London

I finally got around to sorting and editing my London photos that were taken in my latest trip.  This photo was one of those photos that you just take while you are walking. No thoughts, just point and snap and then you realize it actually looks good and has potential. Sometimes unplanned photos turn out to be better than the ones you spend hours upon hours thinking about!

This photo was taken from the Millennium Bridge while we were on our way to the Tate Modern. While it was freezing, the day was beautiful! Very blue skies and not a single cloud in sight. Very rare for London but we got lucky.

I am a person that simply love skylines (still believe no skyline can beat the NYC skyline) but when you are in a city like London (or Paris) it's actually good that they prohibit such tall buildings. I think if London had a skyline similar to NYC it would kill it's authenticity.

This photo was taken using a Canon 40D with my usual 60mm macro lens. It was edited and converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

Grand Chandelier

First of all I would like apologize for the delay in posting something new. I am afraid I don't have any particular excuse this time except that I was away for a few days. London was the destination.

I remember the first time I set foot in the city of London, I didn't quite like it and I could not see why people go crazy about it. Five visits later and I can't get enough of it. The same thing happened with New York City. The first visit I just wanted to get on a plane and come back to Malta. Now I can't get enough of both.

I honestly believe that this last visit was the best London visit so far. We stayed in the heart of Mayfair and while I did enjoy shopping, the best thing was roaming and discovering new streets by walk. We saw things that were off the beaten path and ate at restaurants that I am sure we wouldn't have found if we stayed at our usual touristic area.

Anyway enough praising (even though it's not even close to enough for me). This grand glass chandelier, which I have seen for the very first time in my life (thanks to my special partner) can be found at the entrance of the Victoria and Albert museum. I was so shocked (in a good way) when I saw it that I almost cried and I couldn't move. I have never seen anything like it in my whole life and it will stay imprinted in my mind for a very long time, if not forever.

There is something that makes color seem special in London. Maybe because of the weather? Maybe because it's dark almost all the time. So as soon as you see something as magnificent as this chandelier, your brain will instantly take a mental picture and will store it forever.

This photograph was taken using a Canon 40D with a 60mm macro lens. It was converted to black and white and edited using Photoshop CS4.

Voyeur

First off, I apologize for the delay in posting something new. Having a creative block mixed busy times is not the ideal combination. Some quiet times appear ahead with a trip to London that's in store.

Just when I thought that the rainy season was over and Spring came to greet us fully, I of course went out for a walk with my photo camera when suddenly it started raining. It was a short burst of rain. At first I was going to be disappointed but then I took advantage of the situation and got closer to my subjects. Macro photography was always close to my heart but I still have a lot to learn but in the meantime I am enjoying it.

The subject in this photograph is a wild flower...a purple flower but as usual I don't know the name of it. It is very abundant and you can see it everywhere you look, at least in Malta.

This photograph was shot using a Canon 40D with a 60mm Macro Lens. It was converted to black and white and edited in Photoshop CS4.

Spring

After a bout of a few miserable months of rain and dark clouds, spring has finally sprang in action. It all happened so fast but I am glad it did. I honestly believe that this is the best time of the year even though it reminds us that we are looking forward for a scorching hot summer ahead of us.

I took this photograph today. I decided to wake up early and go roam around and look for wild flowers. I was not disappointed. Perfect weather and the gardens I went to were almost empty.

I took both my iPhone and my Canon 40D with me and ended up not using the iPhone at all. This photograph was shot with a 60mm Macro Lens and edited in Photoshop CS4.

You can view the black and white version by going here Spring - Black and White

If you are interested in buying my print please visit this link: Spring or you can visit my Etsy shop for a wider selection of photographs by going to this link: My Etsy Shop

The Flow

I took this photography recently and it was one of those rarest moments when I do actually like the photograph right on the preview screen of the camera.

The white leaf of the Peace Lily and the black leaf look like two pieces of fabric that are being waved around the center of the flower, hence the title of the photograph. This one I had in mind to keep in color but I thought that in black and white the effect I mentioned is more visible.

I also like the way the light is falling onto the subject. I used nothing but available light.

It's like I am finally finding my niche in photographing plants and flowers and I am happy with it especially when it comes to photographing a Peace Lily.

This photograph was taken using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8mm Macro Lens. It was converted to black and white and edited in Photoshop CS4.

You can buy this print from my Etsy shop by going here: The Flow or you visit my shop for a wider variety of prints by going here: LRAPhotos on Etsy

The End

This fine art black and white photograph was taken a couple years ago but I didn't see it's potential until yesterday when I was browsing through my photograph archives.

At first some would call it abstract and while I do agree, I can fully see what's in it and that's maybe because I took the photograph myself and know what I was looking at. Having said that, I was always a fan of abstract photography but I never felt good enough at photographing it. Some of you would say it's easy but I beg to differ. Yeah it's easy to take a photograph of a random close up and let people guess what it is, but that's not what abstract is all about.

Anyway this fine art photograph was shot using the black and white camera settings. I rarely use the setting but I decided to give it a try. I was not entirely happy as I like my black and white to be dramatic and very contrasty. So I had to edit the photograph in Photoshop to add more drama to it.

The photograph was shot using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens.

This print is for sale on Etsy here: The End 
Or you can visit my shop for a bigger selection here: LRAPhotos on Etsy

Wrapped up in Love

"A kiss is a rosy dot over the 'i' of loving." Cyrano de Bergerac 

Lately all I seem to posting are flower close up photos...I guess it's just a phase...or maybe not. Since I have been exploring my macro abilities I found no better subject than flowers so far. So yeah, I will be posting flower photos for a while. :)

I would like to learn the names of the flowers that I photograph but my brain can't handle all those names but it's a work in progress.

This photo here turned out to be one of my favorites on this blog. Very soon I have to pick out 36 photos published on my blog to be printed 4x6 and they will all be hanged on a wall in a 'heart' formation. It's going to be a tough job but it's a job that will be interesting.

Photo was shot using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. It was edited and converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

Star Flower

"Beauty is but a flower, which wrinkles will devour." Thomas Nash

Right now I am going through a phase in which I am enjoying macro photography and when it comes to macro photography what is a better subject than flowers?

I have been walking past this one flower for a few days on my way to work and I always notice the star pattern on it. Recently I just grabbed my camera and went out to get a few photos. I thought if I am going to wait any longer either someone will pick it up and it will die. Up to today it was still there and I hope it stays there as every time I see it, it always makes my day better. It's amazing how nature can be so beautiful and perfect.

This photo was difficult to get as it was windy and we all know the closer you get to your subject the more stillness you need so I just sat there waiting with the camera in hand for when the wind shows some mercy.

I shot this photo using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens and edited/converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

Wilderness

Once again I faced myself with the black and white versus color dilemma but today I really couldn't choose so I am posting both.

The top photo is the original photo, converted to black and white, while the bottom photo is cropped piece from the black and white picture.

I don't know the name of this flower but I would guess it's a wild flower. I noticed the tree, which was mostly barely but for a few of these flowers while I was taking a walk today. The weather was terrible...strong winds and it was changing from sunny to cloudy in a matter of seconds.

When it comes to macro photography I am still learning the ropes and while it's beautiful it requires a tremendous amount of patience and dexterity, especially since I don't carry a tripod around with me. I still have a lot to learn but as they say, practice makes perfect.

This photo was shot using my Canon 40D with a 60mm macro lens, then edited in Photoshop CS4

Float Like a Butterfly

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Muhammad Ali

Here comes another photo that sitting in the archives for way too long. It's always fun to look back through the years and see what photos you have stored. 

Even though this photo was shot a long time ago, I still remember the day vividly. It was a very peaceful walk through nature and I am glad it was peaceful otherwise I would have never gotten the patience to wait for a butterfly and shoot it close-up!

I have tried hard to get the wings in focus being that close to the creature and it looks pretty clear but now I am wishing I also got it's head in focus too. A lesson learnt for next time! By the way this photo was shot using my Canon 40D with a few minor adjustments in Photoshop CS4.