What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘nikon’ category

Melancholy

France, Montpellier – August 1998

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #121 is ‘Focus on the subject’.

One from the archives. A little boy in Montpellier.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using  Snapseed and Marksta, Click the picture for a bigger version

The Two of Us

The Netherlands, Nunspeet – August 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #118 is ‘Communication’.

A walk over a field of heather in the Zandenbos near Nunspeet.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Birch

The Netherlands, Vierhouten – August 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #117 is ‘A photo Walk’.

A walk over a field of heather near Vierhouten.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

E-bicycle

The Netherlands, Nunspeet – August 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #116 is ‘symmetry’.

The Pas Opweg leading to the Hidden Village in the forest near Nunspeet. In 1943 – 1944 the Dutch resistance build a village where people, wanted by the Germans, could hide.
We are lucky to have thousands of kilometers of free bicycle lanes in The Netherlands. And riding an e-bike for the first time in my life in this forest was a wonderful experience.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Cantal France 1993

France, Cantal – August 1993

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #115 is ‘Inspiration’.

An old travel photo from 1993 in France. The Cantal is a beautiful area with no longer active volcanoes. Landscapes inspire me. This one was amazing.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Manakah 1998

Yemen, Manakah – March 1998

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #112 is ‘Pick a Word… ’.

A country tangled in a dreadful civil war, unfortunately.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Paris 1989

France, Paris – February 1989

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #112 is ‘Pick a Word… ’.

In 1989 the Notre Dame de Paris was dominating the view of the Isle de France. Let us hope that after the fire she will come back untangled in its old splendor, resting comfortable between the two arms of the Seine.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Rome 1998

Italy, Rome – September 1998

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #110 is ‘Creativity in a time of Covid’.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Berlin November 1989

Germany, Berlin – November 1989

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #110 is ‘Creativity in a time of Covid’.

Looking back to our history we have known barriers and borders, preventing us to do what we wanted, or keeping us in. The Berlin Wall in November 1989, just before it ‘fell’.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Göreme Valley 1987

Turkey, Göreme Valley, September 1987

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #110 is ‘Creativity in a time of Covid’.

Looking back in the archive for another challenge, I dug up some old images. This is Turkey, 1987. It must be Fuji film, and probably Nikon F301 with a long lens, but I am not sure.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish in – an originally – small series. That series caught on a bit more than I thought. All of them are not retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

Dandelions

The NetherLands, Vught – May 2012

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #105 is ‘Spring’.

shot with Nikon D7000, edited using Snapseed and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version.

Growing Up

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #104 is ‘Summer’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Grass

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #104 is ‘Summer’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Agapanthus in the Rain

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #104 is ‘Summer’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Heads Up

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #104 is ‘Summer’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Bee

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #104 is ‘Summer’.

Flowers and bee.

SShot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Aachen Saints

Germany, Aachen – November 2016

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #102 is ‘A Quiet Moment’.

SShot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Dark

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #100 is ‘the long and winding road’.

First congratulations and big thanks to Tina, Ann- Christine, Amy and Patti, for starting this weekly challenge after the WordPress WPC stopped.

The present state of the world and us living on it is far from ideal. By acknowledging this and embrace it, we can start to take steps. Racism, global warming, privilege, hunger, economic greed, poverty all have to do with our behaviour as people. So we can change it. That is a long and winding road. And it will never be perfect or ideal.

When all you can see is dark, the heart sinks. But there is always light, powerful light. One little shimmer can spark change and lighten up our lives. Embrace sparks, encourage them to glow and burn.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Sky Bound

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #99 is ‘old and new’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Red

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #99 is ‘old and new’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Green

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #99 is ‘old and new’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Bulbs

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

 

Hanging

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

White roses

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Wisteria

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Sunset

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

 

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

An abstract sunset.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Light

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #98 is ‘delicate colours’.

Wild flowers against a dark backdrop.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Proud Parents

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

We have a family of great tits as guests in our backyard. The parents fly in and out to feed the unseen – but quite vocally present – brethren. The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #96 is ‘cropping the shot’. Show how and why you crop shots, that is the basic question.

Basically I am not an avid cropper. Certainly in the days of film, cropping let always to the loss of quality. In digital times that is somehow different, especially using RAW format and a much better image capture technology. But in general: when taking the photo I try to frame it the way I want the final result to look like. Sometimes (digital is cheap) I take different frames of the same subject. But sometimes that is not possible.

In this photo – to close the series – a lucky shot of the two proud and very busy parents. I was focussing on one of them in the Wisteria, when the other came into the shot as well. The quality is not that great but it closes this series nicely.

 

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Stepping Out

 

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

 

We have a family of great tits as guests in our backyard. The parents fly in and out to feed the unseen – but quite vocally present – brethren. The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #96 is ‘cropping the shot’. Show how and why you crop shots, that is the basic question.

Basically I am not an avid cropper. Certainly in the days of film, cropping let always to the loss of quality. In digital times that is somehow different, especially using RAW format and a much better image capture technology. But in general: when taking the photo I try to frame it the way I want the final result to look like. Sometimes (digital is cheap) I take different frames of the same subject. But sometimes that is not possible.

In this photo the nest is on the back of our shed, and I can sit about 10 meters away, more or less hidden. Even using a long lens (300 mm on a not full frame sensor so approximately 450 mm) I can not get ‘close enough’. Because they are quite tiny, a distant shot is not that interesting to look at. Then cropping is a logical step to come up with a presentable result.

Yesterday I published ‘In Coming‘ that shows how one of the parents approaches the nest. Today a take off from the nest. It is relatively easy to record the departure from the nest: when you see the head, start using the burst and all chances are that you have one nice shot in flight.  To show you the amount of crop I added the original frame below.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

 

 

 

 

In Coming!!

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

 

We have a family of great tits as guests in our backyard. The parents fly in and out to feed the unseen – but quite vocally present – brethren. The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #96 is ‘cropping the shot’. Show how and why you crop shots, that is the basic question.

Basically I am not an avid cropper. Certainly in the days of film, cropping let always to the loss of quality. In digital times that is somehow different, especially using RAW format and a much better image capture technology. But in general: when taking the photo I try to frame it the way I want the final result to look like. Sometimes (digital is cheap) I take different frames of the same subject. But sometimes that is not possible.

In this photo the nest is on the back of our shed, and I can sit about 10 meters away, more or less hidden. Even using a long lens (300 mm on a not full frame sensor so approximately 450 mm) I can not get ‘close enough’. Because they are quite tiny, a distant shot is not that interesting to look at. Then cropping is a logical step to come up with a presentable result.

It is relatively easy to record the departure from the nest: when you see the head, start using the burst and all chances are that you have one nice shot in flight (see for an example here). In a shot like that you can zoom in quite close. Taking photos of the arrival to the nest is a bit more tricky. I found out that they come back using a certain pattern. They pause and sit 2 meters out on the wisteria, checking if returning is safe. But to catch them in flight I had to open up the frame a bit more. They are extremely quick and I can not see them take off for the final jump, so when I hear them I start using the burst, hoping it works out well. To show you the amount of crop I added the original frame below. A great tit in full brake.

 

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

 

 

Birdhouse

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

We have a family of blue tits as guests in our backyard.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Wisteria 2

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – April 2020

 

During corona lockdown the back garden is a frequented place, especially when the weather is nice.

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #94 is ‘At Home’.

Shot with Nikon D500, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Going Back – The Second Time Around (Tibet)

Tibet, near Shigatse – March 2004

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #92 is ‘Going Back – The second time around’.

In March 2004 I visited Tibet. It would be an understatement if I said it was overwhelming.
The backdrop of the Himalaya, the fact that most of the time we were 3500 meters or higher above my normal (sea) level.
The people and close contact with Buddhism. All parts of a puzzle that hopefully will bring me back once more.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Distance

England, Avebury – August 2008

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #90 is ‘distance’.

This is Avebury in August 2008. In times where rules of social distancing are not needed, distances can be there between people.

shot with Nikon D70, edited using Snapseed and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version

Windows

South Africa, Cape Town – November 2010

This one is for Dutch Goes The Photo ‘Connect’. Even behind a window one can connect.

shot with Nikon D70, edited using Snapseed and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version

Ode To Strawinksy

France, Paris – January 1989

 Strawinksy Fountain at Beaubourg.

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #89 is ‘river’.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

For more information on how to join the Weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, click here for details.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

River

France, St. Rome de Dolan – September 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #89 is ‘river’.

The canyon of the Tarn River in France at the ‘Point Splendide’.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Louvre

France, Paris – January 1989

Paris, Louvre.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

For more information on how to join the Weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, click here for details.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris

France, Paris – January 1989

Paris La Défense.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

For more information on how to join the Weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, click here for details.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

 

Gorges du Tarn

France, Gorges du Tarn – September 2006

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #88 is ‘chaos’.

The canyon of the Tarn River in France at the ‘Point Splendide’.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version