I was there too
In the back of a taxi, looking out through a window laden with drops. The warm red and orange lights from street lighting and the rear brakes of a Tesla win against the cold, almost blue headlights of a passing car.
A bike in the background belongs to someone who isn’t home yet.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/17s |
The Christmas lights have been switched on in Blarney Woollen Mills and Christy’s Bar.
| Aperture | ƒ/16 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 10s |
The north side of Cork City, with the North Cathedral and Shandon Bells visible. The Church of the Ascension is barely visible on the horizon, with the restored glowing cross bright in the night sky.
This is a time blend photo. Two images, shot at different times of the day, combined into one. The sky was photographed at sunset, when the sky was still bright, while the urban streets and buildings were captured much later after sunset. A first attempt, on an evening of rain and cold when we didn’t expect much of a sunset at all.
Here’s a video that explains how to do it:
Here’s another, slightly different edit of the photo that will make it more obvious what’s going on.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 54mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
In Valencia, Spain, they rerouted a river that ran through the city, making a very long park through the city. The Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the science museum, is behind me, nestled in the space the river once took, while in front is the Pont l’Assut de l’Or. It’s a beautiful bridge spanning the gap over the old river.
In the background is the Caixa Forum, and further on, out of view is the Museu Oceanogràfic, the fabulous aquarium in the city.
All along the old river run paths and play fields, grassy areas, trees, and benches for sitting on. It’s a wonderful place to visit if you’re in the city. Bikes can be hired too, but I found it stressful because there were so many people around. Getting the bus is easier.
The photo above was shot before sunrise, when the only people around were joggers and people working in the local area. Lovely and quiet!
Unfortunately, there’s a bin at the end of every bench. Not much I could do about it. I wanted to remove it in Photoshop, but I appear to have this bug where no tools work. Uninstalling and reinstalling did not help. 🙁
| Aperture | ƒ/10 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 2.5s |
As the sun sets, one thing I like to do is intentionally moving the camera lens, so the resulting picture is more abstract, but still captures the colours and shadows of the sunset.
This is what I did in Youghal a few months ago with Blarney Photography Club. Standing in the water, I swung the lens horizontally. The sun had almost set, so it caused a streak at the horizon and the groynes in the water looked like shadowy transparent obstructions.
| Aperture | ƒ/4.5 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 44mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 2s |
The Palmeral de Las Sorpresas, a promenade on Malaga Harbour is all lit up at night, with Malaga Cathedral in the background. All reflected in the water of the harbour.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 75mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 2.5s |
A bus and other traffic speed along the road at night.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 2.5s |
The Eiffel Tower reflected in the pond at the Jardins du Trocadéro in Paris.
I remember reading that police would stop you taking photos of the Eiffel Tower at night with a camera on a tripod but I never experienced that. Do they do that any more?
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 17mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/2s |
I guess if you’re in London you probably won’t have much trouble finding a public phone. A group of them stood here, wherever it is. Empty and alone.
Meanwhile, traffic passes in the background, casting eerie light trails through the photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 13s |
