This Saturday I went to Antwerp. My girlfriend works for Libelle, Flander’s most popular women’s weekly. They organized a winter fair and even though I liked the atmosphere, Antwerp drew me out to its city center. Walking around, taking pictures and listening to music. I almost felt back in San Francisco.
WinterFair
Libelle WinterFair in Antwerp's harbor
Antwerp's Harbor
Old vs New
Beauty
De Stip (part of a television show)
Jolly
I took a walk down memory lane the other day. It feels as if I haven’t been there in decades.
My parents' place
What Overpelt is built around
Across the street: where I attended both preschool and high school
Where I spent a lot of time waiting
Primary school
Primary school (bis)
Here I spent every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning
In 2008 I attended my first Photokina. This event in Cologne (Köln) attracts many professional photographers and enthusiasts every two years, because companies come to present their work: cameras, tripods, lenses, software, filters, printers and much more products are on display. More importantly – and probably explaining Photokina’s success – these products can be felt and played with.
Now in 2010 my dad and I went to the next Photokina (it takes place every other year). Since I tore my ligaments and other muscles in my left foot, I had to cut down on the number of products to see and touch in the giant halls in Köln. Beforehand, I made my shortlist: Canon (of course!), Leica (for the m9) and Carl Zeiss (for the 2/35 ZE lens).
Entering Photokina from the South entrance, Canon was the first booth we encountered. I wanted to feel the 1Ds mark III and the 1D mark IV. They are Canon’s flagship models and are equipped with very good autofocus, which explains my interest in them (my current camera, a 5D mark II, has focus issues that can drive me nuts). They felt very solid and well built, yet their weight surprised me. I like to take my camera everywhere I go, so weight matters for me. The 8-15mm F4 L lens was amazing to play with, but its zoom ring felt very loose. Nonetheless, playing with a lens of which only 6 copies exist in the world (told to me by Mike Owen himself) was a fantastic experience.
Next we went to Leica for its rangefinders. Remember I rented the M8 in Palo Alto. I’ve been in love with them since then. And boy, holding the full frame M9 with the 50 summilux was wonderful. Sure, it has a lot of downsides and I can’t see myself photographing weddings with it, but for day to day shooting, street and landscape photography it is a wonderful tool. Above I mentioned that weight is an issue for me. In that department, the Leica cannot be beaten. I was so happy playing around with it, that I was shocked when the guy at the booth placed another lens in front of me … The 50mm Noctilux! With a maximum aperture of F0.95, it is the fastest lens for 35mm format in the world. How beautiful it looked too! As I put it on the M9 I quickly realized I was holding a 12500 euro costing combination. But what a difference in built from the 8-15mm F4 L lens by Canon. And you can bet its image quality is much (much much) better as well.
After cleaning up the puddle caused by my drooling, we headed to Carl Zeiss. The 2/35 Distagon ZE lens had caught my attention long ago and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Putting it on my 5D, I noticed how well it was balanced and built. The focus ring was very smooth, but could not be turned by accident. Very nice work, Carl! The lens is manual focus only, but since I have the focusing screen in my camera replaced with an EG-S focusing screen, it was a breeze to focus it. I was also blown away by its sharpness (rendition is hard to compare under TL light) as you can see below.
I hope to be able to attend Photokina 2012. By then I should have finished my PhD (a thought that scares me somewhat) and I wonder what else will have changed in this two-year time frame.
Trying out the 1Ds III
Trying the Leica M9 and 50 Summilux
The German at the booth was digging my Noctilux enthusiasm for sure!
100% crop - unsharpened picture with Zeiss at F2 ...
I just noticed how much J. has changed recently: a few months ago
J. a couple of days ago - she has changed a lot!
Last Saturday I had a wedding of two good friends. Maybe you remember I attended someone’s bachelor party a few weeks ago. That was thrown in honor of the groom of this wedding. I took some pictures there as a guest, but that surely didn’t stop me from having enormous fun!
Tomorrow the bride and groom marry (again) in the Dominican Republic. I wish them all the best!
I’ve been quite busy. At work, but also at photography. Two weekends ago I had my first wedding as the prime photographer and I truly enjoyed it. Of course it would be unwise to put the pictures on the Net before showing them to the bride and groom, so you’ll have to wait some time for a selection on this blog.
This week Karolien and I took a couple of days off and combined this with last weekend to flee to Paris. Despite France’s known chronic illness (strikes) plaguing our train back, we completely enjoyed it. Some pictures can be found below (click them for a larger version).
Complete triumph
Great view
Chaperoned
Bubble in Paris
Is that Amy Winehouse?
Saying goodbye 80's style
Paris à deux
This one has a very Brooklyn kind of feel
Resting
Finding our way
Not usually into these things, I truly enjoyed this evening
The next day you're out
Bridge
Pont des Arts
INCREDIBLY lit!
The Louvre at night
Where I chose to do "something with economics" several years back
This weekend I had a little more time for picture taking (again, click on them for a larger version). On Saturday we had J. visiting us. In the evening some friends came by, but I forgot to take any picture. Not very customary …
On Sunday we went to Hombeek below Mechelen to see the bikers of the Tour De France coming by. Normally they don’t come in Flanders. The reason that it happens now is not a sudden uprise in French imperialism, but celebrating Eddy Merckx in Brussels.
Anyway, we had a good time and are ready for another work week.
In Provinciaal Domein Kessel-Lo
Awaiting the cyclists
The front runners
The group catching seconds on the front runners
A pack of cyclists
Today I’ve been told: what’s happening with your blog and your Flickr? I come by every day, but nothing much changes.
Well, I’ve been really busy at work. So busy that not only I don’t have the time to write posts, but I also don’t have the time to take pictures or to edit them. I hope my frequent visitors can forgive me …
Today I had some time, though. K&M moved today to their new home. Of course, the pictures were mostly taken during breaks, but believe me when I say that there’s been some hard work as well.
Moving out ...
A first break
The last break
In her new room
Belgian Championship Cycling
Stijn Devolder #1
Last weekend, Karolien and I joined K&T for a trip to Canterbury: 6.5 hours one way trip, 7 hours there and then – of course – 6.5 hours to return home. We joined them as a gift for T.’s birthday, but had great fun ourselves. Canterbury reminds me of Bruges, while somewhat less impressive. The weather was great, though.
Englishman
No speaker and no audience
In the cathedral
The cathedral
English outsider
Appearing in the window
The first shot of Britain instead of the United Kingdom
Wayne Rooney's ancestors?
This weekend was quite special. Friday I had a few drinks with a colleague. On Saturday I was heading to Overpelt for the hair dresser and some family obligations after having spent the entire morning supervising an exam. After half an hour on the highway, I realized that the battery of my camera was still in its charger … in Kessel-Lo. Not wanting to turn around, I continued driving, but in Overpelt my car broke down on a crossing and my dad came by to restart it. We decided it was best to go to Midas right away, yet on my way to Lommel, my car broke down again. This time on a crossing with high traffic. To make a long story short, Midas replaced some parts, but it’s doubtful that the car is completely fixed.
Saturday evening Karolien and I reunited and we went to a family party – complete with heavy metal band. On Sunday we celebrated Jos’ Father’s Day a bit early.
Even though my camera is useless without batteries, I still have some pictures to show. I took them with my cell phone camera.
Having a beer at Stapleton's Leuven
My car broken down in Lommel
The (suspected) cause of it all
Early Father's Day
Having some fun
Tuesday Prof. Dr. Raymond De Bondt became an emeritus professor. In essence, it means he is obliged by the government to retire. To honor his work, a colloquium was organized with panels on incentives, competition and innovation, with international guests from Stanford and Peking University.
In the evening I – together with some other colleagues – was invited to go the dinner. Professor De Bondt gave a memorable speech, inspiring especially the young academics, as he had done before with many generations of students in Bedrijfseconomie and Theorie Van De Industriële Organisatie (the course that made me approach him to pursue a PhD).
Below you can find … pictures of course!
Arrival of the guests
Before the first presentation
Putting slides on the projector
Meetings
During one of the coffee breaks
The legendary Roberts of "Milgrom and Roberts"
Discussions
During another coffee break
I was there, too
After the sessions
Going to the Faculty Club
Academics
Meeting the guests
Enjoying
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