Seagulls

Seagulls are a bit of a photographic commonplace. However, it is difficult to resist the temptation to photograph these enduring birds. And sometimes one of the photos even ends up being interesting.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

I like the photo above. It is a very dynamic image, partly thanks to the slightly slanted horizon line. If this were perfectly horizontal, the photo would loose a lot of its visual appeal (I've tried it).

So was that slanted horizon intentional, you might ask? Nope, it just happened that way...

Boy and fish

Going to Lisbon's aquarium (Oceanário) with my kids is an entirely different experience from going only with adults. Their excitement makes me almost feel jealous of not being able to look at things with such wonderment.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8

By the way: Merry Christmas to all!
 

Two vases

Here's a very classic exercise with an external flash. I find the result quite nice, though.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4 + external flash

I had a single flash on the left, placed on a tripod, and held a stretched sheet of cooking paper in front of it, to obtain a soft diffused light. On the right I had a sheet of aluminum paper - that had been previously crumpled and then stretched out - as a reflector. This gave just a hint of light to define the contour of the vase on the right.

Woof! Woof! Grrrr!

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

OK, that's great. Shell we try a close-up now?
Better not...

Window in ruined house

As traditional architecture and building materials vary, the way abandoned houses age and decay is unique to each geographic location. The local weather conditions and natural setting also play a role, affecting, for instance, the way plants or fungus invade the structure. This could be an interesting photographic project.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

Decision

This photo was taken on the same location as the previous post. This time the choice between color and b&w was slightly easier. I prefer the grayscale transition from the stones to the reflected clouds:

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4