TOKYO SKYLINE

Posted on April 19, 2013 by michaelweening

A few shots of Tokyo a week ago. Spring is upon us but it cannot decide if it wants to be warm, cool, cloudy or raining. Handheld HDRs via Canon 5D Mark III with 70-200mm f/2.8.

Makes interesting viewing out the window.

It wasn’t raining, but it was foggy. I don’t know why I woke up, but I took this shot at 2AM.

The sunset against the clouds.

I work in that office .. for a few more months.

I threw my 2X extender on to get this shot (handheld).

Loved looking at this lonely cloud.

A few hours later, it was raining.

Thanks for dropping by.

BALI RICE FIELDS

Posted on April 9, 2013 by michaelweening

Bali is a lush and beautiful country and one of the “must do’s” is to stop at a small town with the rice fields new Ubud. You look out on the river flowing through the terraced fields .. and all you see is green. As viewed through a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-70mm f/2.8, mostly shot in handheld HDR.

You hike down one side, cross a bridge and hike back up to the other side. Along the way there are a few farmers collecting “donations” .. donation 1 was at the bridge.

It is quite steep.

Row upon row of rice, with carefully crafted ledges around each terrace to keep the water in.

And a simple mode of getting the water from level A to level B.

What is at the top of the hill?

Nothing but a great view of this spider, who is almost impossible to spot .. even after I edited the photo to bring out highlights and confirm that she/he was the focus point.

A great hike.

EATING AT MT BATUR, BALI

Posted on April 3, 2013 by michaelweening

For the Mt. Batur part of our Bali trip we did not hike the volcano (another time), but we had lunch at the base. It is a beautiful sight.

The view from the restaurant.

Glad we didn’t hike it. We would have gotten soaked. A storm was on the way in.

The rain hit just was we stopped for fruit at this stand.

The colors were spectacular, even under a very grey and growing black sky.

If you are in Bali, make sure that you try all of the different fruits. Some will surprise you and you probably won’t see them again.

BACK DOWN UNDER, AUSTRALIA

Posted on March 13, 2013 by michaelweening

Spent last week in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. A whirlwind of a tour with very little free time but I did snap off a few shots.

Canon 5D Mark III with a 50mm Sigma f/1.4 – my only non-Canon lens, most handheld HDR.

On the redeye.

Off the redeye.

A war monument in Brisbane.

I do like the way that Australia has preserved their buildings. So much character.

The clock outside the Westin in Sydney.

A few shots around the Westin.

No time …. just 18,453 km.

HAIKYO INSIDE THE SIEKA DORMITORY ROOMS, TOKYO

Posted on February 27, 2013 by michaelweening

I continued my Haikyo, ready to explore the insides of the building. It was getting dark quickly so I shot a mix of handheld HDRs and RAW depending on light conditions. I was also worried about stepping on a few floors, the hallways were concrete but the rooms?

The first room I looked in. It is like the fire happened and everyone just ran, never to return. So odd.

OS/2?

I would have left the Beethoven behind too. But Tchaikovsky? Heresy.

It must have gotten quite hot to melt whatever that is on the shelf …

I was fascinated by the piano.

I would have left it behind too.

A fully stocked kitchen.

Proof that the CD is dead. Why else would leave behind such a fantastic boombox?

And this is where my camera died. When I finally figured out where to go I parked quickly and decided to leave my camera bag and all of the piece parts behind. I was in a hurry. The only problem is that I didn’t look at my battery status.

It went dead. If I hurried I could run back to the car, move it to the closer parking spot, and then hustle back onto the site before all of the light disappeared.

Urban exploration can be a lot of work when you wing it.

Coming home for dinner.

Would love to know what is on those tapes. Some Magnum P.I. perhaps?

Student dormitory kegger …

I should have grabbed the worlds worst tie.

Cool afternoon out.

A TOKYO STREET and A SMOKE FILLED YAKINIKU

Posted on February 16, 2013 by michaelweening

After the Ghibli Museum we stopped at a random Tokyo intersection to grab lunch. Here are a few shots; a mix of handheld HDR and others via my Canon 5D Mark III.

A busy Tokyo street.

What is a pepper lunch? Have I mentioned how I find it odd that even in the outlying areas of Tokyo there is so much random English?

For example, English advertising signs. I am not quite sure that this sign would go over well in Canada or the US? Made me smile.

We decided on “Japanese BBQ” which they call Yakiniku. The front of the restaurant was a huge open kitchen with open BBQ grills.

It was very smoky. A combination of people smoking and the BBQ fumes. On a Saturday afternoon, people enjoying a beer and some BBQ.

I didn’t get a shot of what we ate, it disappeared too fast.

Definitely a “true” Japanese exploration for the family.

One last shot from the street; we came across another Japan first for us – a bicycle parking lot. There must have been 500+ bikes.

Here is where you pay.

A good wander.

TOKYO SUNRISE

Posted on January 4, 2013 by michaelweening

The sunrise yesterday via Canon 5D Mark III with 70-200mm f/2.8 with 2X III extender (The extender is my Christmas toy), shooting a handheld HDR.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 25, 2012 by michaelweening

Our first beach Christmas (smile). They say Merry Christmas in Manly Beach … the handheld HDR way.

The trees decked for Christmas.

In Sydney they say Happy Christmas and I did find a Christmas tree.

A very Merry Christmas in the sun.

A FEW MORE MEIJI SHRINE HANDHELD HDRs

Posted on December 13, 2012 by michaelweening

A flowering bush in December. In December! No snow …. –4 in Toronto today. Don’t miss the snow.

Lots of fall colors. Amazing that the HDR has zero ghosting even though I am not using a tripod. Well done Canon.

The sake barrels. The guide told me they are empty.

The downside of the HDR, look at the edges of the trees. As it takes the 3 quick photos, if the trees are moving it creates what looks like a halo.

One final barrel shot.

A FEW MORE HDRs

Posted on December 10, 2012 by michaelweening

I have been “playing” around with the HDR on my 5D Mark III. I definitely do not like the embossed setting, but the “natural”, “vivid” and “artistic” settings are interesting. I am torn between “vivid” and “bold”. All were taken with a 2 second delay (to avoid shaking), resting on a railing (I really need to replace my tripod). I did not mirror-lock.

HDR natural. It looks a little washed out.

Artistic standard.

Artistic vivid

Artistic bold

A new set. HDR natural …

Artistic standard

Artistic vivid

And last, bold. I don’t like the bold.

It definitely gives some cool effects, without the protracted editing phase. I figured out how to turn off the setting which keeps all of the originals (as it shoots 3 shots) which were filling my camera quickly.

A few more. The sunrise.

The sunrise clouds ….

The pink in the clouds is from the sunset behind me.

One more test, of Roppongi Hills and the Mori Tower (I deleted the embossed). I like the 2nd photo the best but I did not record the setting (smile).

We have come a long way on the camera front. Now if they would just build in the GPS ….

HDR ON THE CANON 5D MARK III

Posted on December 7, 2012 by michaelweening

I have been playing with the HDR settings on my Canon (in handheld mode). You can read about it here. You can see a few samples below. It warrants more exploration.