View allAll Photos Tagged seeminglee

Since the dawn of civilisation, humans look upon the heavens and are in awe of its ever-changing patterns. Although completely abstract in configuration, it never ceases to amaze. Exactly what it is that makes these puffy clouds so delightful to see?

 

So I started to use a telephoto lens to do panoramic shots of these sceneries. Yes, if you use a wide-angle lens you could very possibly capture the same moment and then crop out the sky — but you see, when you crop a digital image, you lose all the details and subtleties in the abstract painting, and all you are left with are pixels in white and blue. And in this panorama stitched using 18 RAW captures, you get instead an image which can be printed with all the resolution in its glory.

 

Across social media networks, be it Facebook, Google Plus, or the recent rather unfortunate redesign of Flickr, there is an increasing need for some imageries which extend a very wide field of view. Call it a banner or cover photo if you will, and based on analytics reports I was surprised to find my panoramas making their ways to blogs as banner images. Well here is another one for you… though I did not really see my photography as part of a background image, for the sake of Creative Commons, at least that would be a possible use…

 

I decided to use the 70-200 f/4L for this after noting that it was mostly sitting ducks ever since I bought the 100-400 — and without a doubt, the vaccuum-pump action on the 100-400 does not keep a very nice steady hand.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-06T15:09:56+0800

+ Dimensions: 29398 x 4024

+ Exposure: 1/800 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 200 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f/4L USM

+ Panorama FOV: 61 degree horizontal, 12 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG (Vista Paradiso, Ma On

Shan, Hong Kong)

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130806.6D.25010-SML.20130806.6D.25027-Pano.i18.61x12

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

藍天白雲棉 Puffy clouds in blue sky / 香港夏日全景之寧 Hong Kong Summer Panoramic Serenity / SML.20130806.6D.25010-SML.20130806.6D.25027-Pano.i18.61x12

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #自然 #Nature #天 #sky #雲 #clouds

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9449674579/

 

Every now and then I come across some seriously insane natural phenomenon. I often seen this view in movies and I always thought that it must be Photoshopped somehow, and yet today I went to the Hong Kong International Airport to hang out with a friend whom I have not seen in twenty years and the sky opened.

 

Nature. Crazyisgood!

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-04-25T20:15:29+0800

+ Dimensions: 5472 x 3648

+ Exposure: 1/640 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 40 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°18'51" N 113°56'12" E

+ Location: 香港國際機場 Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130425.6D.02896

+ Series: 寧 Serenity

 

“天開 Opening of the sky” / 香港國際機場之寧 Hong Kong International Airport Serenity / SML.20130425.6D.02896

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #機場 #airport #自然 #Nature #山水 #Landscape #雲 #Cloud #Cloudscape #天 #空 #Sky

The Aqua Luna Junk passed by Victoria Harbour near one of the six AV-8B Harrier Attack Plane [1] deployed by the USMC on USS Peleliu’s hanger during their recent visit in Hong Kong [2]. Across the harbour on the other side is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) located in Wan Chai [3]. Its architecture looks like a wings in flight, and thus creates an interesting echo of forms with the plane on deck.

 

With its unmistakeable red sails, the Aqua Luna is a boat which is modelled after the ancient Chinese sailing vessel/ship design developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) [4]. The junk (ship) can be seen in many of the photos and paintings depicting Hong Kong in history, and thus became a symbol of Hong Kong. These boat rides are ranked fairly highly by travellers on different travel sites.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-04-18T17:37:32+0800

+ Dimensions: 4922 x 3281

+ Exposure: 1/160 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 130 mm

+ ISO: 800

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°17'41" N 114°10'1" E

+ Location: 中國香港九龍尖沙咀海港城 Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

+ Subject: USMC AV-8B Harrier, USS Peleliu (LHA-5), United States Navy + HKCEC, Wanchai + Aqua Luna Junk

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130418.6D.01570

+ Series: Photojournalism

 

# Notes

1. The USS Peleliu (LHA-5) is a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy, named for the Battle of Peleliu of World War II. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Peleliu_(LHA-5)

2. The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) ground-attack aircraft. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AV-8B_Harrier

3. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Convention_and_Exhibition...

4. A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel/ship design still in use today. Junks may have developed from very early bamboo rafts which had a high stern. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and were used as seagoing vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(ship)

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

“Aqua Luna Junk + USMC AV-8B Harrier” / USS Peleliu (LHA-5) in Hong Kong / SML.20130418.6D.01570

/ #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #USS #Peleliu #LHA5 #USMC #planes #AquaLuna #HKCEC #VictoriaHarbour #ships #harbor #architecture

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8664252713/

The Gornergrat (English: Gorner Ridge; 3,135 m (10,285 ft)) is a rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps, overlooking the Gorner Glacier south-east of Zermatt in Switzerland. It can be reached from Zermatt by the Gornergrat rack railway (GGB), the highest open-air railway in Europe.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gornergrat

Felsenegg is located some 7 km (4.3 mi) to the southwest of the city of Zürich on the Albis chain, between the municipalities of Stallikon and Adliswil. The hilltop station of Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg (LAF for short or commonly called Felseneggbahn) aerial tramway is situated on Felsenegg.

 

Felsenegg includes a restaurant located at the summit overlooking the Sihl Valley and Lake Zürich to the east, and Reppisch valley, Türlersee and the so-called Säuliamt (District of Affoltern) to the west.

 

This panorama was taken from the outdoor sitting at Panorama-Restaurant Felsenegg (Felsenegg 1, Felsenegg 8143, Switzerland) with a city view of Zurich. You can in fact see the outdoor sitting on the left. Unfortunately, cropping it out will remove the nice horizon so I kept it in there.

 

Stitched with 15 captures, handheld.

Amazing work which looks like lenticular images by Brazilian artist Abraham Palatnik (b. 1928).

 

This genre of work is known as “kinechromatic,” a term coined in 1951 by Mario Pedrosa in an article in Tribuna da Imprensa in reference to Palatnik’s work. The artist initially created electro-mechanical devices, based on the kaleidoscopic principle, which projected a constantly changing pattern of coloured light on a screen.

 

This is not such device, but an acrylic on canvas painting, but it is no doubt that one influence another.

 

Love this.

 

Abraham Palatnik

W-427

2012

Acrylic on wood

110 x 170 cm

 

# Abraham Palatnik

Abraham Palatnik (born 1928) is a Brazilian artist and inventor whose innovations include kinechromatic art. He is Jewish and of Russian descent.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Palatnik

 

# Galeria Nara Roseler

 

Av Europa 655

São Paulo 01449-001

Brazil

 

www.nararoesler.com.br/

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-23T14:38:58+0800

+ Dimensions: 3777 x 2460

+ Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/2.0

+ Focal Length: 22 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Camera: Canon EOS M

+ Lens: Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM

+ GPS: 22°16'59" N 114°10'22" E

+ Location: 香港會議展覽中心 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130523.EOSM.04006

+ Series: 新聞攝影 Photojournalism, SML Fine Art, Art Basel Hong Kong 2013

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

“Painting by Abraham Palatnik (b. 1928 Brazil): W-427, 2012 (Acrylic on wood)” / Galeria Nara Roseler / Art Basel Hong Kong 2013 / SML.20130523.EOSM.04006

/ #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLFineArt #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #Art #FineArt #ArtBasel #ABHK #AbrahamPalatnik #GaleriaNaraRoseler #kinechromatic #abstract #forms #painting #acrylic

Most of the trees grown inside the Summer Palace (頤和園 Yíhé Yuán) are hundreds of years old. Their trunks and branches are aged and curved like banzai. Their leaves shimmer softly in the breeze under the summer afternoon sky.

 

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

 

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace

 

頤和園古樹 Ancient trees, Summer Palace / 中國北京 Beijing, China / SML.20140502.6D.31709.SQ.P1

GettyImages: gty.im/177603274

 

The first thing I thought of when I saw the reflection at the river was the oil paintings by Gustav Klimt [1] — in particular, the abstract geometric forms seen in his “golden phase.” Although it is often hard to say how an artist pick up his particular style of painting, it does make me wonder if Klimt has passed by some water surface near European castles, which under the afternoon sun create some fantastic abstract as seen here — though in this case it is just some residential building which has no architectural quality to speak of, though within the reflection they are very much desired.

 

Noting this, I would probably go back and shoot some videos as they are quite interesting to look at.

 

# Notes

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-09T16:44:15+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 1/400 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 235 mm

+ ISO: 160

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°23'25" N 114°12'3" E

+ Location: 香港沙田賽艇中心 Shatin Rowing Centre, Hong Kong

+ Subject: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130809.7D.49564.CR2

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature, 抽象 Abstract, 形 Forms

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

Ode to Klimt / 自然抽象之形 Nature Abstract Forms / 香港城門河之寧 Hong Kong Shing Mun River Serenity / SML.20130809.7D.49564

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #抽象 #Abstract #形 #Forms #SMLForms #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #water #reflection #Klimt

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9493527022/

Full res (10524x2955): www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8354397056/sizes/o/

 

Left: 青雲洞 (青云洞 “Green Cloud Cave”)

Right: 象鼻峰 (象鼻峰 “Elephant Trunk Peak”)

Center: 泰安市 (泰安市 The city of Tai'an) in 山東省 (山东省 Shandong Province), 中國 (中国 China).

 

# SML Setup

+ Canon EOS 7D

+ Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L

 

# SML Data

+ SML.20121011.7D.09602 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/1250 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09603 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/800 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09604 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/1250 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09605 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/800 sec

 

# SML Workflow

+ Adobe Photoshop CS6

+ Adobe Lightroom 4

 

Pano: 象鼻峰青雲洞 (象鼻峰青云洞 “Elephant Trunk Peak Green Cloud Cave”) / 山東省泰安市泰山 (山东省泰安市泰山 Mount Tai, Tai'an City, Shandong Province) / 中國旅遊 中国旅游 China Tourism / SML.20121011.7D.09602-09605.Pano.ChinaTourism.Shandong.MountTai

Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent Central Business District.

Artist Toolbox, seen inside Ruza Bagaric's studio in DUMBO. Bagaric's portfolio online: www.ruzabagaric.com

  

13th annual D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® (Sept 25 to Sept 27, 2009)

www.dumboartfestival.org/press_release.html

 

The three-day multi-site neighborhood-wide event is a one-of-a-kind art happening: where serendipity meets the haphazard and where the unpredictable, spontaneous and downright weird thrive. The now teenage D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® presents touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation's largest urban forum for experimental art.

 

Art Under the Bridge is an opportunity for young artists to use any medium imaginable to create temporary projects on-the-spot everywhere and anywhere, completely transforming the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, New York, into a vibrant platform for self-expression. In addition to the 80+ projects throughout the historical post-industrial waterfront span, visitors can tour local artists' studios or check out the indoor video_dumbo, a non-stop program of cutting-edge video art from New York City and around the world.

 

The Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) has been the exclusive producer of the D.U.M.B.O Art Under the Bridge Festival® since 1997. DAC is a big impact, small non-profit, that in addition to its year-round gallery exhibitions, is committed to preserving Dumbo as a site in New York City where emerging visual artists can experiment in the public domain, while having unprecedented freedom and access to normally off-limit locations.

 

www.dumboartscenter.org

www.dumboartfestival.org

www.video_dumbo.org

  

Related SML

+ SML Fine Art (Flickr Group)

+ SML Flickr Collections: Events

+ SML Flickr Sets: Dumbo Arts Center: Art Under the Bridge Festival 2009

+ SML Flickr Tags: Art

+ SML Pro Blog: Art

After some satisfying results with long exposures recently, I tried my hands on some truly long exposure — 15 minutes (or 903 seconds to be exact).

 

I have previously shot this floating anchor (buoy) before, with the 7D + 70-200 f/4 + 1.4x at 15 seconds [1]. This one though is shot with the 6D + 100-400 at 15 minutes, and it is interesting to compare the difference.

 

At 15 minutes, the water surface is completely smoothed and it truly looks like liquid gold. If you look at the 15-second shot, on the other hand, you will observe that the water is still somewhat “rough” by comparison. There is also a nice “dimple” near the anchor which is very sweet. Also unexpected is the refracted shine to the right of the buoy—which makes the light even more precious.

 

# SML Translate: 仲夏夜深流金夢

+ 仲: middle, mid.

+ 夏: summer.

+ 夜: night.

+ 深: deep. (describes the night — deep into the night).

+ 流: flowing (describes the water).

+ 金: gold, golden. (the color of the flowing water).

+ 夢: dream. (the mood)

+ 仲夏夜深流金夢: A dream of flowing liquid gold in the middle of summer. It might not technically be “summer” yet but it surely feels like so already in Hong Kong — it has been 32-degree celcius out for the past few days.

 

# Notes

1. “冬夜萬物寧 金輝獨詠春” / 寧 Serenity / SML.20130208.7D.21344: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8455872022/

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-20T01:16:563+0800

+ Dimensions: 5472 x 3648

+ Exposure: 903.0 sec at f/20

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3 Timer Remote Release, Manfrotto tripod

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG

+ Subject: 香港吐露港 Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong

+ Serial: SML.20130520.6D.06967

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, Long Exposure 長時間曝光

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

  

“仲夏夜深流金夢” / 香港吐露港夜之寧 Hong Kong Tolo Harbour Night Serenity (903-sec LE) / SML.20130520.6D.06967

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #LongExposure #LE #SMLLE #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #Landscape #seascape #gold #夜 #Night

The Perito Moreno Glacier (Spanish: Glaciar Perito Moreno) is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentinian Patagonia.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perito_Moreno_Glacier

Photography mostly has to do with framing, but photographing 360-degree panoramas possess a different kind of challenge as the frame is continuous, so it is mostly a matter of finding where to align the center point. For location which has perfect symmetry, I have found that putting everything dead center works out the best.

 

This was taken at the flag pole of the Ma On Shan Sports Ground. It has a relatively long exposure so as to hide the identity of participants. There was another shot where a man was seen stretching near me but noting that all the attention was given to him in this shot, I have chosen to publish this one instead. I will probably post the other one on my B-Reel Flickr account, which, since everyone is given unlimited space now, it might make sense for me to make use of them.

 

Also of note here is that the RGB combinations are not as pleasing as the CMYK spot colors. For those who asked me why I don’t use RGB as my identity, this is a perfect example why…

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-23T19:10:27+0800

+ Dimensions: 18618 x 4589

+ Exposure: 0.8 sec at f/11

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 400

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3 remote release, Manfrotto 303 SPH pano head, Manfrotto tripod

+ Panorama FOV: 360 degree horizontal, 96 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°25'14" N 114°13'44" E

+ Location: 中國香港馬鞍山恆康街1號馬鞍山運動場 中国香港马鞍山恒康街1号马鞍山运动场 Ma On Shan Sports Ground, 1 Hang Hong Road, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, China

+ Workflow: Autopango Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130823.6D.26789-SML.20130823.6D.26800-Pano.i12.360x96

+ Series: 體育 Sports, 建築 Architecture, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

馬鞍山運動場 Ma On Shan Sports Ground / 香港夜間體育建築360度全景 Hong Kong Sports Architecture at Night 360-degree Panorama / SML.20130823.6D.26789-SML.20130823.6D.26800-Pano.i12.360x96

/ #體育 #Sports #建築 #Architecture #全景 #Pano #panorama #SMLPano #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #城市 #Urban #夜 #Night #馬鞍山 #MaOnShan #people

Recently during sunset, a line of disparate and lingering clouds caught my attention. They hung in mid-air, against a vast mountain with very delicate power lines running on its top. In the shadow area, you can briefly make out that it was captured near urban areas—it is that of the Tai Po district in Hong Kong. But it is not the focus here. The silhouette forms is what interest me, so I left them hidden in the shadow. Could I have pumped them up with some Photoshopping? Yes, I guess I could but then you would miss the delicate lines. Minimalism is the aim. When we remove the details, we can see the tiny details more succinctly, I believe.

 

13 Canon EOS 7D + 100-400 captures. Stitched with Autopano Giga 3. Processed in Lightroom 4.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-07-04T19:10:18+0800

+ Dimensions: 19510 x 5720

+ Exposure: 1/500 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 640

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ Panorama FOV: 12 degree horizontal, 4 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Planar

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG (Vista Paradiso, Ma On

Shan, Hong Kong)

+ Subject: 香港大埔 Taipo, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130704.7D.43437-SML.20130704.7D.43449-Pano.i13.12x4

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

靜夏 Quiet summer / 香港日落全景之寧 Hong Kong Sunset Panoramic Serenity / SML.20130704.7D.43437-SML.20130704.7D.43449-Pano.i13.12x4

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #山 #mountains #日落 #sunset

I went to visit the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland today. It is the only place in the world where I decided to visit after watching a video a recommended video on Facebook — purely because, I believe, the machine (aka the algorithm) has learned my love for crazy yet ingenious solutions to problems.

 

This spinning engineering marvel connects two canals together in a circling motion. The surrounding area is turned into a park that provides educational resources about engineering principles that inspire the lift, while having lots of kids friendly activities for the entire family to enjoy.

 

Opened in 2002, this rotating boat lift connects the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in central Scotland. It uses a pair of gondolas to raise boats by 24 meters (79 feet) in a single rotation, replacing a previous system of 11 locks and providing a unique and efficient solution for canal transportation.

 

- Canon EOS R8

- Canon RF 24-105 f/4L IS USM

 

Falkirk Wheel, Scotland, UK / Crazyisgood / SML.20240806.R8.07987

The Lion Monument (German: Löwendenkmal), or the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820â21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

 

Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as âthe most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Monument

When I picked up the book “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson, I have always imagined the tattoo on Lisbeth Salander (the main character) to be something similar to what is depicted here: a grand gesture of a flying dragon covering every inch of the girl’s back. But then the movie came out and it somewhat shattered my expectations.

 

I suppose my imagination of what a dragon tattoo should be is deeply influenced by my Chinese upbringing. These are the kind of dragon tattoos which I am used to seeing. I probably would not have the courage to photograph anyone on the street with dragon tattoos — although not necessarily related to gangs, these motifs are somewhat common among gang members depicted in HK movies so they give me creeps.

 

So it is good then that this was a tattoo con and no one would shoo me away…

 

The tattoo artist responsible for this is 御刺青纹身 Yu-Tattoo, which is based in Shanghai, China. www.yu-tattoo.com

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-10-06T16:21:53+0800

+ Dimensions: 3383 x 5074

+ Exposure: 1/60 sec at f/4.0

+ Focal Length: 36mm

+ ISO: 3200

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°20'8" N 114°10'34" E

+ Serial: SML.20131006.7D.50751

 

小龍女 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / 御刺青纹身 Yu-Tattoo (Shanghai, China) / 第一屆香港國際紋身展 1st International Hong Kong China Tattoo Convention 2013 (HKTattooCon) / SML.20131006.7D.50751

/ #HKTattooCon #TattooCon #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #紋身 #Tattoo

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #人 #people #女 #Women #龍 #dragon #YuTattoo #御刺青纹身

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/11167258426/

 

The sunset was red yesterday evening—literally. I have never seen the sun in such vibrant red except in books perhaps so I took a photo.

 

I was not entirely sure under which condition would render the sun in this color. Could it be that the clouds were very thick and so all which was revealed is left behind as a red sphere in the sky?

 

If you zoom to the right you will see a helicopter flying near the mountain. Lately I have been seeing a lot of helicopters passing through but I do not really know why that is either.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-06-20T18:51:56+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 1/320 sec at f/5.0

+ Focal Length: 235 mm

+ ISO: 160

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°25'9" N 114°13'25" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG (Vista Paradiso, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong)

+ Subject: 太陽(日) Sun

+ Serial: 22°25'9" N 114°13'25" E

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

日落紅 Red sunset / 香港之寧 Hong Kong Serenity / SML.20130620.7D.42890

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #天 #空 #Sky #山水 #landscape #日落 #sunset #紅 #Red #山 #mountains

How do you paint with photography? By creating composition of forms from the surroundings around you. I picked up photography because it’s a way to see — it’s how I see the world.

 

The understanding of forms is best understood when you can find representative structure in space that you could capture on a 2D plane.

 

It’s like music — but rhythm, melody, and harmony in space. Sometimes it’s hard to even describe what these things are.

 

Often, it’s a feeling. Emotion is hard to describe. This is an abstract painting about monochromatic blues, accented by the tip of a white paint and shades of gold in the shadow.

 

Stata Center, officially the Ray and Maria Stata Center and sometimes referred to as Building 32, is a 430,000-square-foot academic complex designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The building opened for initial occupancy on March 16, 2004.

 

- Camera: Canon EOS 10D

- Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM

- Exposure: 70mm, 1/180 sec, f/8, ISO 100

- Series: Forms, Architecture

- Date: 2009-08-01

- Process: 2024-04-28

 

Creative Commons Attribution (CCBY)

Copyright 2009, 2024 See-ming Lee / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

Rhapsody in Blue / Stata Center, MIT / SML.20090801.10D.50885

  

Sunset is a good time for photography—not only for landscapes, but also for architecture. The sun is just bright enough to give some color to the buildings. It is also late enough so the lights are turned on. The unevenly lit office lighting create interests in the facade.

 

This is the facade of Jardine House, one of my favorite architectures in Hong Kong. The dotted patterns give it interests, and at night it looks like an array of musical notes. I have been photographing this building from the north side, but it seems that this vantage point from Connaught Road C is best. So I might do some long exposure with a tripod some time in the future.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-03-26T17:57:52.38+0800

+ Dimensions: 3136 x 4704

+ Exposure: 1/100 sec at f/2.8

+ Focal Length: 51 mm

+ ISO: 800

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

+ GPS: 22°17'1" N 114°9'30" E

+ Location: 中國香港中環康樂廣場1號怡和大廈 Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Hong Kong, China

+ Serial: SML.20130326.7D.36564

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Series: 建築 Architecture, 形 Forms

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

“怡和大廈 Jardine House” / 香港中環商業建築之形 Hong Kong Central Commercial Architecture Forms / SML.20130326.7D.36564

/ #建築 #建筑 #Architecture #形 #Forms #SMLForms #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects #SMLLove

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #中環 #Central #城市 #Urban #攝影 #摄影 #photography #Office #Circles #Lines

A woman takes a break by the railings at the M+ Museum, a contemporary art museum located at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.

 

Canon EOS R8

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

 

M+ Museum, Hong Kong, Architectural Forms / SML.20240216.R8.00367

eyebeam.org/events/open-studios-fall-2009

 

Eyebeam is pleased to host Open Studios for its 2009 Senior Fellows, Resident Artists, and Student Residents at Eyebeam’s state-of-the-art design, research, and fabrication studio; showcasing video performance, wearable technologies, code and humor, party technology, and sustainablity design.

 

///////////////

 

Eyebeam is the leading not-for-profit art and technology center in the United States.

 

Founded in 1996 and incorporated in 1997, Eyebeam was conceived as a non-profit art and technology center dedicated to exposing broad and diverse audiences to new technologies and media arts, while simultaneously establishing and demonstrating new media as a significant genre of cultural production.

 

Since then, Eyebeam has supported more than 130 fellowships and residencies for artists and creative technologists; we've run an active education program for youth, artists' professional development and community outreach; and have mounted an extensive series of public programs, over recent years approximately 4 exhibitions and 40 workshops, performances and events annually.

 

Today, Eyebeam offers residencies and fellowships for artists and technologists working in a wide range of media. At any given time, there are up to 20 resident artists and fellows onsite at Eyebeam's 15,000-square foot Chelsea offices and Labs, developing new projects and creating work for open dissemination through online, primarily open-source, publication as well as a robust calendar of public programming that includes free exhibitions, lectures and panels, participatory workshops, live performances and educational series.

 

eyebeam.org

In a city plagued with air pollution and noise, I find peace and serenity on a path deep within a park, completely enveloped in the color green.

 

Stitched with 12 captures with the 6D + 17-40 mounted on pano head. As a night time semi-long exposure, you can see the leaves fluttering softly in the wind.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-23T19:36:23+0800

+ Dimensions: 19234 x 4567

+ Exposure: 2.0 sec at f/11

+ Focal Length: 19 mm

+ ISO: 400

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto 303SPH pano head, Manfrotto tripod

+ Panorama FOV: 365 degree horizontal, 93 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°25'12" N 114°13'43" E

+ Location: 香港馬鞍山遊樂場 Ma On Shan Recreation Ground, Hong kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130823.6D.26855-SML.20130823.6D.26867-Pano.i12.360x93

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

綠茵林 Green Forest / 香港馬鞍山遊樂場360度全景 Hong Kong Ma On Shan Recreation Ground 360-degree Panorama / 夜之寧 Night Serenity / SML.20130823.6D.26855-SML.20130823.6D.26867-Pano.i12.360x93

/ #寧 #Serenity #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #城市 #Urban #park #night #soccer #green #nature

 

\

Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in southern Chile. It marks the meeting point of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the northern boundary of the Drake Passage.

 

Discovered in 1616 by Dutch navigator Willem Schouten, it was named after his hometown of Hoorn. For centuries, rounding Cape Horn was a major challenge for sailing ships, earning it a notorious reputation as a “sailors’ graveyard” due to the treacherous winds, waves, and icebergs.

 

Today, while less critical for trade, sailing around the Horn remains an iconic challenge in yachting, with many races and speed records following this route. Cape Horn is located within Cabo de Hornos National Park and is administered by Chile.

 

Canon EOS 7D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Taken on our way back from Antarctica

2015-12-17

 

Rocks, Cape Horn, Chile / Antarctica 2015 / SML.20151217.7D.55497.E1

This abstract oil painting by Chinese artist Liu Wei 刘韡 (劉韡) caught by eye as they look like computer circuit boards.

 

The series “Truth Dimension” were painted with the help of a computer. He first draws an image with the house, and then a computer program is used to “find and create new images” randomly into the artist’s own randomness [1].

 

It feels a bit of a cop-out to me, but one has to admit that this work is mostly amazing because it has left the computer screen and became a painting in oil. In this regard I see this mostly as an oil reproduction of the computer screen—and so perhaps it is hyperrealistic in that regard?

 

When the medium travels into another realm, they often feel more interesting. But what does it really say if the image itself may not really be considered a work of art before it was “transferred” to the oil medium?

 

LIU Wei

Truth Dimension No 7

2013

Oil on canvas

189 x 399 cm

 

# Liu Wei 刘韡 (劉韡)

1972 Born in Beijing, China

1996 BFA, China National Academy of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Department, Hangzhou

Lives and works in Beijing.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Wei_(artist)

 

# Long March Space 长征空间 (長征空間)

Founded by Lu Jie in the 798 Art District of Beijing in 2002, Long March Space plays a vital role in pursuing new avenues of production, discourse, and promotion of contemporary art in China. Working to advance the careers of eighteen artists across three generations, the gallery looks to establish a portfolio of the most progressive artists working in contemporary China today.

 

4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District

Beijing 100015

China

 

www.longmarchspace.com/

 

# Notes

1. Lehmann Maupin: Press Release: www.lehmannmaupin.com/exhibitions/2013-02-28_liu-wei/pres...

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-23T16:22:44+0800

+ Dimensions: 4464 x 2684

+ Exposure: 1/40 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 26 mm

+ ISO: 320

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°16'59" N 114°10'22" E

+ Location: 香港會議展覽中心 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130523.6D.13932

+ Series: 新聞攝影 Photojournalism, SML Fine Art, Art Basel Hong Kong 2013

  

“Painting by LIU Wei 刘韡 (劉韡): Truth Dimension No 7, 2013 (oil on canvas)” / Long March Space 长征空间 (長征空間) / Art Basel Hong Kong 2013 / SML.20130523.6D.13932

/ #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLFineArt #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #Art #FineArt #ArtBasel #ABHK #LIUWei #刘韡 #LongMarchSpace #长征空间 #Painting #Oiloncanvas #oil #abstract

 

Touring Dean Russo's (Facebook) artist studio is an interesting experience, as I haven't really met any pop artists in person before. Here we find many interesting tools not commonly found in an artist toolbox: stencils, spray paints, etc. It's quite a wonder to see.

  

Dean Russo on the Web

+ deanrusso.com

+ facebook.com/deanrussoart

+ www.deanrussoart.etsy.com

  

13th annual D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® (Sept 25 to Sept 27, 2009)

www.dumboartfestival.org/press_release.html

 

The three-day multi-site neighborhood-wide event is a one-of-a-kind art happening: where serendipity meets the haphazard and where the unpredictable, spontaneous and downright weird thrive. The now teenage D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® presents touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation's largest urban forum for experimental art.

 

Art Under the Bridge is an opportunity for young artists to use any medium imaginable to create temporary projects on-the-spot everywhere and anywhere, completely transforming the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, New York, into a vibrant platform for self-expression. In addition to the 80+ projects throughout the historical post-industrial waterfront span, visitors can tour local artists' studios or check out the indoor video_dumbo, a non-stop program of cutting-edge video art from New York City and around the world.

 

The Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) has been the exclusive producer of the D.U.M.B.O Art Under the Bridge Festival® since 1997. DAC is a big impact, small non-profit, that in addition to its year-round gallery exhibitions, is committed to preserving Dumbo as a site in New York City where emerging visual artists can experiment in the public domain, while having unprecedented freedom and access to normally off-limit locations.

 

www.dumboartscenter.org

www.dumboartfestival.org

www.video_dumbo.org

  

Related SML

+ SML Fine Art (Flickr Group)

+ SML Flickr Collections: Events

+ SML Flickr Sets: Art

+ SML Flickr Sets: Dumbo Arts Center: Art Under the Bridge Festival 2009

+ SML Flickr Tags: Art

+ SML Pro Blog: Art

In traditional Chinese architecture, the roof-figures always form a marching procession (lower right). At the tail of the procession will be an imperial dragon, representing the authority of the state. At the head of the procession will be a man riding a Phoenix.

 

In between will be mythical beasts, usually an odd number of them. The number of beasts indicate the importance of duties performed within the group of buildings nearby. The maximum number of beasts is nine. Here at entrance hall of the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine (國民革命忠烈), there are five in total (dragon + 5 + man riding Phoenix).

 

The best examples of these figures can be found at the Forbidden City in Beijing, which shall be posted later in the stream (taken on a separate trip).

 

Photographed with the Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM. Processed in Lightroom 5.

 

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_roof_decoration

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Revolutionary_Martyrs'_Shrine

 

國民革命忠烈祠檐獸 Chinese imperial roof decorations at the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine / SML.20140211.7D.51754

/ #台灣 #臺灣 #Taiwan #台北 #Taipei #SMLTravel #旅遊 #旅游 #Travel #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #建筑 #建築 #architecture #形 #forms #SMLForms #yellow #decoration #roof

See also Agata Olek talks about her 100% Acrylic Art Guards (Flickr 720p HD video)

 

Agata Olek (Flickr)

100% Acrylic Art Guards

 

"I think crochet, the way I create it, is a metaphor for the complexity and interconnectedness of our body and its systems and psychology. The connections are stronger as one fabric as opposed to separate strands, but, if you cut one, the whole thing will fall apart.

 

Relationships are complex and greatly vary situation to situation. They are developmental journeys of growth, and transformation. Time passes, great distances are surpassed and the fabric which individuals are composed of compiles and unravels simultaneously."

  

Agata Olek Biography. The SPLAT! of colors hits you in the face, often clashing so ostentatiously that it instantly tunes you into the presence of severely cheeky humor. A moment later the fatigue of labor creeps into your fingers as a coal miner's work ethic becomes apparent. Hundreds of miles of crocheted, weaved, and often recycled materials are the fabric from which the wild and occasionally wearable structures of her fantasylands are born.

 

Olek was born Agata Oleksiak in Poland and graduated from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland with a degree in cultural studies. In New York, she rediscovered her ability to crochet and since then she has started her crocheted journey/madness.

 

Resume sniffers may be pleased to know Olek's work has been presented in galleries from Brooklyn to Istanbul to Venice and Brazil, featured in "The New York Times", "Fiberarts Magazine", "The Village Voice", and "Washington Post" and drags a tail of dance performance sets and costumes too numerous to mention.

 

Olek received the Ruth Mellon Award for Sculpture, was selected for 2005 residency program at Sculpture Space, 2009 residency in Instituto Sacatar in Brazil, and is a winner of apex art gallery commercial competition. Olek was an artist in an independent collective exhibition, "Waterways," during the 49th Venice Biennale. She was also a featured artist in "Two Continents Beyond," at the 9th International Istanbul Biennale.

 

Olek herself however can be found in her Greenpoint studio with a bottle of spiced Polish vodka and a hand rolled cigarette aggressively re-weaving the world as she sees.

 

agataolek.com

agataolek.com/blog

  

13th annual D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® (Sept 25 to Sept 27, 2009)

www.dumboartfestival.org/press_release.html

 

The three-day multi-site neighborhood-wide event is a one-of-a-kind art happening: where serendipity meets the haphazard and where the unpredictable, spontaneous and downright weird thrive. The now teenage D.U.M.B.O. Art Under the Bridge Festival® presents touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation's largest urban forum for experimental art.

 

Art Under the Bridge is an opportunity for young artists to use any medium imaginable to create temporary projects on-the-spot everywhere and anywhere, completely transforming the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, New York, into a vibrant platform for self-expression. In addition to the 80+ projects throughout the historical post-industrial waterfront span, visitors can tour local artists' studios or check out the indoor video_dumbo, a non-stop program of cutting-edge video art from New York City and around the world.

 

The Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) has been the exclusive producer of the D.U.M.B.O Art Under the Bridge Festival® since 1997. DAC is a big impact, small non-profit, that in addition to its year-round gallery exhibitions, is committed to preserving Dumbo as a site in New York City where emerging visual artists can experiment in the public domain, while having unprecedented freedom and access to normally off-limit locations.

 

www.dumboartscenter.org

www.dumboartfestival.org

www.video_dumbo.org

  

Related SML

+ SML Fine Art (Flickr Group)

+ SML Flickr Collections: Events

+ SML Flickr Sets: Art

+ SML Flickr Sets: Dumbo Arts Center: Art Under the Bridge Festival 2009

+ SML Flickr Tags: Art

+ SML Pro Blog: Art

More goodies from Yayoi Kusama—a gigantic stainless steel pumpkin in this case. Ota Fine Arts decided to give her a solo show at the event in collaboration with Victoria Miro Gallery so closed to 40 of her pieces were shown.

 

Here behind the sculpture you can also see some of her printmaking works, which are silkscreen on canvas. In the far back the yellow organic forms from wonderland far far away is a mixed media sculpture formed with stuffed fabric.

 

Yayoi Kusama

Pumpkin, 2010

Stainless steel

H220 x diameter 220 cm

H86 5/8 x diameter 65 5/8 in

 

# Yayoi Kusama

 

Yayoi Kusama (草間 彌生 or 弥生 Kusama Yayoi, born March 22, 1929) is a Japanese artist and writer.

 

www.yayoi-kusama.jp/‎

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yayoi_Kusama/

 

# Ota Fine Arts

www.otafinearts.com/

 

3F Piramide Building, 6-6-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku

Tokyo 106-0032

Japan

 

47 Malan Road, #01-23 Gillman Barracks

Singapore 109444

Singapore

 

# Victoria Miro

www.victoria-miro.com/

 

16 Wharf Road

London N1 7RW

United Kingdom

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-23T16:44:22+0800

+ Dimensions: 3474 x 3474

+ Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/4.0

+ Focal Length: 22 mm

+ ISO: 10

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°16'59" N 114°10'22" E

+ Location: 香港會議展覽中心 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130523.6D.13830.SQ

+ Series: 新聞攝影 Photojournalism, SML Fine Art, Art Basel Hong Kong 2013

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

“Installation by Yayoi Kusama: Pumpkin, 2010 (stainless steel)” / Ota Fine Arts + Victoria Miro / Art Basel Hong Kong 2013 / SML.20130523.6D.13830.SQ

/ #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLFineArt #Crazyisgood #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #Art #FineArt #ArtBasel #ABHK #草間彌生 #YayoiKusama #OtaFineArts #VictoriaMiro #Japan #sculpture #installation

When I used to look at photographs of birds, I asked myself, “How hard could that be?” And as it turns out, it is a whole lot harder than I expected.

 

I found this asian waterbird (亞洲水鳥) near the Shatin Rowing Centre. They are quite rare. Aside from gliding in air near my apartment in Hong Kong, it seems that if they are by the shore and they leap out to fly, it is so that they can catch a fish (as pictured here). The Klimt-like reflection on the water surface is from some architecture nearby.

 

With the fast action of the birds, it is the first time I found a good use with the AI Servo mode. Combined with hyper shutter speed action, it is possible to frame it somewhat.

 

I do look forward to visiting the Hong Kong Wetlands Park now later this fall when it is not as hot, so I will get a chance for more bird watching activities.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-09T16:43:39+0800

+ Dimensions: 4719 x 3146

+ Exposure: 1/500 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 200

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°23'25" N 114°12'3" E

+ Location: 香港沙田賽艇中心 Shatin Rowing Centre, Hong Kong

+ Subject: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130809.7D.49392

+ Series: 鳥 Birds, 自然 Nature

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

亞洲水鳥捕魚記 Asian Waterbird catching fish / 香港自然 Nature in Hong Kong / SML.20130809.7D.49392

/ #鳥 #Birds #自然 #Nature #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #亞洲水鳥 #AsianWaterbirds #Asian #Waterbirds #fish #water #reflection #HK

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9487934138/

 

The Sydney Opera House, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, has been photographed tirelessly since its opening. That makes it harder to find a point of view that may be of interest.

 

I have often found its roof to be most interesting, so I try to capture its spirit in an abstract manner. To get this view, you really need a long lens—400mm here—because there is no way to get the same view up close with a wide angle. This also shows that the 100-400 is not just for birds and moons photos. It definitely has its use even when traveling.

 

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM.

 

Sydney Opera House / Sydney, Australia / SML.20140315.6D.30926.P1.BW

Lago Argentino is a lake in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. It is the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina. The lake lies within the Los Glaciares National Park in a landscape with numerous glaciers and is fed by the glacial meltwater of several rivers, the water from Lake Viedma brought by the La Leona River, and many mountain streams.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentino_Lake

A floating mini lighthouse (light anchor?) in the middle of 沙田海 Sha Tin Hoi in Hong Kong. Another night time long exposure for 15 sec. It actually blinked a few times but of course you will only see a blur. At first I thought that I might not be focusing well, but I think that it just might be that since it is floating on the water it is not exactly still.

 

# SML Workflow

Photographed with the Canon EOS 7D with the Canon EF 70-200 f/4L USM + Canon EF 1.4x Extender III. Processed inside Lightroom 4.

 

# SML Translate:

冬夜萬物寧

金輝獨詠春

 

More Chinese poetry writing. My 二嬸 auntie (my dad’s second brother’s wife) said that my 二叔 (my dad’s second brother), who is a retired Chinese literature teacher, said that my previous poems do not fit in the structures of 平仄 [1] tone patterns [2]. Oh I did not know that there are so many rules. SML Thank You for the EDU.

 

But the issue is that even though I read through the Wikipedia I still have no clue how to do it properly. I speak Cantonese. My Chinese Literature teacher in high school once said that Cantonese is most similar to the language spoken in 唐朝 [3] Tang Dynasty [4]. So in some ways it should be possible to write Chinese poems using Cantonese intonation. However, the available texts online only reference Mandarin pronunciation rules, which I do not speak very well.

 

That said I am learning quickly—mainly because pinyin appears to be a very efficient way of inputting Chinese on the iPhone. I used to know how to type in Canjie but I don’t really know how anymore. Having Chinese handwriting input directly on the iOS devices have made me lazy these days.

 

+ 冬: winter.

+ 夜: night.

+ 萬: ten thousand. Metaphor for many aka all.

+ 物: things.

+ 寧: serenity. Metaphor for silence and peacefulness. (also title of the series).

+ 金: gold, golden color.

+ 輝: shine, shimmering.

+ 獨: alone, single.

+ 詠: sing, chant.

+ 春: spring.

+ 冬夜萬物寧: everything was quiet in the winter night.

+ 金輝獨詠春: while a singular golden light (referencing the single mini floating lighthouse) sings on its own for the coming of spring. (Chinese new year is this weekend, marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring seasons)

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-02-08 03:30:09 GMT+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 15.0 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 280 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM + Canon EF 1.4 Extender III

+ GPS: 22°25'9" N 114°13'26" E

+ Location: SML Universe (Hong Kong) Limited

+ Subject: Floating light anchor on a winter night on Sha Tin Hoi reflecting the lights from the Tolo Highway from the vantage point of Ma On Shan in Hong Kong SAR, China.

在中國香港冬夜的晚上, 從馬鞍山遠看沙田海, 海水反映了吐露港公路和浮光錨的燈光和倒影。

在中国香港冬夜的晚上, 从马鞍山远看沙田海, 海水反映了吐露港公路和浮光锚的灯光和倒影。

 

# Notes

1. 平仄,是中國詩詞中用字的聲調。平指平直,仄指曲折。根據隋朝至宋朝時期修訂的韻書,如《切韻》、《廣韻》等,中古漢語有四種聲調,稱為平、上、去、入。除了平聲,其餘三種聲調有高低的變化,故統稱為仄聲。詩詞中平仄的運用有一定格式,稱為格律。 zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/平仄

2. Tone patterns (Chinese: 平仄; Mandarin Pinyin: píngzè; Jyutping: ping4 zak1) are common constraints in classical Chinese poetry.

The four tones of Middle Chinese—level (平), rising (上), departing (去), and entering (入) tones—are categorized into level (平) tones and oblique (仄) tones. All level tones are level. All other tones are oblique. If tone patterns are used in poetry, the pattern in which level and oblique tones occur in one line is often the inverse of a that of line next to it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_pattern

3. 唐朝(618年-907年)是中國歷史上強盛的朝代之一。國號唐是晉國的古名,泛指今山西省的中心地域。唐朝由唐高祖李淵所建立,為胡漢融合後的大帝國,與隋朝合稱隋唐。唐室出身關隴集團,先祖李虎在南北朝的西魏是八柱國之一,封為唐國公。 zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/唐朝

4. The Tang Dynasty (Chinese: 唐朝; pinyin: Táng Cháo; IPA: [tʰɑ̌ŋ tʂʰɑ̌ʊ]; Middle Chinese: Dâng) (June 18, 618 – June 1, 907) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li (李) family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty (October 8, 690 – March 3, 705) when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, becoming the only Chinese empress regnant to rule in her own right. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty

 

“冬夜萬物寧 金輝獨詠春” / 寧 Serenity / SML.20130208.7D.21344

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #山水 #Landscape #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #水 #Water #自然 #nature #夜 #nights #shadow #reflection #攝影 #摄影 #photography

/ #中国 #中國 #china #香港 #HongKong #Canon7D #Canon70200f4L

  

This ancient tree has just the right amount of “wrinkles” on its trunk.

 

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM at the Summer Palace (頤和園) in Beijing, China.

 

頤和園古樹 Ancient trees, Summer Palace / 中國北京 Beijing, China / SML.20140502.6D.31716.P1

A protestor adorning the Guy Fawkes mask was seen in the rally to support Snowden in Central, Hong Kong today.

 

Originally from the movie V for Vendetta, the Guy Fawkes mask has become the international symbol for the online hacktivist group Anonymous, which might explain why they are often commonly called the “Anonymous mask”.

 

Although these masks are seen across the globe for different governmental protests relating to the global financial crisis such as the Occupy Movement, it is a rare sight in Hong Kong.

 

I had expected to see more of these today but this was the only man I saw among the hundreds who showed up today.

 

# References

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_mask

2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-06-15T15:32:34+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 1/400 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 275 mm

+ ISO: 320

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°16'54" N 114°9'38" E

+ Location: 香港中環遮打花園 Chater Garden, Central, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130615.7D.42258

+ Series: 新聞攝影 Photojournalism, Hong Kong Rally to Support Snowden (SnowdenHK)

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

匿名者 Anonymous (Guy Fawkes Mask) / 香港聲援斯諾登遊行 Hong Kong Rally to Support Snowden (SnowdenHK) / SML.20130615.7D.42258

/ #SnowdenHK #新聞攝影 #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLPublicMedia

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #匿名者 #Anonymous #mask #men #people #Rally #Snowden #EdwardSnowden #events

Drying fish is an age-old Chinese tradition. Seafoods are usually consumed fresh in Chinese cuisine. When you cannot finish them all, then you dry them under direct sunlight and they become some other form of delicacy.

 

This was photographed in Lau Fau Shan (流浮山), a fishing village in Hong Kong with the 7D + 100-400. Fishermen were seen drying the fish directly under the sun on the street near the market. The long lens renders a beautiful bokeh and allows the image to have an almost abstract quality.

 

魚乾 Dried Fish / 中國飲食文化 Chinese Food Culture / SML.20131118.7D.51326

When this installation was first on view, many have questioned what it was intended to mean. The words “Same but not equal” was painted in all caps on top of a collage of Thai newspaper “khaosod” on linen canvas. The panel was placed on top of two piles of Thai rice. Although the pile of rice appears the same, one pile of rice is ordinary rice and the other, apparently, is premium export-grade Thai jasmine rice.

 

To one art blog Blouin Art Info [1], it is a commentary about ABHK, where Art Basel Hong Kong, though featuring many of the same galleries seen Art Basel Switzerland and Art Basel Miami, is in many ways different than their counterparts given the type of art works being shown in comparison.

 

To me, it is a commentary on a larger issue where news media speak of the same kind of political news though their analysis and content is highly different.

 

Art is up to all kinds of interpretation. I have no idea if the artist created this piece specifically for ABHK, if so then perhaps that does have some validity. It is interesting nevertheless, though I would most certainly not pay 100-150k USD for it which is apparently the asking price for this work [2].

 

Rirkrit Tiravanija

Untitled (same but not equal), 2013

Newspaper on Linen, Rice

286 x 220 cm

 

# Rirkrit Tiravanija

b. 1961 Buenos Aires, Argentina

1980 Carleton University

1980-1984 Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Canada

1984 Banff Center School of Fine Arts

1984–86 School of the Art Institute of Chicago

1985-86 Whitney Independent Studies Program

1982 Moved to New York, NY

 

Rirkrit Tiravanija (Thai: ฤกษ์ฤทธิ์ ตีระวนิช, pronunciation: [rɯk-rit tira-wanit] or Tea-rah-vah-nit) is a contemporary artist residing in New York, Berlin, and Chiang Mai. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961. His installations often take the form of stages or rooms for sharing meals, cooking, reading or playing music; architecture or structures for living and socializing are a core element in his work.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rirkrit_Tiravanija

  

# Shanghai Gallery of Art 沪申画廊

3F, No. 3, Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road

200002 Shanghai

China

www.shanghaigalleryofart.com/

 

# Notes

1. enjp.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/905969/same-but-not-equ...

2. artsy.net/artwork/rirkrit-tiravanija-untitled-same-but-no...

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-23T17:45:10+0800

+ Dimensions: 5412 x 3619

+ Exposure: 1/40 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 29 mm

+ ISO: 640

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°16'59" N 114°10'22" E

+ Location: 香港會議展覽中心 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130523.6D.14129

+ Series: 新聞攝影 Photojournalism, SML Fine Art, Art Basel Hong Kong 2013

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

  

Mixed media installation by Rirkrit Tiravanija (b. 1961): Untitled (same but not equal), 2013 (Newspaper on Linen, Rice) / 沪申画廊 Shanghai Gallery of Art / Art Basel Hong Kong 2013 / SML.20130523.6D.14129

/ #ABHK #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLFineArt #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #Art #FineArt #ArtBasel #RirkritTiravanija #沪申画廊 #ShanghaiGalleryOfArt #installation #mixedmedia #rice #same #equal

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9040698472/

 

Playing with video bokeh with the Canon 7D + Canon 24-70 f2.8L.

 

SML 720p HD Simulcast

+ www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4131626977/

+ www.vimeo.com/7807444

+ www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXdCF7QsW7A

 

Soundtrack by SML Music

+ 115 bpm 16-bit 44.1 kHz wav

+ Download at soundcloud.com/seeminglee/soundtrack-new-york-life-aka-un...

 

1280x720 30fps video

+ Download MP4 at www.vimeo.com/7807444

 

CC-BY-SA 2009 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

GettyImages: gty.im/177603218

 

This is a 360-degree panorama shot from the docks of the Shatin Rowing Centre. It offers a great view of the residential developments situated around the Shing Mun River. Most of the rowing championships happen here every year.

 

An array of shoes were left behind on the shore by rowing participants, even though signs are posted everywhere advising people to not do that. For a long while now these “No ___” signs have become a historic snapshot of “what has been done near here” signpost for me around Hong Kong.

 

Noting that it would be something fun and healthy for me to do a bit of exercise, I am planning to take some rowing classes here in the future. And for that I bought a GoPro Hero3 Black edition specifically to photograph the scenery. So far I am not super impressed with its usability but we shall see what the quality is once I have gotten the chance to give it a ride.

 

Stitched with 12 captures on the 6D + 17-40.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-08T16:08:09+0800

+ Dimensions: 18488 x 4528

+ Exposure: 1/125 sec at f/11.0

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto 303SPH pano head, Manfrotto tripod

+ Panorama FOV: 365 degree horizontal, 95 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°23'25" N 114°12'3" E

+ Location: 香港沙田賽艇中心 Shatin Rowing Centre, Hong Kong

+ Subject: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130809.6D.26235-SML.20130809.6D.26246-Pano.i12.360x95.M02.L1

+ Series: 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

城門河 Shing Mun River / 香港沙田賽艇中心碼頭全景 Hong Kong Shatin Rowing Centre Docks Panorama / SML.20130809.6D.26235-SML.20130809.6D.26246-Pano.i12.360x95.M02.L1

/ #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #自然 #Nature #docks #water #ShingMunRiver #shatin #landscape

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9483885209/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9483885209/sizes/o/ (18488 x 4528)

Besides filled with plants unique to China, there is something special about the architecture seen inside 南蓮園池 Nan Lian Garden. No nails are used to construct any of the buildings—these are techniques developed in China way back in the 唐朝 Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD).

 

Situated in the middle of the garden is 圓滿閣 Pavilion of Perfection (pictured). Perfection (Sanskrit: paripūrna) describes being surrounded by adequacy and not lacking anything.

 

The Pavilion of Perfection is shaped as an octagon. The ponds surrounding it is also designed as a lotus with with eight petals. It is used to described the eight auspicious function of water used in the Buddhist tradition: 澄淨、清冷、甘美、輕軟、潤澤、安和、除飢渴、長養諸根 — to clean, to clear, sweetness, lightness, soft, moist, peacefulness, to quench thirst, and to enrich one’s roots.

 

In addition, the Pavilion of Perfection describes the perfectly harmonious human relationships, the perfect morality, the perfect merit, and the perfect wishes. It is used to describe a blessing for the visitors [1].

 

This panorama is photographed handheld using nine 7D RAW captures.

 

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-03-29T15:48:20+0800

+ Dimensions: 9857 x 3653

+ Exposure: 1/40 - 1/60 sec at f/2.8

+ Focal Length: 24 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

+ Panorama FOV: 156 degree horizontal, 70 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Cylindrical

+ GPS: 22°24'12" N 114°12'25" E

+ Altitude: 21.6 m

+ Location: 中國香港九龍鑽石山鳳德道60號南蓮園池 Nan Lian Garden, 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

+ Serial: SML.20130329.7D.37104-SML.20130329.7D.37112-Pano.Cylindrical.156x70.P1.L1

+ Workflow: Hugin 2012, Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4

+ Series: 中國旅遊 中国旅游 China Tourism, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

 

# Notes

1. SML Translate: 南蓮園池: 園池景觀: 園池區域: 閣․圓滿閣:

圓滿,梵語paripūrna,是周遍充足,無所欠缺之意。南蓮園池圓滿閣為八角形,下面水池亦為八角蓮瓣造型,表示佛教淨土具有的八種殊勝功能之水,即澄淨、清冷、甘美、輕軟、潤澤、安和、除飢渴、長養諸根。此外圓滿閣有相好圓滿、萬德圓滿、功德圓滿、所願圓滿之意,表達了對各位遊人的祝福。

www.nanliangarden.org/view.php?cat=16&id=137

  

# Related SML Flickr

+ “南蓮園池 Nan Lian Garden” / 香港園林建築全景 Hong Kong Landscape Architecture Panorama / 中國旅遊 中国旅游 China Tourism / SML.20130329.7D.37068-SML.20130329.7D.37078-Pano.Cylindrical.154x58: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8602303024/

 

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

 

“南蓮園池圓滿閣 Pavilion of Perfection, Nan Lian Garden” / 香港園林建築全景 Hong Kong Landscape Architecture Panorama / 中國旅遊 中国旅游 China Tourism / SML.20130329.7D.37104-SML.20130329.7D.37112-Pano.Cylindrical.156x70.P1.L1

/ #中國旅遊 #中国旅游 #ChinaTourism #全景 #Pano #SMLPano #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #建築 #建筑 #Architecture #園林 #Garden #城市 #Urban #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape

 

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8609498517/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8609498517/sizes/o/ (9857 x 3653)

SML Tags

Andrew Jacobs

 

SML Copyright Notice

Copyright 2007 See-ming Lee. All rights reserved.

The Tiananmen (天安門), or Gate of Heavenly Peace, is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China. It is widely used as a national symbol. First built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tiananmen is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City (紫禁城). However, the Meridian Gate (午門) is the first entrance to the Forbidden City proper, while Tiananmen was the entrance to the Imperial City (北京皇城), within which the Forbidden City was located. Tiananmen is located to the north of Tiananmen Square, across the street from the plaza from Chang’an Avenue.

 

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L.

 

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen

 

天安門 Tiananmen / 中國北京 Beijing, China / SML.20140430.6D.31351.P1

 

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