · 19:20

I took this shot while traveling in Norway, on the Flåmsbana between Myrdal and Flåm — a trip well worth taking. The trip itself, called Norway in a Nutshell, starts and ends in Bergen — it includes two train rides via Myrdal to Flåm, a cruise down two fiords to Gundvangen, a scenic bus trip back up to Voss, and another train back to Bergen. It’s not cheap, but make sure to save some money to get the tickets — the views are breathtaking.

Shot with Fuji X100T: f/2, 1/400 s, ISO 400.

You can download a full resolution wallpaper below →

My Photography (28) — Good Morning, Warsaw, Poland, 2017

October 4, 2017 · 12:27

I was hoping to get a good shot of Warsaw’s city centre on the return flight from Turkey and I started to have my doubts on the approach, still a good fifty kilometres out — the plane was facing the wrong way and the light was terrible. Luckily for me, we did finally swing around so that my seat was facing north, towards the city. Nothing’s perfect however — my seat was a little too far back, the wing blocked some of the view, and the air was rather dirty1. I do love how the sky lit up in the last moments before landing — this was something I wasn’t expecting.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 400.

  1. Smog season is starting early this year. ↩

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.

Cops Can Make You Unlock Your Phone With Your Fingerprint, but Not Your Passcode →

August 21, 2017 · 08:58

John Gruber:

This is why it’s so great that iOS 11’s new easily-invoked Emergency SOS mode requires you to enter your passcode after invoking it. When you’re entering customs or in a situation where you’re worried you’re about to be arrested, you can quickly disable Touch ID without even taking your phone out of your pocket.

Until iOS 11 ships, it’s worth remembering that you’ve always been able to require your iPhone’s passcode to unlock it by powering it off. A freshly powered-on iPhone always requires the passcode to unlock.

This unfortunately does not help at borders, which you should take into account while traveling to countries such as Russia, China, USA, and Australia, amongst others:

In fact, US Customs and Border Protection has long considered US borders and airports a kind of loophole in the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protections, one that allows them wide latitude to detain travelers and search their devices. For years, they’ve used that opportunity to hold border-crossers on the slightest suspicion, and demand access to their computers and phones with little formal cause or oversight.

Even citizens are far from immune. CBP detainees from journalists to filmmakers to security researchers have all had their devices taken out of their hands by agents.

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.