Trying out 500px
I have just started to use a new photographic service called 500px. This russian designed site allows photographers to upload their shots similar to Flickr, but with a much nicer interface. 500px’s aim is to have photographers upload their very best shots as opposed to Facebook or Flickr where you upload pretty much everything. Family shots, while not shunned, are not the aim here, but rather creativity. Your photos also have a greater chance of getting noticed as when a person “likes” one of yours, you get a rating, and over time, that rating decreases to allow others to filter up. Also, you can find new photographs and photographers through various tools presented such as: Popular – which allows you too se what currently has the highest votes. Editor’s Choice – These are shots which stand out to the editors of the site. Favourites – Photos that both you and people you are following have favourited. Upcoming – Shots that are not in the “popular” bin yet, but are getting votes fast. Fresh – which is the latest content.
500px also gives each user their own portfolio which they can link to from their blog or other such site. This is a great way to show off your shots. You can also customise the themes and directly link a domain name to the portfolio url if you have upgraded your account. If you upgrade you have access to more features, you can upload more shots a week, you get access to more themes, you can link a domain name, google analytics and more. For only $50 bucks a year, thats not much, but you can get it for $40 if you use an offer code: “friend”.
This site addresses many of the issues people have with Flickr and it’s beautiful. With only a staff of 4, these guys are doing something right. I upgraded and its worth a look.
By the way, my page is http://500px.com/stephen-nesbitt
Take a look.
Capturing the everyday.
Photography of great events such as weddings, sports, war, suffering and others, often yield amazing results from photographers who chase such occasions and also those who are caught in the midst of the turmoil. However, tucked away in the everyday, wonderful moments / objects are just waiting to be captured. There are countless small details in our everyday lives just waiting to be noticed. Moments that we often choose to disregard or simply don’t notice.
Every moment is a great time to take a photograph. We just need to stop, take a breath and pay attention to our surroundings. Our brains are great filters which allow us to concentrate on “important” tasks that need to get done, but as we become more and more focused, and stressed, we fail to appreciate the small treasures that surround us.
Taking the time to explore what is around us and in-sight does not mean we become hap-hazard or careless with our choice of subjects or our shooting, but instead we embrace the unique properties of everyday items. Even those items which appear mundane on the surface can wield surprising and unexpected results.
Street Photography
Street photography is a form of photography that I have enjoyed for some time now as it’s candid, documentary style portrays people / subjects in public locations.
The power of street photography, for me at least, lies in its ability to give its audience a visceral exposure to the events unfolding before the lens. For many the scenes may be familiar, for others a totally new experience. Street photography takes the viewer by the hand and plants them firmly into the world of the subject. The interaction of the subject within the frame gives the audience an appreciation for the cultures on display but leaves enough up to the imagination of the viewer.
While many forms of photography “stage” the shot, street photography is candid. The captured scene can illicit strong emotions from the viewer as we are able to place ourselves into the scene, even if it is of a totally foreign location and culture. We humans are able to not only interpret the emotions of the subjects within the frame, but we have the power to conjure up stories and emotions that may not have existed in the original. This is what makes street photography a powerful and creative branch of photography.
The height from which you shoot
Can change the way you see and capture whats before you.
Rain can help also.
The Finepix X100 – First Thoughts.
Having had this camera for a week, I am ready to compile my initial thoughts about this new little beast.
Not many cameras create a frenzy within the photography sphere and at the same time hold up to the promises made by the manufacturers. And lets face it, how could a small, almost pocket camera compete these days with a DSLR. Even the amateur (grimace, hate that word. OK, weekend warrior), sport DSLR cameras with descent glass these days. And why not? They are affordable, becoming easier to use, and they are versatile. The pocket camera appears to be dead. Well, maybe not dead as it has transformed into a pocket camera phone. These phones such as the iPhone 4 combine compact, useful appliances with a very respectable 5 megapixel camera. So what on earth could have created a buzz that was neither phone nor DSLR? The Fujifilm Finepix X100.
First Thoughts
The X100 is a beautiful camera. There is no doubt about it. Having seen images online, my mouth had watered, but once it was in my hand, the tactile build quality and placement of controls more than satisfied me. I felt like I had picked up quality. There were no rough edges, the controls were solid, there were no noticeable seems, the aperture ring moved like a smooth Manfrotto tripod head, the LCD is large and bright, and did I mention it looked beautiful? The size and weight were surprising. It was slightly smaller and lighter than what I had imagined, and this too is a nice point as you want to carry it around your neck all day. I have lugged a D700 around, and while I am not complaining, I like taking it with me on jobs, but I sure do get a stiff neck at the end of a long day. The X100 has been around my neck for the last 5 or so days walking around Sydney and other than taking a peek at the beautiful little thing now and then, you can forget its there.
Once it was time to insert battery and card for the first time, I realised that we do in fact not live in the 50′s when things were made to last. The little door that opens at the bottom of the camera does feel a little flimsy and that worried me. I had a Olympus point and shoot which I bought around 2003, and the first thing to go on that was the battery/card door. When that happened I used to wrap tape and rubber bands around the camera to keep it closed. I don’t wanna do that again. But, for now, I will trust the Japanese brains, and believe that it won’t be an issue. Other than this, the entire camera is built like a jeep, solid and ready for action.
I then proceeded to set the camera up, choose language and set date etc… I was surprised here, as the menu is extremely easy to navigate. There were many reasons why I bought into the Nikon system for DSLR’s, which I don’t need to go into here, but I was always amazed at how natural the menu felt in comparison to Canon. Well, after turning the X100 on for the first time, I think it gives the Nikon menu system a run for its money. I had not one issue finding exactly what I was after. The menu is laid out very wisely, there is not much nesting, and most of the important controls are physical buttons / dials on the body of the camera.
Having installed the battery and card, it was time to take the first shot. My first memory about taking that shot was: Did I take a shot? So silent. OK, I was standing near the open window of my hotel, it was loud outside, but the camera is very, very quiet. I have read that the camera utilises a leaf shutter system, however does it actually make any noticeable sounds? I ask this to you because the menu allows you to choose from three different sounds to assign to the shutter, and there is also a silent mode. Either way, for weddings, street / candid photography or anywhere you need to be discrete, this camera may be the perfect choice. Small and silent. I so want to put on my overcoat and hat and do some spy work.
Looking through the view finder, I was presented with the hybrid electronic overlay. I seriously think this is the perfect way for shooting candid / street shots with this camera. Due to parallax, you won’t get ‘exactly’ the same framing as you see, but its really really close. I like it because its bright and smooth (no electronic after effects) to compose. The overlay gives you all the details you need (ISO, ev, aperture, shutter speed). To switch between the hybrid and full digital mode, you simply pull down on the lever at the front of the camera. Both have their uses. One thing here that is a little confusing, but easy enough once you have used the camera a bit, is that the “view mode” button scrolls through a separate, different set of screens depending on which view mode “hybrid or electronic” you are in. Not a concern.
As you compose an image it is very easy to keep your eye up against the viewfinder and change the aperture with its large, smooth dial, the exposure compensator dial and the shutter dial. If you want to change the focus points or exposure modes, you need to click either the AE or AF button on the back of the camera and rotate the dial also at the back. I must admit, rotating the dial is no issue, but holding the button at the same time can be a little tricky for the big handed fellas. It is not really a design fault as the camera is small and if they didn’t want to corrupt the gorgeous body of the camera with more buttons, they had to reuse these buttons. Coming from a DSLR large body camera, you have to expect to make a few changes. Again, not a big issue.
The lens focus speed is more than respectable. and low light performance is amazing thanks to the APS sensor. The lens is a 23mm, however it turns out to be around 35mm due to the crop factor. A perfect candid / portrait / landscape lens.
While shooting, its easy to change ISO, and I have cranked it up to 3200 so far and it has performed really well with little noise. The colour of images is excellent, and I am no expert, but I do believe that the exposure range is rather wide. Perhaps wider than some older DSLRs (2 years or so). I was surprised that I was seeing into the blacks and whites. Maybe this was part of the jpg process (I have not shot with raw yet), so maybe someone can let me know.
Final First Thoughts
I will never give up shooting important moments with my D700. It is a wonderful camera both fast and clean. I feel comfortable with it, and look forward to new iterations from Nikon on the way. I will never give up on the superior glass that I get to play with on my DSLR’s. But for candid shots, street photography, holiday shots and general shooting, this is now my go to camera. To re-iterate, it is compact, easy on the eye, solid, fast, good glass, good low light capabilities, shoots video (will discuss this next time), is so quiet that you don’t intrude or upset those around you when shooting and is priced reasonably for a camera of this quality. After a week, I have a lot to learn, but I already feel at home. And, she just looks so beautiful. I can see why this camera made a buzz and continues to do so.
More to come.
Osaka
Osaka is the third largest city with a population close to 3 million and is the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region. Osaka was heavily bombed during World War II and most of the important structures and treasures were destroyed. Now, Osaka is a bustling tourist friendly city. The fashion worn by the younger generation is colorful and at times strange. Osaka is filled with great shopping and dinning areas.
大阪は三百万人に近い人口を持つ、全国で三番目に大きい都市で、関西地域の経済の中心です。第二次世界大戦中、大阪は激しい爆撃を受け、ほとんどの重要な建物や財宝が破壊されました。今日、大阪はにぎやかで旅行者に親切な街です。若い世代のファッションはカラフルで、時折奇抜です。そして、買い物や食事が出来る場所がたくさんあります。
Nikko
Nikko is a small city famous for the Toshogu, Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine complex and mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko is also a centre for Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries.
日光は、徳川幕府初代将軍である徳川家康を祀る日本で最も精巧に建造された東照宮で有名な小都市です。また、何世紀にもわたり神道と仏教の山岳信仰の中心でもあります。
Kyoto
Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and the residence for the Emperor from 794 until 1868. It is now the country’s seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people. Over the years, Kyoto has been destroyed by many wars and fires, but escaped the air raids of World War II due to it’s historic value. Countless beautiful temples, shrines and historic locations survive throughout the city today. The people here are more conservative than others in Japan and they are well aware of the attraction that Kyoto has on foreigners.
京都は７９４年から１８６８年まで都がありました。現在、人口は約百四十万人で、全国で七番目に大きい都市です。京都は、長年にわたり多くの戦争や火災などで破壊されましたが、歴史的な価値があるために、第二次世界大戦の空襲を免れました。町中には無数の綺麗なお寺や神社など史跡が多く残っています。京都の人々は保守的な人が多いです。
Himeji
Himeji is home to Japan’s most beautiful surviving feudal castle; Himeji Castle which is both a national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site. In the 14th Century, a fort was first built on the current site. Over the centuries, various clans who ruled the region, gradually enlarged it. The castle as it stands today, was completed in 1609. Himeji Castle has never been destroyed either by war, fire or earthquakes. The great samurai Miyamoto Musashi also made his residence here for some time. Himeji has around half a million inhabitants and is the second largest city in Hyogo Prefecture after Kobe.
姫路には封建時代から残されている国宝で、ユネスコ世界遺産地でもある姫路城があります。始めに砦が14世紀に建てられました。その後、何世紀にもわたり数々の藩が徐々に城を拡大していきました。そして、1609年に現在の姫路城が完成しました。姫路城は戦争や火災、地震などで崩壊した事は一度もありません。有名な武士である宮本武蔵は、しばらくの間住居を姫路に置きました。姫路市は約50万人の人口を持ち、兵庫県で神戸に続き2番目に大きな都市です。