Sunset at OAKA

803_5181 [Sunset at OAKA]

 

I had gone to this place with a specific photographic project in mind but I was faced with adverse conditions that rendered the project impossible to carry out. The long metal “tunnel”, designed by the architect S. Calatrava for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, provided me with an alternative project: to experiment using the hyperfocal distance in an attempt to achieve maximum depth of field. Indeed, I focused at 122cm and, to my surprise, I found the outcome more than encouraging. Not bad for a beginning, I think.

[The sunset was only a 'by-product' here.]

 

Photographed in Athens on September 03, 2019.

 

Please click on the picture to have a better view.

S. Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

803-240 [SNFCC pano]

The new Greek Cultural Center in Athens, with its ease of access, beauty, diversity, novelty and tens of other reasons, offers itself as an irresistible photographic spot. Ideal, I might say, for amateur photographers who would like to experiment and improve their skills. One of my favorite spots!
 
On this spot, I often spend some relaxing time shooting panoramas. Occasionally, repeating the ones that failed! Why not? It’s free, enjoyable and educating! The above rectilinear panorama resulted from stitching 17 vertical pictures.
 
Photographed in Athens on October 02, 2019.
 

803_0286 [SNFCC pano]

 This is also a composition of 17 pictures but processed in a way that would produce a cylindrical panorama. I had never tried this process before but I thought the series of trees might yield an interesting result. So, I gave it a try.
 
Photographed in Athens on September 26, 2017.

Please click on both pictures to have a better view.

 

“Two for the price of one!”

_8029822 [Full moon - Eclipse]

The picture above is a composite of 30 shots taken consecutively at an internal of 140 seconds with the purpose in mind to show the direction and the course of the full moon across the sky.

I was almost at the beginning of the shooting session when I started getting worried about the fact that I hadn’t seen the full moon emerge from the sea at the expected time and that a few minutes later I could see only a faint part of the moon disk. Were there any clouds there that I couldn’t see? I wondered. It was then when a passer-by approached and asked me: “Has it started yet?” “Started what?” I asked. "The eclipse.” she said. I have to confess with some sort of embarrassment that I had no idea I was shooting not only the full moon but also a moon eclipse at the same time! If only I had known! I could have used a more suitable lens to show eclipse in magnification.

Photographed in Rafina port on August 07, 2017

Please click on the photo for a better view.

Late evening traffic

802_6513 [Late evening traffic]

Watching the full moon from an overpass on a warm summer evening, I was tempted to experiment once again with capturing the light trails of cars rushing out of and into the city. Similar attempts had refused to yield acceptable results for me but “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” I thought. So I set the camera on the tripod.

A couple of days later the processed image on the screen of my computer reminded me of the old well-known saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” I’m glad I did.

Please click on the picture for a better view.

Photographed at the outskirts of Athens on July 20, 2016

Nature’s necklace

802_7690 [Nature’s necklace]

The heavy rain that almost flooded the city a few days ago left behind difficult conditions for many but an opportunity for the blogger to experiment with capturing water drops that kept hanging from plant twigs.
 
Looking at the captured image on the screen, I subconsciously associated it with a necklace but I thought something was missing. So I took the liberty [“artistic license”?] to add a few stars here and there to provide a little bit of the missing glittering quality of a necklace.
 
I’m sharing the outcome with you.
 
Photographed in Holargos on November 27, 2016

Prospero autumnale

802_7208 [Prospero autumnale]

This is a very small autumn squill that often remains unnoticeable by the passer-by. Yet, its beautiful flowers - usually less than a cm wide that come in variations of pink, violet or blue, are rewarding to the viewer. The flower above was experimentally flooded with light from five flash sources in an attempt to pop up color and detail.

Photographed at Hollargos on October 21, 2016.jpg

Phalaenopsis amabilis

Photographed in Paris on August 11, 2011

Taraxacum officinale

801_9376 [Taraxacum officinale]

Photographed in Holargos on April 23, 2015

Bellardia trixago

801_9771 [Bellardia trixago]

Photographed at Schinias on May 09, 2015

Pebbles

801_7047 [Pebbles]

Photographed in Aigina on August 13, 2014

star trails

801_6265 [star trails]

This was an experimental attempt to record star trails by turning the camera to an unusual direction. Instead of shooting the Northern star (Polaris) and the stars seemingly moving around it - a fact that would lead to a recording of concentric trails - we turned the camera South aiming slightly over the horizon to see what happens.

The resulting photograph (a combination of 404 photographs stacked in StarTrails v.2) seems to be interesting. Curved trails in the upper right corner belong to stars that seem to be revolving around the Northern star, the ones in the lower left corner (having an opposite curvature) belong to stars that seem to be revolving around the Southern Cross (Crux), while in between one can notice star trails forming an almost straight line. Why a straight line is up to you to find out. My astronomy knowledge is too poor to explain something like that, as obvious as that might be. So any clarifying contribution to that point would be more than welcome!


Photographed on Cape Sounio on July 30, 2014

The "Park of Souls" under the whirling stars

801_5921 [The "Park of Souls" under the whirling stars]

 The "Park of Souls" is a composition of human figures sculpted on logs of burnt trees by the artist Spyros Dasiotis. 
It stands on Mt. Parnitha at a height of 1018 m opposite a deserted sanatorium which had been the artist's key source of inspiration for the park.
It was inaugurated on Oct. 20, 2012

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on July 27, 2014

[See also here.]

Asphodeline liburnica

DDD3323 [Asphodeline liburnica]

Photographed on Mt. Oiti on August 10, 2013

Trifolium stellatum

DDD_2000 [Trifolium stellatum]

Holargos: 18/04/2013, photo by Tony Taglides

Pattern on the Pavement

IMG_0028 [Pattern on the Pavement]

Standing on the pavement in a beautiful village of Central Greece, I noticed there was a pattern under my feet. Not having my camera with me, I made use of my mobile phone and took the picture. Later, I slightly straightened the crooked image with software to emphasize the pattern.

 

Central Greece: 08/02/2009, photo by Tony Taglides

Bateaux-Mouches® on the River Seine

CCC_4449 HDRv2 [Bareax-Mouches on the River Seine]

Click photo for a larger view.

Photo taken in Paris on 12/08/2011

A Malay orchid

Pict 148 [A Malay orchid]

Click photo for a larger view.

Malaysia:  23/01/2005, photo by Tony Taglides

Anchusa sartorii

CCC_6732-2 [Anchusa sartorii]

Schinias: 27/03/2012, photo © Tony Taglides

Nelumbo nucifera

MG3319 [Nelumbo nucifera]

Athens 04/06/2006, photo © Tony Taglides

Trifolium stellatum

AAA9241 [Trifolium stellatum]

Attiko Alsos 06/05/2009, photo © Tony Taglides