December 1, 2009
“A Manhattan Scene”
Finding a parking spot in Manhattan can prove itself to be a daunting task. I circled for about half an hour before ending at the corner of 89th Street and 5th Avenue. Fortuitously, a very nice location for my daily photo. On the left is the Guggenheim museum, on the right Central Park and in the distance you can see the Empire State Building. I waited for the runner to enter the frame before taking the shot. Joggers are a very common sight around Central Park.
October 24, 2009
“Under The Rain”
On our way back home, we made a stop to the liquor store to get some wine for dinner. The rain was pouring on the windshield, creating this nice blur effect. I purposely threw the subject I was capturing a little out of focus to play on colors and enhance that blur. Then, I waited for a passerby to complete the composition.
When I showed the photograph to my wife, she wasn’t that enthusiastic. I got a similar reaction to yesterday’s photo, which was interesting… since they both have out of focus elements. Later, she tells me that’s how she sees when she doesn’t wear her contacts: not something she really enjoys. I found it fascinating and even thought-provoking, a really good example of how two people can view the same thing in such drastically different ways.
September 15, 2009
“The Fire Hydrant”
The few times I went out to take my daily shot as midnight was closing in, I’ve always been attracted to the fire hydrant near our house. Not unlike the staple British phone booth, I find them very typical. However, due to poor lighting and immediate environment, I haven’t been able to get any result I was truly satisfied with. On our way back from a promenade with Jasmine, I found this other fire hydrant in a much better location. A nice paint job, too. The only difficulty here was not to get my shadow in the shot… I had to leave the sidewalk for that one. A note of caution: be aware of your surroundings at all time. I’ve read a few – true – stories about photographers being so involved in their shot that they ended up getting hit by cars!
August 26, 2009
“Flatiron Building”
One of the most famous and regarded landmark in New York City… One of those buildings that have been photographed so many times and under so many angles that getting something fresh and new seems like an impossible feat. However, the sky itself was interesting, filled with beautiful patchy clouds. At such an angle, the Flatiron resembled an approaching ocean liner and I framed it to express that vision. If only there were seagulls at that time… even pigeons would have done the trick. It could be fun to create a photomontage with it.
Unfortunately, the light was not cooperating. A nice sunset would have been perfect but it wasn’t going to happen. I expose to the right, but this time I was expecting some clipping in the shadows. Well, I was happy to capture it all without losing any detail in both highlights and shadows. I am not a fan of bracketing my shots, or using HDR techniques. Instead, it forces me to find a way to get it right within the camera. I have to concede that today’s sensors are limited by their dynamic range, so a single exposure may not always capture it all. Nevertheless, my method pushes my limits as a photographer, so I am happily sticking to it.
