Black & White Version of Japanese Tourist (Suzuki & Arcades Panning Blur), Bologna

Near Mist (Southbank Bike Riders), London

Near Mist (Southbank Bike Riders), London, originally uploaded by flatworldsedge.

There are four riders in this shot - two easy to spot, two less easily identifiable. You don't realise just how quick anything goes until you try to shoot it with shutter delay. These images were taken at 1/20s, anything slower and the trails quickly disappeared.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't try to do anything with the DOF, as the pillars and wall do merge somewhat, but with all the colour and the glorious reflective puddle, I thought it was worth posting regardless.

See Near Mist (Southbank Bike Riders), London on Flickr for additional notes and comments.

Snow White (Apple & Bokeh In Naschmarkt), Vienna

Snow White (Apple & Bokeh In Naschmarkt), Vienna, originally uploaded by flatworldsedge.

Another pair I had trouble choosing between. Seen large on black the main image wins through, I think - the main apple is much sharper and better isolated in its own little plane of focus (I moved several apples between shots). In the shot below there's an extra stalk and an in focus base of an apple which kind of distract. The bokeh are twice the size too in the main one, thanks to the harder zoom.

It's a night shot - f/4.5 and ISO 400 giving a nice exposure thanks to the market lights. It's a handheld shot, with the IS doing a super job, in my opinion, of keeping the apple sharp; it was taken handheld at 1/15. I only have a handful of (working) lens, and this (24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM) is the only one with IS. As I understand it the version on that lens is a little behind the curve, so new releases will offer an extra one or two stops of "handholdability" - which is remarkable.

If you have the time to see it in lightbox, I'd recommend it, and also a quick look at the one below which offers a nicer blue sky and a little extra detail in the chalk and a girl shopping.

As to the title, I hope it's not too obscure. The apple just had a landmine look to it, hiding sharp amongst the blur, waiting to do someone a mischief, and the bokeh and painterly feel of the bokeh set a kind of fairy tale mood.

I do enjoy the contrast with www.flickr.com/photos/flatworldsedge/5217086663/in/photos... taken a few minutes earlier. Hope everyone is having a super week so far.

See Snow White (Apple & Bokeh In Naschmarkt), Vienna on Flickr.

Boheken Heart, Bologna

Boheken Heart, Bologna, originally uploaded by flatworldsedge.

One from September's trip to Bologna, late evening looking along the canals. Some cyan CA from the Canon 50mm f.1,8 which I haven't noticed before; not shooting wide open, but into some pretty harsh sunlight, I suppose.

There's a ghostly haze around the top of the padlocks which I can't identify - perhaps light making a nuisance of itself or maybe a smudge on the lens? Not sure what it is, but I rather like it. Without aiming too boldly for pretension, I was after a shot of all the scratches and stains on the heart, the rust and corrosion on the locks and the brace and the disintegration of the wall on the one side, with the transcendent bokeh on the other by way of juxtaposition. A sort of love arises in unsual places motif, which I rather like. There, pretension over.

Shot at f/2.5 to keep the heart and padlocks both sharp. Wide open it would have been game over for one of the details, and the background is still reasonably insane.

Have a great weekend everyone.

See Boheken Heart, Bologna on Flickr.

Going Nowhere Fast (Unhappy Couple On Scooter), Bologna

Going Nowhere Fast (Unhappy Couple On Scooter), Bologna, originally uploaded by flatworldsedge.

I think this one makes a nice juxtaposition to my significantly happier couple on a scooter, shot half an hour earlier; www.flickr.com/photos/flatworldsedge/4986711850/in/photos.... I was going to post it flipped horizontally in collision course with that image, but the "Liberty" text on the scooter was too neat to wreck for so minor a thing a consideration.

There's no small amount of supposition in my titling and tagging of this one. If you're one of the riders and you'd like to set the record straight, so to speak, please drop me a note. The expressions are so comically miserable, though, I can only think this follows some epic argument.

See Going Nowhere Fast (Unhappy Couple On Scooter), Bologna
on Flickr.