Sylvander.net: The blog

Analog life

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 15:10:31 +0300

Photography is a passion and I most certainly enjoy it, but... There is a downside - sorting through the images and putting finishing touches on shots in post processing means even more “screentime” and time spent at the keyboard per day.

I figured it was time to find an analog hobby, one that I haven’t practiced since my highschool days, namely drawing. After picking up a couple of Moleskine sketchbooks, Derwent watercolor pencils, Faber Castell’s pencils and pens it was time to see how much of my “touch” had gone...

They may not be masterpieces, but I’m quite satisfied with the outcome. You be the judge. (I do find it slightly ironic and perhaps even slightly disturbing that I ended up scanning them and posting them online...)

Rest in peace

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:03:37 +0300

“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”

John Muir 1916

Read the small print

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 22:33:25 +0300

It’s easy to go about any given day and not pay attention to the wonders that surround us. Like the “small print” at the end of a document, Gaia has filled the planet with things easily ignored, left in the shade of more visible content that grabs our attention. Go on, go into your backyard, kneel down and see the world from “their” point of view - and prepare to be captivated by a new world.

And for any photo people out there wondering if they should shell out a bit of hard earned cash for a decent macro lens - I can’t speak highly enough of my new Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG EX. You’ll be hard pressed to find a macro, at or around the same length as this one, that’ll give you more bang for the buck.

For a few more shots(and I mean few - I’ve only had the lens for a few days...) check out my new macro gallery.

Exaggerating drama

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:24:59 +0300

As it does every year, winter is fighting a losing battle against the coming of summer and the spring ice is melting - fast. As the sun dropped below the horizon, the sky turned into an oceans of reds, oranges with touches of purple. The remaining light was reflected off the clouds, illuminating the landscape ever so softly. In that magic moment my attention was drawn to the cracking ice, forming what almost seems like petals around a heart of stone.

I wanted the rock and cracking ice to really pop out in the shot so I stacked my ND-grad filters to darken the sky as much as possible and add a bit more drama to the scene. Over the top? Most certainly, but I like the way the shot turned out.

Archipelago gallery on photo.sylvander.net.

Angkor: a testament to the magnificence of the khmer empire

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 20:25:44 +0300

An empire that spanned 600 years, from 801-1431, built a complex of architectural wonders spread out over a 400 sq. km. area North of Tonle Sap lake. After the Siamese sacked Angkor for the final time the Khmer abandoned their spiritual capital and Mother Nature reclaimed the area. Buried in the midst of the jungle for four centuries, the area was rediscovered by French naturalist Henri Mouhot in 1861 and has since become one of the most significant archeological sites in the world.

The Cambodia Gallery