[Kombisaurus]

1. "The Severed Marionette"



2. "The Frameless Portrait"



3. "Chariots of the Gods"

[Toad]

Welcome back, Kombi! You are back, right?

Excellent offerings all. Love the title of #1. I can see the puppeteer cradling his damaged puppet so clearly.

#2 is the most classic of the group - excellent in its own right - but made even better by the figure of the woman walking away from the camera.

#3 - what a great collection. Did you envision this series from the start or just get lucky?

[edit] Snapshots???

[matthew]

It's great to see where you are now, and get a glimpse of where you've been. I appreciate these updates as you have the chance to add them.

Just as a spontaneous endorsement, I should point out that I've bookmarked both the travel blog that you link to in your signature as well as the larger gallery of images that you link to from it. I have to say that I've been admiring many of your photos, as well as your sense of adventure that's evident in so many of them. Personally, I would have been gone in a heartbeat when I saw those soldiers coming.

[Irma]

#1 touches my heart... such beautiful picture, triggers so much emotion.

I like very much your titles in this series, btw...

Thanks a lot for posting your pictures. It is great to know where you are and that you are fine....

[Kombisaurus]

Thanks for the comments guys.
I have to say that #1 is my favourite, and really the only reason I gave any of them titles. Sorry for the titles being a bit flowery, but I was in Florence and thought I should go with it.

Both #1 and #2 were totally spontaneous shots. I raised the camera and took the shot without giving myself time to actually think about the photograph or even why I was drawn to that scene. As such, I managed to grab the subjects before they even had a chance to react to my presence.
It was only afterwards that I looked for any meaning or the reasons I was prompted to take these shots.
This is exactly the type of shooting I'm trying to train myself to do more of... more instinctive with less thinking.
I'm still a beginner in this, but already I find it rewarding.

As for #3, well I saw that old black Fiat 500 (top left) and snapped it. Then the next day I saw the old white Fiat 500 parked in the same position in a different street, and thought it would look good sitting beside the black Fiat... and then from that point I started paying more attention to parked cars!
The bottom row are all Ferraris from the Ferrari museum and factory in Maranello. That was shooting fish in a barrel, but I thought they make a nice contrast to the cars in the street.

Here's an example of the same kind of thing as #1 and #2, but where I was a little too slow off the mark. This was in Venice. I was walking behind this guy when I decided I wanted to grab his photo. I had to speed up, walk past him and then turn around and shoot him as he walked towards me. I figured he'd just think I was shooting a street or bridge (everyone in Venice has their camera out all the time, so you don't stand out at all with a camera), but sadly I couldn't do it fast enough, so I captured him noticing me.
I still like it as a photograph, but I wish I got the instant before he looked at me.


#4 Duke Nukem in Venice

[Zig]

This takes me back.Nice. Yes, I found also that the only way to get a shot including these caricaturists to evade their, er, displeasure, was either to go very wide, or as you have, to get the tele on and walk a considerable way down the street.
Nice snapshots; I have a feeling that you're not quite as "under the skin" sometimes with these as you have been ..but am asking this as a question rather than implying a criticism, and know you refer here to developing a more instinctive approach.
Really nice to have you back safe and sound my man!

[Toad]

I really like the legs of the woman on the right - and yes - I know that doesn't sound quite right - but I am always on the lookout for details like that in my photos - and crop to get them. Position, pose, color - drew my eye right off.

Hope that doesn't make me sound like a dirty old man...

[nia]

WOW! These are beautiful dear Adrian, especially "The Frameless Portrait" fascinated me! Great set, well done,

Thank you,
Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia

[Kombisaurus]

Zig, that "not getting under the skin" is probably an astute comment, and I think there are a number of reasons for that. Firstly I guess I am still a bit distracted by all the stuff that happened in my real life before Christmas. Although things have been dealt with now, it's left me feeling a bit flat and cynical. Not a good frame of mind to be photographing people. Secondly, I really feel like I'm not spending enough time in each place to really get into them, and it seems to take a bit longer in countries like France, Italy, and Spain than say Vietnam or Russia.
But thirdly and I think most importantly, I'm getting travel-weary now. I've been living out of a suitcase for over 3 months now, and stayed in somethig like 30 hotels along the way. I just don't have the energy I had at the beginning, and things are beginning to blend in together a bit. I'm still seeing amazing things but I'm just not appreciating them as much as I should be.
I'm thinking maybe I should return back to Australia soon and postpone the rest of my trip for 6 months or so. By then I'll be refreshed, sick of home, and desperate for another holiday. I'll appreciate all these incredible places again. I'm here to enjoy myself, not to prove anything.

Sorry I got a bit side-tracked there. Anyway, I think you might be right, but it's a shame that it's showing in my photos.

As far as photo #4 goes, it was shot with a 35mm lens and cropped to about a 50mm FOV, so it was neither wide nor tele. It was pretty obvious to the guy what I was doing, but the reaction was more curious than angry. I'm working on my technique which involves not looking like papparazi, but not trying to hide what you're doing either. In my experience, if you're very quick and have the shot in the bag and the camera back at your side before they have the time to think too much about it, then they just ignore it. It's only when they feel a lens poking in their face or an extended time that they (understandably) feel threatened. The trick is to be quick but still get the shot you want, and also not to look sneaky. Primes are good for this because they make framing a shot in your head easy before you raise the camera to your eye.

Rob it's interesting you mention that woman. In the original shot she was really competing for viewer attention with the main subject, so I cropped as much of the photo as I could to move her to the edge without chopping her out completely.

Thanks for the feedback though. And by the way, I'm in Slovakia now.
Stay tuned for my new improved updated travel plan - "Plan C".

[Kombisaurus]

Oh and thanks Nia!
The combination of the artist's portraits and All the dark rectangle patterns in the cathedral really gave me the title for that shot. I'm glad you like it.

[nia]

Oh and thanks Nia!
The combination of the artist's portraits and All the dark rectangle patterns in the cathedral really gave me the title for that shot. I'm glad you like it.

yes so much, you are amazing!

You're welcome,

[Irma]

Adrian, this experience that you are sharing with us have been (at least to me) an inspiration and motivation. I admire you for your long travel, your enthusiasm, and the courage of facing whatever it might bring. I can imagine all kind of experiences you have had in the past three months. It is understandable that in some point all this becomes too much. It is great that you have the chance to come back home any time you want...

I like very much your last addition, and your idea of these kind of pictures. I look forward to see more of this new style in your photography.

Primes are good for this because they make framing a shot in your head easy before you raise the camera to your eye.

This part of your comment motivates me to work with my primes in this way. I don't know how to do it and I want to learn.

I really like the legs of the woman on the right - and yes - I know that doesn't sound quite right - but I am always on the lookout for details like that in my photos - and crop to get them. Position, pose, color - drew my eye right off.

Hope that doesn't make me sound like a dirty old man...

No, it doesn't...

[Wedding Shooter]

I think the work has remained at a very high standard. Loving the blog. I am so sorry things have not worked out as you planned. Thanks for keeping us updated.