Trapped Photons

My first try to make photos of fireworks. I read several articles titled “how to make great fireworks photos” on the web before lugging my tripod out. Still, taking photos in the dark with huge variations in brightness turned out much harder than I expected.

The dome of the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany.

A warm evening in the city of Ghent in Belgium.

The most beautiful thing I discovered with photography is that it causes side effects. Since I am on the lookout for photo opportunities, I seem to see more. This picture is a recurring theme on this photoblog - Boston’s Back Bay as seen from Cambridge across the Charles River. I still amazes me that it never really looks the same! it is also my first try to make a panorama, using Hugin.

Here are a few noteworthy web addresses I found recently. I spend quite some time researching tripods before I bought one.

• Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan - The author makes an argument for buying an expensive high-quality tripod before wasting money on a cheap setup. I can see his point but nevertheless, the suggestions are far above my budget limit.

Among the many photoblogs out there, these three stand out:

• 44 times two - Photoblog with a fascinating concept. Two people post one photo each, without communication. One close-up, one wide-angle shot. The photos are presented side by side.
• Landscape Photography and Nature Photography by Jim M. Goldstein - Beautiful photos and an interesting take on licensing your photos in the Creative Commons framework.
• m a r t a . c o m - Landscapes and emotional portraits.

If your interested in photography magazines, take a look at these:

• JPG Magazine: Brave New Photography - a community driven magazine.
• LensWork - Black and white photography.

Last but not least:

• Weather and Landscape Photography - Nice essay on the importance of weather in landscape photography.
• StudioLighting.net - Nice site with lighting tutorials. Beest of all: the maker always tries his best to keep the price tag low!