——

Update: 26 June 2010
More wedding photos here on Facebook.

——

Photography by Carmen Tyler (thank you).

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I’m back from a week in southern Spain, successfully dodging the ash cloud, and although I couldn’t justify reading all of my back-logged feed subscriptions, here are a few notable mentions.

Greenpeace launched a behind the logo initiative, calling for the public to design oil giant BP a new logo.

For football-lovers, Nike released a superb ad-spot for the World Cup (on Creative Review).

On a similar note, Michael Johnson spoke of the travesties that are World Cup logos.

The 2012 Olympic mascots were launched (and nicely compared to Britain’s new Government).

Gorgeous examples of tilt shift photography — something I plan on experimenting with.

Hardly worth the effort. A few well-chosen words from Seth Godin.

Lastly, davidthedesigner offered proof that not everything improves with age.

In other news, it turns out Catherine takes a half-decent photo (above).

I hope you’ve all been having a great week.

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I’m sure I’ll pay the bridge a few more visits as I get to grips with my Nikon D5000. 14 kilometres west of Edinburgh, the Forth Rail Bridge is so imposing it’s easy to capture a dramatic photo.

The structure was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, and built by Glasgow based company Sir William Arrol & Co. between 1883 and 1890.

“The bridge was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, who drove home the last rivet, which was gold plated and suitably inscribed.

“During its construction, over 450 workers were injured and 98 lost their lives.

“There is a scene on the bridge in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film The 39 Steps.

“The bridge was built in steel alone, the first bridge in Britain to use that material. It was the first major structure in Britain to be constructed of steel; Its contemporary, the Eiffel Tower was built of wrought iron.”

Quoted from Wikipedia.

Here’s a beauty of a shot from George Gastin.

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Shot from my third-floor studio window as I get to grips with the Nikon D5000. There’s been no Photoshop work done on the sky (just a little darkening of the chimneys).

A beautiful Edinburgh dusk that my amateur photo doesn’t do justice.

Thanks a lot for your DSLR recommendations, by the way. More Edinburgh photos to follow.

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Nikon D5000

US Nikon D5000 on Amazon.com
UK £519.40 on Amazon.co.uk
UK £529 from Jessops

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 2.7″ tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• New battery with increased capacity
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Nikon D5000 review on dpreview.com (from July 2009)

Brian Hoff, Ashley Dean Newall, and Robert Anthony are all happy D5000 owners, and this is the camera I might just go for.

Canon EOS 550D

US $799.99 on Amazon.com (body only)
UK £799.99 on Amazon.co.uk (body only)
UK £1099 from Jessops, with 18-135mm lens

• 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
• Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
• Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
• 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
• iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
• Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
• Exposure compensation +/-5 stops (although viewfinder scale is still +/-2 stops)
• Select maximum value for Auto ISO
• External Microphone socket
• Movie crop function
• Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility

Canon EOS 550D review on dpreview.com (from February 2010)

This is the very latest offering from Canon (released this month?), and as such, I haven’t heard from anyone who actually has one. It costs a bit more than I was thinking of spending, too.

Nikon D90

US Nikon D90 on Amazon.com
UK £755.97 on Amazon.co.uk
UK £799 from Jessops

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel (VGA x 3 colors) TFT-LCD (same as D3 and D300)
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• Illuminated focus points
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• 3D tracking AF (11 point)
• Short startup time, viewfinder blackout and shutter lag
• Slightly improved viewfinder (96% frame coverage)
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Improved user interface
• New optional compact GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• Same battery and vertical grip as D80
• Vignetting control in-camera
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Nikon D90 review on dpreview.com (from October 2008)

A step up in price from the previously mentioned D5000, Jin Yang and Lea Alcantara each recommend their D90s.

Canon PowerShot G10

US $600 on Amazon.com
UK £369.99 on Amazon.co.uk

• 14.7 Megapixel CCD sensor
• 5x wide-angle (28mm) optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer
• RAW image recording plus support for Canon Digital Photo Professional
• DIGIC 4 for clear, sharp images, high-speed AF (including Servo AF) and fast response times
• Targets all the main causes of blur with High ISO Auto, optical
• Image Stabilizer, Motion Detection Technology and Auto ISO shift
• Improved Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB plus Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-Timer
• 3.0” PureColor LCD II (461k dots resolution) with wide viewing angle and optical viewfinder
• i-Contrast boosts brightness and retains detail in dark areas
• Dedicated Exposure Compensation and ISO dials
• 26 shooting modes with manual control and custom settings
• Accessories include tele-converter, Speedlights flashes and waterproof case
• Smooth, 30fps VGA movies

Canon PowerShot G10 review on dpreview.com (from November 2008)

The G10 isn’t actually a single-lens reflex (SLR), but some say it does just as good a job as the budget range.

Simon Manchipp recommends the G10.

Nikon’s website
Canon’s website

Finally, here’s an interesting read on Photocritic, worth keeping in mind for your own camera purchase: Why I don’t need an expensive camera. (Via Duane on Twitter.)

What entry-level digital SLR do you recommend?

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I’ve read a lot about Dubai that paints a sad picture, but Philip Bloom makes it easy to look beyond the dark side and witness the undoubted beauty of the man-made surroundings.

This four-minute timelapse video was filmed in Dubai over five days and five nights, shot using a Canon 7D and a Panasonic GF1. It’s definitely best viewed full-screen.

“I mostly shot aperture priority mode to cope with the light change. Sometimes in manual. You don’t need expensive cameras to do this. The GF1 is a cheap camera and there are even cheaper ones out there like some of the powershot series with built in timelapse. It’s great fun, very boring to shoot but ultimately the most rewarding.”
— PHILIP BLOOM

Music is from The Fountain by Clint Mansell.

More info and stills on Bloom’s blog. Via creativeroots.

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Following a trip to Menorca (the slowest-paced Balearic island) here are a few amateur photos showing what to expect when you visit.

The bay of Cala Galdana (above) — the area where I stayed, and the view from my hotel balcony (below). I quickly pieced together a 180 degree panoramic shot from the balcony here.

The cosy streets of the Menorcan capital, Mahon (above) and walking through the old capital, Ciutadella (below).

A little section of Mahon harbour (above) and Naveta des Tudons (below) — the oldest roofed building in Spain at around 3,000 years old. The tourist guide I was reading said you can crawl inside, but the iron bars across the entrance stopped any chance. Bugger.

The latin above is inside Ciutadella’s impressive cathedral, and the ceramic tiles below are seen fronting many Menorcan houses.

Where is it?

Menorca is the easternmost of the Balearic islands shown below. Flights go direct to Mahon from Belfast (just under 3 hours).

I finished reading a couple of books whilst away: Made to Stick, by Chip & Dan Heath, and Buzz, by Emanuel Rosen. The first is ideal for anyone who writes — be it a blog, book, or similar. The authors detail what makes ideas take hold, and what makes them come unstuck. For instance, stats are notoriously difficult to remember, but tell a good story and people won’t forget. The second book is useful for those interested in word of mouth marketing, so if you have a service or product to sell, and you want to get people talking, I’d pick this one up.

Menorca’s a gorgeous place to visit, and with more beaches than neighbours Mallorca and Ibiza combined, it’s a great island to chill on.

As I say in the brief video at the top of this post, please bear with me as I read and respond to the 400+ emails needing attention.

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India is a fascinating country, and the people were very friendly. I’d love to return in the future to see more and meet some fellow blog authors.

Above is the view from my hotel in Mumbai, overlooking the ‘Queen’s necklace’, a long, curved strip of road that resembles a pearl necklace when lit at night.

Panaji (pronounced Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa. With a population of around 65,000, it’s a picturesque city on the banks of the Mandovi River. In the centre is Church Square, housing the Portuguese Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church (pictured above). This Baroque style building was originally constructed in 1541 and featured in the Holywood blockbuster, The Bourne Supremacy.

The River Princess (above) is a beached tanker that has been rusting just 500 metres off the coast of Candolim, Goa, since the year 2000. Apparently, work is underway to lighten it’s load so that tug boats can remove it.

I must admit, the rusting monster of a boat does make an interesting backdrop for this beach cricket match (above).

On quite a few nights, my girlfriend and I were kept awake by the many howling dogs that live by the beach. Unfortunately, they were just too fast to catch.

Goa is one of Western India’s largest trading ports, and if you cast your eye to the horizon in the above shot, you’ll notice large tankers in the distance. They seem to be forever moored off the coast.

Anjuna market (pictured above) is a lively place where you can pick up spices, clothes, lanterns, chillums and much much more.

“Do you have a ticket for those bananas?”

On the way to Dudhsagar Falls we stopped to feed the monkeys. A lot of them seemed to prefer red onions to bananas, which no doubt did wonders for their mating.

This little boy seemed to be enjoying some fresh coconut that had dropped from a nearby tree.

Have you been to Goa?

I hope you liked this little insight into my Indian excursion. If you have any stories to tell from your time in India, I’d love you to share them.

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The alphabet in light writing, found on Nir Tober’s Flickr page. If light writing is your thing, check out this previous post of mine, with some light writing YouTube videos.

The hairy Futura typeface, found on Behance, courtesy of Reset Blog.

Human crafted typeface, found on Hijack Your Life and courtesy of Brand Flakes for Breakfast.

Type in the sky alphabet, from looking up through the gaps in buildings, found on Slanted and courtesy of Noisy Decent Graphics.

Eine’s East End of London shopfront shutter letters, found on Dave Gorman’s Flickr pages.

Sign language alphabet, created from match books (larger version of the sign language alphabet). Found on C71123, after a lot of “folding, gluing, and holding until dry.”

The Alphabet Photo Gallery by Abba Richman at pbase.com. A four month project with fantastic results.

Inspired by Abba Richman’s collection, prior to this, Thomas Fredriksen created his own alphabet photo collection on pbase.com.

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Here’s a photographer I’ve been meaning to feature for some time.

Quote from Wikipedia:

“Jose Maria Rodriguez Madoz (born 1958), better known as Chema Madoz, is a Spanish photographer, most popular for his black and white surrealist photographs.”

Visit the Chema Madoz gallery to view more excellent photos.

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