Amateur Photographer Magazine's On Assignment Feature

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SG201636_mono2, originally uploaded by Luis Rubim.

Well, this made my week I have to say, seeing not only my photos published in Amateur Photographer Magazine in the "On Assignment" feature, but also win the competition for Picture of the Day. It's always great to get recognition among your peers and AP provided a great day which I thoroughly enjoyed along with the opportunity to enjoy an unusual and fun event, Jousting at Hever Castle, a recreation of medieval jousting by The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) .

You can see some of the shots that are not in the magazine here , but the set does include the winning shot.

Many thanks to AP and especially Garry McNamara and Gemma Padley for their guidance and support.


Until next time,


Luis

Nikon launches world first video capable DSLR

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Nikon has just launched the world's first video capable DSLR in the form of the Nikon D90. The successor to the already successful Nikon D80 has HD video output, sports Nikon's acclaimed new 12.3MP CMOS sensor and can shoot at 4.5 frames per second. The Dxx series has always been targeted at enthusiasts but the D90 seems to be targetting a slightly wider market, encompassing news reporters as the new features show. In fact it may be the answer to some news reporters prayers (i.e. Dan Chung, award-winning photojournalist with The Guardian has expressed his wish of having video capabilities in his cameras at times), as the demand for photographers to have video skills grow. The camera was launched alongside an 18-105 optic which will be sold with it as a kit for £849.99 or £699 for the camera body only.

On a personal view, I was never a friend of the all in one device, I prefer to have dedicated devices for a given task as they tend to perform better. Having said that, the higher quality of photo lenses coupled with a video capable device may turn things around.
Nevertheless I see the video capability of the D90 as a lesser benefit, a bit of a gimmick, the excitement for me is the inclusion of Nikon's acclaimed 12.3MP CMOS and a very useful 4.5 frames per second capture (for photojournalistic work).

Kudos to Nikon for including these features in an enthusiasts model at this price point.

AP news link

Dpreview.com news link


Until next time,


Luis

UCL building Roman Numeral blunder...

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Hi all,

It's been a while since I have posted anything here, I have been a busy man, I launched my website (which I am still working on the interface but has somework on display)among other things I had the chance to take part in a user review with What Digital Camera magazine and a "On Assignment" section for Amateur Photographer Magazine.

Anyway, I was out with my camera today and I was feeling a bit uninspired so I passed by the UCL building behind Warren Street and took a shot of the wrong Roman numerals in one of the buildings as I was wondering if anyone else had noticed that (as I work in that area for a while I was always amazed nobody has said or done anything about it) and a bit shocked that an educational institution like UCL could make such a blunder.

(click to enlarge)

Roman numerals have a rule that does not allow the use of the same numeral more than three times. Frankly I don't know what date/year they were trying to inscribe but if it was 1905 the correct form would have been MCMV, if 2005 MMV. In the case that the date they wanted to inscribe is 1905, the C (100) before the M (1000) is used to denote subtraction of 100 from 1000 (making it 900).

Better change that quick as it won't do any favours to UCL to have that there for any longer.



Until next time,


Luis

Update...

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My work is now available via Alamy images. Point your browsers to my website and simply click on the link.

Until next time,


Luis

It's Good For You!

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...and for me!

And on this note, I also announce that my official website is now open, albeit at its initial stages. Consider it more of an electronic card, but here's the address:

www.luis-rubim-photography.co.uk

Stay tuned!

Until next time,


Luis

Yes you can...

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Purchase prints from this blog! Some of you have asked me and here's how: Just drop me a line via luis.rubim@gmail.com . You can also browse some more photos here . You can watch a slideshow here but this way you will also be able to see complete sets on one subject including some of my press work . As my sales website is still under reconstruction this will be the only way you can browse and buy some of my work at the moment.

Until next time,


Luis

Old Man Winter is back!

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Old Man Winter is back!, originally uploaded by Luis Rubim.

It seems there's no escaping it...Spring is supposed to be here as of thr 20th of March but we keep on being battered by cold,snow,hail and whatever else the sky can throw at us. I gathered my guts to brave some cold today and went out to take some photos, (as I haven't done so in a while) and found out the possible explanation for this Spring delay...Old Man Winter is out and about!

More Impressionism in The Viewfinder...

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Until next time,

Luis

Linux and Photography - a rare combo...

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After years of using Windows and subsequently being many times on the verge of losing my photos due to viruses, system crashes, overburdening the system with Windows' power hungry resources, I have been contemplating moving to Linux. I have a little experience with Linux, I was impressed, but most of the applications I needed were not (or so I thought) for Linux. But I could live with incompatibilities as long as my photographic collections were safe and intact. Linux based systems have stronger security features and fewer viruses (this may be aided by the fact that there aren't many viruses written for Linux), very rarely crash and when something goes wrong it is more likely than not, that it was due to user error. It also uses way much less memory than Windows for thee same or three other tasks at the same time. The operating system and its applications are open source and free. To the unexperienced user, the notion of free full software may seem dubious and full of compromises, but this is certainly not the case.

So, I decided for a gradual move into Linux and for that, I decided to try Linux with it's own version of Photoshop...GIMP with UFRAW plugin.
I have to say I was pleasantly impressed. GIMP may not be as polished interface wise as Photoshop, but all the tools you need are there, one just needs to get used to the interface while the UFRAW plugin for camera RAW files offers all the control a photographer will ever really need. The only minus is that it seems that it does not perform denoising on the RAWs (perhaps it is a plus as it really shows as your camera performs), I still have the feeling that UFRAW outputs somewhat noisier files. Having said that, I have converted Sigma X3F files with UFRAW with very good results. Here are some examples:

.X3F, UFRAW converted with no exposure correction

.X3F, UFRAW converted with 1.69(approx) exposure correction

Despite the second example showing some noise which resulted from the exposure correction, the results are perfectly usable at full resolution.
For me this is a big thumbs up and a step closer that transition from Windows to Linux ( which will allow me to do more with much less usage of system memory and CPU).



Until next time,


Luis

C41 at home with Tetenal.

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I was once more impressed with the simplified Tetenal kits. This time the C41 kit (which is the process of standard negative colour film). A hassle free kit,that produces satisfactory to excellent home results. Here's one from a Fujifilm Pro 160S put through Tetenal.



Until next time,



Luis

Another great addition to the kit...

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The Konica Minolta Dimage A1. I have wanted one of these beauties for ages, but since the demise of Konica Minolta the only place to find them is Ebay and even there they are scarce. I was lucky enough to win the auction for what I believe is one of the best if not the best prosumer digital camera ever. I have had it for a while now, but only yesterday I had the chance to really spend some time with it. And as such, here is todays pick:

BUS_Flickr, originally uploaded by Luis Rubim.



Until next time,



Luis

My sales site...

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Just a quick reminder that the sales site is under construction. It is undergoing a major makeover and is going to be easier to navigate and include a bigger selection of work.
I thank you all for your visit and custom and the site should be up and running again soon.

Random from file:

No Photoshop here!
Fujifilm S20 pro, reversed 28mm lens,Centon FG30 flash bounced

Until next time,


Luis

Woody was around...

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Spotted this Green Woodpecker flying around Hyde Park. I believe that London is perhaps the only city in Europe with such varied wildlife and where people can experience it so easily up close.

But this fella was difficult to shoot, he liked to keep his distance, as such the pic below is only a resized crop. Taken with my Minolta 7D and Sigma 70-300mm APO DG.

Until next time,


Luis

The Sony A700: Finally, a real upgrade to the Minolta 7D

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I gotta hand it to Sony. As a Konica Minolta 7D owner, the A700 is really good news.
Back is Minolta like design,build and layout, Minolta’s Anti-Shake system reincarnated again as SuperSteadyShot and what seems to be some 12 very clean megapixels (using CMOS rather than CCD as on the 7D). The Sony adds in this package for A-mount users its DRO technology, offering extended dynamic range as in camera option and environmental sealing. Performance has vastly improved, with 5fps in consecutive mode so you don’t miss those crucial moments. In short, the A700 seems like a vastly improved tool over the already excellent Konica Minolta 7D. I had the chance to handle one and see the results and the camera feels quite familiar, apart from the menus, but still no big deal, its something you can get used to very easily.

It finally feels as if Sony can be taken seriously as a camera maker, the A700 means business and it has Minolta DNA all over it.
I think I know where my money is going next.

Random photo from file...

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Until next time,


Luis

Thank you Tetenal!

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For an amazing E6 kit! I fsweatted,I stressed, I messed up chemicals, redid them, I messed up temperatures and I changed the times by instinct alone, spilled the final chemistry bit (stabiliser) and yet...I got some awesome results from this kit. Light years ahead of the Jessops muck that ruined so many films (and subsequent hours of work). This chemistry gives some sharp, clean images. A fortune in Tetenal chemistry ensues... :D

Here's one from the aftermath:




Until next time,



Luis

The SD10 makes a comeback to The Viewfinder

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After months of waiting, I have a Sigma SD10 to work with. I missed those tack sharp photos, so off I went with it to the streets. One of things I love about this camera as well is the ability to produce very good results even with average lenses (such as the Sigma 24-70HF used for this shot).

IMG00486, originally uploaded by Luis Rubim.

So, The Viewfinder's Foveon Factor section is once again open.

Until next time,



Luis

New addition to the ever expanding film camera arsenal...

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...The Kiev 6C. As much loved as it is hated, the undeniable truth is that some nice Neopan 400 and the sharp old Pentacon 6 fit Russian lenses produce the goods....I took it out for a test the other day and was lucky enough to bump into this nice, approachable chap who let take his portait....

(Chris Eubank, former boxer and world champion)

Until next time,



Luis

From the film file...

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Fishing Nets (2003)- Kodak Gold ISO100

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Sun Dried Fish (2003)- Kodak Gold ISO100
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Big Bad Wolf (2006) - Fujifilm Sensia 100
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A Blue Tit searching for a nest in late winter (2002) - Fujifilm Sensia 200
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Until next time,


Luis

Going back to basics II ....

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Hi all,


Once again, I have been having the film bug. Can't help it, I just like the look of it, developing it, scanning it, printing it,...regardless of what digital offers there are qualities in film that digital simply hasn't quite cut yet, even with the ever increasing megapixel counts in sensors. Dynamic range is one of them, colour depth...your eye just has so much more to appreciate in a film photo even with the grainiest of films. As such, I have been leaving my digital cameras at home and leaving the house with a film camera loaded with monochrome film, or slide film (which I mostly send for process but that will change, thank you Tetenal more on that below :) ) and occasionally with some negative film (which I send for processing, C41 chemistry is expensive and very tricky). The greatest of joys for me this week were when I came across the Tetenal site, selling all the developing kits that an over enthusiastic film user like myself could want. The chemistry for slide in particular is hard to find and the last time I found it, the kit revealed disappointing as the chemistry was very likely off (only found out after I developed the slide). Anyway, enough reading for now, lets do some looking. Here is the material for the day, all film photos of course.

Brian Haw - Kodak Portra 160VC
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South African Carnival Dancers - Kodak Portra 160VC
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Bikers - Fujfilm Sensia 200

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Until next time,


Luis