Wassup? Or the art of the random shot

Wassup?

During these holidays I made more than 60% of the pictures with the 50mmF1.8D. This is probably my cheapest lens, but the most useful. Because we made a long trip by car. and because I was not driving I have plenty of opportunities to make some “random” shots from within the car. I mounted a circular polizer and a hood on the lens to minimize reflection and got a few nice pictures. I was helped by the fact that we were rarely over-speeding and by the nice weather which allowed to use high speed.

Camera:Nikon D700
Lens:Nikkor 50mmF1.8D
F5.6 1/1000s Iso200

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Udaipur Market – rajasthan – India

Udaipur Market

One of my favourite pictures so far; Udaipur Market – rajasthan – India
What’s in a picture really? People, action, color, here you go. maybe a bit of light is missing, but I did not say it was perfect, did I?

On the street 50mm rules, it’s fast, small, does not frighten your subject.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm F1.8D
Processing: LR3+PS Elements 4.0

Spice grinding Shop Alapey – Kerala – India

Spice grinding Shop Alapey - Kerala - India

I’m going through the pictures of our Christmas in India, here is a happy low light street shoot, in this spice grinding shop in Alapey (Kerala – India).
Thanks to the D700 capability and the wide aperture of the 50mm. Nice guys I met in Alapey, everyone smiled and said ok when I asked to take their picture.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mmF1.8D
Retouches: Lightroom 3

Thaipusam 2011

Thaipussam 2011

Here we are, January again and it’s Thaipusam again, the big Indian festival in Singapore. Devotees walking 4km wearing offerings, some with piercings in their bodies, some wearing structures called Kavadi.
Thaipusam is a great opportunity for photography and there are loads of photogs at the departure of the festival; amazing deployment of hardware. I love Thaipusam, for its atmosphere, sense of togetherness or the people participating. Can’t wait until next year. Thaipusam date if fixed by Hindu authorities and may not not on the most easy day for me to go though, this year I just went 2 hours from 7am after a sleepless night at work.
My recommendation: go at tank road in the middle of the night, to see the first devotees arriving at the temple, get some sleep. Be at Serangoon road about 8am for sunrise and stay a few hours in the temple to follow the devotees preparations. Go back in the evening to follow the procession at night, there are amazing Kavadis with lights!

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm F1.8 ISO2200 1/160 F5
Retouches: Lightroom 3 + PSP elements 4.0

Old Burmese Lady smoking the cigar

Old Burmese Lady smoking the cigar

I’m a bit too straight sometime, or shy or whatever. In Bagan, you see old ladies hanging around with their cigars asking you to picture them for money. However low the amount (probably a couple of bucks) I have so far objected to picture people for money, let’s say the idea makes me feel uneasy. I don’t think I am mean or tight, just I don’t think an amateur picture is something that people have to sell you. Well so up to my third day in Bagan without any pictures of cigar smoker, on our last hour we met this woman in a village who invited us in her compound. We exchanged a few polite sentences stayed a bit and she pull our her cigar and I made this shot after asking permission. I did not want to move around and look impolite so the background is a bit burned.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mmF1.8D
Retouches: Lightroom 3

Michelangelo

Michelangelo

Back from a tour outside Mandalay we entered the town by some neighborhoods featuring artisans making different type of crafts. In one of the street were the marble Buddha sculptors. A whole street of them!
I could not resist to have the car pull on the side of the street and go out to take a couple of pictures. This portrait is a half miss but I still like it. This guy had a very special look, full of marble dust, with his mouth bright red with betel juice.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm F1.8 D
Retouches: Lightroom 3