Day #27 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 800
Shutter Speed: 0.6 sec
Aperture: f5.0

Comments
We got a lot of snow here in Munich the last two days. Unlike the times before, no one seemed to have really expected it. Almost everything was covered in snow and the roads have been very slippery.

I took this shot through my apartment window. I enhanced it with Topaz Adjust in post-processing.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #26 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 800
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
We only recently removed our Christmas decorations and my wife was already starting to feel like a stranger at home. So, we did some decoration shopping over the weekend and this is her piece of art. I used the Topaz Adjust filter to make this shot look like a painting and it worked out very well, I think.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #25 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 5 sec
Aperture: f11

Comments
Every now and then I get this urge to do an MBA. Today's one of those days. I visited an MBA Fair in Munich about a year ago and collected lots of university prospectus while I was there - they are shown in this photo. They also handed me an issue of Business Week with the question, "What's an MBA really worth?" emblazoned on the front cover. Anyway, I arranged the documents on a table and used the flashlight trick once again (for information about the method I used, check out my previous post). Later, I spiced up the photo with Topaz Adjust.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #24 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Aperture: f4.0

Comments
So, this is what kept me busy over the weekend. My wife got herself a brand new toy - an iPhone 3GS 16GB. How I wish it was mine. *sigh*

joel@shutteria.com

Day #23 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/13 sec
Aperture: f2.2

Comments
It's amazing what Topaz Adjust can do to an otherwise very regular shot! I took this shot in our living room. We were finishing the remainder of a bottle of wine that we opened over the weekend when I decided to take this shot. Topaz Adjust did some magic to the colors in this one.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #22 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
OK, that's me. I didn't feel very creative today and just wanted to get over with my photo of the day. However, I did spice the shot up a little with Topaz Adjust.

This is my first time using Topaz Adjust and I must say that I'm really happy with it. Topaz Adjust is a Photoshop filter / plug-in that adds some creative effects to pictures. I haven't bought it yet but am still using the 30-day trial license. If you haven't tried it out, I would suggest you do.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #21 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Canon Digital IXUS 70
Lens: N/A
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
Aperture: f2.8

Comments
Our department had a two-day workshop and it ended today. It was really good to get to know my new colleagues, understand the new organization better and collectively define our steps forward. On the first night, we had dinner in a Mongolian restaurant. Everyone who attended the workshop showed up. On the second night, the eight of us in our team went out for dinner in a Bavarian restaurant.

This photo was taken in the U-bahn on my way back. As you can see, it was pretty empty at that time of the night.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #20 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
This has to be the biggest news of the day here in Munich! There was a bomb alert in Munich airport after a passenger's laptop tested positive for explosives but the airport staff weren't able to stop him from getting away. If you're confused, rest assured that you're not alone. Anyway, it turned out to be a false alarm. The next day they were talking about this incident on the radio and attributed this major mistake to the low salaries being paid to some of the airport staff. Case closed.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #19 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/15 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
That's how I feel tonight - exhausted. We got this teddy bear from some friends from church for a friend who'll be giving birth real soon.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #18 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/15 sec
Aperture: f5.6

Comments
My fruits for the day - all prepared by my lovely wife.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #17 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/25 sec
Aperture: f11

Comments
This is my first time lapse video and the photos were taken from my apartment here in Munich. I downloaded a free software called DCamCapture that turned my PC into an intervalometer which took a sequence of 210 photos with a 30-second break between each shot. Finally, I used Adobe Photoshop Premiere Elements 8 to create the video from the set of still images.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #16 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/8 sec
Aperture: f2.0

Comments
We had a couple of friends over for dinner tonight and they brought us a lovely bottle of white wine (shown here). Prior to that, we all went over for a much needed swim in the nearby swimming pool. I prepared dinner - Spaghetti Bolognese a la me.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #15 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 10 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
These boots are made for walking. I just got back from a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia. For this photo, I used the flashlight method (described in my previous post) again. I am pleased to see that this approach works well in black and white too.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #14 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Canon Digital IXUS 70
Lens: N/A
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1.0 sec
Aperture: f2.8

Comments
This photo was taken on my second and last night in Belgrade. My colleagues and I visited a restaurant along the River Danube called Amsterdam. The food was really good and reasonably priced.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #13 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Canon Digital IXUS 70
Lens: N/A
Flash: N/A
Tripod: N/A
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f8.0

Comments
I was in Belgrade, Serbia on business the last few days. This photo, which is the first one I took there, was taken in a new part of Belgrade known as New Belgrade (surprise, surprise). I was pleasantly impressed with the rapid development in Belgrade. Up till now, I've only heard about the many wars and conflicts that nation has gone through over the last couple of decades.

The locals that I came across while I was there were extremely friendly and this indeed made me feel welcome. I'm indeed looking forward to visiting Belgrade again. Perhaps next time I will be able to experience a bit more of the city.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #12 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 10 sec
Aperture: f2.5

Comments
All packed for Belgrade, Serbia. For this photo, I set the exposure time to 10 seconds. switched off all the lights in my room, released the shutter and then flashed my torchlight at my luggage for about two seconds.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #11 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 30.0 sec
Aperture: f8.0

Comments
My day#9 photo was taken with the help of an LED flashlight. I used the flashlight to highlight the main subject in the frame, while the rest was left dark. I figured that if I looked hard enough, I would be able to take a photo with similar characteristics without having to use a flashlight. Basically, I needed to look around for a light source that would play the role of my flashlight.

I took this photo from my balcony. I decided that a downward perspective would be good for a change. 

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 30.0 sec
Aperture: f16

Comments
Some of you may have heard about or are experiencing first-hand the heavy snow fall in Europe. I tried to capture my experience with this photo. The warm light seems to make it a little cozy while the snow-covered tree makes it a little spooky.

We got very heavy snow fall today. It was delayed by a couple of days though - initial forecasts had shown that the weekend would see heavy snow fall. Those who ski would have preferred the forecasts to be right. Tough luck.

---

I couldn't decide which of the two was my favorite, so I decided to post two photos today. Let me know which one is your favorite.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #10 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
Aperture: f8.0

Comments
There are lots of crows outside our apartment and I wanted to photograph them today. Unfortunately, when I approached the tree upon which they were having their siesta, they were startled and flew away. I converted this photo to gray scale and increased the contrast dramatically. The result is sort of a black and white design piece. Look closely and you'll notice a few brave crows that didn't fly away.

joel@shutteria.com

Day #9 @ Photography Project 365

Specifications
Camera: Nikon D60 (model replaced by Nikon D3000)
Lens: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED
Flash: N/A
Tripod: Slik Pro 400DX
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1.3 sec
Aperture: f8.0

Comments
I read in a photography magazine a few months back about a technique whereby flashlights are used to emphasize subjects in low light photography. The photographer keeps the surrounding dark, uses a long exposure time and shines the flashlight on the main subject in the frame. I tried this for the first time here.

On a side note, I'm reading the The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham at the moment. I've only made it through the introduction so far, so I'm in no position to comment. However, if this book is nearly as good as Warren Buffet says it is, it ought to be a worthwhile read.

joel@shutteria.com