Clouds and water

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 20/1.7

Birds and bridge

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 20/1.7

The bridge in the photo is Porto's most popular icon, an iron structure built in 1887. It was designed by Théophile Seyrig, an associate of Gustave Eiffel (yes, the author of the Paris tower). Currently, regular traffic runs on the lower tray, while the upper tray is reserved for the city tram system.

Seascape

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 14/2.5

Descent into the Maelström

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 20/1.7

This post's title is a silly reference to a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

The liquid border

The Minho/Miño river defines about 80 km of the Northern Portuguese/Spanish border. When I was a kid, my parents would take me once a year on a shopping trip, across the river´s only international bridge. Customs control took several hours to clear at the time, as Portuguese authorities tried to limit imports from Spain. Nowadays circulation is completely free across the border. We tend to forget how amazing are the times we live in. Or how awkward life was a few decades ago.

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 14/2.5

Fuji X100

The release of the Fuji X100 has been carefully planned. Technical information about the camera was made public in limited doses, so as to keep everybody interested and eager for more. The official web site makes vulnerable souls like me drool uncontrollably. I am a sucker for that classic design and manual controls.

However, Fuji's promotional video goes a bit overboard. OK, the camera features an innovative hybrid (i.e. switchable optical/electronic) viewfinder, but that's no reason to write: "Make the ordinary become extraordinary just by looking a it through the hybrid viewfinder." Also, the supposedly good image quality of the APS-C sensor does not justify bewildered affirmations like "The sensor captures incredible beauty in every picture." As good as those viewfinder and sensor might be, I don't believe they can actually transfigure reality and make a pile of trash look like a delicate still life.

Such an elegant and sober camera deserved a bit more temperance from the marketing team.

Small lighthouse under big sky

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 14/2.5

Come on in, the door is open

Olympus E-P2 + Panasonic Lumix 20/1.7