TDI07: Guard of the City, London

This day in 2007:

Trafalgar Square, London

TDI06: A fisherman on the rocks, Crete - Greek Islands

This day in 2006:

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI06: Samaria Gorge, Crete

This day in 2006:

I went for a walk down the Samaria Gorge, a 16km walk with wonderful scenery. A one point the gorge is only a few metres wide but 100s of metres high. The shadow and bright sky played havoc with my camera but I did find this wonderful old rickety bridge that looks like it had been there for centuries!

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI06: A bridge over the sea, Crete

This day in 2006:

I went scuba diving the for day but went for a walk between dives and found this amazing rock structure. And there wasn't just one bridge, there was three:

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI06: A day by the pool, Crete

This day in 2006:

Every holiday should include a day by the pool!

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI06: The windmills of Crete

This day in 2006:

A daytrip up into the hills and we got to see the traditional side of Crete (rather than the German holiday spot)

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI06: Crete, Greek Islands

This day in 2006:

Just over a year after my last trip to the Greek Islands, I was back.  This time for some R&R on the island of Crete.

For more photos from Greece, see my Greek photo set at Zooomr.

TDI07: A new lens

This day in 2007:

My new “Africa” Lens arrived.  The EF 100-400L (the big white one) side by side with my existing EF 70-300 lens. 

It is twice the size, twice the weight, more than twice the cost and for Africa, more than twice as valuable.

The lens was invaluable for getting good upclose shots of animals.  The shots I got cant even be compared to those who only had a standard 3x zoom.  At times I wished it was smaller and lighter but I was always glad I had it.

I am not sure what to do with it now.  It seems like a bit of overkill so I might consider replacing it with a 70-200L lens??

TDI05: Athens

This day in 2005:

Ancient Olymipic Stadium, Athens, Greece

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI05: Naxos

This day in 2005:

Remains of the Temple of Apollo, Naxos

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI05: Naxos, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

Another day, another perfect sunset. Naxos (looking towards Paros?), Greek Islands

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI05: Santorini, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

The white washed walls of Santorini Church, Santorini

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

Getty to sell images from Flickr

I just did a post at my microstock photography blog (here) on the new relationship between Getty and Flickr.  Most of that posts was targeted to microstock but my conclusion was that the photographer at Flickr wont see much change but:

The real benefit in this scheme is for Getty.  If they have buyers for a type of photo, but don't have that type of photo, they will search Flickr on the buyers behalf and then take a 60%-80% commission for selling it where as currently, the buyer doesn’t find it on Getty so goes to Flickr and buys it direct from the photographer.

I don't know why Flickr didn’t try to monetise their photos on their own site.  Why didn’t they go down the line of Zooomr’s aborted “marketplace” or new entrant Photrade who plan on being a hybrid community site like Flickr but have the built in ability to sell and monetise your photos.

For more commentary from difference perspectives see:

Lee Torens (microstock photographer) here

Thomas Hawk (Flickr power users) here and here

PDN Pulse (photography news) here

Techcrunch (Tech news) here

TDI05: Santorini, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

Santorini

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI05: Santorini, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

Sunset at Oia

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI07: Paris

This day in 2007:

One of my favourite museums in Paris is the Monet Museum. It is small, out of the way and doesn't let people take photos, but it does have some fantastic Monet's.

The photo above is from a Monet at the Musee d Orsay. This is the best mainstream museum in Paris. I find it better then the Louvre and is a Photographers dream (yes - they let you take photos in the Musee d Orsay).

View my Paris Photo Set for more photos of Paris.

TDI05: Wet Tshirt competition

This day in 2005:

No photos today, only links (X rated). 

After a big night the day before, I couldn’t even move my shutter finger so I just fell asleep in the loungers on the beach.

The afternoons activities was a wet Tshirt competition put on by the accommodation we were staying at.  There were Americans, Australians, and these were the finalists (won by the Spanish girl in the middle).  Not really sure why they call it a wet Tshirt competition as they Tshirts didn’t last very long.

Irronically, the best looking girls didn’t enter the competition as they were busy bathing topless on the beach.

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

The iPhone is here … disappointment

Further to my previous post, the iPhone is coming …, Vodafone NZ has now released the pricing plans for the iPhone in NZ. Well they are nothing to write a blog about.

Vodafone started of by building up the expectation by saying the price would be NZ$199 for the phone. But at about 10.45 this morning (after their site going down for 45 minutes), they released their price plans:

Expensive? Yes! most expensive in the world? Compare to others here and here.  This is even being picked up worldwide with Techcrunch noting that our plans are expensive (here).

So will I be getting one?  Maybe.  you dont have to choose the “iPhone plans”, you can build one up yourself from their “you choose” plans so I should be able to get what I want for $90 per month (still haven’t figured out what subsidy I will get off the full price though).

Anyone else getting an iPhone?

Are Vodafone Prices the worse in the world?

TDI07: Paris

This day in 2007:

Of all the churches in Paris, and Europe for that matter, Notre Dame is still my favour church, especially this "back view" of it with the large flying buttresses which I think is a far better view than the front view. View my Paris Photo Set for more photos of Paris.

TDI05: Paros to Ios, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

Dingy on a Beach in Paros

 

Having heard news that the London underground had been subject to a number of bombings while waiting for the ferry to Ios (the 7/7 bombings), and my Girlfriend being uncontactable due to network congestion, we set out to forget the problems of the world, alcohol style.

 

 

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece

TDI05: Paros, Greek Islands

This day in 2005:

A white washed Church in Paros, Greek Islands

Another day, another beach in the Greek Islands

And what is a trip to the Greek Islands with out a beach party.

View my Greece Photo Set for more photos of Greece