Ferroviaria (Gondola Ferro), Venice

Ferroviaria (Gondola Ferro), Venice, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
So the title is my attempt at a multi-lingual pun. Quick shot along the Grand Canal of all the gondola prows, or "ferri".

"The ornament on the front of the boat is called the fèrro (meaning iron) and can be made from brass, stainless steel, or aluminium. It serves as decoration and as counterweight for the gondolier standing near the stern."
- Wikipedia

"...a multi-pronged ferro, or prow. The prow's origins are even more mysterious than those of the gondola - some have five pettini, or prongs, some six (perhaps symbolic of Venice's six sestieri, or districts). The prow's single prong facing aft may be a symbol of the Doge's Palace, the Giudecca island, Cyprus (part of Venice's former empire) or Piazza San Marco. The broad-edged "blade" capping the prow may represent the sea, a lily, a doge's hat, a Venetian halberd or the Rialto Bridge. Depending who you believe, the ferro was inspired by Roman galleys, a judicial axe or the funerary barges of ancient Egypt."
- Telegraph Travel Online

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Gondola In 60 Seconds Revisited, Venice

Gondola In 60 Seconds Revisited, Venice, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This weekend I was back in Venice after two years away, so thought I'd try to re-shoot an older shot (see comments below). It's the same view north from the Rialto Bridge, up the Grand Canal.

This time there was no rain, so no bathmat tripod/rain cover to interfere. When dry, the edge of the bridge makes a perfect improvised tripod. Moreover on a full frame camera, the 24mm is perfect for the view - getting that building to the right in; a neat balance to the white building on the left, and home to some very nice blue posts!

Last time I was shooting late on when the black sky offered little. This time I got there just at sun down. The pale blue clouds blurred over the long exposure and bizarrely now look like clear sky to the right. All in all, I'm pleased with the revisit. It lacks some of the raw power of the first shot - the water is a bit less crazy, for instance, but it seems altogether crisper and more dependable.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Sky Tide, Morro Rock

Sky Tide, Morro Rock, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Quick one from the summer trip to California, as like all of us I imagine, I whizz around trying to get work done before Christmas strikes. I've managed to shoot quite a bit over the last few weeks, yet not found time to post, so here's trying to get the momentum back up.

I shot this one chiefly for the droplet. If I'd had a tripod and some way of freezing time, I'd love to have caught a perfectly focused Morro Rick refracted in the drop under the (very twitchy) seagull's beak. Sadly I had neither, so this is as good as it gets. I am a fan of the texture of the OOF clouds playing against rock face in that hard backlight.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Fall In The Antarctic (Humboldt Penguins & Leaf-Fall), ZSL London Zoo

Fall In The Antarctic (Humboldt Penguins & Leaf-Fall), ZSL London Zoo, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Quick iPhone picture I wanted to post before autumn/fall has passed us by. It's the new(ish) penguin exhibit at ZSL London Zoo, made interesting by the huge drifts of swirling leaves. Kind of an odd combination - penguins and deciduous leaf-fall, especially with the bright turquoise water - and one I wanted to share.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

Red Riding Hood (Jessica at Leeds Castle), Kent

Red Riding Hood (Jessica at Leeds Castle), Kent, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Jessica looking seasonal at Leeds Castle this weekend. It's right on the border of what I'd post sharpness wise; probably too soft for most purposes. There's a neat set of lamps through the wood by the entrance, and it was too dark to shoot on other settings.

This is ISO 6400 on my 5D, recently upgraded to a MKiii. Whilst that would have been an impossible ISO on any other camera I've owned, you'll see you still have issues in terms of IQ. I have had sharper images at 6400, however so I suspect the focus was slightly off too, or one of us moved. You'll see ISO 6400, f2.8 and a shutter speed half the focal length (in Flickr's neat new display to the right), so there's plenty that could have gone wrong in terms of getting things pin sharp.

I might end up posting some others from this series, but I thought I'd start with one where the technique is a little off, but the atmosphere is on.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

Red Riding Hood Comments Pic Hosting

"Let's Extensively Raise Goats In All Families" (All In Camera Light Stencil), Swanage

"Let's Extensively Raise Goats In All Families" (All In Camera Light Stencil), Swanage, a photo by flatworldsedge on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
All in camera - single exposure. Please see "Let's Glow More Sunflowers!" for images of the kit used. In short, you print a picture on a black background, put it in front of a flash, open your shutter for a long exposure, and "zap" it onto the sensor.

No Photoshop!

This is the fourth in the series that The Hooded Accomplice and I are shooting; putting excerpts of North Korea, Soviet and Chinese propaganda into modern scenes. That's the "what". The "why" is less clear.

Hope everyone is well - catching up over the next few days after a couple of weeks off Flickr. Have a great end to the weekend.