Rue Privée
Quietly. In the undergrowth of our summer château near Lamalou-les-Bains.
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
we heart kerry
I don't think anything in photography compares to seeing brand new medium-format slides on a light table. Especially when it's velvia and the colours are popping. And especially when you've used beautiful sharp optics and you can see amazing tiny detail under the loupe.
So it was yesterday when I picked up the two rolls I shot on our holiday with the Morrises. We saw Dublin (from the inside mostly), Cork, Kinsale, Kenmare, the two rings, Portmagee, Caherciveen, Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, Kilkenny and for the kids - Hell Pizza. Quite a ride - and we're still recovering.
I'm really pleased with the first two shots here: The first is of a stone fort in Caherciveen and the second is the Gap of Dunloe (which is a beautiful place). This is a different kind of photography. It's the wait-for-the-light-to-be nice, or just hope-it-is-because-im-impatient kind. There's not much composing or fusing. And it helps I only have the one lens on the Contax and it's a prime, so there's no zooming or lens changing.
a long night
scanning finally completed
i make breakfast
So it was yesterday when I picked up the two rolls I shot on our holiday with the Morrises. We saw Dublin (from the inside mostly), Cork, Kinsale, Kenmare, the two rings, Portmagee, Caherciveen, Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, Kilkenny and for the kids - Hell Pizza. Quite a ride - and we're still recovering.
I'm really pleased with the first two shots here: The first is of a stone fort in Caherciveen and the second is the Gap of Dunloe (which is a beautiful place). This is a different kind of photography. It's the wait-for-the-light-to-be nice, or just hope-it-is-because-im-impatient kind. There's not much composing or fusing. And it helps I only have the one lens on the Contax and it's a prime, so there's no zooming or lens changing.
a long night
scanning finally completed
i make breakfast
Labels: david, Family, photos, Travelling
more photos because I know you like them even though I get no comments ever
Had a few rolls sitting on the shelf, so I got them processed and uploaded some albums.
The first is from last year's Frankfurt Christmas markets, the second from the flea (really!) market in Brussels and the third from my alternative wanderings in Dublin.
Peace.
Vancouver in the nature
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Sorry for the blog spam. I'm catching up when I should be finishing my packing. I've had a really successful time scanning this evening - thanks to my new adapter, and some clean slides, the scans are sharp and everything is a pleasure.
Please see this set of photos of Vancouver; in the snow and in the park. You should use the slideshow so the pictures as a big as possible.
Okay, packing now. 6.50am flight tomorrow :-(.
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Adventures in scanning
As I think I mentioned, I bought a medium format camera on holiday and since we've been back I have a scanner too.
Scanning, I've discovered, is a major pain in the backside and if there is one reason to have a digital camera, it's to avoid scanning.
Anyhoo, after buying a special new film holder for the scanner to hold the film flat (film flatness, not easy) and spending a good 2 hours tonight adjusting little screws in increments of 0.2mm (no kidding), I can now can get sharp images!
The next major problem is color correction. I don't have my own printer (and can't really be bothered with one) but my lab (not being a pro lab) doesn't have a colour profile for their printer - so I've got nothing to calibrate against. That's probably as well, because if I did I'd need to get a colorimeter to calibrate my screen. That's just more stuff - eventually Laura will kill me, or I'll have no desk left, or both. So I did some test prints today, and I'm going to go for the "hold it up to the screen and compare" kind of colour correction.
So here are some of the scans I've done: 2 x Vancouver and 1 x Grandmas. You might have seen them on my regular albums already, but that was before they were sharp.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3255129323/ (sharpish)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3317718996/ (actually sharp)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3314961026/ (still not sharp, needs redoing).
Schlaf schön!
Scanning, I've discovered, is a major pain in the backside and if there is one reason to have a digital camera, it's to avoid scanning.
Anyhoo, after buying a special new film holder for the scanner to hold the film flat (film flatness, not easy) and spending a good 2 hours tonight adjusting little screws in increments of 0.2mm (no kidding), I can now can get sharp images!
The next major problem is color correction. I don't have my own printer (and can't really be bothered with one) but my lab (not being a pro lab) doesn't have a colour profile for their printer - so I've got nothing to calibrate against. That's probably as well, because if I did I'd need to get a colorimeter to calibrate my screen. That's just more stuff - eventually Laura will kill me, or I'll have no desk left, or both. So I did some test prints today, and I'm going to go for the "hold it up to the screen and compare" kind of colour correction.
So here are some of the scans I've done: 2 x Vancouver and 1 x Grandmas. You might have seen them on my regular albums already, but that was before they were sharp.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3255129323/ (sharpish)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3317718996/ (actually sharp)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcultdjcult/3314961026/ (still not sharp, needs redoing).
Schlaf schön!
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Worldwide 08 - some photos
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I've been home all week with illness. Kind of an extension on the already long holiday, but it just prolongs the anti-climax of going back to work, so it feels kind of odd - a kind of purgatory. At least it's been nice sitting in the apartment, watching Discovery and the snow falling outside - so much snow!
On holiday I bought a 2nd hand (well, of course) Contax 645 which is a medium format film camera. I also bought a scanner so I could scan the negs myself. So, as well as other photos, I've uploaded some of the scans. It's a bit disappointing because although the negs are pin sharp, the scans aren't and that's mostly because the negative strip won't stay flat in the film holder. Kind of annoying. But as a first try I'm moderately happy.
Look out for a joint food diary style posting with photos. It might be a couple of weeks due the post-holiday chores backlog.
Slideshow here.
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Smithfield on (controlled) fire
Every now and again they turn on the big gas laterns / torches that line one side of the square. The first time it happened I was in the lounge and it scared the pants off me (see last photo!).
There's an ice rink and a Christmas market (so last week) in the square too - as well as, right now, one of those portable radio broadcasting trucks and from the sounds of it, about 3 competing musical acts. I suspect the sausage guy is sitting there in front of his big grill very depressed right now (see previous post).
Some photos for your enjoyments. Tschüs.
There's an ice rink and a Christmas market (so last week) in the square too - as well as, right now, one of those portable radio broadcasting trucks and from the sounds of it, about 3 competing musical acts. I suspect the sausage guy is sitting there in front of his big grill very depressed right now (see previous post).
Some photos for your enjoyments. Tschüs.
Electric Picnic
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Another year, another 3-day music festival. Highlights were the weather (it didn't rain and Sunday was actually sunny), the food (more vegetarian than ever before), the B&B (seriously, who camps at these things?) and The Breeders; who'd have thought I'd be able to relive that 1993 indie mega-hit "Cannonball"?
I took my trusty T90 and 300TL flash along to snap the crowd. I never know what that flash is gonna do, so I was pretty happy; every photo turned out! (slide show here).
Biarritz
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We had perfect weather and jolly good time: getting (me) / avoiding being (Laura) sunburnt, bobbing about in the gentle surf, eating, drinking cider and taking afternoon naps.
If you feel even the tiniest bit jealous - well don't be - because this is first time I have been truly hot in over a year, and the first time I've swum in the sea since Goa on our honeymoon. And we only had 3 days of it. And although it's warm in Dublin at this moment, the "mini-heatwave" (hur hur) is due to end any minute to be replaced by, well, rain and wind of course. (Slideshow here).
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Prague & Portmagee
Last weekend saw us (us + Molly & Bryan) on a whistle-stop tour of Prague, made even more whistle stopped by the on-going radar problems at Dublin airport. Without wanting to sound jaded, Prague was pretty much how I expected it to be: river with bridges, central square with church and cafes, fairy-tale castle and hordes of tourists.
It was once home to a thriving Jewish population and the Jewish area - the Josefov - is very close to the main square. It has 8 synagogues, the oldest of which, the Old New Synagogue is Europe's oldest active synagogue - we took a quick tour inside. Legend has it that the Golem, in its deactivated state, is hidden in the attic there.
Some photos here, or slideshow here.
Also I put up my photos (slideshow) of Portmagee. This is the very small town where we stayed for two nights in Kerry. It's cute no?
The weekend after this one we are taking a 3-day holiday in Biarritz (thanks be to Ryanair for flying direct from Dublin to this somewhat famous old-school beach resort in the South of France). The very extended forecast isn't looking good but I'm hoping for some clear and sunny weather - summer in Ireland so far has been a bit ... flat.
It was once home to a thriving Jewish population and the Jewish area - the Josefov - is very close to the main square. It has 8 synagogues, the oldest of which, the Old New Synagogue is Europe's oldest active synagogue - we took a quick tour inside. Legend has it that the Golem, in its deactivated state, is hidden in the attic there.
Some photos here, or slideshow here.
Also I put up my photos (slideshow) of Portmagee. This is the very small town where we stayed for two nights in Kerry. It's cute no?
The weekend after this one we are taking a 3-day holiday in Biarritz (thanks be to Ryanair for flying direct from Dublin to this somewhat famous old-school beach resort in the South of France). The very extended forecast isn't looking good but I'm hoping for some clear and sunny weather - summer in Ireland so far has been a bit ... flat.
Co Kerry & The Puffins
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So we left early Saturday and drove to Killarney via Limerick (aka "Stab City"). We had lunch there, then drove the 1st half of the Ring of Kerry to Portmagee (photos still to come), finding Ballycarbery Castle on the way.
We spent two nights in Portmagee - mostly coz Vincent (who I used to work with)'s sister owns the pub and hotel there - and a great setup it was too with award winning pub food and not a bad pint.
On Sunday we took one of the ferries (converted fishing boats seating 12 max) for the 1 hour journey to Skelling Micheal. You can read the Wikipedia entry for yourself, but it is a 6th century monastic site and now a UNESCO World Heritage site - definitely a must see if you're in Kerry and if you go in May through July you'll see the delightful Atlantic puffin - very cute, especially on take off and landing (flaps down).
Monday saw us drive the 2nd half of the Ring on some really really uncomfortable roads before hoofing it back to Limerick where we dropped Emily off for her trip to Galway. By 9pm we were home having stopped at M&S in Naas for some ready meals.
As Gordon Ramsay would say on the F-Word, "Kerry & The Puffins. Done."
(slideshow here)
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
B&W Paris Photos
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Shot on our trip over Easter and our trip that's just been on Neopan 400. I plan to rent a darkroom at the Gallery of Photography and try making some 8 x 10 prints.
Or slideshow here.
Photos from our trip to Co. Kerry & Skelligs coming soon. Warning: may contain puffins.
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Ava
I'm sure Paul won't mind me posting this: this is his child Ava, his first born, the fruit of his loins. And that's Laura holding her.I'm posting it because I like the photo. It's taken with the 55mm lens in natural light. It must nearly be at wide open and you can see it has a disturbingly narrow depth of focus.
Welcome to the blogosphere Ava.
(I can't believe I said "blogosphere".)
Paddy's Day 08
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Enburdened with my equipment, I set to the streets to capture St Patrick's Day 08 for perpetuity and here are some of the results. I'm really happy because there are a few *great* photos in the bunch - it means my setup works!
For the record it was my T90 + 85mm 1.2L + Speedlite 300TL flash for fill + Fuji Reala 100.
(slideshow here)
Glasgow
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So a couple of weekends ago we (+Molly) randomly (cheap flights) travelled to Glasgow. After a rough takeoff, flight, and landing, Glasgow greeted us with an impromptu hail storm as we waited for the train... It was the "worst storm in a 100 years" weekend.
While it was freezing, the weather did hold enough for us to see the city & it was much better than I expected. A grand museum, a grand university, a grand park, lots of great Indian food + Trainspotting was filmed here. Could you want more than that?
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
Cork,Glascow and beyond...
A few snaps from Cork below - we travelled there a few weekends ago now. It's a nice city. It seems much more livable than Dublin with a nice foody studenty vibe and great coffee.
Last weekend travelled to Glasgow. I haven't upload the photos yet as not all are developed, but check this out - action packed or what?
It was a pretty cool city but the weather was awful. I caught a cold (or the cold I already had set in). Both flights were quite hairy as it was very windy. We disembarked our plane at Dublin and had to run the 100 metres to the terminal in more or less a full storm. Oh for a walkway thing :-(.
Anyhow, we've booked an apartment in the Marias (yes Carol, we did copy you a little bit) over Easter which I'm very excited about. Paris is just so great. It will be great to go back for the 2nd time - you kind of know your way around and can focus on exploring. Plus with an apartment, we have a kitchen, so we can buy food at markets, cook it, and eat it.
I have no other news of substance except to say that as we speak my parents are moving out of the parental homestead for greener pastures so I'll never be able to see that hold I drilled in the laundry for my home-built room burglar alarm ever again. That's life I guess.
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Last weekend travelled to Glasgow. I haven't upload the photos yet as not all are developed, but check this out - action packed or what?
It was a pretty cool city but the weather was awful. I caught a cold (or the cold I already had set in). Both flights were quite hairy as it was very windy. We disembarked our plane at Dublin and had to run the 100 metres to the terminal in more or less a full storm. Oh for a walkway thing :-(.
Anyhow, we've booked an apartment in the Marias (yes Carol, we did copy you a little bit) over Easter which I'm very excited about. Paris is just so great. It will be great to go back for the 2nd time - you kind of know your way around and can focus on exploring. Plus with an apartment, we have a kitchen, so we can buy food at markets, cook it, and eat it.
I have no other news of substance except to say that as we speak my parents are moving out of the parental homestead for greener pastures so I'll never be able to see that hold I drilled in the laundry for my home-built room burglar alarm ever again. That's life I guess.
Labels: david, photos, Travelling
