Improving on nature

Apart from the last three blogs, all the other photos have been taken by me and these are no exception. Well they it was easy for me to take as it is the view a few days ago from the back of my house. It is not quite as glamourous as the Matterhorn or the Eiffel Tower but it is helped by the rainbow.

It is no use converting to monochrome. You would still see the rainbow but without the colour you would not be improving the photo. However I did feel that the telephone lines were a distraction so I have taken out the main lines on the right. If this were a really important photo then I could have taken out the other lines but I think you get to see the effect of the clone tool. Look at the sky behind those telephone lines. I prefer the sky in the second photo. Sometimes you can improve on nature.

Happy snapping

I admit they aren't my photos

Alright, I admit it. For the last three days the photographs have not been mine, but all the others have. A friend asked me if I could do anything with her holiday photos and in return I asked if I could use her photos on this blog. It was a biking holiday to Switzerland, Austria and France and all photos were taken with a mobile phone. I don't know the number of megapixels in the camera and I don't know the quality of the lens but the photos are fine.

In this case the Alps are the background but I prefer the closer cropping, the increased contrast and the conversion to sepia on the right. Maybe the quality from a phone is not the same as from an SLR but it generally doesn't matter if you are making small prints and it really doesn't matter if you like the final result, noise and all.

Happy snapping

Another European Landmark

Yesterday's blog showed photos of a man-made European landmark. Here is a natural one. There is no mistaking that you are in Switzerland but did you know that the Matterhorn has four faces to the east, west, north and south?

Again this photo was taken with a mobile phone (I'll explain tomorrow) and again it shows how technology is improving. The photo on the left is a simple cropping along with a slight increase in contrast. On the right I changed it to sepia, primarily because I like sepia but it does make a difference. It may remind you of old Victorian photos or you may think of the changing light under unusual weather conditions.

Happy snapping

The art of noise

This photo was recently taken on a mobile phone and just shows how easy it is to take photos that you may wish to hang on your wall. It is amazing how technology has advanced but there will always be limits to what you can do with your photographic equipment.

Noise is the digital equipment of film grain. It is the speckles of colour that you would see on the right if it wasn't for the conversion to monochrome. However you can see the limitations of the sensor in the way that straight lines become steps.

Some may see this as a technological limitation but others prefer to call it art.

Happy snapping

Liverpool Parish Church

This is the Liverpool Parish Church, otherwise known as the Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas and it is just around the corner from the Liver Building. It is no surprise to discover that St Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and locally it is known as the sailors' church. We are told on the bus tour that there has been a church on this site for over 700 years and the weather vane has been on top of the steeple for 200 years. It is four and a half feet long and made of gilded copper - and who says Scousers are thieves? I should point out that the tour guide asked this question, not me.

This photo, like those of previous blogs were taken from the top of a bus, but this is one that I would single out to take again. I would go back, pick my spot and use a tripod. The reason for this is that I have directed your attention to a very small part of the photo and it does not have the detail that I would like. You lose detail by being on a moving vehicle. You lose detail caused by movement due to holding the camera. On a clear day this is difficult to see except in cases like this. However if you want the photo to be enlarged, if the light is not so good or even if you just want to take the best possible photos then a tripod is for you.

Happy snapping

St George's Hall

I don't think this is the best view of St George's Hall in Liverpool but the photo on the left is one that I took when I got off the bus. I think you can still tell that it is a grade I listed building even from this side and if you like your architecture neo-classical then this is a building for you.

The interesting thing from a photographic point of view is the lighting. On the left we have the late morning and on the right it is the late afternoon. If you have the time and want the best photo that you can take then wait for nice weather and know when the sun will give the best image. It isn't when the sun is directly in front or behind the subject. When sunlight is from the side it adds depth due to the shadows.

Happy snapping

A Yellow Duck Marine

I need to go back to Liverpool as there are so many more things that I want to do including taking a trip on the boat that you can see in the Albert Dock. It must be a great way to see the waterfront. It is actually an amphibious WWII landing vehicle and you get to see the city sites too. I glanced at the posters and I think there are quite a few tours, so maybe I need a few days in Liverpool.

The only difference between the photo on the left and the photo on the right is a conversion to monochrome. There is less dominance from the colourful brick buildings and the blue sky. Even with all the colour on the left, he 'Yellow Duck Marine' is much less obvious on the right. In other words the landing craft dominates the scene because of its colour. And I thought it was a play on the title of a Beatles' song.

Happy snapping