personal work – Manhattan cityscapes

It’s been a long cold winter without much chance to roam around and explore with a camera. The past weekend it seemed like the weather was finally relenting and becoming warmer. Taking to the streets to shoot for myself a bit with no purpose in mind, I ended up with three images that I liked – all deserted New York city scenes. Or in the case of the image above, nearly deserted.

It felt good to let my thoughts roam for a while, getting some exercise and listening to music … looking for anything that visually appealed to me in the camera’s viewfinder.

With this image above, the street had tourists floating around. I shot about 10 frames over the course of 10 minutes, with the camera steadied on my iPad and iPhone on the steps of a building opposite. My camera settings were: 8 seconds at f14 @ 200 ISO. I purposely went for such a slow shutter speed, since I wanted passersby to melt away.

In taking several shots as people milled around, I was able to layer a few photos in Photoshop, erasing the static tourists via a layer mask. This way I could reveal a duplicated part of the scene where there was nobody in any chosen area. The final result … a deserted scene.

Canon 1D Mark IV (B&H);   Canon 24-105mm f4L (B&H)

Processing for all three images:
1. my usual B&W processing in ACR / Bridge, but with the local contrast cranked up.
2. Topaz Adjust 4 – Spicify – at 50% opacity on a duplicate layer.
3. Topaz Adjust 4 – Vibrance – at 50% opacity on another duplicate layer.

If you’d like to order Topaz Adjust, or any Topaz product through this affiliate link, use the discount code ‘planetneil’ for a 15% discount off any item in your shopping cart.

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In 1998 I had the great opportunity to visit Madagascar to photograph stock images for a travel agent.  This guitar player in one of the markets in Antananarivo caught my eye, especially with the bold colors.  This photo from the archives is this week’s entry for the Alive for 365 project.

Antananarivo, Madagascar  //  Jan ’98
Nikon F90;  Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D
81A warming filter;  Fuji Sensia 100

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My entry this week for the Alive for 365 project, is another one from the archives:
A typical London taxi photographed by panning the camera. Doing so with a wide-angle lens creates additional distortion during panning, and only the centre of the photograph is left sharp.

Date: March ’93
Pentax Z-1;  Pentax-FA 28-80mm f3.5-4.7  (zoomed to 28mm)
Hyper Program mode;   -1 EV compensation;   Fuji RDP 100 transparency film

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This alien-looking Quiver Tree is indigenous to the arid regions of southern Africa.  This photograph was taken in the Namib Desert in Namibia.  Apparently the tree only blossoms after 20 or 30 years and can grow to 300 years old.  The nest seen in the tree is built by a community of Sociable Weaver birds.  It is quite unusual for any animal species to herd in large numbers in arid regions.  The large nests is an adaption by the birds, helping then keep cool during the heat of the day, and warmer during the cold nights.

This photo is my entry this week in the Alive for 365 project.

The strong saturation in that image is mostly due to the polarizer filter that was used. Here are other examples of what a polarizer filter adds to an image. My recommendation for a Polarizer Filter: the Kaeseman circular polarizer filter (B&H)

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I took this photo of the Hotel du Louvre during a trip to Paris in 1993.  I carefully propped  my camera against a hand-railing  to steady it during the slow exposure of 1/4 second.  As I took my first frame, a bus drove past. I cursed my luck and took the photograph again. (This was pre-digital, and I was poor enough that every frame of transparency film that I shot was expensive.)  Anyway, I cursed my luck, thinking the bus would spoil the image I was after. However, when I saw the results, the ‘accident’ looked far better than the intended shot.

This favorite photo of mine, is this week’s entry for the Alive for 365 project.

[ Pentax Z-1; Pentax-FA 28-80mm f3.5-4.7 / Fujichrome RD 100 ]
[ Paris, France / April '93 ]

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[Show as slideshow]

iPhone photos: Las Vegas

As mentioned elsewhere, I attended WPPI 2010 in Las Vegas the past week to present a masterclass there.  And in short, I had a great time.  I just love Vegas!  The constant hum of activity, and the glitziness of it, and the impressive architecture .. all of it energizes me the moment I step out of the cab from the airport.

Roaming around The Strip with some friends in the afternoons and evenings, I opted out of carrying a Nikon D3 with me all the time.  It just felt like so much brute weight when I’m not working.  So instead I kept it simple with just my iPhone.  And as you may have heard recently, the iPhone is now the most popular camera on Flickr!

Above is a selection of some of the iPhone photos. I think they look surprisingly good for so little control over the image-taking process!  The photos were manipulated with the ShakeItPhoto app on the iPhone.  No other work went into these.

As for the title … well, late one evening, going down the Strip in a cab with a friend, we waited at the Flamingo intersection.  And we waited.  The cabbie suddenly exclaimed, “Curse you, Flamingo!”  Apparently that slow intersection is the bane of all cabbies in Vegas.  We feel your pain, brother.

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Nelson Mandela / Madiba

Digging deep into the archives again, re-scanning some 5×7 prints in my portfolio:

I had the pleasure of photographing Nelson Mandela, then president of South Africa, at a function in March ’98. I was one of several photographers covering the event where he addressed people attending a function.

What made this photo-shoot difficult was that NO camera flash was allowed. This was in an attempt not to aggravate eye problems the president experienced. So all photographs were taken with ambient light alone. Which is a challenge inside a dimly lit marquee tent in early evening. I remember being the only photographer there with a tripod.

Date:  March ’98  -  Johannesburg, South Africa
Equipment:  Nikon F90x;  Nikon AF-D 80-200mm f2.8
Exposure:  spot-metered;  tripod; 1/15th @ f2.8
Film:  Fujicolor 800 Super G Plus

.

President Mandela obviously enjoying the Imilonji Choir, as he dances to their vibrant singing. His warmth and lack of officiousness have endeared him even more to South Africans and people across the world.  President Mandela was also affectionately known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela’s clan.  The title came to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela.

Date:  March ’98  –  Johannesburg, South Africa
Equipment:  Nikon F90;  Nikon AF-D 35-70mm f2.8
Exposure:  matrix;  handheld  1/8th @  f2.8
Film:  Fujicolor 800 Super G Plus

As an unrelated anecdote: On one occasion, I even had the opportunity to shake Mandela’s hand – even if it was quite accidental …

This was during the time when Nelson Mandela and the ANC were still in a negotiation with the National Party, (circa ’90 – ’92) before the first free elections in South African in ’94.  At the time I was still working at the South African Broadcast Corporation’s television studios, where on the day I was fixing some equipment in the TV studio where Mandela was to be interviewed.

When I had finished with my task at hand, I walked briskly out of the studio …  just as Mandela turned the corner walked through the doorway of the studio.   He must have thought that I must be someone of importance there, who purposely walked up to him to greet him, and he held out his hand to shake mine.  Completely in surprise I briefly shook his hand before he walked further into the studio.

I was instantly in awe.  He really had a presence about him.  Unmistakably so, even if somehow you had no idea who he was.

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On the first evening on our recent trip to Cork, Ireland, we walked around the city to soak in the look and atmosphere of the place. It had just rained, so the colors really stood out .. and I was drawn to the boldness of the colors, especially of the shopfronts. 

Since it was after hours, all the traffic had left that area, leaving a clear view of the closed shopfronts.

.. and much later in the night, we walked past a night-club where we had a demonic encounter ..

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This year I visited the WPPI and DWF conventions in Vegas again.  And in-between seminars on wedding photography, and meeting with friends and colleagues, I managed to roam around a bit with my camera.

A trumpeting statue at Caesar’s Palace.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS
1/40th sec @f2.8 @ 800 ISO. tripod.

Not a fake Vegas moon, but the actual real moon shining through the hazy clouds.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS
1/60th sec @f2.8 @ 1600 ISO.

An entrance to one of the multitudes of casinos.
Canon 1D mkIIn Sigma 14mm f2.8
1/30th sec @f5.6 @ 640 iso.

The underbelly of the Parisian sky, and the bottom structure of the Eiffel Tower.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 24mm f1.4 L
1/60th sec @f2 @ 640 ISO.

A real neon sign against a fake evening sky inside the Aladdin.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 24mm f1.4 L
1/100th sec @f2 @ 800 ISO.

Lights outside the Bellagio against a backdrop of a massive advertising display.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS
1/320th sec @f2.8 @ 400 ISO.

New York, New York.
Canon 1D mkIIn
Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS

The Strip, as seen from the Eiffel Tower.
Canon 1D mkIIn Canon 24mm f1.4 L
1/13th @ f4 @ 640iso

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My first visit to Vegas was in March ‘05 when I attended a photography seminar there.
In the evenings I would explore the city around the hotel. Roaming the streets, and taking it all in,
I was just in awe of the architecture and hyped by the vibe. I love Vegas!

The photographs in this gallery are essentially just record shots of what Vegas looked like.
Over-awed by the experience and with limited time, most of the photos are meant to record the wow!theyreallydothat!? impression it had on me, and to show family back home.

The evening rainfall made this dazzling symmetry possible.
Nikon D2x   /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

Evening rain, a low viewpoint and an ultra-wide lens made this scene possible.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

A view outside the Paris casino.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

Outside the Paris casino.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

Rome wasn’t built in a day either.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8
(softening added in Photoshop)

Some of the amazing interior of the Bellagio.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

The cascading waterfall of flames in front of The Mirage.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

Neon reflections in a shop-front window.
Nikon D2x  /  Nikon 17-55mm f2.8

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