What a big smile!

While wandering the streets of Chicago taking in the sights a young boy and his mother passed me. He had the biggest grin on his face when he saw my camera and smiled gleefully when I took this shot!
Pictured in front of H&M on the Magnificent Mile near the John Hancock Center, Chicago.

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/80s

Fade to white

A building on South Wabash, Chicago. I was on my way to Central Camera and just loved the leading lines when I looked up!
I debated with myself about removing the building on the right but left it in for context. Wabash runs parallel with State Street but is much narrower and the L runs down it covering the middle of the street. The first time you hear the train pass overhead you will look up!

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/250s

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