This Is It


This Is It, originally uploaded by pamhule.
An MTA employee points a camera at the photographer as the C train is leaving 42nd Street station in New York City on July 25 , 2010.

A conductor with a sense of humor gave me some of my own medicine yesterday. I feel this shot might serve as a fitting conclusion to my conductor portraits. Unless, I can think of another angle, I think I will the condcutors to their jobs for a while. Of course, I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on how this series could be developed further. For other photos in the series, visit this set on flickr.

The Doors are Closing on Wall Street

Here's another conductor portrait. The lens is Canon's 50mm 1.4. Focusing with the lens is not a speedy process and the result often strikes me as a bit soft or slightly inaccurate--including this shot (in the end I liked the look of the conductor too much to discard it). I would be curious to hear what experience others have had with this lens in terms of focusing speed and accuracy.

For more conductor portraits, see this set on flickr.

Copenhagen Opera House (哥本哈根歌劇)

The Copenhagen Opera House is an impressive structure. Designed by the architect Henning Larsen, the building was completed in 2005. I explored its exterior on a recent visit to Copenhagen and have included a selection of highlights below.

You can view a full screen slideshow here. Read on to view the collection of images.


Happy (快乐)


Happy (快乐), originally uploaded by pamhule.

Happy.

I've been testing out Canon's 50mm 1.4. I was thinking about getting the 1.2 version but it hardly seems worth it giving the already very decent image quality of the 1.4 and the significant price gap between the two.

First Weekend of June


9th Avenue Reader, originally uploaded by pamhule.

It was hot in New York City this weekend. And a great time for some street photography. I brought Canon's 85mm 1.2 lens out for a few walks. Here are the best shots.

A full screen slideshow is available here. Otherwise, read on to view the full collection of photographs.



Watching Basketball at West 4th, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Riding the A Train, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Weekend Work, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Waiting at West 4th, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Watching the game, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Watching the game, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Fire Hydrant, originally uploaded by pamhule.


On the A Train, originally uploaded by pamhule.


At Fulton Street, originally uploaded by pamhule.


At Any Time, originally uploaded by pamhule.


Subway Clown, originally uploaded by pamhule.


9th Avenue Vendor, originally uploaded by pamhule.

16 Photos from the Great Wall (长城)

Great Wall at Simatai

These photos are from a 10 kilometer hike on the Great Wall. Starting at Simatai (司马台) a few hours northeast of Beijing and ending at Jinshanling (金山岭), the hike takes about 3-4 hours to complete. 

Some stretches of this section of the wall are very steep and only partly restored, so shoes with good traction are a must. There are several other parts closer to Beijing that easier to climb (including Mutianyu and the somewhat Disneyfied Badaling section). But the extra time and effort pays off. The Simatai and Jianshanling hike offers stunning and dramatic views of the wall and Yanshan mountain. 

To capture the wall, I brought along my 5D Mark II and Canon's 24-70mm 2.8 and 70-200mm 2.8 lenses. You can view a full screen slideshow here. Read on to see the collection of images below.

Walking the Wall


Looking Back at a Steep Climb on the Great Wall

A Wall with a View


Waiting on a Bridge Near the Great Wall


Great Wall Fishing


Great Wall at Simatai


Great Wall at Simatai


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)


The Great Wall (长城)