Tag: learningphotography

Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental

Underground Ascent
Underground Ascent | Berlin | 2017

For all my free tips and inspiration around photography visit my Learning Center

“Experimental” is the theme of the Weekly Photo Challenge from Word Press’ The Daily Post for this week. When I experiment with my Street Photography, I often use slow shutter speeds of 1/8 sec or less for creative motion blur effects. There is a lot of hit and miss with this technique. Crucial for an image that works is an interesting background in which to place the blurred objects, like this entry to a Berlin subway station.

This shot I took with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 12mm F/2 prime lens with a shutter speed of 1/3 second for intensive blur, an aperture of f/9 to have ample depth of field and ISO 1000. I took the shot handheld, another example how effective the image stabilization system of the PEN-F is.

Experimenting with slow shutter speeds is fun, it can be applied to moving persons, moving traffic or a combination of both. For some more of my experimental street photos continue after the jump… Continue reading “Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental” →

28

Street Photography Quick Tip (13)

Studies 1/60 f/1.8 ISO 640 PEN-F 25mm
Studies | Berlin | 2017

Street Photography Quick Tip 13 – Shoot in a Coffee Shop

My Street Photography Quick Tips are short, easy to read and easy to use tips that I think could help you while shooting in the streets. Today’s post is for those of you who dread hitting the streets in this awful wet and dull November weather. Take your camera into a coffee shop near your, sit down, enjoy a strong Espresso, observe the other guests and take some candid portraits of scenes that will catch your eye. People in coffee shops tend to be really relaxed, engaged in talks with others, reading papers or books, staring obsessed into their mobile devices or simply use the free wi-fi to blog or do their studies. And believe me, they will not notice you.

The photography above I took last weekend (during my Street Photography workshop with Eric Kim) at the Bonanza Café (Oderberger Str 35) in Berlin with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm F/1.8 prime lens, image specs are 1/60 sec @ f/1.8 and ISO 640. Raw processing and monochrome conversion in Lightroom Classic CC.

For a few more coffee shop shots continue after the jump… Continue reading “Street Photography Quick Tip (13)” →

23

Storefront Lambada

Shopkeeper's Dance
Shopkeeper’s Dance | Meran | 2017

Just a quick snapshot from today’s stroll through the streets of Meran in Italy. For me, this photograph represents perfectly why I love Street Photography. It is all about capturing life as it happens. It is about walking around with open eyes, observing people going about their daily routines, anticipating what interesting scenes might just emerge in front of your lens. Capturing that candid shot that makes you laugh or makes you think…

Taken with the Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro Zoom. Image specs are 1/80 sec @ F/2.8 and ISO 640, 40mm focal length.

Next weekend will be all Street Photography, as I’m heading to Berlin for a workshop with Street Photo legend Eric Kim, and I’m really exited about it.

Have a great weekend!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Instant Inspiration (6) – Storefront Windows

Street Photography Quick Tip 8 – Capturing Gesture

Finding your photographic style

20

Be creative today

Creative
Creative | Portland | 2017

It’s the start of of a new week, albeit a short one here in Germany, as we’re looking forward to two bank holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday, to which I’ll be adding two days of much needed vacation. Throw in Halloween tomorrow, and there will be plenty of opportunity for photography the next days.

November is coming up, in Central Europe commonly dubbed as the most dreary, grey and dullest month of the year. To bridge the time until the start of the festive season, why don’t you take on some creative projects during November, whether it is taking your camera and go shooting some things you haven’t before (find ideas in my Instant Inspiration series in my Learning Center), improve your post processing skills, compile a photo book of your work, or try something completely different like sketching or sculpturing. Brighten up your November by doing something creative.

For some more “creative” Street Photo impressions from Portland’s Saturday Market continue after the jump… Continue reading “Be creative today” →

15

Street Photography Quick Tip (12)

 

From the Gallery 01
1/8 sec @ f/22 and ISO 1600

Street Photography Quick Tip 12 – Shoot from a Gallery 

My Street Photography Quick Tips are short, easy to read and easy to use tips that I think could help you while shooting in the streets. Today’s post is about changing the usual perspective of taking photographs from eye level by shooting down from a gallery in a shopping center. For a few, hopefully inspirational images continue after the jump… Continue reading “Street Photography Quick Tip (12)” →

10

Need help?

 

Calling for Help
Calling for Help | Portland | 2017

 

Have you checked the tips and inspirations in my Learning Center? Are you looking for specific photography related advice? Anything out of the realms of Street- and travel photography you want me to write about? Let me know in the comments section!

Have a great Wednesday!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Street Photography Quick Tip (6)

Finding your photographic style

Some thoughts on monochrome shooting

Instant Inspiration (11) – Change of Perspective

19

From the Streets of Portland into the Cloud

Open for Business
Open for Business | Portland | 2017

After pouring rain for most of the weekend, the Oregonian liquid sunshine turned into some real one on Sunday, so I took my Olympus PEN-F and headed into downtown for some late afternoon street shooting (and a visit to the photography book section of Powell’s City of Books).

Last week Adobe released a new version of its mobile Lightroom apps as well as a rebranded update of the Lightroom desktop version. While using the rainy part of the weekend to try to make some sense out of it, I now needed some fresh street shots on my SD card for some real life testing ( I have never used previous versions of Lightroom Mobile before). To read about my experiences and see some more photographs from the Streets of Portland continue after the jump… Continue reading “From the Streets of Portland into the Cloud” →

24

Opposites

Opposites
Opposites | Nuremberg | 2017

In Episode 4 of my “Instant Inspirations” I talked about Juxtaposition, a great compositional element to add interest to photographs.

There are a few opposites also in this image from the streets of Nuremberg. Old vs young, big vs small, sitting vs standing, real vs virtual, smiling vs seriousness.

Then you have multiple layers in this photo as well. The man in the foreground, the dressing dummies in the middle and the wall posters of the smiling children above and behind as background.

How many opposites can you put in an image? I would love to see your results, post links in the comment section.

Shot taken with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4-5.6. Image specs 1/160 sec @ f/8 and ISO 1000. It was already late in the afternoon and a bit dark, hence I had to increase the ISO to get the necessary depth of field with ab f/8 aperture and the higher shutter speed to ensure sharpness of the man.

RAW conversion in Lightroom CC.

Have a great Tuesday!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Instant Inspiration (6) – Storefront Windows

Instant Inspiration (4) – Juxtaposition

Street Photography Quick Tip 7 – Work the Scene

Street Photography Quick Tip 2 – Another way to shoot inconspicuously

For all my free inspirations and tips around photography visit my Learning Center.

15

Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale

Mighty Guitar
Giant Guitar | Nuremberg | 2016

“Scale” is the theme of the Word Press’ Weekly Photo Challenge for this week. Scale is about perspective, seemingly unusual sizing of objects in relation to other objects due to their placements relative to each other in the focal pane, or due to unusual viewpoints, for example by looking down from extreme heights or looking up at things from the ground.

This is a creative playground for us photographers with almost unlimited possibilities. To see my entries for this week’s challenge, consisting of street- and travel shots as well as a couple aerial photographs I made with my little drone in Namibia,  continue after the jump….. Continue reading “Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale” →

42

On the Streets of Berlin

Blurred Shopping Girls
1/8 sec @ f/6,3, ISO 200, 49mm focal length

As already mentioned in my previous post, I’ve spent last weekend in our Nation’s Capital, which is always a treat. As the main purpose of the trip was visiting a very close friend and going on a specialty Whiskey tasting (which was totally awesome by the way), an actual visit to the Streets of Berlin was limited to a few hours on Saturday when we went to the Potsdamer Platz district,  visited the Mall of Berlin and the Otto Bock Science Center. I brought along the Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 14-10mm F/4-5.6 travel zoom, and after the jump you can see some of the results…. Continue reading “On the Streets of Berlin” →

42

Road to Berlin

Road to Berlin
Road to Berlin | Germany | 2017

Before heading back to the Pacific Northwest before sunrise on Monday morning, the significant other and myself took the road for our Nation’s Capital on Friday afternoon to visit close friends, do some shooting and shopping in the city  and attend a Whiskey tasting I got as present for my 50th birthday back in January. The photographs shown here are taken out of the moving car in a combination of slow shutter speeds (both were shot at 1/13 sec) and panning the camera backwards against the driving direction. The conversion to monochrome was done in Lightroom CC with the pre-set mimicking a TRI-X analogue film.

Wind Song
Wind Song | Germany | 2017

For more tips and inspirations published on the Streets of Nuremberg visit my free Learning Center.

Have a great weekend!

Marcus

Related Posts:

A Capital Sunset

House of Blue and Gold

You see me

10

Instant Inspiration (20) – Backlit Fountain

Backlit Fountain Street Photography
1/125 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 200

“Instant Inspiration”  is my series for you if you feel you suffer from “Photographer’s Block”  or simply want to shoot something that you have never tried. Or at least not recently. Read the posts, become inspired, take your camera, head out and have fun! After a summer break I now bring you episode 20, where I work the scene around a fountain backlit by a late afternoon sun. For the how-to and the rest of the photos in “Instant Inspiration (20) – Backlit Fountain”, continue after the jump….

Continue reading “Instant Inspiration (20) – Backlit Fountain” →
28

Up ↑