wanderlust

Keep Portland Weird
Keep Portland Weird

KPW | Portland | 2017           1/40 sec @ f/2.8 and ISO 200

After a six week hiatus I was back in Rose City this week. And amazingly, the weather matched the season, with some beautiful and warm summer days. Despite a fully loaded schedule I managed a small photowalk last evening, just taking my tiny Ricoh GR II that I had brought for this trip and doing a bit of walking through a mild Portland summer evening. I was looking for the famous “Keep Portland Weird” sign that I haven’t seen before, and that set the tone for the rest of my walk. For some more “weird” photographs from PDX continue after the jump… (more…)

Instant Inspiration (19) – Tell your day in two photos
Road to America

Road to America | Portland | 2017

“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!

Episode 19 should inspire you to describe your day’s content with just two photos.

The idea to this inspiration came to me while on my “usual” Delta flight from Amsterdam to Portland. “Usual” ? Well,  despite having not travelled to Rose City in the past six weeks, this is already my tenth business trip to the USA this year, and we are not even at the half year mark. And in addition to this trip there will be minimum two more travels to PDX before my summer vacation. And I really like being in the USA. Since my days as an exchange student in Pennsylvania some 33 years ago,  I consider the USA my adopted second home country. I have been here countless times for travel and on business. And I liked each and every trip.

The thing is, this short trip is packed full of “road work”. I have meetings lined up from the moment of arrival until I step back on the plane for the return flight Friday afternoon. No time for photography this time. But thankfully there is the archive (I took the two photos during one of my last trips to Portland).

 

Road Work

Road Work | Portland | 2017

So how does your day look like? Try to capture it in two photos. Take your camera (or phone) and be creative! I’d love to see your photos – post a link in the comment section.

For all other episodes of my instant inspiration and many more photography tips visit my Learning Center

Have a good week!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Instant Inspiration (4) – Juxtaposition

Instant Inspiration (I) – Get Down Low

Instant Inspiration (11) – Change of Perspective

Instant Inspiration (12) – Playfulness

StoNur on the Road – One Night in Budapest
Lions Gate

Lions Gate | 1/13 sec, f/4, ISO 800, 14mm

I just returned home from a marvelous long weekend that I spend with my significant other in Austria’s “Mühlviertel”. During the trip home today we passed through the Czech Republic, visiting Unesco’s World Heritage Site in Český Krumlov (pictures are coming up). Which brings the total of visited countries in the last 7 days to 5 (Germany, Egypt, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic). And Tuesday I head back over the pond to Portland.

During last weeks business trip I actually had a free evening in Hungary’s capital Budapest, were I had the chance for 5 hours sightseeing (from 7pm to midnight). To see the photos and for a bit of history and information continue after the jump…. (more…)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus
Travel Love

Travel Love | Budapest | 2017

“Focus” is the theme of this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge from Word Press’ “The Daily Post”. I can meet the challenge with one of my street photos that I took just this past Tuesday evening in Budapest.

A photograph has to convey emotion, has to have heart and soul to capture the viewer’s imagination. It does not have to be technically perfect, it does not have to perfectly in focus. Sometimes, being a bit blurred can even add to the message of an image. When you look at the works of the masters of the genre, like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Elliott Erwitt, many of their iconic photographs are not technically perfect, but have an abundance of heart and soul.

This photo of kissing teenage travelers I took on Budapest’s famous Fischerbastei (Halászbástya) with the parliament building providing the background is for me such an example where the focal point of an image does not need to perfectly in focus.

I took the photo with my Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4.0-5.6 travel zoom, image specs are 1/10 sec at f/6.3 and ISO 1600, 63mm focal length.

Shooting with a relatively low shutter speed at 1/10 sec (due to the low evening light) my lens was not fast enough with the motions of the young couple. This is also a good example why leaving the camera in “P-Mode” makes so much sense. When you see a motive that attracts you just compose and press the shutter, without fumbling with the settings. Because capturing a possibly imperfect image that means something to you is better than no photo at all. It might not be perfectly in focus. But it can have heart and soul.

Have a great Friday!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wanderlust

Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth

Weekly Photo Challenge: Surprise

Check out my Learning Center with free tips and inspirations around photography

 

Budapetizer
Hungarian Parliament

Parliament | Budapest | 2017

Back home from my express trip to Egypt and Hungary, all within 72 hours. What I didn’t  achieve in Cairo I managed to get done in Budapest. I escaped my business duties for one evening and got to a full 5 hours of sightseeing (mostly on foot) through this magnificent imperial city, returning to the hotel way past midnight.

I brought along the Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4.0-5.6 travel zoom. And me and my cam had a fabulous time. I took to many photos for a quick post processing session, but I promise I’ll take you on a tour through a summer Budapest evening. After all, I have a long weekend ahead due to a public holiday here in Germany. So I leave you with this appetizer shot of the Hungarian parliament building, taking from the gardens of the former imperial palace. Image specs are 0,6 sec @ f/6,3 and ISO 200, focal length was 90mm (equals 180mm in full frame equivalent). I put the camera on a stone wall, as I didn’t bring a tripod. I just added a bit of clarity and contrast in Lightroom CC, otherwise this is out of camera.

If you haven’t done so, checkout my new Learning Center for a collection of free tips and inspirations around photography.

Wish you all a great Thursday!

Marcus

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House of Blue and Gold

Night of the Senses

Instant Inspiration (16) – Dusk at the Ocean

A Travel Night full of Magic

Travel Day
Nile Night

Nile Night | Cairo | 2017

Back to business travel was the motto of the day, after a six week stretch at home. Took an early morning flight from Nuremberg via Frankfurt to Cairo. I had hoped so much to see the pyramids during approach into Cairo airport, but sat on the wrong side of the plane. Instead I was treated to great views of the city and the Nile. I’ll be on the ground less than 24 hours. So I’m in on the most iconic cities on the planet but sightseeing is limited to aerial views from the plane and taking in street life from the windows of our shuttle bus during transfers between airport, hotel and restaurant.

Talking about restaurant, the absolute highlight was meeting my new Egyptian colleagues and enjoying together a splendid dinner in the Kebabgy Grill on the tip of Gezira Island. It was really special, not only the great talks with incredibly hospital people, but also the atmosphere while we were sitting directly at the Nile. The table was set with all kinds of delicious foods and we were waiting for the Muezzins to call out sunset, as it’s the holy month of Ramadan and everyone is fasting from sunrise to sunset. Security is obviously an issue in this metropolis of 21 million, police and security forces are visible everywhere and also the fact you need to pass a machine gun post to get into a restaurant is a bit eery.

Anyway, a half day of intense meetings ahead, then it’s off to Budapest via Vienna, where I will arrive close to midnight if all goes well.

The photo of the Nile from the restaurant I took with the Ricoh GR, image specs were 1/6 sec at f/2,8 and ISO1600. For a city like Cairo the Ricoh is the travel cam of choice as image quality is awesome and it is small enough to fit my front pocket. Only a pitty there wasn’t more opportunity to use it.

Have a great week!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Business Travel Reality

Business Travel Reality – A Day in a Picture

A Travel Night full of Magic

StoNur on the Road – Chennai Beach Life

Weekly Photo Challenge: Order

Muizenberg Bath Houses

This weeks Weekly Photo Challenge from Word Press’ “The Daily Post”  has the theme “Order”. Here are a few of my images that represent my various takes on the theme. To see them all continue after the jump…. (more…)

The End is Near
Thunder

Thunder | Camogli | 2013

No, don’t get me wrong, I’m not referring to the end of the world, just to the end of a summer day at the beach of Camogli on the Italian Riviera.

As a series of thunderstorms passed overhead Nuremberg today, I thought I post this one from the archives.

Camogli is an Italian beach paradise in Liguria, just a few miles east of Genoa, and just over the hill from Portofino, which was subject to yesterday’s post.

The photo was shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4.0-5.6 travel zoom. The RAW was shot at 1/320 sec f/9 and ISO200 at the wide end of the focal range. I converted the RAW (that actually looked quite dull) to B&W in Lightroom. I opened up the shadows, increased clarity, played with graduation curves and increased the reds and oranges in the image, bringing out the detail in the buildings. To finish of I sharpened the image, introduced a bit of grain and added a vignette.

If you are looking for tips and inspirations around photography, visit the Leaning Center of this blog, by clicking on the link. It is also accessible from the top menu.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Marcus

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflecting

A Valentine Sunset

Instant Inspiration (11) – Change of Perspective

StoNur on the Road – Portofino
Portofino Ligurien Italien

Portofino | Italy | 2004

In contrary to the original forecast the weather was quite gruesome this pentecost weekend. So a good opportunity to dive into the archives, in this case back to a sunny January afternoon in 2004, when we were living in Genoa, Italy.

That afternoon we visited Portofino, a picturesque fishing village on the Ligurian coast just outside Genoa. The town with its colorfully painted historic houses is built around a small harbor.

For some more info about the village that is said to feature the highest real estate prices in Italy, and more photos, continue after the jump… (more…)

Summer over the Imperial Castle
Imperial Castle Nuremberg

Imperial Castle | Nuremberg | 2017

Another splendid day over Nuremberg and a long weekend ahead, due to a public holiday on Monday. This iPhone panorama shows the castle gardens of Nuremberg’s Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle). Have I mentioned that I rarely shoot panoramas with my cameras anymore? Shooting a sequence of overlapping images and stitching them in Photoshop or Lightroom isn’t really worth the effort, as in most situations the iPhone panorama function does just fine.

Imperial Castle | Nuremberg

Imperial Castle | Nuremberg | 2017

This is the view from the city walls, where the wall walks atop the fortifications provide for a splendid view across the Tiergärtnertorplatz towards the Imperial Castle.

This photo was taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 with the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4.0-5.6 travel zoom at 1/320 sec, f/8 and ISO200, focal length was 14mm.

I processed the RAW image in Lightroom, mainly opening up the shadows in the wall walk. It is a good example how much tonal range you can capture with a RAW and make visible in post processing.

I wish everyone a peaceful and relaxing weekend!

Related Posts:

An Emperor’s Morning

Nuremberg Explored (5) – Angelic Salutation

Spring on Nuremberg’s City Walls

Nuremberg Explored (4) – Historic Steam Train “Adler”

Learning Center – check it out, all my free tips and inspirations around photography!