loves

Mister

ZEUS

I am a down to earth, kind hearted, warm, gentle, caring, patient, and fun loving Labrador.


Apart from photography, I also enjoy long walks (countryside or large parks are my favorite), swimming, playing fetch, jogging, exploring, and sunbathing. Lately I am also enjoying trying to drawing and illustrate in digital mediums.


I can spend hours gazing into the open, reflecting, and philosophizing. It is quite usual for me to reflect and think while taking a nap at the same time.


My favorite colors are blue and red, which is why I love viewing vivid and sunset skies.


Rice and chicken are my all time favorite food dishes. While watching TV, I enjoy nibbling on carrots and apples. I have also taken a liking to German sausages.


I also have a sweet tooth, and enjoy plain natural yogurt. In summer I also love eating melons and pears. If it is very hot I enjoy plain ice cubes, or dog friendly ice cream - Yummy.

The two main cameras I use are a Olympus OMD and a Sony A7 I V.

The Olympus OMD is my go-to camera for wildlife photography, especially big cats (Lions, Tigers). The size and weight of the camera body and lenses are remarkable. The OMD is extremely fast (10-60 frames per second with mechanical and electronic shutter respectively) with a large internal buffer. Olympus’s Pro Capture mode is also a unique feature very useful for capturing key moment. For more information (click here) or read my camera review (click here)


For wildlife I use the Olympus 75-300mm, F4.8-6.7 telephoto lens, which with the micro 4/3 crop factor of two, means I effectively have a 600mm lens, that almost fits in the palm of my hand. Micro 4/3 lenses are not only small and light, they are also a lot more affordable. The in-body image stabilization (IBIS) of Olympus is probably the best in the market, and all my photos have not required a tripod or other stabilization tools. I also use the Olympus 45mm F1.8 lens for portraits (humans, animals) and event photography. It gives me a 90mm range with great bokeh and available light.


I also use the Full-frame Sony A7 IV camera. It has a full-frame (35mm equivalent) size sensor, uses interchangeable lenses, and produces high quality pictures. It is a bit larger and heavier than my Olympus, especially when attaching larger lenses.


However its larger sensor and 33 Megapixels produces outstanding results. If you are looking for an affordable full-frame camera with IBIS, Eye-AF, 759 phase-detection auto focus points (approximately 94% of image area) 10 frames per second stills, 2 card slots, and 4K video, then the Sony A7 IV or higher may be for you. For me, the best feature of the Sony A7 IV, is the Eye-AF which is incredibly accurate and fast. The Eye-AF works on humans and animals (Cats, Dogs, Birds).


I am often asked if the sensor sizes and interchangeable lenses, make a big enough difference to justify upgrading from a smart phone or compact camera. If you just want to view your photographs on a smart phone, tablet, or on social media sites, then images captured from smart phones and compact cameras are adequate. Printing postcard sizes or little larger should also be fine.


Should you wish to view your images on a smart TV (4K, Full HD) or print them (10 inches and larger) then I would suggest a sensor size of Micro 4/3, APS-C, or Full Frame. The larger sensor sizes and purpose built interchangeable lenses (e.g. portrait lenses, wide angle, telephoto zoom) make an enormous difference - it is like night and day (compared to compact cameras or smart phones).


I myself started with a compact camera but never really liked the results. Yes, the camera and lens are only part of the story (you need camera, lenses, skill, and software), but they are an important factor.


Refer to my e-magazines and books (coming sometime in the future) for more information regarding sensor sizes and more tips on photography. From the menu listing, the Cameras section highlights videos and tips for different cameras, and is aimed at helping you select a camera. In the Photography section you will find videos and links to books aimed at helping you acquire skills and knowledge in the art of photography and digital paining. Lastly, the Software section shares tips and tricks of various software products for editing photographs.

The Olympus OMD is a mirror less compact system camera (CSC), using a micro four thirds (4/3) sensor and micro four thirds interchangeable lenses. It is very small, very light, easy to use, and feature rich.


If you are looking for a small, yet feature rich camera capable of producing high quality pictures, then these CSC cameras from Olympus may be for you.

Olympus

Olympus

Olympus OMD

A7 III

Sony

Digital photography allows creative possibilities after the photo has been taken. I set both my cameras to shoot in RAW (digital negative). This means I have to edit the photos with special software afterwards, but all my editing does not affect the original digital negative.


I love being able to try things and develop my own creative style without affecting the original digital negative. The software I use depends on the task at hand. My typical workflow includes Adobe Lightroom, Serif Affinity Suite, Corel Paintshop Pro, Corel Video Studio. I am currently experimenting with Cyberlink PhotoDirector and might also try Cyberlink PowerDirector.


Lately I am trying to learn digital paining using Corel Painter and I love it! (see painting on the left). Have a look at my galleries to spot some digital paintings. Maybe one day I will be good enough to draw freehand - hats off to all those artists out there that can.


You can see more of my digital art in my new art section (click here).

Software for editing photographs

Enjoy a Video of my friends and I

Use video player controls to pause, play, play full screen. The video includes audio.