Part III of the UWA series. Here dedicated to the effect of strong lines in the composition. The examples below have all in common the presence of strong lines guiding the eye towards a point of interest. Sometimes they are just crossing through, inviting the viewer to step inside. The images below were taken with Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm and EF 24mm L f/1.4 UWA lenses on EOS 40D, EOS 7D and EOS 5DMarkIII cameras.
Part II of the series on Ultra Wide Angle lenses. UWA lenses will allow for lots of things to find room in the composition. The challenge then becomes to fill the frame with interesting things. To attempt the capture a vast expanse of sand, sea and sky in an open beach is one of the most common misuses of UWAs. The result will be huge white and blue surfaces with no detail and nothing for the eye to latch onto, and with all likelihood make a dull composition. A strong UWA composition of a landscape requires striking objects in the foreground, an interesting middle ground and drama in the background (e.g. interesting skies or clouds). But there are no rules in creative photography, and breaking the accepted rules can sometimes yield an even more striking effect. All images below were taken with Canon’s EF-S10-22mm UWA lens on a EOS 7D camera. These examples illustrate how a UWA composition can be strengthened from an interplay between foreground, middleground and background elements.
This is how this blog looked until yesterday. After 5 years using Atahualpa theme, we are changing look for the new TwentyFourteen theme from WordPress. A cleaner, fresher look, even in the rather basic rendering implemented here.
New feature: CD of the month, in the right-hand side column, will feature our latest purchased CD. Click on thumbnail to link to the album.
Kicking off a new series on Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) photography. For this series, we will consider as UWA anything from 10mm to 24mm. UWA photography is wonderful but can be challenging. Exaggerated perspective, distorted edges and weird relationships between foreground and background objects are some of the features that can play for or against the composition. UWA lenses will exaggerate the depth of field, making background objects appear further from foreground ones than they actually are. That’s why UWAs don’t make good portrait lenses, as they exaggerate noses and foreheads. On the other hand, they are ideal to picture people in their environment. UWA lenses add drama to the images and can tell stories more forcefully due to their exaggeration of perspective. The images below were taken with Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm UWA lens on EOS 40D and EOS 7D cameras. These examples illustrate the use of UWA to emphasise perspective in a composition.
In the hawker centre of East Coast Park, Singapore, award-winning Roxy Laksa makes what probably is the best laksa on the planet.
Brown capuchin monkey in Iguazu National Park, Argentina. Photographed with EF 100-400mm lens (1/320 f/5.6 ISO1600) and the Canon EOS 7D.
Wild life comes out in the early hours of the morning at Iguazu National Park, Argentina (Canon EOS 7D with EF 100-400L at 400mm).
Restaurant Umberto, in Naples, is truly an institution in the south Italian city. Here a few dishes from a recent visit photographed using available light on the 5D3 and the 40mm pancake.
Pasta with octopus:
Pasta with vongole:
La pizza:
The NOBU restaurant in Hong Kong functions in the Intercontinental hotel and has magnificent views overlooking the harbor. Main chef Nobu Matushisa received classical training as a sushi chef in Tokyo, and lived in Peru and Argentina. One of the 25 NOBU restaurants all over the world, NOBU Hong Kong showcases Nobu’s signature dishes, as well as new creations using local ingredients with emphasis on freshness and surprise.
Here is the NOBU crew in action:
And here is one of the two dinner set menus offered by NOBU Hong Kong. Outstanding, sublime japanase delicacies from the ocean and the land, prepared in a superb cross-over, modern style. All photographs taken with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and EF 24mm f/1.4 L II lens with available light.
The Hutong restaurant in the Kowloon peninsula is one of the seven upscale outlets run by the Aqua Restaurant Group in the city of Hong Kong. On the 28th floor of One Peking Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, it offers an exquisite decor inspired in antique China alongside breathtaking views over Victoria Harbour. Traditional Northern Chinese cuisine with a contemporary twist.
Two of its classic dishes are featured here photographed with the Canon EOS 7D and EF 24mm f/1.4 L II lens using available light.
