Backlight

Silhouettes

22/04/2017 by Marthin Leave a Comment

There’s no secret I’m fascinated by silhouettes, or to be less specific, the properties of light. Combining whatever light at hand with it’s direction can procure all sorts of effects. The light can for instance be dispersed in heavy fog, you can explore the powerful effects of backlight, or just use a the skies as a huge softbox to create a scene reminiscent of an ancient time.

The other day I had an early morning errand at Ryen, south-east in Oslo. Still on the platform, having just leaved the Tube, I noticed how people on the bridge above me stood out as silhouettes against the morning sky. Of course I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get my camera into action …

Glowing

03/03/2017 by Marthin Leave a Comment

I usually take a lot of B/W shots. But not this time, here we have something completely different.

As I stood on the underground train heading to work in the early hours, I spotted a hard, strong glow radiating from a construction site close to Brynseng Underground Station. Its effects upon people waiting for their trains immediately caught my eyes, forcing me out of the morning semi-consciousness resulting from just having absorbed two small espressos so far …

So I left the carriage, and tried a series of shots from different angles before the natural light came into play.

The northern morning light

21/10/2016 by Marthin Leave a Comment

under_the_bridge_3-1

We´ve had a long, and unusual bright, autumn in the northern parts of Europe, with so many mornings emerging in vivid sunshine. Demanding, from a photographical point of view, but also full of opportunities to capitalize on.

Haven´t I talked about backlight before? Of course I have! One of the most pronounced effect is the halo. It´s not at all difficult to create, and the effects can be stunning.

So here is how it goes: Remember to bring your camera! Place yourself in a position where your subject, especially a person, is between yourself and a low, hard light source. Underexpose about 3 stops. Click! And there you go!

Don’t know what I mean by “underexpose about 3 stops?” Ask me! I’m more than happy to tell.

Innanzi la Madonna!

30/09/2016 by Marthin Leave a Comment

innanzi_alla_madonna_1-1 Spotting this tableau in a window as I walked by, I couldn´t resist the urge to capture it. And immediately I was reminisced of Tosca, the opera by the Giacomo Puccini, the maestro himself.

In a first act encounter, unfolding in the church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle, the jealous Tosca makes her lover reassure his love and faithfulness in front of the statue of the Madonna (“Innanzi la Madonna!”).

And to fill in the general picture, this scene emerged, just a stone’s throw away from the catholic church in Oslo, in a street with the rather mind blowing name “Dops gate” (literally, although actually not meant to be, “Drug Street”) …

And the sun also sets

19/08/2016 by Marthin Leave a Comment

Motlys_Karl_Johan_1.1 kopi

Pointing the camera right into the sun is a risky business. Nevertheless, I love it. Objectively speaking, it makes it impossible to achieve a perfect picture (whatever that is), but you get so many thrilling effects!

Capturing this, I hadn´t the faintest idea what I was doing. The sun was extremely hard, and low, as it was settling. I couldn´t see anything through the viewfinder. But, far from being flawless, (and after a fair bit of post-processing), the resulting image turned out reasonably interesting, I think.

And for those of you who finds my city alluring, and would like to know the location. The shot was taken where Karl Johans Street starts, with my back to the railway station, facing the Royal Castle (not visible at this photo).

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