Thoughts on the World

0809 40D 8613 | The Motor Museum in Turin gives cars something rather unusual: space. This is the entrance hall, featuring a FIAT concept eco-car.

Camera: Canon EOS 40D | Date: 20-08-2009 10:28 | ISO: 200 | Exp. Mode: Aperture priority | Exp. bias: -2/3 EV | Exp. Time: 1/100s | Aperture: 11.0 | Focal Length: 17.0mm | Lens: Canon EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM

There are lots of great car museums in the world, and I’ve visited more than a few. However, the majority are difficult or impossible to photograph, unless you’re a “down in the details” sort of photographer, which I’m definitely not.

The honourable exception is the Museo Dell’Automobile “Carlo Biscaretti Di Ruffia” in Turin, Italy. Here the curators have given the cars something they almost never have in other museums: space. The result is a beautifully lit environment for the equally beautiful exhibits, and when I visited last year I managed to make several images I’m very happy with. Visit my portfolio, and see whether you agree.

(PS – according to their website, the Museo Dell’Automobile is currently closed for restoration works, so please check the website before you visit.)

0809 40D 8151 | Front of the Grand Hotel Suisse, Montreux, Switzerland

Camera: Canon EOS 40D | Date: 14-08-2009 18:12 | ISO: 200 | Exp. Mode: Aperture priority | Exp. bias: 1/3 EV | Exp. Time: 1/1600s | Aperture: 6.3 | Focal Length: 110.0mm | Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Here’s a picture from my Swiss trip last year. I was a little disappointed with my shots from Montreux – it’s such a compact town it’s very difficult to isolate the buildings and features from one another. However, I’m reasonably pleased with this one. The palette’s great: everything the same yellow and red, with the rest almost monochrome (I haven’t made any adjustments apart from a slight overall saturation boost). Of course, if I’d been taking a commercial shot with the hotel’s permission I’d have tried to get all the blinds deployed to the same length, but I didn’t have that control. Still, I think it’s balanced enough to work.

Let me know what you think.

1009 40D 9643 | Another of my favourite subjects - sunset light on water

Camera: Canon EOS 40D | Date: 05-10-2009 16:27 | ISO: 200 | Exp. Mode: Aperture priority | Exp. bias: 0 EV | Exp. Time: 1/3200s | Aperture: 8.0 | Focal Length: 300.0mm | Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Hi, welcome to my new photo blog. Here’s a shot taken on my trip to Santorini last year, a “grab shot” of a rather nice yacht scudding along in one of the island’s trademark sunsets. The triangular shapes at the bottom are actually the edge of a nearby roof, out of focus.

Let me know what you think.

Andrew

Gordon Lewis at Shutterfinger recently posted bemoaning how Image Stabilisation technology doesn’t work in some circumstances, especially when the camera’s on a tripod. This has caused me a number of jagged fireworks pictures, and others, over the years. Regular readers will recall my suggestion in What I Want In My Next DSLR that it would be easy for camera design to include automatic detection of “tripod mode”, and simply turn IS off, or at least visually warn the user.

Camera manufacturers have made enormous strides in very difficult technology areas, but current DSLRs fall down in so many simple usability areas. Why?