Yes, it is here for another year, London's Canada Day, finishing tomorrow. Despite the rain and the three bomb threats, Londoners and Canadians were undeterred o enjoy a weekend of cultural contact with Canadian tradition, art, music, sport and more. I nipped down to Trafalgar Square during my lunch break for this grab shot and a few others, with my always lovely and so portable, Fujfilm S20pro and a flashgun. Enjoy!
Until next time,
Luis
Friday, June 29, 2007
Obi-wan Canadian...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Among other things....(an update)
...the blog can now go fully mobile and live! In fact this update was done on the move...thanks to the great Opera browser.
On another note, to those who were wondering about little Gizmo, he/she found a home with space to run about and sh!t about too. :D I believe he/she is doing well, but I intend to stay away, believe me there was a bond growing between me and the little fella/lass and the last thing you want is a bond with a duck (you won't even be able to go to the toilet alone).
Then, I opened a Flickr account.There's a photostream going but I can't remember the address.I will be posting some photos from there soon enough.
I also had an exhibition together with colleagues at University which I think it went very well. I also leave here my greatest thanks to Elaine Gilbert, my tutor and also Hung Hoang and Lisa Islam for their help putting my stuff together as I barely could make it to the prep.
Finally and in a positive note with a slight negative twist, I presenced the step down of a Prime Minister and took some shots.I was very satisfied with my work, in fact I had some seriously editorial stuff until I realised that precisely that material was corrupted in the camera card.Nevertheless, I still have some good stuff I think(will post some). But I can't supress the feeling that I presenced a bit of history and this is one reason I love photography: a piece of history framed forever.
Until next time,
Luis
On another note, to those who were wondering about little Gizmo, he/she found a home with space to run about and sh!t about too. :D I believe he/she is doing well, but I intend to stay away, believe me there was a bond growing between me and the little fella/lass and the last thing you want is a bond with a duck (you won't even be able to go to the toilet alone).
Then, I opened a Flickr account.There's a photostream going but I can't remember the address.I will be posting some photos from there soon enough.
I also had an exhibition together with colleagues at University which I think it went very well. I also leave here my greatest thanks to Elaine Gilbert, my tutor and also Hung Hoang and Lisa Islam for their help putting my stuff together as I barely could make it to the prep.
Finally and in a positive note with a slight negative twist, I presenced the step down of a Prime Minister and took some shots.I was very satisfied with my work, in fact I had some seriously editorial stuff until I realised that precisely that material was corrupted in the camera card.Nevertheless, I still have some good stuff I think(will post some). But I can't supress the feeling that I presenced a bit of history and this is one reason I love photography: a piece of history framed forever.
Until next time,
Luis
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Rain....
Rain...it felt good today. It was very therapeutical. I had left the house wearing shorts, a jumper and my photo vest as I thought that since I would be walking a long way, I might as well use the extra cooling. I wasn't expecting the rain but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise...it just felt great to be under the rain, I experienced a total emptyness in my mind...it was almost like a spiritually cleansing experience...maybe that's why these two were out:
Until next time,
Luis
Until next time,
Luis
Thursday, May 03, 2007
An eventful day....
...but not for me. I have been busy lately, I have covered Gumball 3000 and Mayday among other things, in fact if anything I am very, very happy that Getty Images is now selling some of my work (as of yesterday), but today the story was one that touched me in a different level, it's a story about second chances.
Anyone who really knows me knows that I am an animal lover.
The story today starts in a bizarre and sad way but ends with a happier ending (but not for me, personally). This story concerns, Gizmo.
This little one here is Gizmo:
Ignoring the technicalities of the photo (as the focus on Giz's face is a little off as he decided to step forward to stare at me), Gizmo, as I decided to call him/her as he/she came home with me in my gear bag, is probably an orphan duckling.
I was shooting some bird shots in Hyde Park to kill some time while waiting for friends. As these friends of mine were taking their time and I had appointments at 4pm today, I decided to call it a day and head back. As I was heading back through Hyde Park, I went to my favourite courner to take some shots of small birds (robins and blue tits). To my surprise, I see some ducklings running around alone and looking very scared, inside this area which is actually sealed to the public (that corner is very far from water for ducklings to be and I didn't see a mother duck anywhere around, it felt strange). I ignored them as I thought maybe they got scared because they saw me. As I prepared to take a shot of a blue tit that was about to take off from a branch, I hear a lot of comotion coming from inside the fencing.As I look down I see three ducklings running out of the area scared and to my surprise, a rat holding one in its mouth! The rat was apparently hunting the ducklings! As these ducklings come out along with the rat, they all got surprised to find me out there, so the rat winged it like a bat out of hell with a duckling in its mouth, the other two went back into the fenced area and Gizmo here was just frozen on the floor at my feet. I picked up Gizmo and he was trembling, very likely in shock. I didn't really know what to do as I did not see any park guards, I did not know where to take it and then, very likely, if I took little Giz to the park guards, they would very likely would kill it as he is now motherless (previous experiences with RSPCA). Now Gizmo is a healthy little spark of energy, (he spent all of the day jumping inside the bag, jumping and running everywhere until he realized that I was ok, so he decided to sleep on my hands and chest); so why should he get a second chance? I decided to find a bird sanctuary. I don't know how Gizmo and siblings ended up in that situation and honestly I don't care. But, he/she deserves a second chance. After all, the rats are really an infestation which is partially the fault of all the construction works going on in the sewage lines, they are driving them out. I have never seen Hyde Park so full of rats before. All I wish is that his/her siblings are ok and I wish I could have saved them all, but they would be all bunched up together in my bag, there was only really comfortable space for one, even if I could have rescued them all.
So here I am now, with this duckling which now follows me, likes to jump on my head, sleep on my chest or hands and stares at me for long periods of time.
Tomorrow, I'm gonna phone a proper bird sanctuary, before I start having to go to work, go out, etc, with a duck following me everywhere. :D
So, any Bird Sanctuary workers/reps that may come across this, please contact me and give Gizmo a chance.
Until next time,
Luis
Anyone who really knows me knows that I am an animal lover.
The story today starts in a bizarre and sad way but ends with a happier ending (but not for me, personally). This story concerns, Gizmo.
This little one here is Gizmo:
Ignoring the technicalities of the photo (as the focus on Giz's face is a little off as he decided to step forward to stare at me), Gizmo, as I decided to call him/her as he/she came home with me in my gear bag, is probably an orphan duckling.
I was shooting some bird shots in Hyde Park to kill some time while waiting for friends. As these friends of mine were taking their time and I had appointments at 4pm today, I decided to call it a day and head back. As I was heading back through Hyde Park, I went to my favourite courner to take some shots of small birds (robins and blue tits). To my surprise, I see some ducklings running around alone and looking very scared, inside this area which is actually sealed to the public (that corner is very far from water for ducklings to be and I didn't see a mother duck anywhere around, it felt strange). I ignored them as I thought maybe they got scared because they saw me. As I prepared to take a shot of a blue tit that was about to take off from a branch, I hear a lot of comotion coming from inside the fencing.As I look down I see three ducklings running out of the area scared and to my surprise, a rat holding one in its mouth! The rat was apparently hunting the ducklings! As these ducklings come out along with the rat, they all got surprised to find me out there, so the rat winged it like a bat out of hell with a duckling in its mouth, the other two went back into the fenced area and Gizmo here was just frozen on the floor at my feet. I picked up Gizmo and he was trembling, very likely in shock. I didn't really know what to do as I did not see any park guards, I did not know where to take it and then, very likely, if I took little Giz to the park guards, they would very likely would kill it as he is now motherless (previous experiences with RSPCA). Now Gizmo is a healthy little spark of energy, (he spent all of the day jumping inside the bag, jumping and running everywhere until he realized that I was ok, so he decided to sleep on my hands and chest); so why should he get a second chance? I decided to find a bird sanctuary. I don't know how Gizmo and siblings ended up in that situation and honestly I don't care. But, he/she deserves a second chance. After all, the rats are really an infestation which is partially the fault of all the construction works going on in the sewage lines, they are driving them out. I have never seen Hyde Park so full of rats before. All I wish is that his/her siblings are ok and I wish I could have saved them all, but they would be all bunched up together in my bag, there was only really comfortable space for one, even if I could have rescued them all.
So here I am now, with this duckling which now follows me, likes to jump on my head, sleep on my chest or hands and stares at me for long periods of time.
Tomorrow, I'm gonna phone a proper bird sanctuary, before I start having to go to work, go out, etc, with a duck following me everywhere. :D
So, any Bird Sanctuary workers/reps that may come across this, please contact me and give Gizmo a chance.
Until next time,
Luis
Thursday, April 26, 2007
It's been only a few days....
...but my SD10 has already given me a picture of the day at Scoopt.com!
Which comes to show that it is not at all impossible to do photojournalism with this camera, as some may say.
http://www.scoopt.com/gallery/picday.asp
Until next time,
Luis
Which comes to show that it is not at all impossible to do photojournalism with this camera, as some may say.
http://www.scoopt.com/gallery/picday.asp
Until next time,
Luis
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
More Foveon magic...
Hello again,
I am still putting my Sigma SD10 through its paces and quite frankly it's been a great experience, I can't put the camera down. I snap all the way and having in mind what the sensor can do makes me see things differently. At the end of this day, I downloaded the photos to the computer, let Sigma Photo Pro do it's work, inputted my settings and then I had a shock...from this supposedly 3.4MP sensor as some class it, I can output an A2 size print!! There was a slight misfocus on my part but it is still a very printable and sharp picture.
My only niggle throughout my testing is that the Sigma 70-300 Macro Super lens I have, is too soft at the long end or at least my copy is (meaning that full face candid portraits even though good, were soft). That means next on my shopping list will be the 70-300 APO DG, which I have on my Minolta and it is a top performance entry level telephoto lens. The Aspherical HF lenses in fact behave very adequately and that Foveon quality still shines through.
Here's the A2 printable photo (scalled down for web). Please point your browsers to http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com for this photo and more, or click on the link on the right hand side.
I am still putting my Sigma SD10 through its paces and quite frankly it's been a great experience, I can't put the camera down. I snap all the way and having in mind what the sensor can do makes me see things differently. At the end of this day, I downloaded the photos to the computer, let Sigma Photo Pro do it's work, inputted my settings and then I had a shock...from this supposedly 3.4MP sensor as some class it, I can output an A2 size print!! There was a slight misfocus on my part but it is still a very printable and sharp picture.
My only niggle throughout my testing is that the Sigma 70-300 Macro Super lens I have, is too soft at the long end or at least my copy is (meaning that full face candid portraits even though good, were soft). That means next on my shopping list will be the 70-300 APO DG, which I have on my Minolta and it is a top performance entry level telephoto lens. The Aspherical HF lenses in fact behave very adequately and that Foveon quality still shines through.
Here's the A2 printable photo (scalled down for web). Please point your browsers to http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com for this photo and more, or click on the link on the right hand side.
Until next time,
Luis
Monday, April 23, 2007
New to The Viewfinder....
...the Sigma SD10. This unusual camera uses three layered RGB filters on its sensor, offering true colour in a single pixel location, unlike the usual Bayer sensors. I got my hands on one after scouring the market and realising there is no chance of getting one new, so I got this little quirky and misunderstood camera 2nd hand with a good array of lenses. This camera only shoots RAW and the files need to be converted by its software before you can use them. I took it for some test drives to see how it would fit me and my shooting needs...well, the results speak for themselves:
I was so very pleased with the shooting experience ( I had tried one of these before, but never for a whole day) that I decided to open a section on The Viewfinder, dedicated to the camera and the Foveon sensor (the sensor in the camera). As far as I have owned the camera now (for three days), I haven't seen a lot of the problems that some have pointed out in the camera, apart from the issues of noise at high ISO (but even that has proven to be somewhat due to the way some convert their images). The camera is responsive enough to take actions shots, even though its frame rate may not be to par, but then again, the old school of sports photographers using film back in the 50s-70s did not have frame rates (hell look back enough there weren't even motordrives in those cameras), so it is down to the photographers skill to capture what they want, regardless.
In any case, make sure you point your browsers to the new section, for the above pictures and more at http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com/ or use the link on the right hand side of the blog.
Until next time,
Luis
In any case, make sure you point your browsers to the new section, for the above pictures and more at http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com/ or use the link on the right hand side of the blog.
Until next time,
Luis
Saturday, April 21, 2007
New Viewfinder Section...
The Viewfinder has opened "The Foveon Factor" , a section dedicated to the Foveon camera.
Point your browsers to http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com/ or click the link above.
Until next time,
Luis
Point your browsers to http://foveon-factor.blogspot.com/ or click the link above.
Until next time,
Luis
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Nature's Gifts...
It was a beautiful sight even via my cheap telescope. Nevertheless, here's a small glimpse to last nights celestial events.
Until next time,
Luis
Until next time,
Luis
Monday, February 19, 2007
My sales site is now open...
My sales site is now open. The site is still being updated with prints for sale and overall aesthetics but it is active. Point your browsers to www.luis-rubim-photoart.com .
Until next time,
Luis
Until next time,
Luis
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Economist publishes picture by The Viewfinder 's photographer...
Well, I guess I am now too busy drinking a nice glass of champagne to write much....
This week's Economist link:
Muslims and Socialists - With friends like these
Original photo (click to enlarge):
Until next time,
Luis
PS: This post was re-edited to include the scanned page off the magazine, since the article is now premium content. Click on the thumbnail below :
Until next time,
Luis
This week's Economist link:
Muslims and Socialists - With friends like these
Original photo (click to enlarge):
Until next time,
Luis
PS: This post was re-edited to include the scanned page off the magazine, since the article is now premium content. Click on the thumbnail below :
Until next time,Luis
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Light effects... Club Shot
A bit of blur in post editing turns this Fujifilm E500 shot into a groovy one.
Until next time,
Luis
Turning a new star into a classic star...
Looking through my blog I was looking for a celeb portrait to turn into a classic 60's glam shot. Further down this blog you will find a Cheryl Tweedy portrait which I chose for this photo makeover. Enjoy.
Luis
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Back to Basics....
I have to admit that having to use digital these days has made me a bit slack. I was also a bit tired of seeing my images imediately and kind of missing the depth and tonality of film..it has something that digital in all it's quality can't still quite hack it...some nice black and white film....developed the old fashioned, hands on way, attention to detail in the process... I always have this feeling that I produce my best work with film...maybe because I am more patient with it?...In any case, I tend to feel more fulfilled with it...a test of my photographic capacities, getting back to shape, was what I needed....so I decided to retire my digital cameras for a while, bought some chemicals (Ilford DD-X Developer, Kodak Indicator Stop and Jessops Fixer) and a few other bits and bobs for developing. Made a date for last weekend to go shooting so I packed my recently acquired Nikon F80 with 35-80mm Quantaray and 75-240mm Nikon (loaded with Kodak Tri-X), along with my Minolta Dynax 5 its 28-100mm and 75-300mm (loaded with Ilford Delta3200) and off I went on a long walk. I just wanted to capture something especial, something that would only be there on that moment...and I am of the opinion that film is the best medium for it...Cutting the story short, here are the results, from the Tri-X, developed with Ilford DD-X and scanned with a film scanner.
"Loose Readings"
No Title
No TitleNext week, I will develop the Delta 3200 and see what I got. If you are interested,these prints will be available for sale in my website (www.luis-rubim-photoart.com) which will be launched soon.
Until next time,
Luis
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
A sunny spell....and my Minolta 7D
A sunny spell today prompted me to get out of my bed and leave the house with no breakfast whatsoever, as I haven't been that lucky lately in finding a time with good lighting to take some shots. Even so, there was not much to shoot around or maybe my artistic eye may have stayed in bed for the day. Then the light started to fall...So here are today's:
An artist of a different kind - Sertac, chef, taking a break
One of those shots you gotta take for some reason...
Verticals become verticals again.
Never thought Photoshop's distortion correction tools were this effective...
An artist of a different kind - Sertac, chef, taking a break
One of those shots you gotta take for some reason...Until next time,
Luis
Luis
Monday, January 01, 2007
Homing in on the detail...
I had taken this photo way back in June. I was a some good distance away from this group of pigeons, they were enjoying the sun so I decided to take a shot. They still looked a bit distant on the photo, so I decided to home in and trim it down to what I found interesting.
All creatures big and small enjoy the simple things in life.
Until next time,
Luis
All creatures big and small enjoy the simple things in life.
Until next time,
Luis
Random celebrity picture from file....
Sophie Okonedoat the premiere of "Stormbreak"
Until next time,
Luis
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Hmmm...low light...a red ceiling....a flashgun...and an S3 pro....
I was lucky today that I was meeting friends later on the day after going for some shots, since I realised after putting my hand in my camera bag that I forgot to bring the right lens for the day, as the light was not great today. So I was pretty much stuck I brought out a telephoto lens that focus at some distance and apertures start at f4.5 only....not good for London in the winter...So as I said, I met some friends later on the day and I had plenty of scope for some nice interesting portraits with a few characters...lucky enough I had my flashgun in the bag so all I can say is thank you guys, you provided me with some material for today!
Here are the shots:
Tanya - Faster Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Hisham - Handsome "son-a-gun"
Neo - Just Slick
Hung - Just Sharp
Alex - The Ace
Hard and Soft
Tanya - Faster Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Hisham - Handsome "son-a-gun"
Neo - Just Slick
Hung - Just Sharp
Alex - The Ace
Hard and SoftUntil next time,
Luis
Luis
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