Uploads from kenny mccartney

Bologna - The Asinelli Tower

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:48:22 -0700

This was taken on top of the 97 metre (318 feet) Asinelli Tower, completed in the year 1119. It is looking down over the city centre of Bologna, and also over the tall-in-its-own-right Garisenda Tower (48 metres). The Asinelli Tower is similar to nearly every ancient tower in Italy in that it leans at the top, which at this modern-high-rise altitude makes the look down seem even more perilous. Considering my own aversion to heights - this photo might be the scariest one I have ever taken.

Perspective achieved by using the shift feature of the lens - three images stitched into this square frame. I did a shot similar to this technique on top of the Scott Monument back home in Edinburgh.

5D II + TSE 24L II

Bologna

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:29:42 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Initially Bologna was just our Ryanair gateway to Venice. Upon further inspection, the excitement to visit this regional capital grew. But upon arrival, I didn't expect to be so enamored with it to the degree that Bologna is now among my favorite cities in Europe. Bustling and modern, but full of character on every single portico-lined street.

Featured in this photo is the Asinelli Tower, which will be the vantage point of my next upload. This one is a stitch of three separate frames.

5D II + 85L II

Venice - Grand Canal

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:08:57 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Taken from the Academy Bridge over the Grand Canal at dusk. I'm largely disappointed with this photo but decided to upload it anyway. I was set on using the 24mm, but upon inspection of the photos I took from here, I now realize I should have used the 85mm instead. I'm kicking myself, but still thankful I was able to capture anything at all.

Single exposure without filters.

5D II + TSE 24L II

Venetian Lagoon

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:50:58 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

This image has the above title, because little did I realize that the calm Lagoon captured here would later become the focus of our day, pushed into Venice by the shifting tide of the Adriatic to the point where wading instead of perusing through the city was the unexpected and amusing experience of the afternoon.

A pretty simple single exposure without much editing at all.

5D II + TSE 24L II

Venice - San Giorgio Maggiore

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:09:49 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Unique, beautiful, and interesting around every corner: the city of Venice seemed like a place that only exists in the imagination. It's filled with both visitors and proud locals for very good reason.

Two short exposures approaching dusk, stitched into one frame for composition.

5D II + 85L II + Hoya ND8 + Hoya CPL

The Meadows

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:55:36 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

It's not the typical scene of Edinburgh found on postcards, but it is one of the most beloved areas for many city residents. As soon as the sun comes out and the temperature rises into the teens, it fills with people, dogs, sports, wine, and smoking barbecues. It can be a truly lovely place.

Just two quick 15 second exposures, stitched into one frame.

5D II + TSE 24L II + ND110 + Hoya CPL

George And Frederick

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:31:29 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Literally a stone's throw away (okay fine, a stone's throw and a half) from home was this overlook that was just begging to be enjoyed. Even though the scene from street level is one which is seen every day either by car or by foot, it's always a bit more special from above.

Several horizontal frames shot at 85mm and stitched to create a 5x4 vertical image. Exceedingly little editing - to the point in which I've included the lens flare for authenticity. I hope you enjoy.

5D II + 85L II

Victoria Street

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:46:41 -0700

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

A steep, narrow, cobble-stone drive that links George IV and Grassmarket - Victoria Street and Terrace is a nightlife haven and Old Town icon. This formula usually results in being photographed from every conceivable angle, until looking from the upward forgotten heights. A slow Sunday evening gave me the opportunity to shed new light on the subject, sans Edinburgh Castle and Assembly, but including the distant hills, Tollcross, and the Edinburgh CBD.

Six horizontally oriented frames shot at 85mm, stacked vertically, resulting in a high-resolution image. Cropped to the most pleasing composition.

5DII + 85L II

Calton Hill Sunset

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:13:24 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Miraculously, the sun has been out for the past few days. And it was kind enough to offer this display yesterday, at 6:00pm no less, reminding everyone that the days are rapidly getting longer and there is hope on the horizon for the warmth of spring.

The colors and vibrancy is simply the result of a 3 minute exposure at 400 ISO using a 10 stop neutral density filter. Only a small bit of processing was employed on this one: suffice it to say I was pleasantly surprised with what was captured in camera. It is, however, cropped substantially.

5DII + 135L + BW ND110

Prague & Charles Bridge

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:42:52 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

The best part of this photo? Location, location, location. It was taken from the window ledge of our budget hostel. It might have been among the least comfortable hostels we've ever enjoyed, but it did have a fantastic view of the narrow streets of Prague's city centre and the Charles Bridge beyond the tower. The virtual river of crowds below remind me of the madness of New Year's Eve.

I haven't been shooting as much lately, so this photo was resurrected from the archives to remind me to get my lazy bum out even if it's not convenient. Three frames stitched together to create one larger view.

5DII + 85L

Prague - Old Town

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:32:01 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Prague. Next to the Charles Bridge Tower on the eastern side, looking for new ways to display this lovely square. As displayed here, Charles Bridge itself (behind me) steals all the glory, leaving this lovely square to be admired by the lonely few.

I haven't been shooting as much lately, so this photo was resurrected from the archives to remind me to get my lazy bum out even if it's not convenient. Two frames stitched together to create one larger square view.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Berlin - Potsdamer Platz

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:58:28 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

The Potsdamer Platz area of Berlin felt totally livable for such a dense urban area, with intelligent planning for both residences and commercial space. With efficient transport options at every corner and plenty of street-life and shops luring pedestrians in, it was hard not to make comparisons with Stockholm.

Two images, 30 second exposures each, stitched together to create this single frame.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Brandenburg Gate

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:43:48 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

This is the image I saw on my television screen throughout my childhood, as the Berlin Wall fell and Germany and eastern Europe was reunited. This very old structure has certainly seen it's share of changing tides, horrors of human society, and rulers that came and went.

This was shot in the driving rain on the last evening in Berlin, but I refused to leave this city without capturing this iconic structure myself. I might have arrived back for the night soaking wet and with worse flu symptoms, but when it's only a few blocks away it proved impossible to not go have some shots of it for myself.

Two short exposures stitched together to create this single frame. The human element that remains, along with the raindrops scattered on the lens, are effective for my own nostalgia I will no doubt feel as I look upon this image in the future.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:30:31 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

"The stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason."

It's incredible to imagine why God would offer any grace to mankind at all.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Berlin

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:48:43 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Our last stop was Berlin - a city I'd wanted to visit for as long as I could remember, so full of icons seemingly stuck in an imaginary space that were out of my reach to ever see in person. So, when my better half agreed to accompany me to this sketchy rooftop after our dinner I was extra giddy. This view looks out over East Berlin: the River Spree, Museum Island and Berliner Dom, Alexanderplatz, and the Fernsehturm TV Tower make up the background. The latter, standing at 368 metres (1,207 ft) is sinister, making hiding from its view anywhere in Berlin nearly impossible.

This shot consists of two 30-second horizontally-oriented frames stitched together. Many thanks for the generous tips from local photographers Dipta Nandana and Jens Fersterra. Without their knowledge I wouldn't have even suspected this vantage point was accessible.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Prague

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:50:26 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

It's obvious to me that Czechs are especially proud of their capital city, as they should be. Not only have they taken the steps to illuminate their monuments and grand architecture at night, but there are seemingly endless towers open to the public to take in a panoramic view. The cost is always very small and tripods are always welcome. Take note, Edinburgh, of what pride in one's city should look like.

Wife and I spent a little too long on top of Powder Gate, but the view was mesmerizing (I could stare at Tyn Church all day). The appreciated building illumination, ironically, makes it very difficult to shoot the scene without lens flare, and this example is one of the successful few. Not a lot of post-processing, and I even resisted the urge to clone in the rest of the buildings further out that illuminated after this one was taken. I'm quite satisfied knowing the beauty in this shot is all Prague.

5DII + 85LII

Available for licensing on Getty Images

Prague & St. Vitus Cathedral

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:26:37 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Once Germany and Austria had their moments, we loaded the car up and took off through the Czech Republic to Prague. We were both totally pumped for this city, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

It's virtually impossible to look in any direction in Prague and not be struck with the sight of gothic architecture and history. Every view throughout the city seems to be filled with scenes of ancient towers and spires that have been preserved with great care. This particular view is among the most common - Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, and Charles Bridge. We were fortunate to have this image as our backdrop to ringing in 2013 with a riverside fireworks display.

One very simple thirty second exposure, with only a little processing for extra punch.

5DII + 85LII

Hallstatt

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:34:31 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

After a few days in Munich it was time to collect our hire car and find our way through Salzburg to the town of Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut region of Austria. It's a very small town devoid of traffic and excitement but filled to the brim with character and interest on every small corner. Nestled in the Alps on a lake, I can't imagine a time of the year in which this view wouldn't look calm and relaxing. Apparently the Chinese love it so much they've built their own scale replica of the town.

On the day of our departure I still hadn't done any serious captures of the town, so I aimed to rise early and this was the view that greeted me before the sun rose above the mountains. Two 45-second horizontal frames stitched to make a larger single image.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Munich

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:49:30 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

Munich makes it very clear that the city is about much more than Schneider Weisse on tap and Oktoberfest attractions - it finds artistic expression in both traditional and modern outlets, making the city one of the more culturally relevant in the region. While this is more obvious in museums, I found it most attractive in their architecture and design. Even a small metro station wasn't overlooked with splashes of color and brightness. This particular station is Westfriedhof of the U1 line.

Five vertically oriented shots stitched together (to ensure overlap) to create this ultra-wide high resolution frame (7442 x 5582) with trains on both sides of the platform in motion. I've seen one or two photographers only shoot one side of this and simply mirror it in post, giving the illusion of a full scene. Not this guy.

5DII + TSE 24L II

Merry Christmas From Edinburgh

nobody@flickr.com (kenny mccartney) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:12:36 -0800

kenny mccartney posted a photo:

From way up high over our city from my family to yours... Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Taken on the week of the worst weather since summer on the Eve of Christmas, this quick outing's view reminded me of one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in Europe: home.

A very unique vantage point from the top of The Mound on top of one of the highest points in the city, this image consists of 4 thirty second horizontal frames stitched vertically and cropped significantly.

I do prefer my previous upload that encapsulates the winter holiday in Edinburgh City - but I couldn't resist making the most of the opportunity while it was available.

5DII + 135L