Ronny Gabriels Photography

Finally some new photos on the site and this time they are from a shoot I did in Antwerp a couple of weeks ago.  The idea was to shoot the Antwerp justice building at dusk. It was something I wanted to do for a long time since I drive by that building every day and it is, in my opinion, one of the iconic buildings in Antwerp. Another reason for the shoot is the fact that I’m making a series on Antwerp for a photography store that shows different scenes from Antwerp in not the most obvious way. I think the justice building is not only a good subject at dusk, but the hyper-modern face of the building shows of the contrast between the old historic side and the new modern side of Antwerp.



A little “tourist” information about the justice building, "Justitiepaleis" in Dutch. The building was designed Richard Rogers, the man behind designs as Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Millenium Dome in London.  It was opened officially on the 28th of March 2006 and is considered one of the most important architectural highlights in Belgium of the 21st century. 



I love the building but I have to say that it’s a bit of a challenge to get a good shot of it. The most accessible side of the building is on the Bolivar place in front of the building and in this shoot I limited myself to that vantage point.  You can get shots from behind the building, but that’s much more difficult because most of the space behind the building are highways and private grounds.  It won’t be the last time I shoot this building, but I have to say I am happy with the result of this shoot.



You can find the album on my site here. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park is one of those things that has been shot a million times before.  If you go to any search engine and type in "Delicate Arch" you will get thousands of hits.  What you will also notice is that most of these hits show you the arch from its best known side, which is right in front of it with the mountains in the background. The reason I like my rendition is the fact that it's still clearly a picture of Delicate Arch, but not from a side or in a composition you have seen before often. Now of course, there is a little story behind this shot.

When we arrived in Arches National Park last year, the shot I really wanted was actually the very well known shot with the mountains in the back at sundown.  The vantage point for that shot however was a 1.5 hour hike up the mountain. Now normally that wouldn't have stopped us for a minute, but after two and a half weeks of hikes in National Parks, that night we decided not to go up and instead go to the upper viewpoint on the base of the mountain. We were tired and even the walk to the viewpoint proved harder than we had anticipated.  But we got there, with very heavy winds seemingly trying to blow us back to the parking lot. We stayed there to watch the sunset and I took a number of pictures of the arch. At first I was a little disappointed and I tried to zoom in with my long lens to get the arch to fill the frame, but by doing so, I noticed that a lot of people were up there "spoiling" the picture.  So I decided the blur those people out by taking some shots like you see above. And I have to say it worked.  We talked about maybe heading up to the other vantage point the day after, but we never got there due mostly to fatigue. I have to say that actually I wasn't sorry because the drive of "I really have to get that shot" was gone. The shot I really wanted, I never got, but the photo I got, was much more original! So all I have to say is, don't get too hung up about a particular shot you want. You might be surprised what other opportunities lay just on the other side of the mountain.

Funny side note, when we were standing there watching the arch, Merel actually spotted a woman in her wedding dress posing under the arch. With the binoculars and long lens we saw that there was indeed a photo shoot going on under the arch of a woman in her wedding dress wearing no shoes.  We're not quite sure how she got there (and where, if anywhere, she changed her clothes), but it was a strange sight, a photographer, an assistant holding a reflector and a bride high up on the mountain that can only be reached by hiking up there. Some photographers have to really work for their money ;-)

Photography is a lot about comfort zones.  People shoot what they are familiar with or what comes natural to them.  But the best way to learn is often to leave this comfort zone and explore others fields.  With that in mind I’m announcing the “Day at the Races” initiative I will set out in 2010.  It’s basically an opportunity for you as a photographer to leave your comfort zone and shoot something you might have never shot before … car races. Upside is that you wont be alone to learn, but I and hopefully a bunch of other people will be there exchanging ideas and learning in the process. 

Why races?

Well, there are two main reasons.

1. Car races is something a lot of you have never even attempted and ideal for learning. Panning shots, high speed action and other techniques used in sports and wildlife photography are great skills to have as a photographer.
2. It’s an outdoor activity so you get to spend a day in the outdoors which is not only healthy but also relaxing (yes even with the loud cars going by ;-))

I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now so I feel comfortable giving tips from my experience. And although I’m not at all at professional level, I’m sure it can be a great learning experience and a fun one to boot. So what the “Day at the Races” will be entail is the following:

• A couple of weeks before a weekend of the BTCS or Belcar Endurance Series (which are racing categories in Belgium) I will post an invitation on my blog to participate in the “Day at the Races”.  You can just send me a message to say whether you want to participate.
• When there are a couple of participants, we will make the arrangements to get to the track (which will be either Zolder or Spa-Francorchamps) and I will provide details on how to get there and when.
• We spend a day shooting the races and learning from each other, exchanging tips, techniques and some good stories ;-)
• I will prepare a place for you to show of your best shots in the week following the event so you can show everybody how you did.

So why BTCS and Belcar?

There are a couple of reasons why I selected the BTCS or Belcar weekends.  First of all most of the BTCS and Belcar events are free, meaning that you don’t have to pay to get into the racetrack.  That makes it little easier when thinking of reasons to go. Furthermore, you have access to the entire circuit, including the paddock area, meaning you can go wherever you want. Most of the international race series are not free and most of the time you have to pay extra to get into the paddock. 

Secondly, the BTCS are touring cars which are kind of like cars you find on the road in a racing jacket.  The most important advantage of that is that the cars are not mind-bendingly fast. A big advantage if you are just starting with panning shots. The Belcar Endurance Series are faster GT cars, but since these races last longer, you get more time to get it right. So, keeping the phrase “walk before you run” in mind, we start with these races before going into the big leagues.

Thirdly, the BTCS and Belcar series are completely belgian organizations who mainly use the Zolder and Spa-Francorchamps circuits. In a race weekend, most of the time, there are several extra races and side-events to diversify the day a bit.  So it won’t be too boring even for people who don’t want to watch cars racing around a circuit all day.  (And for the ladies, Koen Wauters is one of the competitors in these series, and since you can get into the paddock … :-)).

When and where will these “Day at the Races” session be?

I will post an invitation on this blog a couple of weeks before a race, but you can take a look at the calendar for the 2010 season on www.btcseries.be and www.belgiangt.com (season starts in April and ends in October). I won’t be going to all races, but like I said I’ll keep you posted on what races a “Day at the Races” session will be held. By the way, I got three extra seats in the car, so if you don’t have a car or don’t want to drive yourself, there are options ;-)

What do I need?

What you will need is a DSLR camera (sorry but point-and-shoots just can’t make these shots) and a long lens (as long as you got, but I would say you need at least 200mm). If you are a Canon shooter, I have a 100-400mm lens you could try during the day. Besides that, I would suggest a monopod or tripod with ballhead, good walking shoes (especially for Spa-Francorchamps circuit) and since it is still Belgium a raincover or plastic bag to protect your camera from the elements.

What about me leaving my comfort zone?

I know, this is about leaving your comfort zone, but I’m not leaving anything. Right, so what I would like to propose is that if you like this initiative, organize one yourself for a discipline you would like to share with other photographers.

So keep your eyes on the blog for updates, but please let me know already if you like the initiative and are thinking of maybe joining.  Just for me to see whether there is interest in this type of sessions or not.

I decided to write this post because I actually have gotten this question quite a few times lately.  It’s always dangerous to write something about an Apple product especially if you try to compare it to other products.  Apple lovers and haters come out of the woodworks and starting pointing everything you missed in your argument.  So before I even begin, I want to stress that what I will write here is my own personal opinion and is by no means a definitive answer to the question.  I just try to compare the products in ways that those people asking might not have thought of to give those people a comprehensive answer which allows them to answer the question for themselves.  I don’t believe it’s my place to make a decision, but rather to inform the best I can.  So here it goes. If you ask me “What should I get, an Apple iPad or a small (10” to 13”) laptop?” this is what I would answer.

 The Comparison
Actually comparing a small laptop (and I’m not talking about a netbook here) to the iPad is not really fare.  If, for instance, you want to choose between those two to replace your current computer, the best answer might just be: “Get both.” The fact is that the iPad is not a computer as you and I know it.  It should be seen more like a big format smartphone (without the phone) or a big format iPod Touch.  I know this is not really a good analogy, but the fact remains that you will not be able to replace your computer (PC or Mac) by an iPad. The iPad is a peripheral device, meaning that you will need a computer to put things like music on it (via iTunes).  Sure you can download stuff from the web immediately, but you will always need a computer to sync, upload or configure it.  So comparing that to a laptop computer is not fair unless you have a computer at home and want to buy an extra device to carry around.  Let’s take that as a vantage point for the rest of the comparison since this evens the playing field a bit.

What purpose does it need to serve?
Probably the most important question you need to ask yourself is: “What do I want this extra device for?” If the answer is “surf the web (and everything that comes with it today), check my email, watch videos, read some digital books and listen to some music” than I think the iPad might be the best fit for you.  It’s probably great at all these things but be ware if you want to do much more. This is were Apple fanatics will start to attack me but bare with me.  In the end, the iPad doesn’t run software, but apps (via the AppStore) like the iPhone or iPod Touch does. There’s probably an app for everything, but you can’t expect them to behave like complete software products.  For instance, as an amateur photographer, I like to watch and edit my photos. Sure there’s an app for viewing and editing, but those are no way near what I expect photo editing software to be.  So if you have a hobby that requires some serious software, the laptop is the only option. If however you don’t, it’s best to read on ;-)

User experience
This is the point were the iPad has the clear advantage. Or has it? The touch user interface is superb, I will never deny that.  For browsing, messaging and those things it probably the absolute best experience that you will ever have.  It’s responsive, intuitive and just plain easy to use.  But what if you write a lot?  Blog, e-mails, chats, etc. tend to require a lot of typing, and for me personally, an on-screen keyboard just doesn’t cut it when you have to do a lot of typing. OK, so I haven’t used it on a device this size, but still the fact the put the keyboard in an angle to the screen (like a laptop of separate physical keyboard) is a big drawback for me. Sure there is a separate keyboard available for the iPad, but you buy these devices for portability and ease so how many times are you going to forget that separate keyboard? Right, always.  By now you probably have a feel for what MY choice of device would be. The fact remains that if you don’t do a lot of typing, the user experience on an iPad will probably blow the laptop out of the water (even the ridiculously expensive tablet-PC’s).

Multiple users?
This is were for me the laptop wins it. See if more than one person in your house wants to use the device you buy, the choice gets a lot easier. You will only have to buy one laptop, but you’ll have to buy one iPad for every person using it (given they all use it to the same extend). Let me explain. Like I said earlier, the iPad is like a big smartphone.  Which means that you configure it for your email, your contacts, your music, your books, … If anybody else wants to use it with their own settings (own email account, own music, etc.) you are out of luck. OK, if you’re the only user or other people just use it for surfing or other not personal stuff, this does not apply for you, but still it’s something to remember. With a laptop however, one person logs out and the next one logs in with his settings, his e-mail etc. So the lack of multi-user support makes that the iPad can not be used as a coffee-table computer (what I think it would be best suited for).     

So the verdict?
I’ll summarize some of the pros and cons of both systems (based on some features) so you can check the boxes you think you need to make an informed decision. 

Feature	iPad	Small laptop
easy to use	Touch interface is unbeatable for normal use	physical keyboard very handy for intensive typing
multiple user support	only one user can configure everything	as much as you like
Browsing experience	Perfect on big clear screen	no touch means having to use a mousepad
Reading books	Excellent because you can tilt the entire thing to portrait mode (if you like reading books in digital form)	No changing to portrait mode means worse experience
Music	it’s like a big iPod, enough said	MediaPlayer, … enough said
Social media, messaging, etc.	Very good (if there’s not too much typing)	Good especially when much typing is involved
Speciality software	almost none and all depends on Apple	Free as a bird
Portability	too big to replace phone	too big to replace phone
storage	max 64GB (even an iPod has more … why?)	whatever hard drive you can find (+ upgradable)
stand-alone functionality	needs computer for sync	100% standalone
Battery	up to a month stand-by, + 10h in use (WOW)	max 5 hours in use
Upgrades	Forget a new hard-drive or even a USB drive to connect to it, let alone swapping the battery, memory etc.	When bigger and better is available, just put new stuff in.
… the list goes on

So what’s the verdict?  I think for a lot of people who use a computer mainly to surf the web, watch the occasional video etc. the iPad will be a perfect device (with the small drawback of having to have at least one computer in the house to sync iTunes with). So for them, I would very much recommend it.  For other people, I think the iPad can be the dawn of a new age, but it’s not there yet.  Wait a year or two and there will be a device like this for you as well.  And for the tech geeks out there.  It’s certainly not for you, but you’ll buy one anyway because it’s pretty, new and shiny ;-)

The photo was taken just before noon and because of the fog it was no way near bright enough to photograph it decently without a tripod. Luckily I had one with me. It's a drag to carry around, but it more than makes up for it in image quality. I tried this photo handheld and even with IS on, I wouldn't publish it, even to show you the difference. Hopefully that says enough :-)

Now why do I highlight this photo? Well actually for two reasons:

1. To talk about a bit of outdoor photography
2. To talk about post-production

Outdoor photography
I think this photo proofs a very valid point when it comes to the statement that bad weather can make for some great shots. Whether you like the photo or not, you will probably agree with me that it wouldn't have been quite as interesting if the skies had been nice and blue. Bad weather has another big advantage. Since far less people go out in bad weather, you can actually make interesting and "new" shots of landmarks that have been shot to death. Think of the Eifel tower for instance. I don't think many people can make a photo of that tower that we haven't seen before, but how many shots of the Eifel tower have you seen in the rain, fog or a storm. Far less because most people don't go out.

So if you want to make you pictures a little different and more interesting, I suggest you go out when nobody else does. (Oh and don't forget to protect your gear, 'cause although you can take some rain, your camera most often doesn't)

Post-processing
Hopefully most of you figured out that this photo didn't come out of the camera looking like this. That's because I worked on it in Lightroom and Photoshop on it to get it to look this particular "aged" way. Now in post processing lays one of the most difficult challenges for me. That challenge is to choose what you want the photo to look like as a finished product. I know for instance that a lot of you out there might not be a fan of this aged look, whereas others might love it. For me, it just works on this photo. Not just because of the subject (being a castle) but the combination between the subject and the mood of the photo. I could have left it in colour, but I don't think it would have the same atmosphere to it.

So whatever you do in post-processing, I'm convinced you should do what you want, not what necessarily everybody else will like. You see a lot of photos nowadays being finished in a particular style because that style is popular. But whether it's right for the picture is much much more important in my opinion. So I recommend making it clear for yourself what you want it to look like, before looking how others process their photos. You'll learn a lot more from your own vision than you will from other people's.
This picture is all about mood for me and that's the way I finished it.

Finally, the revamped blog has arrived and so it’s time to start anew with this blog.  I started in October 2008 with the Smugmug site and this blog and over the course of one year tested out what I could do with both mediums.  I must say that it all worked pretty well, but not entirely like I had hoped.  This mainly because I focused so hard on the site and the galleries (which of course are the “main event”) that I neglected the blog.  The blog turned out to be more of a “What’s new on the site” than anything else.  And that’s exactly what I want to change in 2010.  I know it’s already a month in, but it took me quite a bit more time than I had anticipated. 

 

So what can you expect?  First off, the “What’s new on the site” will still be a part of the blog, but in addition, I will post much more.  From individual photos I took to reviews and impressions of stuff I tested or just want (I’m on a budget ;-)), from things I find on the web to opinions about photography and what’s going on in the world of photography.  I will try to minimize the personal opinions about other stuff to a minimum, but I can’t guarantee anything ;-). 

 

The idea behind the entire revamp is to make the blog the center of my online universe.  This universe includes the following online spots:

1. The website: http://ronnygabriels.smugmug.com, the place where you can find all my actual photographic work.
2. The blog: http://ronnygabriels.blogspot.com, the center where I will post new photos, critiques, opinions, site updates, stories, etc.
3. The Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elron187, this will get a revamp as well to show less of my work, but more of the “special editions” and portfolio material.
4. The Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/ronnygabriels, where I will post small updates, moods I’m in, links to new blog posts, etc.
5. The Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com, become my friend and see updates.  Warning I use this very scarcely, but I will be posting photographic events I will attend throughout the year.

So that’s my online universe for now and in the following months I will be trying out exactly how and how much I will be using all these media sources, so please bear with me. What rests is to finish this post and start writing some interesting material. 

 

See you soon, Ronny

 

PS: I started a series of post last year about our trip to the USA and its national parks.  You can see all the photos on the site, but I won’t be finishing that series as most of the details would take me way too much time to remember.  I will share the best stories of that trip as I post some of the individual photos from that trip later on.