Roaming around Hong Kong’s Time Square with HDR post-processing

Standing on a traffic island with camera and tripod.

I’ve had HDR (high dynamic range) software for a couple of years and just never gotten around to experimenting with it.  Sitting around on a holiday with nothing to do, I decided to play with it.  HDR allows for an exaggerated range of luminance that takes a photo into the abstract and obviously loses it connection to reality.  Not everyone likes the results.  I happen to think that it works pretty well with night shots in a brightly lit urban environment.  However, a little can be insufferable sometimes.

All photos shot with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.  Post processing with Capture One, Aperture 3 and Photomatrix HDR Tone Mapping software.

Old and the new.

Bus Stop.

Waiting for the bus.

Hong Kong wet market fish with Nikon fisheye lens.

Approaching wet market from Hennesy Road.

Whenever I visit Hong Kong, I like to stay in the Causeway Bay area for its vibrancy.  From street food to street shopping, there is plenty to do in the area.  This wet market is across the road from Times Square and is an great place to visit as evening shopping draws to a close.  Earlier in the day, it can be crowded with people which can impede one’s chances to take photos of the market’s offerings.  Just around the corner from this location are a number of high end restaurants and shops that are the modern Causeway Bay.  The market is a vestige of an earlier time that will someday disappear and become the latest skyscraper.  Enjoy while you can.

Photos were shots with a Nikon D700 and  AF Fisheye Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 lens.

Fish-eye tomatoes.

 

Fish-eye fish.

Typical view at market.

Close-up.

A few hours in Nara last spring.

Todai-ji, largest wooden building in the world.

Last spring I spent a few hours in Nara, the capital of Japan over 1300 years ago and the home to many priceless temples and shrines.  On this visit, I took a stroll through Deer Park and it’s adjacent temple, the Todai-Ji.  This temple is a World Heritage Site and offers an opportunity to view the Daibutsu housed inside.  This Buddha was cast over 1300 hundred years ago although some parts were recast due to damage several hundred years ago.  However, having been here several times, I was more interested in capturing images of people and deer.

By the way, if you visit Deer Park, be very careful as they have been known to attack people on occasion.  And they can be agressive if you offer them food.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and Nikon D300s with Nikkor 70-200mm VRII zoom lens.

 

Don't get too close.

 

 

 

Deer food.

 

 

Sip of water.

 

 

Children with packs.

 

 

Taking a break.

 

Shanghai boulevard at night with Nikon wide angles lenses.

Shanghai tower with Nikon fisheye lens.

Last month I spent a week in Shanghai on the Pudong side of the river near the large TV-radio tower.  One night I took a long walk with my Nikon D700 and two lenses, the Nikkor – fisheye 16mm f/2.8l lens and the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 lens.  These photos are some of the results of the photo walk.  I don’t know which ones I like more, the photos with the 24mm or the fisheye.  They lend a different feel to the photos but I think that they are both pleasing.   I happen to like the fisheye results as the severe distortion does focus attention on the center of the photo, that is, the area in the photo that has the least distortion.

Taillights in motion.

Passing bus.

Bus in fisheye.

Boats on the Mekong, Cambodia to Laos

Sunrise from Don Khong Island.

Life on the Mekong River in Cambodia and Laos hasn’t caught up with the 21st Century. Yet.  There is still a connection to quieter times, a slower pace of living, that belies the dramatic changes that will occur on the Mekong.  From China to southern Laos, there are plans for over a dozen dams that the authorities say will benefit all the people of the region.  They come up with a myriad of benefits, from cheaper electricity to reduced flooding.   In looking at this future, I have a hard time envisioning the simple life that exists there now.  I recommend that you visit this area before it’s all gone.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and a Nikon D300S and Nikkor AFS 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Vietnamese fisherman at Stung Treng, Cambodia.

A smoke on the boat.

Time to board.

Lost in thought.

Down the river in a boat in Kyoto

Visitors to Kyoto and Nara almost always focus their activities to visiting temples, shrines and castles.  Of course, that’s why people visit these beautiful locations and there’s nothing wrong with that.  For something just a little different, consider taking a two hour drift boat down the Hozukawa River.   The starting point is near the Kameoka City JR Station, which is about 20 minutes by train from the Kyoto Station.  And the dock is a five or ten minute walk from the station.  There are prominent signs leading the way from the station.  And if you’re lost, the information center at the station will point the way.

The river drift is mostly placid with a few sections of rapids and very small elevation changes.  It is not a dangerous drift.  Each boat has two crewmen.  One mans the oar to steer the boat while the other mans the pole to keep the boat from colliding with the rocks in the river.

The boat trip ends near the Arashiyama District of Kyoto where’s there’s plenty to do including a visit to the magnificent Tenryu-ji Temple.

All photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.  [Note: recommend that you use a polarizing filter on the river as the glare is prominent.  I didn’t.]

Dockside view.

Down the river.

Fast section.

Train stopped to look at us.

Vendor on the river.

Trip ends at Arashiyama.

Another bridge in Cambodia – From Kampong Cham to Kratie

The single track bridge from the river.

We were still on our way from Kampong Cham to Kratie when we crossed this single-track bridge that spanned a river flowing into the Mekong River.  As the sun was beginning to set and the pace of life surrounding this bridge capable of producing good images, we decided to stop.

The sunsets in Cambodia can be quite vivid and in concert with the color of the iron-laden soil can be spectacular.  Even when shooting everyday scenes.

We ended up walking across this bridge, an act that turned out to be a bit dangerous as we ended up encountering a truck that was so wide, it passed without a couple of inches of my nose.  On the return walk across the bridge, we did so with dispatch.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens or a Nikon D300s and a Nikkor AFS VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens.

Floating house on the river.

Bundled high.

Narrow bridge.

Four on a motorcycle.

Fishing boats with nets.

Part 2.Photographic gear to take on upcoming trip to Cambodia and Laos

Cambodian farmer

As noted last weekend, I have a trip planned for next week to visit some areas of Cambodia and Laos that receive very few visitors.  Rather than visiting Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang with its high volume tourists, I have developed an alternate trip.   I will travel overland up the Mekong River from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Don Khong, Laos.  Between the two points are some of the most spectacular scenery in Southeast Asia.  From the flooded forests of Steng Trung to the waterfalls south of Don Khong, one will be at a loss for words when faced with nature’s beauty.

I have spent the last two weeks, using, testing and evaluating my equipment for this journey.  Space is not an issue, however I wanted to downsize my kit for this trip.  So far, I have decided to bring:

Nikon D700

Nikon D300s

Nikkor AF-D fisheye 16mm lens

Nikkor AF-S 14-24 f/2.8 zoom lens

Nikkor AF-S 24-70 f/2.8 zoom lens

Nikkor AF-S 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens

Nikkor AF-D 85mm f/1.4 lens or Sigma 50 EX DG HSM  f/1.4 lens

Hammock time.

Obviously the three zoom lenses were selected so that the focal range from 14mm -450mm (DX 1.5 crop) is covered. I was not so concerned with the 70-300 lens’ lack of wider aperture as much as the weight of my 80-200mm f/2.8 or the 70-200 f/2.8.  I expect the lighting to be sufficient so as not to cause the 70-300 any issues.  The 85mm or the 50mm will come along for their lower light capabilities as a hedge against darker conditions along the water.  And the fisheye solely because I enjoy the results of that lens.

Beyond the cameras and lenses are a whole host of other gear which I will discuss in my next posting.

Photographs were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AF-D 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens and Leica M8 and Summicron 35mm f/2 lens.

Sunflowers in Thailand with Nikon D700 – a rainy day.

Sunflowers on a rainy day.

One of the most popular pastimes this time of year is to drive to the Saraburi area 100 km north of Bangkok to look at the planted fields of sunflowers.  I’m talking about sunflower fields that sometimes nearly touch the horizon.  In sunny weather, these flowers broadly open and track the sun from sunrise to sunset.  At night and in less than ideal conditions, the flowers slightly close up so that their appearance isn’t as spectacular.

On this day, there was an uncharacteristic steady fall of rain that detracted from their appearance.  And heavy cloud cover.   However, rain (or water) can add a sheen and a richness in color that can be beautiful.

In sunny weather, you might consider bringing a water mister on your next outing for sunny flower photos.   And water drops can be beautiful.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor Fisheye AF-D  16mm f2/8 or Nikkor AF-D 85mm f/1.4 lenses. Sunflowers located in the Khao Yai area of Thailand.

More photos with the Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens.

Pass on by.

I’ve having so much fun with this fisheye lens.   For me, it’s important to have a subject in the foreground as it draws the viewer into the photo.  The placement of the subject can be experimented with.  Remember that distortion is less in the center of the frame than the edges  where the barrel distortion becomes obvious.   And the more you shoot, the better your photo becomes.   Ideally this lens is at its sharpest around f/7 and a couple of stops past.

Photos taken with Nikon D700 and Nikkor AF 16mm f/2.8 D fisheye lens.

Grilled pork.

Near and far.

Motorcycle taxi.

Really a Christmas tree.