Autumn afternoons

 

I’ve shot a series about Anna, a professional dancer back in 2012 to try out the 60 mm high aperture macro lens I bought at the time. The lens is not primarily for portraits because you have to compose relatively far from the subject (it’s equal to a 90 mm full frame lens approx.), yet I liked the project as it gave me the opportunity to photograph exclusively a living human being for an afternoon. The results though I wasn’t very happy with. The shots seemed artificial, lacking “life-likeliness” (if there is such a thing…), the client, who I took them for, didn’t like them as Anna was often holding a coffee mug and that, apparently was not suitable for her health food blog, where she was looking for shots about relaxation. I therefore put the whole set to the drawer and didn’t look at them again until after a few weeks ago, when I’ve applied to several model agency web sites. And now, after three years I like the whole set much better, I even selected a few to showcase on my official portfolio site. The shots seem much more natural, shows the Anna was a great model, patient and very cooperative. Time heals the wounds and as you get detached of the original story of the shooting, you often find the beauty in photos you once ignored.

 

Oh yes, and I’ve installed a cool new feature to the blog, check it out! If you hover your mouse over the image, the original, out-of-camera shot appears. A bit of an insight of what editing is done on a picture before publishing.

 

 

 

Camera	Nikon D70s
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	0.00 eV
Focal Length	60mm (09mm)
Lens	Tamron 60mm f/2 macro
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/125
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro

Veronika

Veronika is preparing Suzy, the horse to their exam at the Amsterdamse Manege. While I really like photographing kids, as they are less shy and more cheerful, low light conditions can make the shooting difficult. Moving slowly or standing still is not their forte, you need patience and persistence to catch the best moments. #amsterdam #portrait #indoors

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.33 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 f/1.8
ISO	2000
Shutter Speed	1/20s
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6.3

Balaton Summer

Central Europe's biggest lake, the Balaton is the perfect family spot for the summer. The lake is shallow, summers are usually long and hot, prices are affordable. I've spent many many summers at the lake and even today, when I think about going back, sweet memories warm my heart. I remember being there as a kid, there is nothing like it, it's one huge playground where everything is possible. Now as a photographer, I have an easy job, as today's kids are just like we were. Free and happy. The best models, as long as you are close enough, as Robert Capa said.

Camera	Nikon D70
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.67 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 f/1.8
ISO	200
Shutter Speed	1/5000s
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6.3

Ivan

Photographing these little guys is super easy, as long as they are asleep...
In any case, stay close to them, use high aperture and try to find a theme for the shot.

 

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.33 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 f/1.8
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/640s
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6.3

#portrait #szulyphoto #kids

Mari

I've shot around 300 pictures of Mari Alföldy, for the article that was published about her and the translation award she won, granted by Filter, a Dutch professional magazine of translators. Out of this 300, I've selected 21 for retouching and this shot was actually selected by her to illustrate the article. The shooting took a whole afternoon in her sunny living room, with her husband assisting us, holding the light reflector. This portrait was shot in the second round of the shooting, after about two hours of constant work. I've used the same portrait lens as always but with a lower aperture, to make sure the book titles are readable. I've also set a warmer white balance to create a cozier atmosphere, something I feel closer to the experience of reading literature.

 

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/6.3
Exposure Bias	-0.33 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/80s
Post Processing	ACDSee 6

Technorati Tags: amsterdam,photography,portrait,nikon d90,filter vertaalprijs 2014,hungary,netherlands

Rebecca And Pita

Rebecca has asked me to take some shots of her and her cat. Unfortunately the cat is not in the best shape, has a hernia, no longer able to move and not sure if it survives this winter. I was avoiding using a flash or a soft box, and we also couldn't go anywhere from  Rebecca's apartment, considering the cat's condition. As darkness approached, I had to increase sensitivity and, since I was shooting from hand and lacking a stabilizer, had to make sure the focus is steady. The common wisdom says, camera body counts much less than the lens, well, if you shoot in low light conditions, you soon face the limits of the camera you are using when it comes to ISO sensitivity and auto focus precision. There are a lot you can do in post production and modern cameras usually have internal noise reduction, but more expensive camera bodies will have better performance in low light, you should never forget that.

 

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.33 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	2500
Shutter Speed	1/25s
Post Processing	None

Technorati Tags: photography,portrait,cats

Party Photo

A party photo set is usually not difficult because of its technique (use high depth of field and a flash gun) but mainly because of the number of pics you have to sort out after. At a party there is always something happening, there are plenty of people, so you may end of making a hundred pics an hour easily without any effort, plus the ones you shoot because people are asking for a photo. So, you usually end up with a set of hundreds of pics, waiting for you to sort and post process them. A job all photographers are keen to escape from. :) This shot is a bit deviant from the schoolbook technique by using a fixed lens and high aperture, I like it because it is very dynamic and it was shot in the right light conditions.

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.67 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	200
Shutter Speed	1/320s
Post Processing	None

Technorati Tags: photography,portrait,amsterdam,cruise,party

Flower Bed

 

Family excursion to Keukenhof, Holland's official flower bed. I'll try to post something next time not taken by the infamous 35 mm. :)
If you want to see how my niece looked like a year ago, jump here.

 

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.67 eV
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8
ISO	200
Shutter Speed	1/1250
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6

Enzo #2

What can I say? Can't get enough of the little guy and my 35 mm lens. :)

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	0.00 eV
Metering	Pattern
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/200
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6 (B/W)

Enzo

Another easy target. Enzo was with us at the photo shoot of Michelle's store and while the ladies were preparing the next outfit, I was shooting Enzo, who was actually asking for being photographed all the time, a perfect model. He wasn't shy, happy to pose, all photographers' dream subject.

 

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/5.6
Exposure Bias	0.00 eV
Metering	Center weighted average
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	500
Shutter Speed	1/60
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6 (B/W)

Sophia #2

And now with the B&W stuff. I particularly like this shot because Sophia is very womanly and natural, she was in fact trying to get prepared for the new pose I've asked her to do, when I'd shot this candid photo.

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.67 eV
Metering	Pattern
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/200
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6 (B/W)

Sophia #1

I've shot a portfolio for a girl I know, practically using the well praised 35mm fixed lens. I couldn't decide on the shot to publish, so I'm gonna publish a B/W and a color portrait of her, both taken with the same lens at the same occasion. When you shoot portraits without artificial lighting, the best is to shoot on overcast days, when the light is less harsh. Make sure you have enough light and your model is up for the job. Then the rest is fun, nothing else.

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.67 eV
Metering	Pattern
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	400
Shutter Speed	1/640
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6

Technorati Tags: amsterdam,photography,portrait,urban,westerpark

Queen's Day

Queen's day in Amsterdam is traditionally the most important Dutch national holiday and definitely one of the most important events of the city. This year was even more special, because of the new king taking over the throne from his mother, and by this, Holland has a king after some 120 years or so. Events already started at 10 AM and went on until late in the evening with all kinds of different events and of course the traditional queen's day market all over town. A photographer feast if you are into city photography, there is no street corner without something interesting or funny (or both) to see. People are also more relaxed to pose, maybe because on this day everybody is allowed to sell their junk on the street, some people already spend the night outside just to protect their spot. Concerning shooting, go easy on the equipment. This is practically a city-wide party with streets packed with people, there is almost no time or place to change lens. I was only taking my beloved 35mm fixed lens (a DX format equivalent of the nifty-fifty), wide enough to capture the landscape but narrow enough to slide closer and take portraits if necessary. I was thinking daytime would have plenty of light and if not, the f/1.8 max aperture saves me if it comes to that. Don't be afraid of fixed lenses (like I was...), after a few weeks of use, you'll find yourself knowing exactly what fits the frame without even looking into the viewfinder, and you'll enjoy the higher contrast and sharpness these lenses have to offer. Moreover, fixed lenses are usually much lighter than zoom lenses, so you'll have several benefits counter-weighing the lost comfort.

Camera	Nikon D90
Aperture	f/2.5
Exposure Bias	-0.33 eV
Metering	Pattern
Focal Length	35mm (52mm)
Lens	Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8
ISO	200
Shutter Speed	1/2000
Post Processing	ACDSee Pro 6

 

Technorati Tags: amsterdam,photography,urban,portrait,travel