iPhone Photos

Sometimes I get tired of carrying around my big digital SLR with several lenses to capture images. Lately, I've decided to just use my iPhone 3G camera to take interesting photos. Since I carry the phone with me at all times (even while jogging) I keep an open eye out for things to shoot.

I ususally do minor editing to the iPhone photo with several iPhone applications.

The Best Camera Application

Photoshop iPhone Application

Paris

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Classic View from Place de la Concorde

One of the fountains at Place de la Concorde makes a perfect foreground to a iconic landmark.

Photographing Paris Fashion Week - R-T-W

Yestderday, I spent time photographing several fashion shows being held in Paris for Paris Fashion Week Ready-To-Wear Spring Summer 2010. I was able cover the Tim Van Steenbergen and Devastee runway shows.

See Images of Tim Van Steenbergen fashion show.

See Images Devastee fashion show.

Interesting Lines

Interesting vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines with a great textured wall.

Fireworks Photography

Last night I walked down the street to the Avenue de Saxe in Paris to photograph the fireworks show over the Eiffel Tower. This was my first attempt to shoot fireworks, but I've researched it enough on the Internet to feel I could capture some good images.

First, I was totally surprised by the number of people outside our apartment at 10:45pm. When I arrived at the the Avenue de Saxe it was impossible to find a good spot to set up my tripod because of the large number of people already there.

I found a relatively good spot with an almost straight on view of the Tower. I set up the tripod, attached the Nikon D300 with a cable release cord. I set the camera to manual mode, set my ISO to 200, f/stop to f/8.0 and shutter speed to Bulb. I would guess with each exposure regarding the length of time I needed to keep the shutter open.

It wasn't totally dark around 11:00pm so I tested several shots and only needed about a one second exposure to capture the Tower and not have it overexposed.

Once the fireworks started I just keep firing the cable release and holding the button down for about a second. I could see instantly on the LCD screen if I needed a bit longer or shorter exposure. I learned quickly it really depended on what the fireworks were doing. If there were lots of fireworks going off and the sky was filled with light, I didn't need a full second.

I kept firing as the sky exploded with multiple colors of light. It wasn't hard to capture the big bursts. Once the big burst started to grow, I hit the cable release and held it down for about a second, viewed the LCD and liked what I saw.

The sky behind the Eiffel Tower was very dramatic so I decided to add it to the composition rather than go in tight with a longer lens. After about 20 minutes and 268 images later, I packed up and walked the one block back home.

Paris - Haute Couture Fashion Shows

Now that the fashion shows have been completed I can upload some of the images from the various shows.

Below are a few of the images from three shows I covered.

Chanel Show

Chanel Show

Zuhair Murad Show

Zuhair Murad Show
Stephane Rolland Show

Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture 2009-2010

The fashion designers are back showing off their Haute Couture 2009-2010 collections. I spent a busy day traveling between events, competing for prime standing real estate on the photographers podiums, and capturing images of amazing women and the finest clothes I have ever seen. It was a busy day, but a very fun and rewarding experience.

Because I'm working for a magazine from NYC, www.DossierJournal.com I can't post any photos on this blog until after the shows. But once they post some images online, I'll post the link to the images on the blog.

Today I saw the Stephane Rolland and Christophe Josse fashion shows. Now I have over 1500 images to go through and edit and upload to Dossier Journal.

On Tuesday I get to do it all over again with more designers.

Cheers,

Randy

Camera Painting

In an effort to be creative with my camera and push myself outside the box of perfectly focused photographs, I recently started playing with motion to produce interesting images. This gives me an additional option while out shooting. I don’t have to wait to find interesting subject to shoot, I create them.

The technique is quite simple. I set the camera to either manual or aperture mode. I want to make sure my shutter speed is between 1 to 6 seconds. I find an interesting subject; almost anything will work with camera painting although I like colorful things.

I fire the shutter and move the camera during the 1 to 6 second exposure. Sometimes I rotate the camera in a circular motion, other times I just move it horizontally or mix it up and do a little of everything.

You never know what you’re going to get. Each shot is an experiment. Because I shoot digital I can instantly see the result and determine if I like the result or if I need to change my method of motion. Plus, I can play and shoot as many images as I want and it doesn’t cost me anything.

So next time you’re out with your camera, play around and try it. You might come up with some very pleasing results.

Below are a few images I took this weekend while walking around Paris.

The store front of an umbrella store. (before)

(after)

Tables of an outdoor cafe.

Posters pasted up on a cement wall.

Posters pasted up on a cement wall. (version 2)

Hollywood movie poster.

The sad part of Paris

Like scenes right out of Slumdog Millionaire, we see beggars frequently all through out Paris. Some sit silent and motionless on the hard ground waiting for compassionate strangers to drop a few tokens into their well worn cups. Most simply stare at the ground without a hint of emotion.

Their presence makes me wonder what they’re thinking or if they feel pain. Where did they come from, are they there on their own or do they work for someone? Are they lonely, do they hate life? All I know is that it’s sad.

The Making of a Street Art Mural

In the heart of the Belleville area of Paris, a community of street artists thrive and regularly display their imagination by creating “street art” work with cans of spray paint. In most cities, as well as in Paris, painting on walls (graffiti) is illegal, but there are several walls in Belleville where painting is legal.

I’ve been visiting this area for about six weeks and each time I visit I’m rewarded with the most imaginative and creative work on display. Last Friday I visited and found for the first time, several artists in the beginning stages of creating their latest piece of work. I decided to hang out and record the progress of one of the artists, Skio.

Fortunately, the corner café had chairs and tables running down the side of the alley so I pulled up a chair, ordered a Stella and watched these guys work.

All finished.

June 3, 2009 Photo Tour

Hosted Bobby from Houston, TX yesterday on a seven hour guided tour of Paris. Some of the areas we covered were Belleville, Marais, The Louvre, Palace Vendome, Palais Royal, Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Pont Alexander III. Some of the photos from the tour.

Wedding at The American Church in Paris

Next week I'm photographing a wedding at The American Church of Paris so I stopped by yesterday to check it out, get familiar with the setting, see what kind of light was available, think up ideas for photographs, check with the pastor to see if flash photography was allowed in the church, etc.


When I was shown into the beautiful sanctuary of stained glass windows a bride and groom were having their pictures taken by a photographer and his assistant.

I quietly looked around and took a few photographs myself. I don't think I was a distraction to them. I'm looking forward to next week.

Photographic opportunites at Notre Dame

The other day I went to Notre Dame to climb the 387 stairs to the top of the South Tower to photograph the view and specifically the legendary gargoyles. I arrived at the tour entrance at 9:00, an hour before the 10:00 opening time. The lines get long, fast.

However, on this particular day a sign outside the door read “Today we open at 11:00”. I decided to wait it out and pass the time photographing inside the cathedral as photography is permitted inside as long as no flash in used.

The cathedral is massive in size and the ornate sculptures, stained glass windows, high ceilings, chandeliers, and unique light make for interesting photographic subjects. I could have spent much longer than an hour inside, but I wanted to get back to the tour line at 10:00.

Nikon D300, 50mm f/1.8, 1/40 s at f/1.8, ISO 500, WB Auto

Nikon D300, 50mm f/1.8, 1/50 s at f/1.8, ISO 1000, WB Auto

Nikon D300, 50mm f/1.8, 1/80 s at f/1.8, ISO 800, WB Auto

I went back to the tour entrance at 10:00 and was the first person in line. I pulled out a book and started to read. A line of over 100 people quickly formed behind me by 10:20.

After climbing an unknown number of well worn stairs I arrived at the Chimera gallery. All along this narrow walkway you can see the many different gargoyle creatures. Figuring the gargoyles would be shaded or at least many stops below the bright view of Paris I took along a Nikon SB-800 flash to throw some fill light into the gargoyles to pick up some detail in the stone creatures.

I shoot with the Nikon D300 which allows wireless flash through their Creative Lighting System (CLS). I put the camera in manual mode; spot metered off the bright skyline, got my reading, but decided I wanted the clouds to look a bit more dramatic so I underexposed the sky by about a full stop. I then used the in camera flash commander to control my flash. I set the flash to ¼ power to start knowing I only wanted to pick up some detail. It was hard to see how the gargoyles were being lit because the bright daylight was making it difficult to see my LCD. I figured I’d take lots of photos with different flash powers to be on the safe side.

Nikon D300, 18mm-35mm, 1/2000 s at f/10.0, ISO 400, WB Auto, Nikon SB-800 Flash

Nikon D300, 18mm-35mm, 1/1600 s at f/10.0, ISO 400, WB Auto, Nikon SB-800 Flash

Nikon D300, 18mm-35mm, 1/320 s at f/14.0, ISO 400, WB Auto, Nikon SB-800 Flash

Nikon D300, 18mm-35mm, 1/1600 s at f/9.0, ISO 400, WB Auto, Nikon SB-800 Flash

Nikon D300, 18mm-35mm, 1/2500 s at f/5.6, ISO 400, WB Auto,

Panoramic Image made with four images, Merged with Photoshop CS4, Photomerge

After spending about an hour and a half photographing the gargoyles and the views I decided it was time to head down. Once I started down the skinny spiral staircase, I started viewing the images and was very happy with the results.

Inside the Paris Opera House

Gina's sister, Lisa is in town and the three of us went downtown to see some of the sites and wander into the many fashion stores. The ladies decided to go into the mega store, Galleries Lafayette while I decided to stay outside and wander around the area.

Not too far away I found the Paris Opera house and decided to go in and take a few photos.

The Paris Opera House is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It contains levels beyond levels of cellars, fountains, chandeliers and even its own ghost! The history of this performance hall is dark and interesting, and spans from architecture to literature and music.

The cause for this new opera house actually stemmed from Napoleon III. When he was arriving to the premiere of a new singer with his wife, the royal procession was bombed by a group of dissenters. Over eighty people were killed, prompting Napoleon III to ask for an opera house with a covered side entrance where royalty could enter discreetly. When plans finally were made for the design of the opera house, over 200 entries were informally submitted, and 171 were chosen to be viewed. Charles Garnier received the commission after some deliberation. He was an unknown architect, but a stunning design and several court allies hand a hand in his success.

The House seats two thousand and has seventeen stories, taking up three acres of land. Seven of these are below the ground, and two contain pieces of the famous lake later depicted in Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Work on this structure began in 1861 and ended fifteen years later. It cost over forty-seven million francs.

Under the arches of the Paris Opera

The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra, is a 2,200-seat opera house on the Place de l'Opéra in Paris, France. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.

The building is located in the IXe arrondissement and is served by the metro station Opéra.

Sky high view of Paris

View of Paris from the observation deck of the Montparnasse Building. My first attempt using HDR software from PhotoMatrix. Not perfect, but kind of cool.

Artistic feel to the Eiffel Tower

It was getting dark, I didn't have a tripod so I took advantage of the fact I was only getting blurry images. I set the camera to manual focus mode and put the Eiffel Tower slightly out of focus. I played around with different exposures I liked and this is what I came up with.

Photo of the Day

Here is an example of taking a boring image with gray sky and turning into something else. Like it or not, it's completely different from the original.

Before:

After:

The second image was converted in Photoshop CS4 into black and white and then using NIK's Color Effect Pro 3.0 Film Grain plug-in I added more grain to the image to make it appear older. Lastly, I used a FotoFrame Pro 3.1 to add the frame and texture to the photo.