The Canon 30D is finally here

This is a bit of a let down to be honest. The new 30D looks nothing like the leaked photo I found a while back. There are a couple of new features, most notably the bigger LCD screen, spot metering and a much bigger buffer but I don’t see any point in upgrading from my 20D. I was looking forward to seeing the ADAMS MODE button but alas, it’s probably not going to see the light of day for some time yet.
The really good news is that it’s the same price as the 20D which should force the price of existing 20D bodies down. Look for discounts at your favourite online retailer. If you see it at a bargain price, buy it! (via and every other photography news site)

On a related note, I weighed my Canon 20D and Sigma 18-200 lens. It’s a monster 1.25kg (or almost 3lbs)! No wonder I hurt my back last year. Carrying that amount of weight around one’s neck is a sure fire way of getting to know your physiotherapist better!

Welcome members of Dropzone.com! I hope you’ll look around and enjoy the photos!

From Madison to Sears

I worked in the heart of the financial district of Chicago in the summer of 2003. Each morning I took the brown line of the L to Washington/Wells and walked the two blocks to the building where I worked.
This is the view only a few blocks away. You can see the Sears Tower near the end of this street!

In other news, this blog has been shortlisted in the best photoblog category. I have been shortlisted in the “Best Contribution to the Irish Bloggersphere” category too! Thank you all who voted. It’s up to the judges now. See you at the awards on March 11th!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/125s

Feed The Birds!

This was taken yesterday in my back garden. We had some beautiful light after a very dull start to the day and I took advantage of it.
I used the Canon 75-300 IS lens but the bird feeder is about 3m away from my backdoor so I can’t get as close as I’d like. This is a very close crop of a much larger image. The original crop is 1188×1188 pixels but I really like how this came out.
There is purple fringing on the highlight around his mouth, and in his eye but it’s not too bad thankfully!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 300mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/400s

Bent

Walk by the River Lee in Cork City and you’ll come across vertical bars embedded in the river wall. Here’s one that was bent out of shape by some force, possibly a long time ago. In the background is the Cork Opera House.
The texture and grain of the bar appeals to me. It’s not new and shiny and polished. It’s old and worn and has a history.

Aperture ƒ/5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 40mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/60s

Get There, Go Anywhere

Bicycle locked up and bus arriving on the Grand Parade a few nights ago.
It’s been quite a while since I used either forms of transport.
What caught your eye first about this image? The poster, the foreground or the bus?

Aperture ƒ/3.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 1600
Shutter speed 1/40s

On the beach at Youghal

Last weekend we visited Youghal in Co. Cork. I haven’t been on the beach there for years and I had quite forgotten how big it is! It was nice for a walk, but we were frozen from the cold wind.
I was just in town. Big Brother were supposed to hold auditions from 9am on the Grand Parade but there was no sign of them. Still, I used the opportunity to buy flowers and they went down very well with Jacinta! 🙂

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 88mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/200s

People who noticed

Sometimes I do the right thing, take a nice photo, touch it up in a pleasing way, and I present it here and it draws the attention of a few kind souls who comment on it and maybe even talk about it on their own blogs, forums and sites. Sometimes they even say nice things about me! Here’s a few I noticed recently:

And in no particular order, here are the photoblogs I visit each day. This list is getting longer daily but these blogs publish photos that will inspire you! Many of them have appeared in the Photoblogs.org hot list, and that’s a very good starting point for finding good photoblogs. Other blogs belong to people who have left a comment here.
c h r o m a s i a | [daily dose of imagery] | Exuvia.net | DailySnap.com | s i m p l y l o t u s | AnnaWeb PhotoBlog | John Washington | Round Here | Movement4 | MUTE – Photoblog | { just photo } | IPlog | DjMagras Photos | caps:photo | Pulpo | panhandlin’ | captured4life | HeadphoneLand | Gabriela Cravo e Canela | Iced Coffee | Macro Art In Nature | Photogranny | NoWords | chromalark | Gareth Marlow’s Photo Blog | every so often | jxiong | Cozmo Photography Fotoblog | neverhappen.com | A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania | fotoecco | your waitress photos | Learning to see | joe’s nyc | paxtonprints.com
If your blog isn’t there, and you’ve left a comment here, it’s because you don’t post a new photo every day, you’re in my aggregator, or I just haven’t got around to adding you to my bookmarks!
While I’m here, say hi to the following Cork Photo bloggers:

  • Donal posts photos from gigs he goes to on a regular basis!
  • Robert just recently started blogging.
  • Ryan, like me, has been around as long as the hills! Bloody marvelous photographer too!
  • Corksurf posts photos a semi-regular basis, but I’m hoping he’ll post more regularly because he’s posted some great shots so far!

Ladies free all night

Mangans nightclub on Carey’s Lane has been a regular haunt of nightclubbers in Cork for many years. I haven’t frequented this establishment in a long time but I bet it’s exactly the same inside! Is it called Vibes now? I saw that logo above this sign.
Ladies are free in on Sunday nights!

Aperture ƒ/3.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 800
Shutter speed 1/50s