Sunset

Deep Blue

Together

Nothing much to say here, but it turned out to be one of my favorite Hipstamatic photos.

Lument

At first I was hesitating to go up on the roof to get the laundry down (yes in the Mediterranean we hang our clothes up on the roof :) ) but boy am I glad I did? It was a perfect winter sunset and I was lucky to have my iPhone on me.

New Year, New Hopes

It feels so good to be able to post on this blog again and continue where I had left off! My life had taken such a weird turn that I simply had to put aside all the things I love doing to be able to be with the person I love the most. He has been diagnosed with cancer and his health deteriorated fast. Juggling between taking care of him and still having my full time day job it was difficult at the end of the day to do all the extra things. 

Now it seems that life is looking a big better. He is doing better, therefore I can once again focus on the things I love.

This photo was taken on our first drive together after almost 15 months of being stuck at home as he was not able to move. It was good, it was fantastic and it was even better that I could get my Hipstamatic back out again!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Fire and Water

"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody." Mark Twain

Since I was a little child I was always fascinated with water...and this was way before I knew my star sign was Scorpio, which is a water sign. I used to spend hours playing in the bathtub and after a hard working day I still prefer nothing but a hot bath waiting for me.

The most hypnotizing moment is when the tub is actually filling up. I never get tired of looking at the gentle flow of the water. A few weeks ago I realized that the light reflection on the chrome looks like fire and hence the birth of this photo.

I tried several times to capture the photo using my iPhone but I was feeling miserably mainly because of having no control until finally I gave up and brought out my Canon 40d.

Cruising

Valletta Harbor, Malta

"A ship has a soul." John Rhodes Sturdy

Lately all I've been seeing on the news (even though it's slowly dying now) is that unfortunate ending of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. 

That very same cruise ship was in Malta several times, exactly at the very same place where this cruise ship in the photo is. This is Malta's only harbor for big cruise ships such as the one in the photo. But it's not your everyday harbor. This harbor is stretched over a long distance and the stretch is full of restaurants, shops, bars and even a few nightclubs. 

Even though I like to admire the engineering behind cruise ships I am not the least bit interested in ever going on one.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Staircase

The Stairs

"I do have a blurred memory of sitting on the stairs and trying over and over again to tie one of my shoelaces, but that is all that comes back to me of school itself." Roald Dahl

I couldn't have found a more appropriate quote than the one included with this photo. In this photo we have a stairway, a stairway at the school I teach at. Looking at the photo makes me wonder how many times I've been up and down those stairs in the last few years.

I don't know if it's just me, but lately I've started to realize that school is not the same as when I used to be the student instead of the teacher. We had more respect towards teachers...we were actually scared of them and discipline was actually a good thing. Today it's frowned upon. I also realized that school, for most parents, is that institution where you can send your kids to to get rid of them for a few hours.

Anyway back to the photo. This school is one of the oldest in Malta and a lot claim that it's also one of the best on the island. When I took this photo I had to do it quick as I had students with me and I had no time to take an elaborate picture...I just had to literally point and shoot.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

The Blessing

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

This piece of art right here in the photograph has to be one of my ultimate favorite sculpture. There is so much detail in it that looking at it leaves you breathless. The first time I saw it I have to be honest and say that I didn't give it much attention. I gave it a quick look and just walked by.

The second time and all the other times it has been different. Every time I go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this is the one piece that I always have to see, together with the 'Spring' painting by Pierre-Auguste Cot. I will never tire of those two pieces and I wish I could have them in my living room but then I am afraid I will do nothing but stare at them for endless hours.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

The Girl Waiting For the Bus

Midtown Manhattan

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known" Carl Sagan

I was never particularly good in shooting candid street portraits mainly because of the fear of someone snapping at me and embarrassing me but often times I can't resist. This was the case in this photo.

This young woman was waiting in the same bus shelter we were waiting at. She looked like she just got up from her bed and rushed out but she looked beautiful nonetheless. It always fascinates me how some women, even if they try to look bad, they still look amazing, while others no matter how hard they try to look good, they still don't. Some or blessed than the others I guess.

Anyway this photo was shot very close to Macy's which in my opinion is even more chaotic than Times Square but I just love the area. If you have an artist block just head down there and you will quickly overcome it.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

The Way of Light

Valletta, Malta

"Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark or the man afraid of the light?" Maurice Freehill

I have always thought that the night is more colorful than the day and I tend to enjoy sightseeing more after the sun sets. Sometimes you can see things that you can't see during the daytime.

This photo was shot in Valletta at the newly refurbished square that's by the Parliament. A few years ago it used to be sitting there in pitch black but now it's really breathtaking to just walk over there at night.

It was one of those moments where I wished I was carrying my professional camera but since I only had my iPhone with me I had to do the best I can with it. The photo is raw, no editing, no light metering...just a simple point and shoot. It was shot using the Hipstamatic app and converted to black and white using the iPhone.

In Dreams

Zabbar, Malta

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." Oscar Wilde

The first impression I got when I see this photograph was 'dreams'. Not the kind we experience while we are awake, but the actual dreams that we experience while we are asleep. The blue border contrasted with the dark background and a lighter sky all for some weird reason or another remind me of a dream.

The church in the photograph can be found in Zabbar. While it's not one of the nicest churches in Malta, I believe there is something around it that makes it all worthwhile to visit. Right in front of the main door (which is the lower middle one in the photograph) there is a street that stretches almost 1km straight down (0.6 miles.) While I have never seen this myself I have heard it several times. If you are standing at the very edge of the street and the main door of the church is open, you can see the altar. The main church door is right in the center of the street and seeing it from a distance is quite impressive.

Even though it slightly resembles (I repeat, slightly) Red Square in Moscow, this church has basically nothing similar to the Kremlin. It's the effects I used on Hipstamatic that are making it look alike.

For this photo I used my iPhone 3G with the Hipstamatic app. Settings were random and I don't really remember what type I used.

The Man

New York City

"Color can do anything that black-and-white can." Vincente Minnelli 

This was one of those random photographs I love to snap then I try to find a story behind each one. In this photograph the main subject is the man. I feel like there is no need to explain which man I am talking about.

What is he thinking about? Why is he looking at the sidewalk? As soon as you look at him these questions pop in your head and there is no way that I am going to an answer unless by some weird chance I meet him again.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Nostaliga

Valletta, Malta

"Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity." Robert Morgan

Another photograph in the Valletta series. I am ashamed to say that I don't know anything about those two moments in the photograph. All I know is that the garden that they are set in is wonderful. 

The garden can be found just before you enter the capital city. The area used to be a bus terminus (the main one) but with some latest changes, the bus terminus moved and it was a very good choice.

This photograph was shot using my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done using PS CS4.

Strait Street

Strait Street, Valletta

What you see in this photograph is a part of what could be the most notorious street in Malta. It is also one of my favorite streets and I wish I could go back in time to see it in its glory as I am almost sure that there is no possibility that it will be revived. So what's so special about Strait Street?

After WWII, when Malta was a British Colony, Strait Street was packed with bars and dancing clubs. It was also packed with all kind of sin. Prostitution was big here and it was something that the sailors loved. I never tire of hearing my grandma reliving her old days (mind you, she was not a prostitute) of dancing the night away and going back home drunk. 

Most of the banners for bars and clubs are still there today. You can see one in this photograph called Tico Tico. I am glad the banners and signs survived all this time and I hope that they won't be removed. Who said people didn't know how to have fun back then huh? I think fun was more pure than nowadays and I will give anything I have to at least go back in time even if it's just for a day.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Republic Street

Republic Street, Malta

"A man in the house is worth two in the street." Mae West

Five is my favorite number and when I took this photograph I realized that right in front of me there were five people walking in line right in front of me. It's a coincidence, but it's a nice one.

This is the main street in Malta's capital city, Valletta and it's called Republic Street. It's a really old city that was built by the Knights of St.John and it still features a lot of things that go way back then. The new streets were done a few years ago and I like the element of it. It mixes well with the old historical buildings.

As far as Valletta goes, I usually prefer to get off main streets and go to less frequented ones. There are more subjects to photograph and the back streets are usually very narrow but pack a lot of heart.

I shot this photograph using my iPhone and the Hipstamatic app. Some editing was done using PS CS4.

Misere II

Vittoriosa, Malta

"After a storm comes a calm." Matthew Henry

A continuation with the photograph I posted yesterday which you can find here Misere. For those who don't know misere is in Latin and means mercy. I always thought it was a profound and suitable name for really dense clouds...the reason? I don't really know.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Misere

Vittoriosa, Malta

"After a storm comes a calm." Matthew Henry

I shot this photograph today using my iPhone whole I was out smoking a cigarette. It was so windy that I only had a few seconds to capture it. The formation of the clouds was amazing with the huge gaping hole on the right hand side showing nothing but perfect blue sky.

Since I thought that this photograph was pretty dramatic, while editing it I decided to add grain to it to continue adding to the drama. For some reason I always thought that grain adds a more dramatic effect especially to black and white photographs.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

By Bicycle

New York City

"The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine." John Howard

Some might consider New York City as not a bicycle safe city but others tend to think differently. What I think is that bicyclists (especially deliver men) are as dangerous on the road as taxi drivers.

So far I have never driven a bicycle in New York City so I can't really give it a review but from what I see, driving one in Central Park must be fun. I would think twice before I go out driving one on the road though even if there are bicycle lanes available.

Anyway as you can see bicycles are the subject of this photograph that I shot last summer. I often see a lot of them parked in my neighborhood and it never occurred to me that they can actually look nice in a photograph until I shot this one.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Rain

Somewhere in Malta

"A poet is someone who stands outside in the rain hoping to be struck by lightning." James Dickey

Rain is probably my most favorite word in the whole dictionary. Rainy weather makes me feel happy and creative. I love the smell of it, the sound and the feeling of cleanliness it leaves behind. Rain makes everything look more beautiful.

I shot this photograph today. In the morning it was absolutely clear then in a few hours we had a bout of rain that almost flooded everywhere. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.