I just added a new Portfolio called Giga Pixel Panorama. It is a small collection of the better images that I managed to capture using the Seitz Roundshot D3. Unfortunately the ‘tiny’ size of the images on the web do not give an idea of the huge size and detail of the originals. To do justice to these photographs you would need to print them using one of the large format (44″wide and over) Epsons, Canons, HP, ColorSpan etc. to really appreciate the sheer amount of detail the camera can capture. I printed a few at 44″x 110″ and a few well over that size. Ironically, the problem becomes to find walls (or surfaces) large enough to view the prints from a correct distance. Having said that, I should also remark that the quirks and the V.1.0 nature of the camera, software combination almost drove me insane. Seitz is working hard on providing something that doesn’t require the patience of a Swiss watchmaker in order to shoot a good image, something that unfortunately now is a mandatory requirement. The quality of the images is phenomenal if you manage to hit the sweet spot, though not without trial and error attempts. Right now the images are prone to excessive color noise and blooming artifacts unless the lighting conditions are ideal. High contrast areas are also a source of issues, night shots are a coin toss 9 out of 10 times. Despite all these shortcomings, the D3 is a remarkable piece of equipment that will be in a class of its own once all the imperfections get fixed.
Anyone interested knowing more details about the images and/or publishing rights, please contact twistedpixel@gmail.com
It has been many months since I updated the site. Finally, my travel schedule has slowed down a little allowing me to focus more on updating the the portfolio sections as well as the blog. Since last year I have traveled extensively easily exceeding 100k air miles. One of the places that stood out on a trip I did to India was Hyderabad. Charminar is one of the top spots of any tourist visiting Hyderabad, although to tell you the truth I haven’t seen any, making me as it happens quite often, one of the main attractions. The monument itself is quite impressive, although my main focus wasn’t as much the landscape rather the people. The surrounding area is an incredible mix of cultures, although the majority of the population is Muslim. Charminar and the area around it is a cluster of prominent landmarks in the city’s history. Its neighbourhood is extremely densely populated and around this architectural axis are a multitude of colourful bazaars. Obviously toting a camera around my neck attracted attention, but after spending time in the area, my presence began blending with the crowd. I spent at least an hour just standing at an intersection waiting for the right moment. That morning there was a large contingent of para-military personnel patrolling the area, as not long ago a bomb set by extremists exploded at the historic Mecca Masjid killing 10 people and leaving at least over 50 injured. Despite tension could still be felt even after a few months after the blast, I was almost constantly greeted by friendly people that approached me in curiosity.
I’ll be traveling across Asia starting today and updating several sections of the portfolio over the next couple of months. Hopefully I’ll be lucky enough to take some interesting photographs while in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China. The photograph above was taken while I was traveling from Fuzhou to Shanghai, on a spectacular evening flying on Xiamen Airlines.
The Asia portfolio is where I will keep a mix of panoramic scenery from across South East Asia. It is mostly a repository for images that do not fit into my more frequent category of street and people photography.
