Wednesday 31 December 2014

Happy New Year 2015!



Happy New Year and all the best to all of you! Thanks for following my blog, I hope you enjoyed it in the past year and will continue following it.

A lot has happened in the last year for me and a lot more is to come in the new year so I am looking forward to it.

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Two Ways

GR, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 100, RAW

It's been a great but freezing day, thanks to the holidays there were only a few people around London so it made for a nice walk during lunchtime.
Thanks to the low hanging sun creating long shadows it meant the light was great for photography. I did take quite a few photos during my lunchtime walk but when I came across this reflection it reminded me of an older photo I took a few years ago. I did take a few photos here of people and cars but this is he one I liked best.
I am a big fan of reflections and try to always incorporate them in my photos if possible.

Monday 29 December 2014

Crystal Palace Walk


It's been a cold but sunny day today. Great for a walk and some photography. For this, I decided to take the Epson RD-1 along. It's a great camera but usually too big, bulky and unreliable to take along more often.


Since the weather was good and it didn't feel too cold, I decided to walk to Crystal Palace, it's only just over an hour walk and taking the Green Chain walk you go through a few parks so this is very nice.


Crystal Palace is actually a lot nicer than I thought with good views over London from the hill it's on and some nice restaurants, funky shops and decent pubs.


I've never been to Crystal Palace Park before so figured it will be interesting to see it. The park is a bit strange with different things in there, from old ruins, a radio tower, a council estate tower, stadium and even some dinosaurs you do get a bit of everything in the shield shaped park.


Sunday 28 December 2014

White House

GF1, 1/125, ISO 3200, RAW (Pinhole lens)

It's been a nice and sunny day so I went out for a walk and decided to do some pinhole photography with my GF1. I haven't used my self made pinhole lens in quite a while so it was fun using it again.

Saturday 27 December 2014

Looking Back

GRD I, f2.4, 1/20, ISO 400, JPG b&w

We all see the people sitting around with a sign or a cup waiting for someone to give them money, most of us just walk past without paying them any attention. One of the little girls did turn back to look at the guy as did I when I walked past after taking this (somewhat blurry) photo.

I didn't give him any money because I don't have any to spare and even if I had I think it's bad to give money to people doing nothing but sit around. One should not encourage such practice and I don't find it enough to have a cardboard sign or paper cup and expect to get money. They can at least do something more productive in order to earn money and no matter how much one gives the same people are in the same place the next day and the day after that.

So what I'm saying is one should never give them money but also don't just walk by completely ignoring them either.

Friday 26 December 2014

The Van

GF1, f1.8, 1/60, ISO 3200, RAW, 100mm (Canon f1.8 50mm FD)

After the sunshine from yesterday, it's been a grey and rainy day today. I didn't go out much or take many photos. When I looked out the window in the evening I saw this van parked across the street through the blinds and thought it would make a great photo. I liked the light reflected from the raindrops, the blinds obscuring part of the view and just the big white van next to the street light.

Thursday 25 December 2014

Sitting on a Tree

GF1, f2.8, 1/200, ISO 100, RAW, 100mm (Canon f1.8 50mm FD)

What else to do on a sunny holiday than go for a walk around and take some photos. It was a nice although cold day but this didn't keep people inside and quite a lot were out enjoying some fresh air around Streatham Common.

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Merry Christmas! Santa's on his way!


Merry Christmas and enjoy your holidays!

Thanks for following this blog, I hope you enjoy it over the year and continue to follow.


Tuesday 23 December 2014

EYE-I

GR, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 800, RAW

The best time to be working in London is around Christmas and New Year, most people are off, the city is quieter, the transport less busy (you will still not get a seat and pay full price) and everything is more relaxed and laid back. This is always one of the main reasons I don't take holidays during this time.
While enjoying a bit of sunshine during my lunch break I went for a bit of a walk and took some photos but more I was enjoying the calm atmosphere around.

Monday 22 December 2014

Waiting for the Train

GR, f2.8, 1/125, ISO 3200, RAW

Living and working in London you spend a big part of your day waiting. You wait for the train, on the train, getting in and out of the station and so on. I figure I should do a series of people waiting for the train in the next time.

Sunday 21 December 2014

Shopping

GRD I, f2.4, 1/60, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Not been doing much and only took a few photos on my way to do some shopping. At first I wanted to go out with my pinhole lens and the GF1 but the weather wasn't that great.

Saturday 20 December 2014

London View

GR, f8.0, 1/1250, ISO 100, RAW
This is probably one of the most photographed views in London and I figured I try a different take on it. The end result however is neither very good nor very exciting but it was worth a try.
It did give me an idea for a different take on it and see if it works better next time.

Friday 19 December 2014

Watching

GRD, f5.6, 1/400, ISO 400, JPG b&w

While the day started off dark and grey, it cleared up and by lunchtime it was nice and sunny for walk around Spitalfields, Brick Lane and the Yota store to check out the Yotaphone 2 again.

Thursday 18 December 2014

The Ring

GR, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 12800, RAW

Took another walk around Spitalfields Market during my lunch break and managed to take quite a lot of photos. It was quite busy today, more than usual with lots of krimskrams or clutter to buy although some of it was fun.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Night at the Circus

GR, f2.8, 1/125, ISO 8000, RAW

Tonight was the company Christmas party and I had to take some photos while there. Most are boring for people outside work but this photo I quite liked.

Tuesday 16 December 2014

The Guy with the Cane

GRD I, f2.8, 1/160, ISO 400, JPG b&w

I was more inspired to take photos today. I took the GRD I with me because I wanted to focus on b&w and I did take more time to take photos.
When I came upon this guy, I knew I had one of my potential photos for the day. Initially I didn't see him in the doorway and I wanted to just take a photo of the wall art with my phone but he fitted right in there. While I also have a photo of him in colour taken with my phone, I prefer the b&w one.

Monday 15 December 2014

Buy 1 Get 1 Free

GR, f5.0, 1/320, ISO 3200, RAW

My recent photos are not all that good I find, not sure if it's me not being inspired or not having enough time or something else. Most photos turn out blurry and out of focus, I will need to start focusing more on my photography over the coming days.

Sunday 14 December 2014

At the Bus Stop

GR, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 140, RAW

It's been a nice day again but I spent a big part of it shopping, I should have known better than to go do my shopping on a Sunday.

Saturday 13 December 2014

Sunny Saturday

GR, f8.0, 1/160, ISO 100, RAW

It was a cold but very nice day so I went for a walk around and through the mud in the nearby parks. It was good to be outside and enjoy some sunshine despite it being a bit chilly, kind of miss the weather in Asia.

Friday 12 December 2014

More London Weihnachtsmarkt


Friday is now again one of my favorite days! It's funny how you stop caring about Fridays, or any day of the week for that matter, while you're travelling.


After work, I went to see a friend and rather than putting up with rains at rush hour I decided to walk and take some photos while walking there.


It was quite cold but still nice enough for a walk and I rather freeze outside than be in a packed train anyway.


While walking past City Hall at More London place, I decided to take some photos of the Christmas market there. It was pretty empty, most people were warming up inside pubs with a nice pint.


Thursday 11 December 2014

Blackfriars Morning

GRD I, f4.0, 1/320, ISO 400, JPG b&w

I only managed to take three photos today. It's been busy and I didn't have much time to take photos during lunch or after work.
This was however my first photo of the day after getting a seat on the train for 3 minutes till my stop came up anyway.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Backpackers

GRD I, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 400, JPG b&w

It's been a very nice day with sunshine and relatively warm temperatures for this time of the year. It was definitely nice enough to go for a walk and take photos during lunch.
I decided to take the GRD I along because it's fun to use and the b&w image quality is just very nice despite the other shortcomings it has compared to the GR.

Tuesday 9 December 2014

Woman in the Window

GR, f8.0, 1/60, ISO 160, RAW

A bit of architecture and a person inside for today's post. I took it during my lunchtime walk. Didn't take too many photos though, it's not easy to take photos while working but it's good to keep it up.

Monday 8 December 2014

Two Towers

GRD I, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Another architecture photo, this time with the GRD I and taken at the Barbican. The GRD I and the Barbican go great together snce the architecture looks great in b&w.

Sunday 7 December 2014

4 Corner

GR, f8.0, 1/60, ISO 200, RAW

After posting only photos with people in the past weeks, it was time for a change so here is a simple architecture photo. I took this after meeting a friend for lunch near the Tower of London.

Saturday 6 December 2014

Dirty Dicks

RD1, f5.6, 1/250, ISO 1600, RAW, 42mm (Ricoh GR f2.8, 28mm L)

While I didn't plan to return to Liverpool Street and Spitalfields on the weekend after spending all week there working, I decided to meet up with Tom. Since I planned on doing some photography, I did bring my Epson RD1 along, despite the size and weight. In the end I didn't take many photos but I did take some photos of people dressed up as Santas.

Friday 5 December 2014

Big Chill

GR, f6.3, 1/320, ISO 16000, RAW

Another one of my lunchtime walks, this time around Spitalfields market but also Brick Lane. The weather was nicer so it made for a more pleasant walk today.
I even came upon a pop-up shop for the new Yota Phone 2 and have to say it's a great and very cool phone as it's something different and the e-ink screen on the back is pretty cool. Will have a closer look at it but it it were cheaper I would have been very tempted to walk out with one of them.

Thursday 4 December 2014

Festive Hat

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 1600, RAW

Yet another greay and rainy day in London, it's winter so I guess it's not too surprising. Still, I decided to go for a walk around Spitalfields Market, at least it's covered and I can take some photos around there. It's not the nicest market and after it has been renovated recently it lacks character but it's still ok for a walk around during lunch.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Coffee Break

GR, f2.8, 1/400, ISO 400, RAW

Went for another walk around lunchtime to take some photos. I seem to get a lot of mis-focused photos recently because I don't take enough time to get the right shot. Out of 12 photos I took today, I kept only two and none were fantastic so I need to work on the quality more.

Tuesday 2 December 2014

Surprise

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 800, RAW

Another cold and grey day but I did manage to go for a walk during lunch and take some photos. Not many great photos but this one I liked best.

Monday 1 December 2014

Lady and the Pigeon

GR, f2.8, 1/320, ISO 1100, RAW 

It's been a dull and grey day today. I went out for a walk during lunch but didn't take too many photos and wasn't too inspired either.

Sunday 30 November 2014

Buying Books

GR, f2.8, 1/320, ISO 560, RAW

It's funny how you meet people in one end of the world and then a few years later you meet up again in a different place. It's cool to meet someone again after a few years and have a chat and catch up.

This is how I ended spending the day in Blackheath again and it was nice to both meet a friend but also see Blackheath again.

Saturday 29 November 2014

Maid Talk

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 25600, RAW

There are a lot of things about Japan that are different and that make it not only special but also different from any other country in the world. Some of it is tradition, some of it is more modern but it's always special.
Being a huge fan of Japan and the culture there, I had to go to the opening of a a friend's pop-up Maid Cafe in London. It was a big success judging from the many people who turned up and who were waiting just to get a seat.

Friday 28 November 2014

Alley Talk

GR, f2.8, 1/320, ISO 12800, RAW 

Sometimes I take a lo of photos during my lunch break or walks to and from the station, other times I only take a handful photos. Although I wasn't hugely inspired, I did get a higher rate of keepers today than some other days where I took a lot more photos.

Wednesday 26 November 2014

In the Frame

GR, f2.8, 1/200, ISO 400, RAW

It's been a grey and dull day today. I spent it mostly in the office and packed in the train to and from there. Still, I had to get out for a walk and took some photos as always when I'm walking around.

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Wear Suits

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 320, RAW

I wasn't too inspired to take photos today. Add to this that I spent a good chunk of my lunch break queuing at the post office so I didn't take many photos. This is liked best though.

Monday 24 November 2014

Honest Work

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 400, RAW

I didn't get round to take too many photos today. During lunch I had time for a quick stroll around Spitalfields Market and Broadgate.
This was actually one of the first photos I took but also the one I liked most. I saw the guy climbing out the windows and noticed the wall murals so I waited a bit and took the photo when he was working and looked similar to the figures.

Sunday 23 November 2014

Fire

GF1, f1.8, 1/250, ISO 3200, RAW, 100mm (Canon f1.8 50mm FD)

There is some truth in the best camera is the one you have with you and it's always worth having a camera along as you never know what you come across. So happened this evening when I had the trusty, old GF1 with the even older Canon FD 50mm lens along and came across a fire.

Still, even better than having a camera along is to end a grey, cold and rainy Sunday with some great, live jazz music and a bottle of wine.

Saturday 22 November 2014

Lights

GR, f2.8, 1/250, ISO 18000, RAW

Another day of having to do some shopping in crowded Oxford Street but now I managed to get everything so it should have been the last time. At least I could also fit taking some photos in between.

Friday 21 November 2014

Shoeshine

GR, f2.8, 1/125, ISO 3200, RAW

It's been a grey and quite cold day but I was glad for it to be Friday. The first time in over a year when I actually did care about the weekday, when you're travelling time and the day of the week just don't matter.

I've been out for a walk during lunchtime again and took some photos around the city.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Old Lady

GR, f2.8, 1/125, ISO 5000, RAW

Went after work to see a band playing at the Barbican for the London Jazz Festival, I took only one photo there and this is my photo for today.