And the shipment goes...

It has quite a month...
I've had 3 speechs in the last month... to many to have an updated blog!

But... let us going on with our cargo trend and look at another photo of an another cargo!

I do not remember WHY I had taken that photo... so I won't go inventing it!

Exif is my only lead and it says:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2009:02:08 15:49:55
Exposure Time: 1/800 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.97 EV (f/5.6)
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Focal Length: 300.0 mm



Enjoy your light

First Cargo

Even if this picture has been ideally presented after the previous one.

It comes out of the same day I was taking some shot at Mergellina with Pino, a friend of mine.
As you can see it is a 1250 ISO shot... I found it still impressive how much it is clean.
Moreover it is not have been taken with the SIGMA 70-300 APO but with a AF-D 28-105 mm f/3.5 -4.5. That is a MACRO lens! Funny how well it can focus on far objects... the only thing I had to gripe with that lens was is rotating focusing screen.

Too bad it was stolen too...

Exif Reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:12:13 15:24:48
Exposure Time: 1/499 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 1250
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 105.0 mm


Enjoy your light!

Old and new Naples

And this is the last shot of this series... but it the first I shot too...
I was having some fun shooting some cargoes and I anded up framing a piece of Castel Dell'Ovo...

The difference was striking... Naples have always been a trading city... but in these times the differences are still more striking... we've got heritage attractions and commercial wharfs too...

Exif Reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:12:13 15:24:05
Exposure Time: 1/499 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 1250
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 28.0 mm


Enjoy your light!

Castel dell'Ovo - Take 2

This should the first shot taken only at the castle (wait till tomorrow^_^)

There not to much to say I was walking around an serching a good angle to shoot the castle alone.

Exif reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:12:13 15:24:34
Exposure Time: 1/499 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 1250
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 44.0 mm


Enjoy your Light

Castello dell'Ovo and the Sailor's burg

In a cloudy afternoon, after spending the morning at University and after visiting a friend of mine at an Amazing Comic Store here in Naples (StarShop in Fuorigrotta - Via Diocleziano, 19).

I wanted to get some picture of Castel dell'Ovo (Egg's Castle) and something more (You'll see I assure you!) and I searched for a good sight of the Castle walking the shoreline.

All the photo taken that day share a common Issue... they were taken at 1250 ISO as I was playing with the camera the night before

The Exif reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:12:13 15:25:10
Exposure Time: 1/499 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 1250
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 28.0 mm



Enjoy you light!

Castel dell'ovo

With this photo I start a series of 4 photos on one of the most famous monument of Naples "Castel dell'Ovo" (It means something like Egg's Castel).

This shot has been taken in a cloudy but not dark mid afternoon in February. Honesly I do not rememb er much of this shooting session adn I will not make it up^_^


Exif reads:
Date Taken: 2009:02:08 15:44:15
Exposure Time: 1/999 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.00 EV (f/4.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 95.0 mm


Enjoy your light

Naples' Gulf

This is the first of a long series of shots that focus on sea and boats...
It's the simplest and most common subject for those living in Naples so it was an obvious one to explore...
The Gulf of Naples as seen from Posillipo... I live nearby so it was way to natural to shoot it...
As you can see this shot comes out from the same series I've used to create the Blog's banner...

I really believe it's a classical postcard scene with Castel dell'Ovo and Vesuvio one after the other...

In this photo straight OOC you can see the real color of the scene

Exif Reads:
Camera Model: Canon PowerShot A630
Date Taken: 2007:09:08 12:45:26
Exposure Time: 1/799 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.00 EV (f/4.0)
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average
Focal Length: 17.3 mm


If I had to PP this shot or if I'd shoot in in raw maybye I'll have it something more saturated as follows...


Enjoy your light!

From Blu to Red

This shot has been cut out from a single shot done with Nikon D300...
It is a Pano of Bagnoli's coastline in hte sunset... but look at the colors... it's not the usual pano at the sunset and it is not a HDR too!

I really like it... but let the image speak by itself^_^

Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:10:04 18:44:13
Exposure Time: 1/59 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.00 EV (f/4.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 400
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 44.0 mm
Software: Bibble 4.10.1


Enjoy!

Sun and Fog

Last sunset shot taken with the PowerShot A630.

I was speaking with a fellow PhD Student at the phone when I looked out of the window... to see a landscape I knew contained the following shot...

The sky had poured water all upon Naples all the day till mid afternoon where it stopped.... but it was really cloudy....

At some point the clouds opened to let some sun light that where captured in the mist near land painting the land on the sky... I do not know how to describe it... the photo shows it...
For one time the inability of the camera to shoot ad High ISOs was helpful... as it forced me to take a darker picture that emphasised the effect...

Exif reads:
Camera Model: Canon PowerShot A630
Date Taken: 2007:12:08 16:01:49
Exposure Time: 1/399 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.66 EV (f/5.0)
Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average
Focal Length: 21.7 mm


Enjoy!!!

Sadness

This is one of the strangest light I've ever seen...
Before anything else I've to say that the phot has not veen PPed in anyway...

I was driving along Via Manzoni on a late afternoon in November (IIRC, Obviously!) when looking at my left I've seen this strange light... As I had my PS A630 with me I stopped the car and hurried to take this shot beforethe light changed!

Camera Model: Canon PowerShot A630
Date Taken: 2007:11:30 16:54:27
Exposure Time: 1 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.06 EV (f/4.1)
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average
Focal Length: 29.2 mm


Enjoy!

Sunset II - Yellow Light, a tree and sea...

These two shots are really different... while being really similar... confused? read on!

Both of them are targeted to the same coast... thay ahave been taken with the same camera but more than a year apart...

The first one is puteoli's gulf seen from balcony out of my rooms... I liked the warm color of the light even if I remember the ma little more peachy... I will not play with the WB after more than a Year!

Exif reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:03:08 17:26:59
Lens: AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G
Exposure Time: 1/159 sec.
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Metering Mode: Pattern
Exposure Program: Manual


The second one is one of three keepers I got from my photo scouting on easter monday (we call it Pasquetta... surely it has an english name I do not know^_^).
THe night before I played with several setting shootingin JPEG BASIC vs the usual RAW... I forgot about it since the followin day's night when I checked the images... another lesson learned the hard way.

This shot was suggested by Adriano Fazzari... I should say inspired by as he tried to take a similar shot but failed (He hadn't ever before used a camera not in auto! Keep trying Adriano!)

Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2009:04:13 17:30:17
Lens: AF-D 28-105mm f./3.5-4.5
Exposure Time: 1/249 sec.
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Format: JPEG
Quality: Basic
Flash Fired: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, return light detected.
Metering Mode: Pattern
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 60.0 mm

Red Clouds, Red Sky

This is a classic photo... a sunset, several clouds, heavy red... many dark areas...
I've taken several photo like those... I post here two of them.

This was taken with the Canon Powershot A630:



Date Taken: 2007:10:07 16:34:17
Exposure Time: 1/60 sec.
Aperture Value: 4.06 EV (f/4.1)
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average
Focal Length: 29.2 mm



The second one was taken with the Nikon D300:



Date Taken: 2008:02:05 18:20:29
Exposure Time: 1/1599 sec.
Aperture Value: 7.40 EV (f/13.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 500
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 130.0 mm


Two similar photos with really different settings^_^

And the lightray shines through

This is one of my preferred shots (I hope it is the right one to inaugurate this last stint in my photoblogging^_^)... In a cloudy day while I was looking at the bagnoli's and puteoli's gulf... I see this heavenly shot...

It is enhanced by the fast shutter speed that gives more contrast to the light rays making all things darker...

The exif reads:
Camera Model: Canon PowerShot A630
Date Taken: 2007:10:07 15:45:10
Exposure Time: 1/199 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average
Focal Length: 21.7 mm

here is the photo:

Some new post in order to be back online...

I'm proud to offer you my first pano with the 5d mark II... it is perfect? no! But I've to start from something^_^

This is a Pano out of 8 Images with the Canon EF 17-40 1:4 L USM (what a long name!) at 40mm... (I believe it was taken at f/8.0 but I've not the Exif saved in the stitch (or so I do believe!)

Thanks to Hugin for the help in stitching it all together and to Gimp for te PP^_^

New Camera

As some of you already know...

Last 27th of May three young persons in Rome have decided to escape with all my photographic gear... leaving me with only my Point & Shoot (Canon Power Shot A630)

Friday I have bought a new DSLR and I'm already back to Rock!

I've bought a Canon 5d Mark II with a 17-40... I'm way to poorer now

The Stare

n
I've read on several forums of "the Stare" a female characteristic stare meant to put down "Male oppositions"...
I really believe my sister's kitty has it.... lokk at this photo!!!

I swear not to have altered the eyes in any way... alla the PP was only to increase the contrast and add a little vignettin on the right side in order to focus viewer attention on the cat itstelf...

EXIF is still in the Photo that was "developed" with Bibblepro 4.10 and retouched with The GIMP under Linux

Main shooting information are:
Camera Model: Nikon D300
Date/Time: Wed, 24 December 2008 10:19:49 PM
ISO Speed Rating: 250
Aperture Value: f/5.0
Exposure Time: 1/240 sec.
Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, return light detected
Lens: AF-D 28-105,, 1;3.5 - 4.5

I would have wowed for shooting this with a SB-600 but I can't find any trace of it in the EXIF...

Enjoy the photo!

Sleeping Cat

During Christmas Holidays my sister has come back to our home... she carried on a little surprise...
A CAT!!!

Surely I knew that my sister had a new cat I was not expecting to see it...
It was a very small, good kitty it just had a very naughty stare!
Look at this photo...

It's exif reads:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:12:24 22:24:31
Exposure Time: 1/249 sec.
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Flash Fired: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, return light detected.
Exposure Program: Manual
Focal Length: 98.0 mm

To say it all this photo is not straight out of the camera but there's a little PP to enhance the eyes and to soften the tissue.. but nothing serious!!

Enjoy the Picture...

The Champagne Knight

When several people that you should consider at least a little bit off like me and my friends get togheter to party (a birthday party in this case)... uhmm we have laerned to wait for something unusual...

Last year one of us decided we could have abirthday party al together with his family, a luscious dinner I'll not speak of here^_^.

The dinner was going on well till we got to the champagne and after the ritual drink some of us started play with the wire that hold the cap of the bottle in place...

After a while we got a Knight with lance and shield... while I was searching for the camera the shield was lost to another statue... so I found only a shieldless knigh posing for me and my 18-200!^_^

This photo was sent to Fotolia as a Stock photo bu rejected so I feel is fair to post it here!

Camera Model: NIKON D300
Date Taken: 2008:02:24 00:25:18
Exposure Time: 1/3 sec.
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Flash Fired: Flash did not fire.
Focal Length: 44.0 mm

A Monument in Bologna

From the same research trip I've taken the attempt to HDR I've shot some other monuments that where in places of Bologna I've not been before as I was searching for the Business Adminsitration Department of the Alma Mater Studiorum (the Latin Name o the University of Bologna IIRC).

It was a sunny ad the end of June and I had my Nikon AF-S 18-200 f3.5-5.6 on... a perfect travel lens if used on a DX camera as the D300.

That was the second day of a nigthmerish travel (Broken Car, Costly Train, Wrong Hotel and Lost some of the opening gigs to the JP concert...) and I needed to relax so traveling around as a tourist instead as a scholar was a good way to restore my energies^_^

In order to shoot this photograph I've put a CPL on the lens (above the UV Filter I had always on at the time) and,after searching for a composition I liked more, I come up with a shot that needed some more cropping later (so I had not chosen wisely!)

Te exif reads:
Date Taken: 2008:06:30 14:01:18
Exposure Time: 1/249 sec.
Aperture Value: 6.00 EV (f/8.0)
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Focal Length: 24.0 mm
Software: Bibble 4.10.1

After this little while... enjoy the image^_^

Night in Naples

I really like this shot... maybe because it is the first one I've sold, or as it was the result of "just being there at the right moment"!... honestly I can't tell the real reason.

I was driving back home after a game night in Castellammare (30 km to Naples) and while I was looking an Naples' Gulf I've seen this shot... just had to lug off the camera bag from the car and shoot this (ok ok I needed 3 or 4 shots to have it as I liked it^_^
The shot was really like I wanted it so I've not needed to crop it!


Date: 31st of May 2008
Camera = Nikon D300
Focal length = 18mm
Lens = NIKON AF-S 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR
Shutter Speed = 5 sec
Aperture = f/3.5
ISO = 200
Converted trough Raw-Therapee