lightburn

fire in the sky

2011-12-18T01:03:00.000+04:00

fade to dark

2011-10-13T08:45:00.004+04:00

one light strobe

2011-08-30T08:21:00.007+04:00

bad exposure recovery and RAW

2011-08-16T09:37:00.013+04:00

shooting RAW and processing it in Lightroom can save your pictures even if you have "badly" exposed photos. i can't stress it enough to shoot in RAW. i know you should get it right "the moment it clicks" but in such situations retrieving information from a jpeg will surely be impossible. of course it helps if you shoot with a fast prime.

here are the jpegs (i shoot RAW + JPEG FINE btw).

arabian moon

2011-08-15T10:51:00.002+04:00

shoes

2011-08-14T21:39:00.000+04:00

this is in my pursuit of learning to strobe. single light strobe on a home-made softbox with a SB900. using Nikon's proprietary Creative Lighting System (CLS). the setup was fairly easy, softbox directed down on the subject - shoes. Manual flash.

ramadan kareem

2011-08-01T23:51:00.000+04:00

taken at 7:30pm just after sunset, the new moon on the horizon (middle part). ramadan kareem to all our muslim friends.

stainless

2011-07-27T08:24:00.002+04:00

are you so clean that you can be called "stainless"?

the dubai fountain in bokeh

2011-07-26T08:09:00.001+04:00

try google(ing) images of the dubai fountain at the dubai mall in the world's tallest skyscaper burj khalifa, you will find that there are a lot taken in very good , well-exposed and properly composed photographs.
but here is my take on it. in bokeh.

[t]hank [g]od [i]t's [f]ood

2011-07-25T08:55:00.006+04:00

dimly lit restaurant lighting food photo.

high up there

2011-07-16T08:52:00.002+04:00

dimly lit restaurant UNO chicago grill at deira city centre is where these lamps hang. good thing i was shooting RAW. there is so much detail you can recover just by shooting RAW.

an exemption.

Thanks Rod for the dinner.

cheesecake and carrot [cup] cake

2011-07-13T08:43:00.016+04:00

what i buy outside doesn't taste half as good as these.

using the 18-200mm, on-camera flash bounce.

this was taken with the 50mm. remote flash camera right, flagged with the black foamie thing and bounced to the wall.

strobed portrait

2011-07-12T08:45:00.012+04:00

on her birthday, i finally got the missus to pose for some portrait using neil van niekerk's BFT (black foamie thing) on-camera bounce flash technique.

here are my favorites.

blondies

2011-07-11T08:59:00.026+04:00

the opposite of brownies, this is what blondies are. baked these myself. the recipe is available in the interweb.
i finally got the chance to use the DIY white bounce card i have recently made.
the lighting setup was simple. the plate was placed on a window sill and everything is just natural lighting.
i could not decide on the background so i shot it with two different colors. which one do you think is better?

on white.

on dark brown.

dhow cruise

2011-07-10T08:40:00.003+04:00

we went to one of those dinner on a traditional boat cruise. my 50mm was too tele for such a tight place. it is one of those times when i wish i had a faster and wider lens for such occasions. if a sudden windfall happens i would like to have the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM for versatility or the older Nikon 24mm f 2.8 AF-D would also be just fine.
but nonetheless, some images from my 50mm f1.4.

caged light

2011-07-09T08:46:00.002+04:00

i'm finding more and more that light bulbs and lamps are interesting to photograph.
i do not know why.

plate 3

2011-07-03T08:13:00.015+04:00

pasta pene in alfredo sauce.

plate 2

2011-07-02T08:59:00.003+04:00

grilled salmon and vegetables.

plate 1

2011-07-01T08:51:00.016+04:00

a series of food photos. i enjoy eating and taking photos. it's a good thing the restaurant the missus and i went to was ok with me taking "casual" photography. :)

buffalo chicken for starters

salt and pepper

2011-06-29T08:17:00.003+04:00

underneath your umbrella

2011-06-28T08:15:00.008+04:00

steel chairs

2011-06-27T08:52:00.048+04:00

had the chance to do some (somewhat)street photography. in a conservative locale like sharjah, it is not "normal" to randomly take photos. maybe it's just me but i don't see much people doing the same.

tea for two

2011-06-26T08:35:00.001+04:00

cherries

2011-06-25T08:02:00.008+04:00

clouds

2011-06-24T08:44:00.000+04:00

a rare cloudy summer sunset with the sun basking in orange glow here in sharjah, U.A.E.

faces

2011-06-23T08:23:00.001+04:00

a portrait series in black and white.

Kodak Instamatic

2011-06-22T14:11:00.000+04:00

The real thing. Not some iPhone app thing. Taken with my Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone. It's selling for Aed450 or $122 at the local souvenir shop.

the sweet-sour experience

2011-06-21T08:55:00.008+04:00

lemon meringue pie baked by my sister-in-law.

subtle light

2011-06-20T22:53:00.000+04:00

our moon has been a "star" this year. being in its closest to earth, therefore visually bigger, just recently in march and now the longest lunar eclipse.

this was taken days before the eclipse.

and this the red moon. it don't look red enough since it is just beginning to eclipse(can i use the word as such?)

nuts, variety

2011-06-10T08:52:00.002+04:00

I have now in my possession a gun, a big one. Not the killing kind, more of the lighting kind. It's been two months or so since I bought a Nikon SB 900. But I haven't used it to it's full potential as a lighting tool the way the pro's do. I am now on getting-to-know-how-to-use-it-properly stage and reading a bunch of stuff at Strobist among others.

A few newbie attempts at this art. Flash is on Manual @ 1/16. Shutter speed @1/250, F-stop @1.8 for shallow Depth of Field. ISO 200 or around that neighborhood.

Here's a little more experimenting. The idea is from my brother, we lit the scene with a mobile phone led lamp(Nokia 5800) only. I hand-held my camera while he started moving his phone and lighting the nuts all through the ten seconds exposure. F-stop @ 16, ISO 100. Interestingly enough this is what was achieved:

pad see ew

2011-06-09T08:27:00.005+04:00

The stir-fried rice noodles from a Thai fast-food my wife and I tasted last month was wonderful. Although I do not know how it (the real thing) tastes like in Thailand, I decided to give it a go and cook it myself.
This is the only image I have but the family enjoyed it.

sea turtles

2011-06-08T08:17:00.013+04:00

random

2011-06-07T08:34:00.014+04:00

Just some random things.

I love shooting steps like this from an older post.

sharjah aquarium

2011-06-06T08:56:00.014+04:00

I have this idea in my head prior to shooting the venue. I've been there before but I did not own a DSLR then.

I wanted to shoot some images of the sun setting low in the horizon. Although it did not turn out like what I have planned(the western sky was hazy), I made some images nonetheless.

I'll be coming back and explore more of the place. You can check their website HERE and find their location thru this map.

greek-inspired

2011-06-03T22:58:00.002+04:00

This is still part of the series.
Somehow I forgot to push publish. ('o')

going back

2011-05-21T08:48:00.033+04:00

There is so much more you can see if you walk. I love the Mediterranean-inspired architecture in here.

the arabian gulf

2011-05-20T08:10:00.011+04:00

view from the beach

2011-05-19T08:17:00.023+04:00

From the beach you can see the entire resort-The Cove Rotana, Ras Al Khaimah. Given the chance I'll be coming back here. :)

way to the beach

2011-05-18T07:59:00.002+04:00

We woke up early to catch a glimpse of the whole resort without the crowd. A great time to make some images / take some photos.( I prefer the former, it sounds and feels better.)

it has (many) legs!

2011-05-17T07:33:00.002+04:00

A wall lighting fixture. Green-ish ghostings courtesy of my cheap uv lens filter (that I plan to throw away after I get to buy a new and better replacement). For now it serves as a lens protection. Next time I shoot with lights hitting my lens, I better be taking it off.

doorways and arches

2011-05-16T07:45:00.017+04:00

In the previous post I mentioned this week's running theme will be a series of images from a recent(much needed)getaway.

This is how the place looks like at night. Very nice. :)

the bread basket and a candle

2011-05-15T23:32:00.000+04:00

Some series of photos from a recent weekend getaway with the missus.
I'll start it off with the "appetizer" we had on the first night. I loved how the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4D handled the low-light scene.

leaning tree

2011-05-09T13:58:00.000+04:00

arches

2011-04-27T07:14:00.002+04:00

there are other worlds beyond yours
just look outside.
don't be caged by your thoughts.

walking

2011-04-26T07:35:00.001+04:00

it's been quite a while since my last post. my easy day job had turn into a month-long trudge at the same time my whole family went home for a vacation. i thought i could get a lot done (photography and work) but i was wrong. i kept thinking about the kids and my wife. i was distracted. it won't happen again.

anyway, here's from a recent walk.

wheel ride

2011-04-25T07:56:00.008+04:00

baked chicken and cake

2011-04-24T07:48:00.001+04:00

edmar's surprise birthday dinner.

dress

2011-04-23T22:56:00.000+04:00

lumpia

2011-04-07T00:15:00.001+04:00

a little time to spare, a table lamp, good food, a camera.

a pair of pears, still life

2011-03-28T08:43:00.002+04:00

the things you can do when you've got nothing to do. just some flash photography with a borrowed SB-800.

watch

2011-03-27T08:27:00.000+04:00

in my pursuit of wanting to learn photography here are a few takes of learning how to strobe(sort of). i've been doing a lot of reading. this is testing the water before i take the plunge (re: buying a flash). :)

setting moon

2011-03-26T08:10:00.004+04:00

this deserves a separate post. although the previous post is also about the "super moon" i thought this needs to be on a different blog post on its own.
i just love the way the moon is setting as the day breaks. it brings back happy childhood memories of my hometown.

satellite

2011-03-25T01:07:00.000+04:00

the moon was at its closest distance to the earth in 18 years; the last time was March 8, 1993. and i missed my rare chance to shoot it in its fullness. oh well, i guess i would have to wait another 18 years or so for it to come around again. it doesn't really matter unless, of course, if i were a werewolf. i'd probably be itching to roam out and stalk some vampires and whatnots. anyway.

gear

2011-03-22T14:06:00.000+04:00

my day job "gets in the way" of my new found love - photography.
here's a "paid" stint. my first. :)

look

2011-03-16T08:17:00.001+04:00

take flight

2011-03-15T08:26:00.000+04:00

betta fish

2011-03-14T09:08:00.001+04:00

façade

2011-03-13T09:48:00.001+04:00

light catcher

2011-03-12T08:19:00.002+04:00

tuning

2011-03-11T21:53:00.000+04:00

is there a thing as half-tone deaf? i think i am.
well i just enjoyed shooting the guitar that i thought it deserves another one.

muted light

2011-03-10T08:35:00.005+04:00

star holes

2011-03-09T00:39:00.001+04:00

hello kitty

2011-03-08T13:30:00.001+04:00

my daughter's favourite shoes on the window sill. she placed it there i don't know why.

a bottle of vodka

2011-03-06T18:51:00.003+04:00

no flash. just room lighting.
this makes the nikkor 50mm f/1.4 very enjoying to use in low-light situations.

bright lights

2011-03-05T22:29:00.001+04:00

the nikon D7000 has, as they say, "focusing issues".
mine doesn't "know" how to do that. :)
here is un-focusing intentionally.

dragon fruits

2011-03-04T00:38:00.000+04:00

the west window

2011-03-02T12:21:00.000+04:00

my west window often gives me the best of both night and day photo opportunities.

bear

2011-03-01T23:00:00.000+04:00

oatmeal cookies

2011-02-28T00:34:00.000+04:00

low light

2011-02-24T14:10:00.001+04:00

from a recent night walk with the family.

old school lens test

2011-02-23T17:25:00.001+04:00

taken with 35-70mm f/3.5-4.8 Zoom Nikkor lens that came with the FE10. i placed my 50mm f1.4 on it and tried taking some shots with it.
it's a decent lens. quite sharp on my D7000. the good thing about this old lens is that when you zoom to 70mm it stays at f/3.5. :)

strawberries, which image..

2011-02-22T14:25:00.006+04:00

..do you prefer? the first one-photoshoped or the second one-lightroomed?

on the grass

2011-02-14T22:00:00.002+04:00

i am running out of photos to post.
i need to get out more often.

ball boy

2011-02-11T11:45:00.001+04:00

dichotomy

2011-02-10T22:58:00.000+04:00

doing double work.

phone photos

2011-02-09T23:38:00.002+04:00

since i'm into borrowed stuff lately.
i gave a co-worker's iphone a go.

ultra wide angle

2011-02-08T21:56:00.000+04:00

borrowed a sigma 10-20mm from another fellow shooter. enjoyed it for a little while.

wood and buddha

2011-02-07T15:19:00.000+04:00

classic

2011-02-06T23:44:00.003+04:00

it's my father's birthday today. he bought this Nikon FE 10 back in college for photography class. happy birthday pops!

reflections without mirrors

2011-02-05T08:27:00.018+04:00

from a recent morning walk with a fellow new shooter.
the clear cerulean sky turned dark by the afternoon

bokeh

2011-02-04T19:01:00.004+04:00

it's a japanese word that means "blur" or "haze" according to Wiki.

here's my take.

night and day

2011-02-03T16:27:00.002+04:00

mobilephone and afternoons

2011-02-02T17:16:00.003+04:00

this may look like it's gone through post processing but this came right out of the camera. the setup: 3-4pm sun shining down the large windows that served as the only light source and background. :)

Hello world!

2011-02-02T17:10:00.001+04:00

Like how I always start my blogs, hello world!

Unlike my other blog, where I mostly rant, this would be all pictures with small talk and some captions of captures.

Kicking it off with a bang.