05 Monday Oct 2015
Posted in Budapest, Hungary, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
02 Friday Oct 2015
Posted in architecture, art, Berlin, Germany, photowalking, random, Trains & Transit, Travel, urban
Tags
architecture, art, Berlin, Germany, photography, photowalk, rail, railroad, railway, random, train, trains, Travel, urban
Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s main train station, is an elegant and efficient public space.
Its mainly glass train-shed allows lots of natural light into the building.
Organization of train services (regional S-Bahn trains top floor; regional, national and international services in the basement; local U-Bahn adjacent) makes transfers simple.
The large shopping and dining plaza on the two floors between train platforms encourages foot traffic.
Abundant public spaces and public art in, on and near the property add to the attractiveness of the building.
Every modern rail hub should aspire to be as welcoming.
01 Thursday Oct 2015
Posted in Budapest, Hungary, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
If you’re in Budapest on a late summer afternoon, standing near the riverside a few steps from the Hungarian Parliament building in Pest, this is what your camera might see across the Danube to the castles of Buda. Your eyes will likely do a better job 🙂
30 Wednesday Sep 2015
Posted in art, Berlin, Germany, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
29 Tuesday Sep 2015
Posted in Budapest, Hungary, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
29 Tuesday Sep 2015
Posted in Apple, iPhone, photography
Tags
Apple’s latest smartphones went on sale Friday.
You might have seen comparisons between the cameras on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to those installed in their immediate predecessors.
However, there are a lot of folks who upgrade every other year … and if you’re one of those people, this camera comparison of iPhone 6s versus iPhone 5s is for you, based on my initial impressions, for what they’re worth.
The smaller pixels in the new iSight sensor don’t appear to have degraded picture quality.
Upon closer inspection, it appears the default sharpening is more aggressive in iPhone 6s. It’s especially noticeable in photos with lots of grass or foliage, or photos that contain type (smaller type in particular).
It appears tone mapping is improved, as advertised.
I can’t seem to determine how the camera’s auto white balance works, however. Some scenes show the 6s coming up warmer while the 5s comes up with a warmer photo in other scenes.
EXIF data show the iPhone 6s is capable is capturing images at ISO 25 whereas the 5s topped out at ISO 32.
Colour reproduction appears improved for indoor and night scenes. At night, the new noise reduction and increased sharpening appear to work in concert to provide a cleaner image.
To see some of my observations for yourself, please check out the sample images below. The iPhone 6s photos are shown first (left or top, depending on how you’re viewing the page). Click on the photos to see the larger, original image.
Daytime shots are from Heritage Park in Calgary; nighttime shots are from the Kensington neighbourhood and along the Bow River. All are full frame and unedited, straight out of the camera.
And if you’ve also come into possession of an iPhone 6s recently, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Happy iPhoneography to you!
28 Monday Sep 2015
Posted in art, Berlin, Germany, history, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
This is Neue Wache, a memorial in Berlin dedicated to civilian victims of war.
According to online and other published documentation, the central statue depicting a mother and her dead child is placed under the oculus to deliberately expose it to the elements.
It also provides the moving piece of art with very striking lighting.
27 Sunday Sep 2015
Posted in Alberta, Calgary, history, photography, Uncategorized
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Calgary’s Heritage Park, so I figured today was a good occasion to return for a visit.
The weather cooperated perfectly with the park’s annual Railway Days. Above, two of their old steam engines ply the rails on site.
27 Sunday Sep 2015
Posted in Berlin, Germany, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
Tags
architecture, art, Berlin, Germany, history, photography, photowalk, random, Travel, urban
This awesome row of columns is found along one side of Museum Island in Berlin. The crowds are relatively sparse if you visit first thing in the morning.
18 Friday Sep 2015
Posted in art, Berlin, Germany, history, photography, photowalking, random, Travel, urban
Ricky Leong 