Went for a short trip to Copenhagen (my favourite city next to London) about two weeks ago. Didn't do as much photography as I hoped I would, but here are a few shots.
London part 2
Part 2 of the photos of my recent trip to London. Places like Brick Lane and Leake Street was pretty interesting to visit, places where most tourists will not go that are a bit rougher. I like that. Brick Lane borders on the (at least once) infamous Whitechapel district, where poverty, crime and sex workers were all around and where the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper once spread fear on the streets. I will return to walk these streets.
And Leake Street, a (about) 300 meter long tunnel under Waterloo Station where it's free for graffiti artists to paint was interesting. It was quite a disgusting place to be honest, with human waste and some evidence for drug use lying around, but still interesting. Guys painting there called it "piss alley", which I totally understand.
London part 1
Been to London and tried not to do the regular tourist shots and to go some places I've never been before. Think I didn't only do the regular tourist shots and I definitely went to some places I haven't been before, so it was a pretty nice couple of days there. I'll break it down into a few posts and start with the first part right now.
Australia revisited Part 5
Battling in Lightroom and Photoshop...
So, I'm down to my last few days of vacation, using the time to go through the photos from my trip to London and Copenhagen, I will post photos here this weekend, either in the galleries or here om the blog most probably both. And I've been irritating myself a bit on Lightroom, well I guess mostly on Photomatix Pro because it has cluttered my harddrive with temporary files making the whole system slow and nearly breaking down. Photomatix is supposed to delete temporary files when it's shut down, but it hasn't and it took me a while before I actually found the files and could delete them myself. Gonna keep an eye on it and see if it keeps on doing this or not. Might be a bug in Photomatix Pro.
3 Legged Thing Brian review
3 Legged thing (3LT) is a British tripod company, based in Stagsden just a bit north west of London. 3LT is a pretty new company, but they have already put quite a mark on the tripod market with their well thought designs, awesome quality and quirky/cool image. Their "Rock Legend" range of tripods, monopods and multipods all have names coming from English and American guitar legends such as X1 Brian (May), X2 Eddie (Van Halen) and X4 Eric (Clapton).
And the one I've had for a bit more than a year now is the X1.1 Brian Evolution 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod System which is a travel tripod and also the first and original model they made (it's been modified and refined a bit from the first version). Brian is extremely versatile and can extend from only 125mm above ground up until 2040mm (2,04 meters). These are the specifications directly from 3LT's website:
Tripod specifications:
Kit Weight: 1605g
Tripod Weight: 1325g
Monopod Weight: 278g
Monopod min Height: 377mm
Monopod max Height: 1310mm
Tripod Min Height: 120mm
Tripod Max Height with column removed: 1265mm
Tripod Max Height with column retracted: 1342mm
Tripod Max Height with column fully extended: 2000mm
Folded Height: 420mm
Load Capacity: 8kg
Maximum Leg Tubing Diameter: 26mm
Leg Sections: 5 - (26, 23, 20, 17 & 14mm)
Leg Angles: 23°, 55° & 80°
Column Sections: 3 - (26, 23 & 20mm)
Leg Locking Mechanism: Evo 2 Double-Break Friction Dial
Ballhead specifications:
Ballhead Control: Pan, Lock & Clutch
Ballhead Height: 87mm
Base Width: 48mm
Ball Diameter: 37mm
Ballhead Weight: 336g
Load Capacity: 35kg
Plate Size: 52mm x 50mm
Plate Weight: 46g
To put it very short, Brian is awesome. The tripod can be very compact while folded, though I have taken away the centre column which means that it can't be double folded and therefor it's a bit longer, but still compact. And very light, but at the same time sturdy, much sturdier than I ever thought. Though obviously a travel tripod of about 1,5 kilos can never be as sturdy as a tripod weighing in at 4-4,5 kilos, I don't think that has to be said, still this tripod is really sturdy. I've had it out in rather windy conditions with no problems. Brian is a delight to carry around while hiking anywhere thanks to it weighing in at around 1,5 kilos and being really compact, and now I don't hesitate to bring it anywhere with me, which I did with my old Manfrotto (which was great, but big and heavy). Though I have to add that I will eventually buy Frank, the biggest model in the whole range for when I just walk from a car down to a really windy beach and where the extra weight and sturdyness of that one will be even better for long exposures. But back to Brian.
The legs can be set in different angles, depending on if it's macro photography or landscape or anything in between. The leg section locking mechanism is really good, it's the twist type and after having other types before, I much more prefer this type. It's fast and easy and does not need much of a turn to loosen/tighten. The center column are also in sections which is great if you need it to be really tall if you want to use the tripod as a lighting stand, but for photography I don't need it and that's why I've taken it out (saves a little bit of weight), which is really easy.
One of the legs can be taken off and be used together with the ballhead as a monopod, which can be really handy. I've never used it yet, but I'm sure I'm gonna do it at some point. And then we come to the actual AirHed1 ballhead. It is smooth while moving it around and also sturdy (since it can hold 35 kilos) and it's compatible with the Arca-Swiss standard of quick release plates. I use a Sunwayfoto L-bracket on my Canon EOS 5D MkIII and it works like a charm with the AirHed1.
Brian comes in a nice padded bag, with some cool stickers and I can only come up with one thing that is not that good. And it's that they're always out of stock and hard to get your hands on. That says something about how wanted these tripods are. I got mine very quickly but I know that they have some problems with stock (just like f-stop). I just have one more thing to add, and that is that if you're out for a new tripod, try and get your hands on a 3LT, you're not gonna regret it.
Australia revisited Part 4
Tropikariet
Went to this place called Tropikariet, which is a big building that houses a small zoo. It's very nice and the animals are held in a good way and you can come really close to them, except for snakes, spiders, scorpions since they're a bit dangerous. My favourite animal lives in the part portraying Madagascar and it's the ring tailed lemur (Lemur catta). These little primates are awesome.
I've been to Tropikariet before and sometimes the lemurs have been more drawn back other times more curious and I've had them climbing on me, sitting on my shoulder and my head. They are plain awesome and this time they were a little more mellow, but after a while a couple of them came up close for a while to check me out, since they are curious animals.
Anyhow, here's a couple of shots of them.
Stormy October winds in August...
There is something obviously going on with the environment. Things are happening around the globe and in my part of it we've had a month (July) with unnaturally high temperatures. Usually we have a day or two of warm weather and then colder again, but nearly a whole month with around (and over) +30°C is not normal. And now it's gone from that to October-ish weather (the temperature is not as low as in October though) with stormy winds and rain. It's cool in one way of course, since summer is generally speaking the worst time of year for photography, because of the harsh sun, many times cloud free and hazy skies, and high temperature.
Anyways, I like the winds since it makes the ocean more interesting for photography. And I took some shots of it yesterday (again). I have to add that ever since I went for full frame and got all new Lee Filters, it has opened new possibilities to shoot more even in day light. Buying a set of filters from this brand is quite an investment, but they are very good and well worth it in the end. Just don't drop them...
Australia revisited Part 3
Malmöfestivalen
Went to the city of Malmö today. There's a 30 year anniversary for this city festival but today when I went there, it was not much fun. Not that much happening, but I guess there would be more people and things going on in the weekend, but still. Bad weather stopped me from going there a couple of days a go, when Watain was playing. Oh well, I still took a couple of photos.
F-stop Loka review
I have been using this backpack for a number of months now so I thought I should write a review of it. Most of this review I already did in swedish a while ago, for the swedish photography forum www.fotosidan.se
And here I am illustrating it with bad photos from my compact Canon IXUS.
To start and to put it simple, this backpack is simply better than anything else that I've either had or ever looked at. The 3 largest backpacks in F-stop's Mountain Series (Loka, Tilopa BC and Satori EXP) can be described as being empty shells, and then you use a separate camera unit called ICU (ICU = internal camera unit) that comes in different shapes and sizes,
This means that you can customize how you want your backpack to be depending on how much camera equipment versus other equipment you have or want to bring.
I myself have chosen a medium pro ICU (you have to choose "pro" if you want a larger camera body such as the Canon 1D X, or Canon 5D MkIII with a battery grip) because I want to bring other things than just camera gear into the woods/mountains for example.
An ICU has removable inner walls so that you can customize it, like camera bags normally have and are as good as any other that I've tried.
Loka follows international luggage dimensions, but you can easily take out the ICU and bring it into the cabin if you would need to check in your backpack on a flight.
Then there is a long outer compartment for example a jacket or similar, an internal mesh lid pocket and a large outer pocket with compartments and key holders etc.
Later there is a space that is made for a hydration system, such as Osprey or CamelBak, however, you should buy an optional waterproof bag that is hung in this compartment,
which then the reservoir is put inside of (it can fit an Osprey Hydraulics 2L without problems) as additional protection if the container would leak.
A special opening marked H2O where you pull the hose out and attach to the right shoulderstrap through some mesh and a velcro loop.
In addition there are two exterior mesh pockets, one on each side where you can have water bottles or put down tripod feet into.
Compression straps on both sides and also the back, they can be used to attach a tripod and/or skiing/snowboarding/hiking poles/snow shovel or whatever you need.
In a number of places there are loops where you can attach additional straps (called GateKeepers which is optional) if you want to secure a tent/sleeping bag/sleeping pad or similar.
In addition, on both the sides and on the waiste belt, there are anchor points compatible with the MOLLE system (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment),
which for example the police and military use and there are a plethora of bags and other things that you can attach there if you want.
D-rings are also available to offer yet another way to attach things to the backpack.
Adjustment possibilities are many, and the support system is great and I would think that it fits most people. The good thing with the 3 largest backpacks in the Mountain Series (the ones using ICU's) is that the opening to the camera compartment is towards the back, which means that you can put down the backpack where it is wet or muddy without getting it on the shoulder straps or on the back and if you're in an urban area, your precious camera gear is safe from pickpockets. All zippers are sturdy YKK, some of them are waterproof.
The Loka is meant for day trips, first and foremost, even if you can easily fasten a tent and all kinds of stuff on it, however even with only a medium pro ICU, not a lot of extra space is left in your backpack and especially not enough to take a stove and food for several days of hiking.
If that is what you need, then one should look at the F-stop Satori EXP instead, which I myself will get for next year's hikes and adventures.
Like I said earlier, this backpack is better than anything else I've owned/seen/tried and I could declare that F-stop simply makes THE best camera backpacks available today.
But of course, things could still be improved, and for example the carrying handle that you use to lift the pack with one hand is a bit too thin and could be bigger/thicker.
It doesn't come with a rain cover, though it's probably not very often that you need it, but still. F-stop backpacks are quite expensive, but then again, quality is usually not cheap. And also, it can be quite hard to even get your hands on one. The people at the customer service are friendly, but otherwise the actual service (as in delivering orders to people) needs to be improved.
But as a conclusion, these backpacks (including the Loka) are as good as it gets. If you're a serious shooter, do yourself a favor and get one.
Edit:
I forgot this, so I'll add it here. Thanks to a (very very stupid) corporate decision, F-stop stopped manufacturing the Medium Pro ICU a while ago (I was lucky to get my hands on one), which I see as the ultimate ICU since there's room for quite a lot of gear (I usually have my Canon 5D MkIII w/ battery grip, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L, Sigma AF 50mm f/1.4 ART, Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC, remote, CF-cards) and still it leaves some space in the Loka for additional gear (since my Lee filters take up a lot of space, I keep them inside of the backpack but outside of the ICU in a Lowepro S&F filter pouch). I forwarded my complains about it to customer support and they told me that other people have done the same, so hopefully they will bring it back.
Australia revisited Part 2
Late summer storm
It's the end of summer, which is great. More unstable weather is coming, which I like. Sure I don't really want rain, since it's not that great to shoot in, but I don't mind the stormy conditions at all.
Took a short trip tonight and took a couple of photos.
Australia revisited Part 1
I lived in Australia (mostly Brisbane, Queensland) for about a year (early 2012 - early 2013). I did quite a bit of photography there and I'm gonna post some photos here now and then. Since it was done with my old camera some photos have a bit of noise in them.
Not enough photography
Haven't done that much photography lately. Been too hot, and especially too hot at work which has put me off doing anything special in the evenings or even the weekends. Basically, I don't like summer that much and I long for autumn, with fresher air, better light and less heat. It's gonna be awesome when I can put on a jacket without the risk of dying from a heat stroke.
Anyhow, took a couple of shots last night and here's one of them.
Stand your ground
Since I'm going to London in a few weeks and since I chatted with a guy on Facebook who had been confronted with security guards while photographing the Tower Bridge, I thought that I should share this video and a link to the guidelines of the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) so that anyone planning on going to London can have a look at it.
To be honest, security guards seems to be a bit of a pain in the ass in this city and clearly have no real clue of what the laws are and what you can do in a public place. In a private place, they have the rights on their side, but in a public place, they simply don't. Watch the Youtube clip, it's very interesting.
And below is the link to the guidelines to the ACPO. Segment 4.38 is the key and I'm gonna print and bring this with me. But if you watch the Youtube clip, you'll see that the police are totally cool with everything, it's just the security guards that are a bit cunty. :)
Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II
My old trustworthy Lowepro backpack has found a new home. Just sold it and it's going on a trip to the U.S. (Grand Canyon and stuff) and I hope that its new owner will be satisfied. It's of great quality and I've had it for several years and still looks pretty much as new.
Good luck Louise, with both the bag and the travelling.
The HDR disease
First of all, I have to say that I do like HDR photography, I really do, and I do it myself.
I do like HDR photography that actually make use of the High Dynamic Range that you can get while stacking different exposures on top of each other. You can get wonderful results from that, if it's done the right way. But there's not only one way of doing it right, but the key thing is not to overdo it.
What I don't like are the photos that looks like someone's been vomiting floods of colour on them, making them only look way way unnatural and over the top. On top of that are the halos that are usually extreme in these photos. Halos are bad, m'kay? And I see lots of halos on photos that are not even HDR photos, but where people have been highlighting dark areas to such an extent that the end results are not good. To be honest, I think I have a little bit of halos on one of my b&w photos, and I might just throw that photo away or rework it.
Done. I deleted it. Might put a reworked version up at some point.
Johnny Batong
Shots from last night's gig with local cult band Johnny Batong, at Garage Bar. It was awesome and brought back some memories from way back. Thanks guys.