Tag: photography

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Flickr a Week 12: ‘Reincarnated?’

The week goes to Tee Cee and self-titled “Reincarnated?“—for beautiful bokeh, clever caption, ethereal quiescence, grainy texture, and the photographic tool chosen. Late last month, Fujifilm shipped the fifth iteration of its fixed lens compact, the X100V. Tee made this portrait, using the first, which released nine years earlier. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 4000, 1/28 sec, 28mm.

I owned the original X100, back in 2011. It’s amazing—and yet not—to see someone still shooting one. The camera is a classic. Granted, the duck portrait is nearly two years old (May 2, 2018), but Tee still uses the X100 for street shooting—from looking at more recent posts to the Photostream.

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Flickr a Week 11b: ‘Break Heart’

Architect Mariano Mantel steals Sunday with street shot “Break Heart“, which he captured on March 2, 2019, using Nikon D7100 and 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Vitals: f/10, ISO 1000, 1/250 sec, 56mm. The settings are interesting, for what they deliver: Graininess that adds ambience and texture to contrasty colors.

What are we seeing? Mariano explains. “A kora player show(s) his instrument in a Barcelona street. The kora is a West African harp of the family of bridge harps or harp-lutes. It’s the highest developed string instrument of Africa. The construction of the instrument as well as the music are unique in the world”.

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Flickr a Week 11a: ‘The Luck Gas Station’

The first of two Friday the 13ths this year is opportunity to slip in an extra entry between the two regulars. Bill McMannis captured self-titled “The Luck Gas Station” on Aug. 5, 2017, using Canon EOS M and EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens. He explains about the photo: “On NC 209 in Luck, North Carolina, is an old gas station that surprises travelers and is often photographed”.

The street shot takes the informal, impromptu holiday for black-and-white character, contrast, timeliness, and timelessness.

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Flickr a Week 11: ‘Havanna Taxis’

Where are the customers? I ask, because why would anyone Uber when they could ride in one of these? Convertibles! Especially, as I understand, ride shares aren’t available—well, at least, for tourists.

Christoph Kilger captured self-titled “Havanna Taxis” on March 21, 2019, using Leica M10 and Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH lens. Vitals: f/1.4, ISO 400, 1/2000 sec, 35mm. The photo takes the week for color, composition, and symmetry. BTW, since when is Havana spelled with two “n”s?

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Flickr a Week 9b: ‘Willing Prisoner’

Strange how foreshadowing metaphor can be a single street shot and its accompanying caption. Quinn Dombrowski captured self-titled “Willing Prisoner” on Sept. 23, 2012, using Canon EOS Rebel T2i and EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. Vitals: f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/400 sec, 240mm. The gas mask and woman bound are eerily appropriate illustrations for the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)—also known as COVID-19—pandemic spreading across the Continents from China.

As I write, more than 3,000 people have died globally from the virus, which has infected around 90,000 in at least 60 countries. But those numbers are likely low, because of unreported cases—for numerous reasons: Inadequate testing; influenza confusion; political  coverups; and the extremely long, asymptomatic period when the infected are contagious. In the United States, six people have died from the disease in about 72 hours (four announced today)—mostly in a cluster within Washington State, where experts estimate unobserved transmission occurred for about six weeks. As such, the infection is likely widespread.

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The Cats of University Heights: Shade

I don’t see many furballs along the stretch of Lincoln from Washington to where it dead-ends past Vermont. Our newest, observed inhabitant joins seven others: CoolDainty, Glass, KittyLittle MissSky, and Spunky.

Not the most original nickname, Shade is apt for the challenge posed capturing the Featured Image using Leica Q2. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/8, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm; 12:20 p.m. PST, Jan. 22, 2020.

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Flickr a Week 9a: ‘Essaimage’

I came to the Photostream of Alexandre Gallier by way of “Simple Portrait“, which charms for its texture and natural effervescence. But the Sunday spot instead goes to self-titled “Essaimage“, not because the other isn’t worthy but to keep a varied flow of the series‘ selections.

The closeup, from Nikon D610 with 90mm Tamron Macro lens, is a keeper for beautiful bokeh, contrasty colors, and delicious detail. Vitals: f/11, ISO 400, 1/40 sec, 90mm; April 16, 2019.

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Flickr a Week 9: ‘She Concentrated Deeply on the Message She Dreaded Sending’

Some street shooters swear by Ricoh GR II—or, presumably, the nearly year-old III. I can see why. If you asked me what camera J Stimp used to capture self-titled “She Concentrated Deeply on the Message She Dreaded Sending“—or any other image in his Photostream—I would have said Leica M10, or one of its siblings. But, no, the GR II. Wow.

I discourage you from looking at any other portraits but this one. To peek at his Photostream is to fall inside and became gloriously trapped in an enchanting and mesmerizing montage of (mostly) black and white street shots. You have been warned. I barely escaped from the sheer visual wonder and clever captions.

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The Cats of University Heights: Jolly

The fifty-sixth putty-tat seen behind window or door made an unexpected appearance, along Madison near Delaware, early afternoon Feb. 4, 2020. I shot a half-dozen photos—some auto, others manually—focused, and the last is best. The Featured Image, nearly 100-percent cropped, comes from Leica Q2. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/800 sec, 28mm; 12:48 p.m. PST.

The cat’s coloration reminds of Internet meme-maker (and now deceased) Grumpy Cat, but without the ridiculous frown. An appropriate nickname should be some kind of opposite, then. I choose Jolly.