Christmas in Athens

Would I spend Christmas in Athens?  Well…yes and no.  You see, I am a countryside person; I don’t like crowds and stupid events that cost a lot of money.  I would prefer buying some food for the poor man next door and maybe a stroll in a high mountain from time to time.  

Mikrolimano, Piraeus December 2012

It is mid-December and it had been a while since my last photo shooting.  You might not get it, but for us photographers (and by the term I don’t mean the business-oriented fellows with no fantasy that only raise their camera just for money) this is far too long.  I was in the mood for a good photo and I would do almost anything to get one.  I did my research and had a couple of locations in my mind.  Being mostly a landscape photographer I had some difficulty in finding something “nice” in the city.  I know that it was almost Christmas and the city was decorated with all the lights the economic crisis allowed to glow, but I found it ordinary and overused.  At last I decided to head for Mikrolimano in Piraeus, a little marina full of light and opportunities.  

Bokeh Christmas Images Ideas

Christmas time has come and now it's the time to create great images using your creativity.  All type of lenses can be used for these shots, your imagination is the only barrier. There are many ways and tutorials out there and I have selected my favorite ones and when done right the results will amaze you.

Neohori Ithomis blog

It was asked and here it is: The link for my other blog for Neohori Ithomis (near Meligala). It will be a permanent link under About me section.

The blog is scheduled to feature photographs and articles about the area and people there.  I am responsible for the photographic part and also writing some words when it is needed.

Exposing to the Right

 
by Elliot Hook

source: digital-photography-school 

Exposing to the right (often referred to as ETTR) is a technique that seems to polarize opinions across the internet so you can find plenty of examples of people supporting its use and an equal number of people claiming it adds no value.  The principles of the technique however do hold value and are valid to consider when out taking images.  As it is a technique that I regularly employ when photographing landscapes I wanted to share the reasoning behind it, and show an example of the benefit it can bring.

Adobe Announces HiDPI Support in Lightroom 4.3 and Camera Raw 7.3 Release Candidates

Press Release:

Adobe Announces HiDPI Support in Lightroom 4.3 and Camera Raw 7.3 Release Candidates

Adobe today announced the availability of Lightroom 4.3 and Camera Raw 7.3 release candidates on Adobe Labs. The Lightroom 4.3 Release Candidate includes support for HiDPI displays within the Develop Module, and both updates add raw file support for the following cameras:

06-08-2012 August 2012 continued part 2

 I got up early that day. Summer had begun for me since these were the first days of my summer vacation. I had an urge to go out and see the environment, the sea, the white fishing boats, island things although I was in Kalamata. I knew the place for the photos I had in my mind so I drove my car some 20 kilometers out of the city in small village called Kitries. 

An amazing sunset and lots of luck!!!

06-11-2012: It was early November and I had watched only one wonderful sunrise so far.  I did not have my camera with me as a matter of fact, so it is like it never happened! I know that the most anticipated skies show up between 20 of October and 20 of November (give or take a few days), so every now and then I had my mind on the sky when the sun went down in the afternoon or up in the morning.  I don’t know if this kind of sunset had eluded me those days, but this sunset in particular, seen with my own eyes, was something I will never forget. Such red and yellow tones in the sky I had rarely seen in my life! Well maybe once before many years from the same spot, but that’s another archived story…

August wonders continued...

Ok I admit it! I got lost! I was searching for a country road that would lead me to a lonely beach, a secret beach. But as I found out, it was so secret that even with my GPS I could not find it, even though I was viewing the area map! The excursion started when I saw a beach on Google earth maps that seemed like a good opportunity for photographs. You see, I like scouting roads when I have nothing to do and want to shoot (with my camera) someplace that has rarely been shot before. I drew the road with my hand on the digital map and made sure I copied the coordinates in my GPS. But the result was a dead end road and I had to return. I took some photos of the route because of the stunning colors that my polarized filter made impressive, though.

Nikon unveils 24.1MP D5200 DSLR with optional Wi-Fi

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 6 November 2012: Nikon introduces the latest D-SLR to its mid-range DX-format line-up, the 24.1 megapixel Nikon D5200, designed to bring out your creative side. From beautiful still photos to smooth Full HD movies, this camera empowers your freedom of expression, letting you capture your own unique view of the world.

Marina Gurevich, Product Manager for Nikon Europe, says: “The inspiring Nikon D5200 is ideal for those who are passionate about photography and want to experiment with the camera’s superior features. The impressive image and movie quality alongside a versatile vari-angle LCD monitor lets users unlock their creative potential.” 

Canon EOS 300D What a piece of equipment!!!

We could argue for days for the reasons why I started with Canon and not with Nikon system, but I’ll just say it was by chance and not by selection. It started like this: I browsed e-bay for a while, searching for a camera update from my OLYMPUS 2-mpixel gadget at an affordable price. You see, cameras in Greece were a bit overpriced for my almost empty pockets. I had recently got hold of a Canon EOS 300D at some store in Greece priced around 1400 euros. I browsed the menus, but nothing more. I knew the power of interchangeable lenses, but didn’t have the money or the need to buy such an expensive present to myself for Christmas. 

2005-2007 Post Processing couldn't be simpler

With the coming of PaintShopPro, Photoshop, ACDSEE and other programs in that time, post processing couldn’t get much simpler. In PaintShopPro there were many variations of the same photo to choose from and if you could neglect the fact that it only worked with 8-bit photos at that time, the results were impressive. 

Adobe releases Camera Raw 7.2 and Lightroom 4.2

Adobe has released the final versions of Adobe Camera Raw 7.2 and Lightroom 4.2. The latest updates bring finalized support for 21 additional cameras, including the Sony A99 and RX100, the Fujifilm X-E1 and the Canon EOS M. Lightroom gains tethering support for 11 cameras, including the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It also adds support for 'Albums' in its uploader to the Revel service. Updates are available through the in-software update systems.

Both updates also provides preliminary support for the Nikon D600. A footnote on Adobe's Lightroom blog explains: "The support for Nikon D600 is preliminary and there is a minor risk that the appearance of your images may change when the final support for Nikon D600 is available in an upcoming release."

29/7/2012 Street festival at Kalamata

29/7/2012 Kalamata
There was a street festival with music and happenings in the Railway Park of Kalamata. Actually it was not only that day, but it started some days before. I was reluctant to go there when invited because I was dead tired, but I still wanted to go for shooting.  Some of my friends would be in the park where the festival was taking place, so I decided to go anyway since you never know when a good photo opportunity is going to pop-up. And it paid being ready! I only shot 20 shots, as I just wasn't in the mood for "festivities", it is simply not my style and the hard metal sounds of the bands did not help at all as it is not my kind of music.

Busy, busy, busy...

It was a very busy summer...and a busy September...and it looks like October will be a busy one, too. I had more than 6000 shots taken on various occasions, breathtaking landscapes, portraits, stock photos etc. I wish the day had 25 hours instead of 24 sometimes... And there are many photos that I had not the chance of even viewing a second time and they are just lying on my virtual floor.  I'll have to leave you with a small taste (a quick PP set of 3 photos) until I find some time to write some stories and post process some photos...Sorry for that..

Canon EOS 6D Hands-on Preview

One of the key themes of Photokina 2012 is shaping up be the resurgence of the full frame format, with the launch of a raft of cameras featuring 24x36mm sensors. First up was Sony, with its SLR-like Alpha SLT-A99 and Cyber-Shot RX1 fixed-lens compact. Now, just four days after arch-rival Nikon announced what it billed as the 'smallest and lightest full frame DSLR' in the shape of the D600, Canon has revealed its own contender - the EOS 6D. 

Nikon announces D600 24MP enthusiast full-frame DSLR

Photokina 2012: Nikon has announced the D600, the smallest, least expensive full frame DSLR on the market, aimed directly at enthusiast photographers. The D600 is built around a 24MP, 36x24mm, CMOS sensor and crams many of the features of the more expensive D800 into a distinctly D7000-esque body. It features a 100% coverage viewfinder and 39-point autofocus system, nine of which are cross-type points. It can capture 1080p HD video at 30, 25 or 24 frames per second and can stream uncompressed footage out over its HDMI port. There's also an optional Wi-Fi unit allowing the camera to be controlled remotely from an Android or iOS device. The D600 will have a list price of $2,099 body only, or $2,699 with the 24-85mm F3.5-5.6 lens and will be available from September 18th.

Canon extends allergy recall on EOS Rebel T4i / 650D

Canon has announced a wider recall for its EOS Rebel T4i/650D, in response to the discovery that a faulty batch of grips can turn white and produce an allergenic substance. The company has updated its web tool for identifying whether your camera might be affected and asks customers to check their camera's serial number if the sixth digit is a '1.' This applies even if you checked when the problem was first announced, back in July. It your camera is indicated to be affected, you should contact customer support in your territory.

One of the last nice people

When we went for a whole-day photo-shooting with Maria, nothing had prepared me for the person I would meet.  We had our time with the previous photo-shooting at Polilimnio lakes, but meeting a person in depth for the whole day is another story.  Maria seems to be the happiest person alive and she makes everyone around her feel the same.  Despite her being reluctant at first and that we started very early in the morning in order to shoot with soft light and flash in shadow, the day went very well.  She was a delight to watch and photograph, very co-operative and full with ideas and suggestions, something very valuable when the photographer runs out of ideas.  I had planned the morning well, but had no idea about the afternoon or night.  The thing is that when you plan something it never goes the way you want, so you have to improvise and we improvised quite well! 

Canon releases promised Firmware v2.0.0 for EOS 7D

Canon has released firmware version 2.0.0 for the EOS 7D. The update, originally announced in June, is the most comprehensive we can think of - significantly expanding the capabilities of the 7D. Changes include improved continuous-shooting buffer depth (to 25 Raws, up from the original 15), customizable Auto ISO, control of audio recording level for video and the ability to re-process Raws and rate images in-camera. The update also enables the use of the GP-E2 GPS module.

2004 – The year I made true contact with my inner self

Ok, this year had a lot of action.  I got married, my honey moon, Olympic Games in Athens, EUROVISION 2004, EURO 2004 champion was Greece. What a year!!!  Photographically speaking, this was a colorful year.  I was drawn to colors, sunsets and simple frames, but I was always seeking for advice.  Internet had many resources to look  things up, but not so many nobble users. I kept things to myself as I was afraid of criticism. Not many chances to learn what others saw through my photos and I didn’t seem to care because I was afraid of not being liked.  I tried to learn everything by myself, so it took longer, I even lost opportunities to learn things others wanted to say and I needed to learn.   

Canon issues allergy warning for EOS 650D/Rebel T4i

The front rubber grips of some units of the Canon EOS REBEL T4i Digital SLR camera (EOS 650D/EOS Kiss X6i overseas models) may change color (turn white) after a short period of time. Customer support for this phenomenon is described below.

Canon updates EOS 60D and EOS 60Da firmware to v1.1.1

Canon has issues a firmware update for the EOS 60D mid-level DSLR and 60Da astrophotography camera. On the 60D, firmware v1.1.1 corrects a bug that placed the wrong serial number in image EXIF. On both cameras it also fixes language errors in some menus. The company will announce updated versions of its software at a later date to correct existing images with the incorrect serial number. The firmware is available for download from your local Canon support site now.

 Click here to visit the Canon USA support site for the EOS 60D

Canon issues EOS 5D Mark III firmware v1.1.3, adding 40mm F2.8 support

Canon has announced updated firmware for the EOS 5D Mark III. Firmware v1.1.3 makes an unspecified change to accommodate the EF40mm F2.8 STM pancake prime lens announced earlier this month. Beyond this, the update fixes a series of bugs and corrects a series of linguistic errors in menu screens. The firmware is available for download from your local Canon support site now.

Click here to visit the Canon USA support site

Enhanced with you in mind - new features of the EOS 7D

Enhanced with you in mind – Canon adds a range of new features to the EOS 7D

London, UK, 28 June 2012 – Canon today enhances the EOS 7D with firmware v2, adding a range of new features for enthusiasts looking to push the limits of their photography. Building on the camera's high speed, advanced handling and creative versatility, the new firmware provides photographers with a host of new benefits including higher maximum RAW burst rate, in-camera editing functions, user-definable Auto ISO and support for Canon's latest GPS Receiver, GP-E2.

Kalamata, June 2012

I've just finished the vast amount of photos I had to select and post process and I have mixed feelings about Canon's accuracy in focusing successfully.  I cannot understand if the unsuccessful focus is because the camera can't focus accurately or because subject or photographer moves.  I have used long and short lenses, high and low shutter speeds in day and night and what I have found is that when focusing from camera's live view in day I have many successful shots, but when point and shooting, things become difficult. 

(2012-06-16) Wedding of Kiriaki Zambara

Early afternoon in Meligala, the bride drives around the church three times as the custom commands.  The groom is waiting patiently in front of the church with a bunch of flowers in his hands.  The bride arrives, the car stops and through the open window the smiling face of the bride appears. The wedding ceremony will start in a few moments.  Photographers and guests are waiting for the meeting out of the church and they applause for the couple.  They enter the church and the mystery begins.  The couple is happy and it is showing as they keep smiling and whispering.  Their smile makes everyone else smile too. 

Time of your life

There are times in your life and then, they are THOSE times in your life that makes your hobby enjoyable.  Such a day was the 14^th of June, when our company of four planned a trip to Polilimnio falls near Charavgi village.  I had been there before, but two trips are never the same and the time I now spent was the most enjoyable one.  I personally made a childhood dream come true by swimming in the turquoise waters of a dream lake and I had good company with me.

Photoshooting Maria, Polilimnio

I am always asking for permission to publish details of every photo shooting I do from my models and I was granted one from Maria for our photo shooting at Polilimnio area, at lake Kadoula (which resembles the shape of a heart – I could not see that anyway!).

Technical Data

Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens used: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS, Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 Macro APO Super II + Culmann 4500-C flash (24-85mm)
Aperture: Min f4, Max f8
Shutter Speed: Min 1/200, Max 1/80
ISO: Min 200, Max 800
Weather: Similar to an overcast day due to the sun not reaching the bottom of the canyon

Vacation sample

Summer arrived and I spent my first days on vacation trying to find new challenges for my camera.  Fortunately, these were very busy days with promises for future endeavors for photo shootings and excursions.  The past few days I made a dream of mine come true and it was nothing more than swimming in a dream-lake.  We found this lake at Polilimnio area near Charavgi village.  This is by no means a summary of the day, but rather a promise for a future photo story as I am still processing the photos from these few days.