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Rainbow in Italy

With photography you just need to be lucky sometimes. There are many photos you can plan ahead like a sunset over the country side, a shot of the milky-way or whatever ... But some stuff just happens very rarely and cannot be planned upfront. My father calls these events the 'little gifts' in life. Last summer I received one of these little gifts during our travels in Italy. All day the weather had been horrible and then suddenly the sky opened up and this rainbow unfolded right in front of the medieval town of Trevi in Umbria Italy. I immediately pulled the car over and took a couple of shots. Some minutes later the rainbow was gone. Rainbow in front of Trevi (Italy) - Pentax-A 100mm F2.8
Recent posts

Lunar Eclipse

On January 21st 2019 it was possible to witness a full lunar eclipse in my hometown - also known as a blood moon. Look at the picture and you understand why. I got up very early on a freezing winter morning and checked out the conditions: clear sky, moon visible ... so unfortunately I could not find any excuse to return to bed.

Miracle at work

Few months back I was privileged to visit India again. It's such a different world compared to what I am used to in Europe. The country is developing at an extremely fast pace, the people are very kind and the food is just amazing. From my company's office there was a clear view on a neighboring construction site. I went to the rooftop of the building to snap this one. Click on the image to view it larger, there is so much stuff to discover. Construction site in Hyderabad (India) - Pentax SMC DA 20-40mm F2.8-4

The retirement dream

Last summer I enjoyed a lovely holiday with my family in a small seaside village in Italy. When going for a stroll I spotted this couple. I guess this is what most people dream of when they picture their retirement: sunny weather, blue sky and lovely view. Beach at Grottammare (Italy) - SMC Pentax DA 20-40mm F2.8-4

Returning to India

This summer I had the opportunity again to visit India for a couple of days. Before flying home after a busy working-schedule, I had some hours by myself to walk around the streets of Pune. It's funny how the hotel personnel always tries prevent you from doing so. Aga Khan Palace in Pune (India) - SMC Pentax DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 The picture above was taken at the Aga Khan Palace  in Pune. It was constructed in  1892 and it is easily one of the few remaining historic buildings you can find around town. The Aga Khan is considered a  monument of national importance as Ghandi and his wife were  interned in the palace  for 2 years. Tucked away in a corner of the gardens I bumped into a column that holding Ghandi's ashes. Such a historic place and hardly any tourist to be found.

Strokes of light

This peculiar location - Poortgebouw - is literally next to my house and allows for great photographs. You're looking at a road that tunnels through an old building with a bridge right after it. Sounds complicated? Then check out the buildings' wiki page here .  I just bought a new lens for my camera and was going for a stroll to take some test shots. As happens very often during summer, the bridge started to open up and blocked all traffic. This girl showed up and she stopped exactly on the transition between shadow and daylight. Perfect! Poortgebouw in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) - SMC Pentax DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 What I like about this shot is the strong framing, the structures under the bridge and of course the light that caresses her blonde hair and leather jacket.

The 80s FIAT commercial

A FIAT commercial from the 80s? Not really, this photo was taken during my last trip to Italy. Since I have not taken any photo in the last 3 months, I decided to pull this one out of the archives. Even though the subject is nothing out of the ordinary, the photo just works very well for me. The sun was setting which resulted in some nice and long shadows. The clouds are dramatic and of-course the scenery is fantastic. Fiat Panda in Abruzzo (Italy) - SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4 This image was composed by merging multiple images by using the merging technique described in this tutorial . First I took all the required shots to fill the scenery, so basically the same image without the car. Then I waited for an interesting vehicle to pass by. Of course I hoped for some dazzling Ferrari, Lamborghini or some classic Italian car ... but I had to please myself with this Fiat Panda :-)

World Pentax Day 2016

Let me first get something out of the way; photography is not about what gear you use but about the significance of the end result:  a photo . Among photographers a discussion often ends up in comparing who shoots with what brand and some bragging about the incredible lenses you have in your bag. I try to not get dragged into these useless discussions but often I find myself being guilty as well ... In any case, I shoot Pentax and am very happy with the brand. Often I visit the  Pentax Forum , a great resource of information backed by a very active and supporting community. Once a year the website organises the World Pentax Day: "During each event, Pentax users have the opportunity to go out and shoot, and then upload their favourite photos to a special collective event gallery. Thus, together, we paint a snapshot of the world through the "eyes" of Pentax cameras!" Binnenhaven in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) - SMC Pentax-A 100mm F2.8

Exploring Abruzzo

Currently me and my wife are enjoying some days off in Abruzzo, Italy. It is one of Europe's most green and untouched areas. Really worth a visit! Just like last  time I am cruising around out by bicycle with some camera gear in my backpack. A true win-win: I get to compensate for all the great Italian food while getting a true and intense impression of the landscapes. Civitella del Tronto (Abruzzo, Italy) - SMC Pentax-A 50mm F1.4 Recently I have been experimenting with merging images into high resolution panoramas of my hometown Rotterdam. Now I am applying this same technique here in the Abruzzo. It is a bit more tricky without tripod but after some attempts it worked out fine.

Experiment with stacking long exposure shots

It was a long time ago that I walked off in the evening to take some city shots. This photo was taken at the Wilhelminaplein in Rotterdam, close to my home. There is a pedestrian bridge that allows to get a more top-down view on the traffic. I climbed up the stairs and took multiple long exposure shots to increase traffic density in the end result. Wilhelminaplein Rotterdam (The Netherlands) -   Pentax-M 28mm F3.5 After an hour or so I decided to return home as it was freezing cold. I almost dropped one of my lenses from the bridge because I could hardly move my fingers. It was a first time experiment and I didn't expect much ... but once home I was pretty pleased with the outcome. Soon I will try to create some similar shots and am now scouting locations around town. I'll keep you posted! Like the photo? I have added this picture to my shop as well.

Experiences with the new Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II

I was one of the 20 lucky winners in a street photography contest organized by  Chip Photo Magazine and Olympus . All of us were invited for a workshop by professional photographer Brendan de Clerq and got the opportunity to play around with the new  Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II . The grand price - winning the camera - went to Albert Dros with a  beautiful photo . The workshop was a lot of fun. Brendan is a great guy and before hitting the streets he talked us through some of his favourite photos from his portfolio. Besides being informative he also triggered a spark again. I want to go out and shoot more! After the presentations we travelled down town for some street photography. Let me share my three favorite shots of the day. All these pictures were taken with the Olympus camera; at the end of this article I'll share some of my thoughts on the little performer . Tattoo shop in the red light district of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) - Olympus 14-42mm This is my favourite