My camera I love: 2014

maandag 29 december 2014

HO HO HO another Christmas market

I went to the Christmas winter wonderland festival in Hyde Park. But that doesn't mean I didn't go to the Christmas market in Antwerp. A lot of people from my photography group went to take photos there. And I felt I couldn't stay behind. So after I came back from London I want to Antwerp to take photos of the Christmas market. I'm so happy I did it then and not now. I did it before the snow changed Belgium and the rest of Europe in a white freezing and slippery place. So no snow on my photos. Next time it's snowing and the world still looks beautiful and peaceful I hope I have the courage to go out and take photos. I can't now, I have a cold and it's already starting to meld. So no beauty here anymore. The Christmas market in Antwerp is big. It is spread out over the city. With stalls everywhere. There is candy and waffles. Drinks like hot chocolate, glühwein, and jenever, the Belgium snaps if you will. And of course stalls where you can buy special and handcrafted presents for loved ones. I didn't go home without a shot of jenever. It's tradition on a Belgium Christmas market.

Every time I go out for photos I learn something new. I tried to have photos where I take the viewer in the photo by having an interesting image in front of my photo or something that can guide the viewer in to the photo. Again I played with the settings on my camera for an interesting photo. I started taking photos at the blue hour after sun sets, well it was more an half hour but anyway.
It gives the photos I took during that small half hour an interesting sky. I took a lot of photos from kids to but I'll show you them an other time.

ISO 800 F/8 1/125s

ISO 100 F/22 0,6s

ISO 1600 F/6,3 1/20s

ISO 1600 F/5 1/20s

ISO 1600 F/5 1/06s

ISO 1600 F/5 1/20s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/20s

ISO 1600 F/4,5 1/25s

ISO 1600 F/4 1/15s

ISO 1600 F/4 1/10s

ISO 1600 F/8 1/40s

ISO 1600 F/8 1/20s

Enjoy Photography
and
Happy Holidays µ

Caroline

donderdag 25 december 2014

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

I'm not the one to send out Christmas cards. I feel that Christmas is a personal thing. Some people love getting those cards and for others it's a reminder that the holidays are coming. I know a couple of people that want to skip this festive season and press fast forward. So I don't want to rub anything in somebody's face. So I keep it with a Like on facebook when someone sends some Christmas Love into the world. Personally I like getting cards, I smile when I get them and it makes my day. I'm just not the one to send them. Maybe that is because my Christmases weren't all good. In my childhood, and with that I mean before I was 6, I loved them. It was a massive family gathering with good food and lots of presents. After that it went downhill. No more massive family and different new men in my moms life made the magic disappear. The good food staid and during my childhood the presents did too but it wasn't the same anymore. Now it's ok, I make the food now so I know it's good but no more presents. For me Christmas is also the time of melancholia and reminiscing. There is always a small itch in my heart, something that makes me think about my Christmas past. The fights, the tears and times of fear and stress come back. A lot of Christmases I was sick too. I had the flu or a cold. But there were times it was more severe and it was Christmas and new year and even my birthday too in a hospital bed.

Still next to all that I still love Christmas. I can't wait for the time that I'm married with kids so I can bring the magic back. But now to, in this dark wintery world (in some places of the world) it brings light. That is why the Jews have Hanukkah (Chanoeka) the feast of the light. The lights and Christmas ornaments are beautiful in my eyes. And when I'm in the mood it brings me back to the Christmases before I was 6. People are more forgiving now, they are sweeter and more likeable. Well in some cases people are, because Christmas can give a lot of stress too. Buying the right presents. Getting all the food in the world to have the most elaborate feast and cooking it. And not to forget, the hardest thing for a woman to do, choosing what to wear.

Now matter what happened on Christmas or however I felt about Christmas on that time, there was one consistency and that was a Christmas tree. Put up around my moms birthday and taken down before mine. Like I said I love the ornaments and I have a lot of different ones in my tree. Some are souvenirs like the wooden ones are form the USA, the little shoes are from London and the little clog is from the Nederland's. And because this is still a blog about photography I took some photos off the different ornaments I have in my tree and a photo of the whole tree. The souvenirs we bought in London we putted underneath it. So please take these photos as my Christmas cards for the ones who love them. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and the best of luck. For the ones who just want to forget the whole thing. I know... It's hard... But it's over soon.

Enjoy Photography
and
Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas

Caroline

dinsdag 23 december 2014

Winter Wonderland

I said it already. During my trip to London I went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. It was truly a magical place. Hot roasted chestnuts filled the air with the most delicious perfumes. The crêpes, waffles and other sweet treads added to the intoxicating aromas and made you hungry for everything. The hearty food lover could go with the German style of food or keep it British. It all added to the feeling that Christmas was in the air. The sky was glistening of al the colorful lights and made everything look more beautiful. It was a joy to walk around. I was mesmerized by everything on offer and for me it was a mix between the Sinksefoor (the biggest carnival in Antwerp), and a normal Christmas market. The rides where in different themes. All matching with Christmas. And the stalls had the most beautiful and special gifts. Of course there was an ice rink, every good Christmas market has one. But I don't believe every ice rink has live music like in Hyde Park. If I didn't had so much planned, I think I would walked around there for the whole duration of my trip. And I would love every single minute.

In a photographers stand point I could keep taking photos. And that in the circus as during the festival itself. The circus was a bit tricky. The acts were so fast sometimes. I needed to think quick and so did my camera. The festival had everything, bright lights against the dark night sky, stalls with different displays and lots of people for a scenic overall shot or close ups. It was fun and I took a lot of photos. I didn't bring my tripod.I had to take what I learned from the last time I went out at night with my camera. High ISO, low diaphragm and quicker closing times. Here are my best photos, hope you love them as much is I do.

ISO 3200 F/4,5 1/400

ISO 3200 F/5,6 1/60s

ISO 6400 F/5,6 1/50s

ISO 6400 F/5,6 1/200s

ISO 6400 F/5,6 1/160s

ISO 1600 F/4,5 1/25s

ISO 1600 F/4,5 1/250s

ISO 1600 F/4,5 1/50s

ISO 1600 F/4,5 1/250s

ISO 3200 F/4,5 1/200s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/30s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/80

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/60s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/160s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/40

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/60s

ISO 1600 F/5,6 1/30s

Enjoy Photography
and
Happy Holidays

Caroline

zondag 21 december 2014

Citytrip: Me and my camera in London

I LOVE LONDON!!!

Wanted that out in the open first.

My trip didn't start great. Me and my mom suppose to take a flight from Antwerp to London. But because of the strake from the day before (15/12) we couldn't leave as planed. Normally we had a flight at 7:15am but the airline company hadn't have planes in Antwerp so non of the flights could leave that day. There was a make-up flight the day after but then we would loose a day. So we booked a flight with an other airline flying from Antwerp. That flight was in the afternoon so we lost a half day anyway. I hope I get some of my money back. I wanted that out of my system before I said anything about my trip itself.

London is amazing. We didn't had a lot of time but I tried to see as much as possible. After we landed we went to our hotel and then directly to Hyde Park for the Winter Wonderland Festival. We did the circus, which was the best start of our trip. We had a chance to relax for a second and realize we were in London. After that we went to a Persian restaurant to eat and then back to our hotel. Day two was a shopping day: Oxford street, Regent street, Carnaby street and Piccadilly Circus. Then back to the hotel to change clothes and back to Picadilly to eat in an amazing steakhouse and than to the nutcracker ballet in the London Colloseum. The last day was short too. We had to leave our hotel at 12:30 to catch our plane home. So in the morning we did are last shopping. Our trip was way to short so we are going back soon. Lots more to see and to do.

Traveling is hard as a photographer because you like to stay at places longer to take better and more beautiful photos. When you are alone are with others that are photographers too there is no problem, when you are with somebody who doesn't take photos it's tricky. They do understand in some way but not for to long they want to move on. I get that you want to see a lot, I want that too. So looking for a balance in seeing a lot and taking photos is not easy. It's even harder when you are there for the first time. You don't know the best angles to take the best photo yet. It's a learning curve I know, but here are my best shots. The photos from Winter wonderland and the circus are to follow.