May 13 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on May 13, 2015

I wrote a while back about my experience at the Apple ‘Meet the iPhone Photographer‘ event in London. You can read about it here.

I got notification on Monday that the podcast went live. You can watch the full interview here or if you prefer you can listen to it. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id993249071

Choosing one image from Korea here today, but it is an image from last year. I cannot go too long with posting ordinary photographs. Every now and then I need to shake things up and put some punk rock in my photography. So here is a creation.

The pip-pop life span of worries

The iPhone image is from London. I enjoyed London so, so much. This was shot on the bridge to the right of Millennium bridge. Its name escapes me. The passerby didn’t.

Committed to the future

April 25 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on April 25, 2015

Two more shots from the short trip to Tokyo again today. I was there for only four days and it rained so much. The first time I had been in Tokyo it also rained a lot. Being a real Irishman, I never feel the need to get an umbrella. Umbrellas and rain gear are really just for tourists when they come to Ireland. The rain in Ireland comes mainly in showers and having to carry an umbrella around is a pain in the ass, to be honest. But in Tokyo when it rains, it seems like it never ends. Back in 2012, when I met Michael Kistler one of the first things we did together was to enter a convenience store and to my surprise Michael bought me an umbrella – a transparent one. OK, I thought. Why not?

Now when I am in Tokyo I make sure to get a transparent umbrella. Why? Because it allows me to get these beautiful shots of Tokyo through the transparent umbrella. Here is one of those I got in 2012.

This one I am posting today was shot on the Fuji X100t on an early Friday evening in Shibuya. I like the girl making eye contact on the right of the frame.

Keeping Dry in Tokyo

The iPhone image was shot on a Saturday morning – when it was not raining – in Ginza, which to my surprise has the main street pedestrianised at weekends. I had been in Ginza a few times, but had never really liked it that much in comparison to other Toyko districts. But being able to wander around the street unencumbered by traffic was a great experience.

I am always drawn to lines (pun intended). I found these diverging lines and I knew how I wanted to compose the image. I wanted a couple to approach and part on either side of these lines. Now, this is much easier to imagine in the inside of my head than to actually occur, what with me lingering on the line waiting to snap the approaching passersby. I had to pretend I was talking on the phone. I saw this couple approach and like so much of photography – patience met luck and as they came to the line they parted and walked on either side of the line. Click! I got the shot.

This divide between us will be filled with love or loss

March 23 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on March 23, 2015

More images shot in Milan. This first one created with the Fuji x100t (which is sick and recovering in the Fuji hospital in the UK – wishing it a speedy recovery) in a underground station in Milan. We had a marvellous time while we were there, but one of things I wish I had was more time to create photographs. The woman blurred out in the image is my good and patient wife whose holiday was punctuated with my photographing. Had she not been with me, I would stayed and worked these locations much more, but I had to work quickly here. Now, don’t get me wrong. I would not have changed anything about the two days we had in Milan. But of course, I do see photographic opportunities lost. 🙂

Punctuating Patience

In Milan, I was struck by the strong characters I encountered. The men had such expressive features. This iPhone image is one of those. I saw this man in a stopped tram staring at me. As I approached with the camera, his gaze intensified.

Milan

March 20 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on March 20, 2015

Posting two images from Milan today. One taken with the Fuji x100t (read my review here) and the other with the iPhone. News about the x100t – I had to return it to the shop. The focus is not working properly and it began to freeze. Looks like it is faulty. The shop have sent it back to Fuji so I will be without it for a period of three weeks. Just when I was growing to like it.

The first image here was taken on a platform in Cadorna metro station in Milan in the evening. Once we turned on to the platform, I was struck by the dazzling black and white horizontal lines of this man’s hoodie. Standing behind him, I shot about 10 different images – both in focus and out-of-focus, and also getting some with the iPhone. It wasn’t the easiest to get as the station was teeming with people and I had the impression that the guy knew I was photographing him.

The hesitancy scale

The iPhone shot is super special to me. This was the moment when I fully realised that my photograph was on display around the world and the enormity of it all hit home. It was a beautiful moment and seeing my wife smiling at me when I became a little emotional about it all is a memory which will stay with me forever. The shot is another to add to the series of images I am doing on reflections. You can see me there – there with my shot on a billboard in Milan, Italy.

All lit up in Milan

March 1 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on March 1, 2015

I began this post by writing February, then realized we have stumbled into March. The year is almost gone! Well, the winter is. And how I hate the winter. The dark, the cold, the wet, the short, short days and those trees. Those trees that need to cheer the fuck up!

I am still struggling to get the hang of the new Fuji X100T (read my review here). Its slow responsiveness is the main thing for me. Often on the street I will have the camera set to take multiple images. It is especially helpful as it is a split-second scene you are dealing with and getting four or five frames can be great. The Fuji, when it is set to take a few frames per second, also seems to take a few seconds to store these frames and you get this damn annoying storing message while it does so. Why? Just do it! Let me get on with shooting.

And if I want to manually focus, don’t think that I cannot be trusted with this and refocus for me. Please!

I know I just need to readjust the settings somehow and all will be resolved. I hope. Solutions in the comments box. Thanks.

Anyway, rant suspended. (It is folly to end rants, just suspend them. Leave them, marinating. You can add to them later. You know it makes sense.)

Today’s photos were taken on a photo walk in Cork last Friday evening. It was a wet, miserable evening. We get this deceptive, misty rain that seems so light and harmless, but it falls in sheets and soaks you. I started off the walk down by South Gate Bridge and while I was waiting to cross the road I saw this character appear. Not having much time to get the settings right for the shot (note to self: get this done at home before you head out), I got the Fuji out and having no zoom I tried to get as close as I could to him. The result is below.

Cork

The iPhone image is a similar shot in many ways. This was taken in Dublin the previous weekend. The iPhone really is a wonderful camera. For me, it is the best there is for street work. I weave with this camera in my hand. Weave and swerve in the crowds getting those shots. I like this character.

The slowing tick tock

February 16 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on February 16, 2015

Well, I think this must be the final image from Shibuya at night. To get so many shots from one location at the same time is unusual. And the great thing about it is that I have learnt a lot from these images. I can do better.

Shibuya Forever

This iPhone image was taken yesterday in Cork. This very cool, young girl was getting some privacy as she checked her phone. An innovative way to use hair!

Cork

February 13 2015

Posted by Brendan Ó Sé on February 13, 2015

Friday the 13th. Unlucky for some who believe in that kind of thing.

Things on my mind today:

Newness

Forgiveness

Knowing it is still being said

In others we look to see

Photographic Punctuation

Trying to see what can be seen and how to see it.

Tag Archives: black and white photography