Unveiling Őrség: A Journey Through Portraits and Stories

In the tranquil expanse of Hungary’s Őrség National Park, a tapestry of human stories unfolds. My recent project, "The People of Őrség," aims to capture the essence of this region through the lens of black-and-white photography. This collection is a labor of love, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who call this enchanting area home.

The Heartbeat of Őrség

Őrség, with its rolling hills, dense forests, and quaint villages, is a place where time seems to slow down. Yet, it is the people who truly define its spirit. From elders who have witnessed the changing tides of history to new settlers seeking solace in its serene landscapes, each individual in this series has a unique story to tell.

Through this project, I had the privilege of meeting artisans, farmers, and dreamers. Their faces, etched with the lines of experience and the glow of resilience, tell tales of tradition and transformation. In the portraits, you will find the quiet dignity of a potter’s hands, the determined gaze of a shepherd, and the warm smile of a grandmother sharing her legacy.

Beyond Borders

This journey also extends into the neighboring Slovenian Raab-Goričko region, where the cultural tapestry continues to weave its intricate patterns. Here, too, the stories are abundant and the faces familiar yet distinct, each contributing to a broader narrative of life in this corner of Europe.

The Power of Black and White

Choosing to shoot in black and white was a deliberate decision. This timeless medium strips away distractions, allowing the viewer to focus on the raw emotion and character of each subject. The play of light and shadow brings out the depth of their experiences, creating a powerful connection between the viewer and the person behind the photograph.

A Celebration of Humanity

"The People of Őrség" is more than a collection of images; it celebrates humanity in its purest form. It is about capturing fleeting moments, preserving them for posterity, and honoring the past while looking toward the future. Each portrait is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Őrség community and a reminder of the beauty in every human story.

I invite you to explore this collection and immerse yourself in the world of Őrség. Let the faces and stories inspire you, as they have inspired me.

To view the entire collection and learn more about the remarkable individuals featured in this project, visit The People of Őrség.

The Timeless Charm of Black and White Photography in Venice

Venice, a city of vibrant colours and bustling life, is often captured in vivid hues. However, when stripped of colour, its true essence emerges more profoundly and timelessly. Black and white photography in Venice offers a unique lens through which we can explore this historic city, revealing its soul and eternal beauty.

The Magic of Monochrome:

In a black-and-white world, Venice transforms. The absence of colour draws attention to the play of light and shadow, the textures of ancient buildings, and the reflections dancing on the canals. The contrasts become more pronounced, allowing us to see Venice through a different perspective – one that is steeped in history and nostalgia.

Capturing the Essence of Venice:

The challenge in black-and-white photography is to convey the city's essence without the allure of colour. This means focusing on composition, texture, and tonal contrast. The intricate details of Venetian architecture, from the ornate facades of palaces to the worn-out steps of a secluded bridge, all tell a story that is best expressed in grayscale.

The Timelessness of Film Photography:

While digital cameras offer convenience and flexibility, there is something inherently romantic and authentic about capturing Venice on film. The grain, the anticipation of developing your shots, and the organic feel of film photography add a layer of depth and timelessness to the images.

Venice Through the Eyes of a Photographer:

In my workshops, I guide photographers to see beyond the obvious. We explore the narrow alleys, the less-travelled canals, and the quiet corners of Venice. Here, away from the hustle and bustle, you can feel the city's heartbeat, and your photographs become more than just images – they become stories.

Conclusion:

Black and white photography not only captures the timeless beauty of Venice but also evokes emotions that colour sometimes cannot convey. It's about seeing the world in a different light and telling a story that resonates with the soul. Join me in this journey of discovery, where each frame is a love letter to Venice, written in light and shadow.

My Black and White Photography Workshop in Venice is here

Embracing the Monochrome Challenge on the Vibrant Island of Burano

As a photojournalist and fine art photographer who conducts workshops across picturesque European cities like Venice, Ljubljana, and Croatia, I constantly seek new ways to challenge my perspective and inspire the students who attend my sessions. One such challenge I recently undertook with Terry, a fantastic guest and a great photographer, was a black and white photography workshop in the heart of Burano, Italy's most colourful island.

At first glance, it may seem like a counterintuitive idea to focus on black and white photography in a place that is bursting with colour. However, the experience proved enlightening, allowing me and my students to delve deeper into the nuances of composition, texture, and contrast that are so critical to black-and-white photography.

During the workshop, we explored the island's quaint streets and canals, searching for scenes and subjects that would translate well into monochromatic images. Without the distraction of colour, we were forced to think beyond the obvious and consider how elements like light, shadows, and shapes could create a compelling photograph.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this challenge was the opportunity to understand what works and what doesn't in terms of black and white photography. We discovered that certain subjects lent themselves perfectly to a monochromatic treatment, while others lost their impact without the vibrancy of colour. This realization made us all more discerning photographers capable of making thoughtful decisions about when to use black and white versus color.

The vibrant houses of Burano, for example, seemed to lose their charm in grayscale. However, the intricate lacework the island is famous for took on a new life when captured in black and white. The play of light and shadow on the delicate patterns created a sense of depth and intricacy that may have been lost in a colour image.

Ultimately, the black and white workshop challenge in Burano proved to be an enriching experience for all of us. It pushed us to think more critically about our photographic choices and helped us better understand the art of monochrome photography. While it may have seemed like a crazy idea initially, the results were nothing short of fantastic. I encourage every photographer to consider taking on a similar challenge to expand their horizons and hone their skills!

How To Create Moody Monochrome Landscapes

Moody monochrome landscape photography is an art. With just a change in how you see the landscape, through your eyes and through the camera lens, you could get some great black and white photos of the outdoors. This article will give you tips on how to capture those magical moments for making the best out of all kinds of outdoor photography. We will look at techniques, equipment, and other important factors for creating timeless masterpieces in monochrome.

Monochrome photography is one of the more challenging types of photography to master. Even with the right gear, it can be difficult to get the proper depth of field that helps create a moody and compelling image. In this blog post, I'll share my tips and tricks for shooting in monochrome, so you can learn how to create your own moody landscapes in no time.

Monochrome photography can be a great niche for your e-commerce photography business. It's not very common to see monochrome product photography, and people often have a hard time imagining what it looks like. But monochrome is a versatile and interesting style that lends itself to a variety of photographic applications.

The most striking thing about monochrome images is their simplicity. There's no color to distract you from the subject. Whether it's a person or an object, all you see is black and white, which makes it easy to imagine the subject as it really is — something quite different from the way you perceive it in colour.

Monochrome pictures tend to be gloomy and serious, but they can also be quite cheerful. In fact, one of the benefits of shooting in monochrome is that you don't have to choose between warm tones and cool tones, because there are no warm tones at all. Any colour tone in the scene will look good with black and white, so you don't have to worry about "matching" one tone with another.

Black and White is an effective strategy to create your own style. When shooting in monochrome, the composition is the most important aspect of a photo. It's not about whether you use colour or not, it's about how you see the world as a photographer and how you capture that vision with your camera.

Tone and mood are very important when shooting in black and white because it changes the way people perceive a scene. For example, if your goal is to create a dark and moody atmosphere, then different elements need to be emphasized within your frame.

Below are some tips to achieve this particular look:

Forecasts that include the proportion of cloud and rain, the wind speed and direction, and the temperature become crucial. A forecast indicating a 50% chance of rain and a wind speed of 15 to 20 miles per hour can be encouraging. Essentially, seek out sunny spells punctuated by periodic showers.

Clearing (or approaching) storm clouds against a deep blue sky with dark patchy shadows scudding across the terrain are photographers' dreams, yet such dramatic settings come at a cost. By definition of desiring storm clouds, the likelihood is that you may become wet, chilled, hit by hailstones, or perhaps snowed on, but trust me on this one, it will be worth it.

Days with fog, low clouds, rain or snow could be perfect for Black and White photography

The more contrast on an image, the darker it looks. If you have a lot of light areas in your photo, then it will tend to look brighter than if there aren't any bright spots in the image at all. Shadows can add a lot of contrast to an image, so if there aren't any shadows present in your scene, try adding them with artificial light sources or reflectors.

Because brightness values are inverted when converting from colour to black and white, you can use your camera's exposure compensation function (often found under the "manual" mode setting) to make scenes brighter or darker in post-processing.

Creating moody images is about creating drama, and you can do this with filters such as gradients. When you're shooting in monochrome, you can use these filters to darken a scene, by introducing more shadow. You can also use them to brighten a scene if you want more light contrast. One of the most popular monochrome filters is a three-stop graduated neutral density (GND) filter: these come in a circular shape and darken skies evenly. A six-stop GND filter is also available, which allows you to darken skies even more. Another popular filter for landscapes is an 81B warm-up filter; this adds warmth to the sky, which can be useful when shooting in overcast conditions or at twilight.

Possibly the best-known software for creating black & white images is the superb Nik Silver Efex Pro. It is a very creative and powerful program with many presets but it too has its limitations. It can be a very aggressive piece of software so you need to check your images carefully for any deficiencies and imperfections that it may create.

Taking a B&W photo means choosing which colours are important enough to preserve and which ones to discard. This isn't hard if you're taking a picture of something like a red barn with a blue sky behind it. The blue sky is irrelevant and the red barn becomes the subject of the photo. But take a landscape photo where every detail is equally important — for example, an image shot in soft light with a lot of subtle colours — and you'll have a lot more decisions to make about what stays and what goes.

Black and white photos appear timeless because they work with the viewer’s imagination. You see the value of a black and white photo very quickly and easily, while color often distracts us. The fact that no one has created the same image before you will free you up to create your own vision.

Andrea and Zoltán

Andrea and Zoltán have been together for 15 years, and five years ago, they visited Orseg to conduct house viewings. Immediately fell in love with an uninhabited house in the pretty village of Szaknyer, necessitating quick action.

Thus, they returned home, painted their house, listed it for sale, and sold it! Finally, they were ready to buy and move with their kids.

They had been designing and creating gifts for a long time, and they continued to do so here. After renovating the house, they decided to retain an older room and convert it into a high-end gift shop with a fairy tale atmosphere.

They enjoy becoming involved in a variety of activities concurrently. They now have goats, sheep, pigs, hens, ducks, rabbits, and two Shetland ponies in their yard!

They realised a long-held dream in the summer of 2019 when they transformed the old shed into a vibrant, bohemian space where they serve visitors freshly roasted coffee made from coffee beans imported worldwide.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Andrea és Zoltán 15 éve vannak együtt, 5 évvel ezelőtt pedig ellátogattak az Őrségbe, hogy megnézzenek egy házat. Mondani sem kell, hogy a kedves kis faluban, Szaknyéken található elhagyatott parasztházba azonnal beleszerettek. A látogatást pedig azonnali cselekvések követték. Ahogy hazatértek, kicsinosították az otthonukat, eladásra kínálták, majd gyorsan meg is váltak tőle! Így végül készen álltak arra, hogy a gyerekeikkel Szaknyékre költözzenek.

A család már régóta foglalkozott ajándéktárgyak tervezésével és készítésével, ezzel a tevékenységükkel itt sem hagytak fel. A megvásárolt ház felújítását követően, úgy határoztak, hogy az egyik régi szobát, elegáns, tündérmesék hangulatát idéző ajándékbolttá alakítják át. 

Ezzel párhuzamosan, a legkülönbözőbb projektekbe is szeretnek belefolyni. Jelenleg több kecske, bárány, malac, csibe, kacsa, nyúl büszke tulajdonosai, ezenkívül két Shetland póni is van az udvaron! 

2019 nyarán egy másik régóta dédelgetett álmukat is valóra váltották, a régi pajtából egy élénk, bohém kávézót varázsoltak, ahol a világ minden tájáról származó kávészemekből, frissen helyben pörkölve készülnek a csodálatos italok.  

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Andrea in Zoltan sta skupaj že 15 let, pred petimi leti pa sta obiskala Orseg na ogledu hiše. Takoj sta se zaljubila v nenaseljeno hišo v lepi vasici Szaknyer, ki je zahtevala hitro ukrepanje. Zato sta se vrnila domov, hišo pobarvala, jo dala na prodaj in jo prodala! Končno sta bila pripravljena na nakup in selitev s svojimi otroki.

Že dolgo sta oblikovala in ustvarjala darila, kar sta nadaljevala tudi tukaj. Po prenovi hiše sta se odločila, da bosta ohranila starejšo sobo in jo preuredila v vrhunsko trgovino z darili s pravljičnim vzdušjem.

Uživata v tem, da se hkrati ukvarjata z različnimi dejavnostmi. Zdaj imata na svojem dvorišču koze, ovce, prašiče, kokoši, race, kunce in dva shetlandska ponija!

Poleti 2019 pa sta uresničila dolgoletne sanje, ko sta staro lopo spremenila v živahen, boemski prostor, kjer obiskovalcem postrežeta s sveže praženo kavo iz zrn, uvoženih z vsega sveta.

Check their website here https://www.vadregenyes.bolt.hu/

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Ralf and Kati

Ralf was born in Germany and is a former policeman In 2009 he decided to change his life and move to the Orseg area.

Six years ago, he met Kati, and they have been happily together since.

A few years ago, the local Restaurant asked them to prepare some Langos for an evening. Since that time, they have been serving excellent langos to the local community every Friday evening.

They also run a lovely buffet every day during lunchtime, and they prepare Kürtőskalács on Wednesday.

It is nice to have excellent traditional street food at your doorstep

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Ralf Németországban született, és egykor rendőr volt.
2009-ben úgy döntött, hogy megváltoztatja az életét, és az Őrsébe költözik. Hat éve találkozott Katival, és azóta boldogan élnek együtt.

Néhány évvel ezelőtt a helyi étterem felkérte őket, hogy készítsenek egy estére Lángost.
Azóta minden péntek este kiváló lángost szolgálnak fel a helyi közösségnek. Emellett minden nap ebédidőben egy kellemes büfét üzemeltetnek, szerdánként pedig Kürtőskalácsot készítenek.

Jó érzés, hogy kiváló hagyományos utcai ételeket kapunk a küszöbünkön!

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Ralf se je rodil v Nemčiji in je nekdanji policist. Leta 2009 se je odločil spremeniti svoje življenje in se preselil na območje Orseg. Pred šestimi leti je spoznal Kati in od takrat sta srečen par. 

Pred nekaj leti ju je lokalna restavracija prosila, naj za en večer pripravita nekaj langašev. Od takrat vsak petek zvečer lokalni skupnosti postrežeta z odličnimi langaši. Vsak dan v času kosila pripravljata tudi čudovit samopostrežni bife, ob sredah pa pripravljata Kürtőskalács. 

Lepo je imeti odlično tradicionalno ulično hrano pred svojim pragom! 

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Reto and Gisella

Reto and Gisella are from Switzerland but have been coming to Orseg for many years. Now they are an active part of the Velemer community. They have been renovating their house for quite some time, making it a cosy home for them.

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Reto és Gisella Svájcból származik, de már évek óta járnak az Őrségbe. Mára Velemér közösségének aktív részeseivé váltak. A házuk felújításán dolgoznak egy ideje, hogy meghitt otthont teremtsenek maguknak.

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Reto in Gisella prihajata iz Švice, vendar se v Orseg vračata že vrsto let. Zdaj sta aktivna člana skupnosti Velemer. Svojo hišo obnavljata že kar nekaj časa, tako da jima je postala prijeten dom.

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Éva: The passion for Haban Majolica

Eva is originally from Budapest, and she first came to Velemer in the 1980s, where she fell in love with the area.

It was more than thirty years ago that she began working with ceramics, and after years of study, she opened her own workshop in Budapest. Around 2004, she became interested in the art of Haban pottery-making.

More or less on the very same year with her husband decided to relocate to Velemér and set up a workshop, which quickly became increasingly popular with local residents and tourists alike.

Because of the high quality of the clay, the Velemér Valley has traditionally been one of the most important pottery sites in the country, and according to historical documents, it was also where the Habans lived in the 16th century.

Eva also has a keen interest in and affection for the ceramics of the Italian Renaissance. When she travelled for work, on the search of the Habans in Italy, during 2007, she stopped at Deruta, near Assisi, and there she learnt the secrets of majolica manufacturing from the Masters!

Éva Workshop in Velemer https://haban.hu/

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Éva eredetileg Budapestről származik, és az 1980-as években látogatott először Velemérre, ahol beleszeretett a környékbe.


Több mint harminc évvel ezelőtt kezdett el kerámiával dolgozni, és hosszú tanulóévek után megnyitotta saját műhelyét Budapesten. 2004 körül kezdett el érdeklődni a habán kerámiakészítés művészete iránt.

Nagyjából még ugyanabban az évben férjével úgy döntöttek, hogy Velemérre költöznek és műhelyt nyitnak, amely hamarosan egyre népszerűbbé vált mind a helyi lakosok, mind a turisták körében.

A kiváló minőségű agyag miatt a veleméri völgy hagyományosan az ország egyik legjelentősebb fazekas helyszíne, és a történelmi dokumentumok szerint a 16. században itt éltek a habánok (hutteriták) is.

Éva az olasz reneszánsz kerámiákhoz is vonzódik és élénk érdeklődéssel tekint rájuk.

Amikor 2007-ben munkája miatt a habánok felkutatása céljából Olaszországba utazott, megállt az Assisi melletti Derutában, és ott a Mesterektől tanulta meg a majolikakészítés titkait!

Éva Workshop in Velemer https://haban.hu/

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Eva prihaja iz Budimpešte, v Velemér pa je prvič prišla v 80. letih prejšnjega stoletja, nato se je v to območje zaljubila .

Pred več kot tridesetimi leti se je začela ukvarjati s keramiko in po letih

študija odprla svojo delavnico v Budimpešti. Okoli leta 2004 se je začela zanimati za umetnost izdelovanja habanske keramike.

Več ali manj istega leta se je z možem odločila preseliti v Velemér in ustanoviti

delavnico, ki je hitro postala vse bolj priljubljena tako med lokalnimi prebivalci kot tudi med turisti.

Zaradi visoke kakovosti gline je bila dolina Velemér tradicionalno eno izmed najpomembnejših lončarskih najdišč v državi, po zgodovinskih dokumentih pa naj bi tam v 16. stoletju živeli tudi habani.

Eva goji močno zanimanje za keramiko italijanske renesanse in je do nje tudi naklonjena.

Ko je leta 2007 službeno potovala, da bi poiskala habane v Italiji, se je ustavila

v Deruti blizu Assisija in se tam od starih mojstrov naučila skrivnosti izdelave majolike!

Éva Workshop in Velemer https://haban.hu/

Check Örsegi page here

Irén in Velemér Orseg

Irén lives in Velemér, where she was born in the early 1930s.

Her parents built the house where she now resides between 1945 and 1956 with a great deal of love, care, and attention. In addition to Irene's love of pastel colours, most details can still be seen today.

During a wedding reception in 1956, she met Sándor, her future husband, for the first time; he had only recently returned to the area after working away in Budapest for several years. As a result of his inability to find work, his friends advised him to relocate away from the neighbourhood.

His family had, in fact, suffered as a result of Communism's repression. They had been evicted from their home and their land during the years of the "kolkhoz," a farming cooperative set up in rural areas of Hungary at the time of Soviet Union occupation.

When they were younger, they farmed their land and kept some animals, including everything from cows to pigs to chickens. Irén has fewer chickens now, but she still has a fantastic vegetable garden, which she lovingly tends to every day.

She is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and three generations live nearby.

Not to mention she knows how to brew an excellent coffee!

PS to read more about communism in rural areas I suggest :

Gergely Krisztián Horváth COMMUNIST AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND THE FIRST WAVE OF COLLECTIVISATION IN HUNGARY

Hungarian 🇭🇺

Irén Velemérben él, ahol az 1930-as évek elején született.

A házat, amelyben él, a szülei építették 1945 és 1956 között sok-sok szeretettel, gondossággal és figyelmességgel. Az eredeti kialakítás részletei még ma is láthatók Irén pasztellszínek iránti rajongása mellett. 

1956-ban egy lakodalomban találkozott először Sándorral, a jövőbeli férjével, aki csak nemrégiben tért vissza a környékre, miután éveken át dolgozott Budapesten. A barátai ajánlották neki, hogy költözzön el a környékről, mert itt nem tudott munkát találni.

A családja a kommunista elnyomás áldozata volt. Ki lettek lakoltatva az otthonukból és a birtokukról a „kolhoz” idők alatt. A kolhozok mezőgazdasági szövetkezetek voltak Magyarország vidéki területein az orosz megszállás idejében. 

Amikor fiatalabbak voltak művelték a földjüket és számos állatot tartottak a tehenektől és a disznóktól kezdve a csirkékig. Irénnek már csak néhány csirkéje van, de van egy csodálatos zöldséges kertje, amelyet minden nap szeretettel gondoz. 

A családjának három nemzedéke él a közelben, akiknek anyja, nagyanyja és dédnagyanyja.

Ráadásul kiváló kávét tud főzni! !

Slovenian 🇸🇮

Irén živi v Veleméru, kjer se je rodila v zgodnjih tridesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja.

Hišo, v kateri zdaj prebiva, so njeni starši zgradili med letoma 1945 in 1956 z veliko ljubezni, skrbi in pozornosti. Poleg Iréninega navdušenja nad pastelnimi barvami je še danes mogoče videti detajle prvotnega oblikovanja.

Leta 1956 je na svadbi prvič srečala Sándorja, svojega bodočega moža, ki se je šele pred kratkim vrnil na to okolico, saj je pred tem kar nekaj časa delal v Budimpešti. Prijatelji so mu svetovali, naj se preseli iz soseske, ker ni mogel najti delo.

Njegova družina je bila žrtev komunistične represije. V letih »kolhozov«, kmetijskih proizvajalnih organizacij, ustanovljenih na podeželskih območjih Madžarske v času ruske okupacije, so jih izselili iz njihovega doma in posesti.

Ko sta bila mlajša, sta obdelovala svojo zemljo in gojila številne živali, vse od krav in prašičev pa do kokoši. Irén ima zdaj le manjše število kokoši, ima pa še vedno fantastičen zelenjavni vrt, za katerega z ljubeznijo skrbi vsak dan.

Je mama, babica in prababica, v bližini živijo tri generacije njene družine.

Povrhu vsega zna skuhati odlično kavo!

Check Örsegi page here

Black and White Digital Photography. First Steps

There are several ways to achieve black and white digital photography. With black and white digital photography, you are bringing the end-user back into a period of time when life seemed a lot simpler. Many digital cameras come equipped with a function to take these types of photos. If your digital camera does not support this function, you can still change your photographs into black and white with software programs.

As we all know, there are times in our lives when the priority is to shoot black and white images. That happens to me a lot. I want to get rid of colour to accentuate shapes or just because it is aesthetically pleasing. Black and White photography is not necessarily simpler than colour photography, but it offers a whole different set of challenges and possibilities.

There are several ways to achieve black and white digital photography. With black and white digital photography, you are bringing the end-user back into a period of time when life seemed a lot simpler. Many digital cameras come equipped with a function to take these types of photos. If your digital camera does not support this function, you can still change your photographs into black and white with software programs. Some camera shot only in Black and White!

You will want your black and white digital photography to look its best when you are finished. A technique that can help you get the best image out of your digital photograph is through image manipulation. You may find it better to convert your eight-bit colour images (which are usually jpegs) into 16-bit colours first. This is important because an 8-bit RGB can be the same as a 10-bit grayscale.

You can find information all over the Internet to help you with your black and white digital photography. These resources can be found in everything from websites to magazines. Coloured pictures can look truly beautiful as a black and white display. You will usually have to convert your graphics because although there are options with digital cameras, there are no true black and white digital cameras.

My favourite app/program is Silver Efex Pro, that creates extraordinary photos using unique black & white algorithms and adjustments inspired by darkroom techniques. Change luminosity and contrast, brighten whites, apply colour filters, and even adjust density and grain!

TIP!!! Correct the Colorcasts

An important part of black and white digital photography is correcting the colorcasts. These are caused by bad lighting, but you can use software such as PhotoShop Elements to make the relevant changes by using their editing applications. The Imaging Factory is also software that can help you to easily convert and fix lighting areas in your graphics to get the best look with your black and white digital photography. If you want to turn your graphics into black and white digital photography, you can step into a completely new dimension in photography. You can do an endless array of projects right from your own computer.

Venezia in Bianco e Nero (Venice in Black and White)

During the last week, I published a new Photo Zine:

Venezia in Bianco e Nero (Venice in Black and White)

I believe or at least I think to remember that the first time I ever saw as a kid San Marco was when it was completely empty and to me, it was in Black and White. It was simply magical.Because Venice in Black and White just feels right!

ASIN : B08QR4YYH8

• Publisher : Independently published (December 13, 2020)

• Language: : English

• Paperback : 52 pages

• ISBN-13 : 979-8573953397

• Item Weight : 4.2 ounces

• Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.13 x 8.5 inches

It is now available on all Amazon Marketplaces to maintain a free or very low shipping costs

You can easily find it on

• Amazon.com here,

• Amazon.co.uk here

• Amazon.de here

  Or search for your local Amazon Marketplace to save on shipping!

If you prefer to order a high-quality print directly from me you will get a

• Silk Paper

• 170gr

• Real Black

Can be ordered at Euro 15 here

My Favourite Fujifilm JPEG Settings

One of the reasons I fell in love with the Fujifilm X-Series was because of the great jpeg processing software that was placed into every camera. I shoot with an XT-3, I am afraid I do not like the latest XT, and I prefer shooting instead with my Leiucas or Sony!

I tend to shoot nowadays mainly in jpg,m I know many people only shoot RAW, and that is absolutely fine of course.  This article will hopefully help the ones of you that do shoot JPG or that want a starting point for JPG settings of your own.

Fujifilm JPG Settings

To create your own JPEG settings, go to Edit/Save Custom Setting in the IQ section of the menu.  From here you can save up to seven different settings.  To make it even easier to switch between settings, you can change one of the FN5 buttons to ‘Select Custom Setting.’  In this way, you can quickly and very easily change presets.

I like to title my Custom Settings with names that I will recognise fairly quickly. 

Colour Fujifilm JPEG Settings

Velvia Landscape

For landscapes, if I like a punch picture I often use Velvia which really brings out the colour in every scene. Velvia is one of my fav Film!

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Velvia

• Grain: Off

• WB: Auto +1 Red

• Highlight: -1

• Shadow: +3

• Colour: +3

• Sharpness: +2

• Noise Reduction: -1

Astia Countryside

One of my favourites right now it is the one I use most of the time living in the countryside

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Astia

• Grain Off

• White Balance (WB) Auto +1 Red

• Highlight -1

• Shadow +2

• Color +1

• Sharpness -1

• Noise Reduction: -2

A day in the City

The Classic Chrome. This is the one that I switch to for street photography. 

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Classic Chrome

• Grain: Off

• WB: Auto +1 Red

• Highlight: 0

• Shadow: +2

• Colour: +3

• Sharpness: +3

• Noise Reduction: -2

Portraits Pro

My favourite for portraits with muted tones and super gentle on skin

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Pro Neg High

• Grain: Weak

• Highlights: -1

• Shadows: +1

• Colour: -2

• Sharpness: +1

• Noise Reduction: -2

Monochrome Fujifilm JPEG Settings

Acros I

I simply love Black and White I shot as well with a Leica Monochrom and this is the setting I like

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Acros Red

• Grain: Off

• WB: Auto +1 Red

• Highlight: -1

• Shadow: +3

• Sharpness: +1

• Noise Reduction: -1

Acros II

Another black and white setting with Acros a bit more gentle and subtle

• Dynamic Range: 200

• Film Simulation: Acros

• Grain: Off

• WB: Auto +1 Red

• Highlight: +2

• Shadow: +2

• Sharpness: +2

• Noise Reduction: -2

Portrait

It’s a little softer, less aggressive and because it uses the Green filter on Acros it’s more pleasing for portraits on the skin tones .

• Dynamic Range: Auto

• Film Simulation: Acros + G

• Grain: Off

• Highlights: -1

• Shadows: +2

• Sharpness: +1

• Noise Reduction: -1

Berengo Gardin

This is probably my favourite custom setting at the moment.

I’ve called it Berengo Gardin to honour the great Italian photojournalist Gianni Berengo Gardin

• Dynamic Range: 100

• Film Simulation: Monochrome + R

• Grain: Strong

• Highlights: 0

• Shadows: +2

• Sharpness: +1

• Noise Reduction: 0

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Post Processing

I mainly use Photoshop but my favourite piece of Software is produced by Skylum and is Luminar Neo.

It has a powerful engine for higher performance and flexibility. It also packs exciting and innovative tools that let you fulfil your vision.

Channel your creativity with the infinite possibilities of the new Layers feature. Relight an image that lacks lighting sources based on image depth.

Fuji X100s for street photography

I am often asked what settings I use for street photography. First, let’s make sure you have everything you will need, extra batteries and extra memory cards. A fast memory card is essential when shooting raw. ...do not forget your camera!

Here are my settings for street shooting: Auto ISO: 200-3200 Min. Shutter speed limit: 1/125 Focus AF-C mode Drive Mode S or C: most of the time I am in s mode, c-mode if the situation really calls for it. While in AF-C mode , always awake/never sleep doesn’t work, keep half pressing the shutter from time to time, especially when you spot a potential shot, make sure the camera is not asleep Shutter priority at 1/250 or higher in regular light Optical Hybrid finder vs EVF: depending on the scene, if it is a context or overview shot, OHVF works, however, I found the EVF preferable for precise positioning of the af point since there is no time to reframe/refocus. Develop a solid grip on your camera, experiment, strap around the neck or wrist strap. Learn to change +- dial with out looking at your camera, the same goes for shutter speed, keep your eyes on the street.

Use your x100s a lot, that’s it!