Monthly Archives: April 2015

Louvre Pyramids at dusk on an HDR photo walk

Louvre Bike Pyramid

HDR photo of the Louvre Pyramids and a Brompton bike from a low vantage point with nice light and nice texture on the stone.

I found out by chance and last minute that Trey Ratcliff was in Paris and doing a photo walk.  Of course I jumped at the chance.  When I arrived everyone had all their fancy equipment ready.  Full frame SLR cameras and fancy tripods.  I’ll probably do a post in the future about my gear but at the time I was using a Canon S90 and  magnetic Joby Gorillapod about 6 inches high.  The camera goes in a small case on my belt and the tripod in a pocket.  So as I arrived one might ask where my camera was.  And I was asking myself should I even take out my tiny camera.

The tiny camera is by choice.  As they say: “The best camera is the one you have with you”.  And anything much bigger I won’t have with me.  But my trusty little camera just sits there waiting for the right moment.  Often it’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time when the light decides to be pretty.

This photos was taken near the end of the walk.  Standing to my right is a number of huge tripods and fancy cameras.  You can pretty much see how high my tripod was.  I might have tried to pick a higher vantage point somehow but I had done a few photos recently where the texture of the stone on the ground had come out nicely and that’s what I was aiming for.

I was fortunate to have the bike standing where it was  There was a couple along for the walk that had a pair of them.  (Very nice little Brompton bikes.  I hope to own one some day.)  It was the lady’s bike and she asked me if she should move it.  No way!  She told me that at the outset she thought her husband’s camera was the smallest but in fact it was mine that was.

And the photo turned out nicely.  The pyramids are often pretty just as it’s changing from day to night as it was here.  I think the yellow light causes the white balance to push the blue and you get this super effect.  So it’s Paris, the Louvre Pyramids, pretty light and a bonus bike.

 

Pont Des Arts – Love Locks

Pont-Des-Arts_Love-Locks

This is Pont Des Arts.  Lovers flock here to write their names on a lock, lock it to the bridge and throw the key into the Seine symbolizing their eternal love.

This picture was taken using my little magnetic Joby tripod.  The locks were perfect to stick the little bugger to.  The light was perfect. Often it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

My first HDR Photo – Rooftops Paris

MoufftardCourtyard_HDR_2048

This is the photo that got me into HDR.  I read Trey Ratcliff’s HDR Tutorial and gave it a try.  Funny enough I didn’t secure the tripod well.  Right after the third click of the last photo being taken the camera tipped over.  But all was right and it turned out and I was pulled to the dark side of HDR.

Up and running with WordPress

I just decided to redo my site with wordpress.  It’s been interesting.  The last time I tried many years ago the performance was very bad with my current hosting package.  Horrible pauses and slow loading.  As time goes on technology improves and it seems to be working nicely this time.  I’ve often wanted a place where I can share my ideas so here’s my chance.  Though I wonder if it will end up like a piece of home gym equipment: unused.  At least I can’t hang clothes on it.