Weekly Photo Challenge: Rise/Set

Georgian Bay @ Ontario (Canada)

For this week’s photo challenge, I have decided to share a sunset shot which was taken more than 6 years ago. I was shooting into the sun and have combined 3 bracketed shots to produce this HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo. I rarely do HDR photography now, but I was very addicted to it during my early days as a hobbyist photographer. This is one of my first photos and I was probably very proud or had a false sense of achievement. It is embarrassing to look at it now because I can see many flaws in my technique, and yet it is very satisfying to know that I have come a long way.

P.S. If I had taken just a single shot directly at the sun, then I would have ended up with a silhouette photo and it would not be possible to see the vibrant colors in the foreground.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence

Hallstatt (Austria)

Silence and stillness of the dawn.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Peek

Quick Peek

I have long been captivated by Japanese-style photography. There is no official definition of such a style, but it has some instantly recognizable characteristics … desaturated, slightly over-exposed, pale tone, faint blue tint, soft background. Usually moments of daily life or common objects. Nothing dramatic. The atmosphere or emotion is the key.

This is my first conscious attempt to shoot with this style and also in response to this week’s Peek theme.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Glow

Lake O’Hara @ Yoho National Park (Canada)

I was all alone witnessing the golden hue. In response to Weekly Photo Challenge: Glow.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian

 

Charles Bridge @ Prague (Czech Republic)

The Charles Bridge is almost always filled with tourists, street artists, musicians, buskers and vendors. I generally dislike people appearing in my photos and therefore came back during dawn, which has a very different mood. It would be ideal if it was foggier.

Street Lamp

The photo below is a view of the bridge and its pedestrians (a few hours later when the city wakes up). Prague castle is in the background. Post-processing in black and white is unlikely to appeal to most people, but I don’t have to please everyone and I like how it turns out 🙂 I was overlooking from the Old Town Bridge Tower. Most towers or observation decks are usually crowded and expensive. Agree? But not this one! It is relatively empty and cheap. I could even setup my tripod without bothering anyone. Very strange for such a cool vantage point … probably Prague’s best kept secret?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Satisfaction

Toronto (Canada)

This is a very ordinary picture. In fact, it is not even a good example of street photography because despite capturing a moment on the street, it doesn’t really tell a story.

However, this shot has given me great satisfaction at a personal level. For a few years, I had numerous failed attempts with “panning”, which is a technique of sweeping the camera along in time with the moving subject and to get a relatively sharp subject but a blurred background with horizontal streaks. It freezes a moment and yet gives a feeling of movement and speed. I never nail it until this one.

By the way, panning comes from the word panorama.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Collage

Classic, Post-modern, Contemporary … Facades @ Barcelona (Spain)

Catalan Gothic and Modernisme architecture may be the mainstream in Barcelona, but the city has a variety of other architectural styles to offer too. I intentionally included the trees in the foreground to highlight that these facades are actual street view, which otherwise look like a Photoshopped collage.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Helix Bridge

Helix Bridge @ Singapore

Weekly Photo Challenge: Bridge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Stone Bridge

Bulguksa Temple @ Gyeongju (South Korea)

A triple-arched stone bridge spans a pond at Bulguksa Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage).

The bridge was quite crowded until it started drizzling. I took shelter under a willow tree and was drying my camera gear when a couple strolled into the frame.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage

The Acropolis of Athens

Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage