Telephoto upgrade to the 150-600 — great expectations!
853 words; 3 photographs; 5-minute read
I’m thrilled to have upgraded my telephoto to the M.Zuiko ED 150-600mm/5-6.3 IS. Since it was introduced a few years ago, I’ve hummed and hawed and debated and even tried one out, but have been typically reluctant. I’m one of those who want to be sure before committing.
On an outing last year with my friend Tom Stirr (SmallSensorPhotography.com), I used his 150-600mm and was wowed by the results. The sharpness is definitely a step up from the 100-400, but so is the size and weight, not to mention a significant outlay of money. So, I put it off.
I considered it again prior to our birding trip to Costa Rica, but ended not upgrading. So why now? From a financial perspective, I couldn’t resist the sale OM System had on the lens. It was 15% off plus an additional 5% before the end of April. From a photographic perspective, it’s . . .
Reach. Sharpness. Sync IS. AF speed.
OM-1 w/M.Zuiko ED 150-600mm IS at 600mm (1200mm efov), ƒ8 @ 1/800, ISO 3200, Lightroom
Stately blue jays have always been around our back garden, but were fleeting. When we saw them, we’d toss them peanuts and they became more regular. With the addition of a peanut feeder this spring, they are now daily visitors.
Reach: Having an additional 200mm of telephoto at the same aperture is significant. That’s an additional 400mm in 35mm sensor terms. I really noticed it when photographing birds in Ferragudo. The storks were easy enough with the 100-400, as they are so large to begin with. But the bee-eaters and the Iberian Magpies really demanded additional reach, which I didn’t have.
Sharpness: The photos I took with Tom while out photographing clearly showed the improved sharpness. Not only is the lens sharper, there is an additional quality to the files that makes them just that much better. I can’t quite nail it, but it seems to be a combination of improved contrast and colour. Tom was correct when he noted in his review that the files were an edge superior to the 100-400.
OM-1 w/150-600mm at 449mm (898mm efov), ƒ8 @ 1/1600, ISO 3200, Lightroom
We have always had chipmunks nesting under our deck and always know spring is on its way when the first one appears in March. Now, we’re looking forward to seeing this year’s brood.
Sync IS is also a game changer. The IS on the 100-400 works independently from the the camera’s IS. You get one or the other. With the 150-600, the two systems work in tandem providing an additional 3 stops of stabilization. OM System rates it at EV 6 at 150mm and EV 5 at 600mm. This is significant, especially when hand-holding, which is the way I typically photograph.
The faster AF speed was noticeable from the first time I pointed the lens at a subject. Locking on even a split second faster means fewer missed opportunities.
These four improvements over the 100-400, plus the improvements OM System designed into the lens with additional high-quality glass elements and an IPX1 weather and dust-sealing rating, makes it worth the additional outlay.
OM-1 w/150-600mm at 600mm (1200mm efov), ƒ8 @ 1/1250, ISO 3200, Lightroom
Blue Jays have an interesting drinking habit. They appear to scoop water into their bill then tip their head back to swallow, which is what this one is doing.
The three images presented here were made not long after FedEx delivered the lens. Upon opening the files to edit, the sharpness and file quality were, again, immediately apparent. By the way, with the blue jay and chipmunk being so close, I didn’t want to startle them, so these were all made through the kitchen window, yet they are sharp!
Now I’m looking forward to getting out into the real world with this lens, a world without window glass in front! But what about the elephant in the room? The weight and size.
Yes, there’s a noticeable gain in weight and size. My arms feel it and my back will too after photographing for an hour or more. It’s something I’ll get used to, but perhaps I’ll add some specific exercises to my routine at the Y. We’ll see.
To assist with carrying the lens and other stuff while out photographing, I’ve purchased the Cotton Carrier Hyker Slingbag. They were 20% off last month for Earth Day. I’ve always preferred a sling to a backpack for one simple reason: everything is accessible without having to remove the bag and put it down somewhere. It’s the Cotton Carrier locking mechanism for holding the lens on my chest that will be take some getting used to. I’ll be sure to report back.
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Birds and Birds-in-Flight, in the Algarve, Portugal
1529 words; 12 photographs; 10-minute read
This wasn’t meant to be a birding trip. We were looking for some good downtime with our daughter in a relaxed villa setting just a 15-minute walk from the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic and a golden sand beach on the Algarve. And it has been. Good food, great wine (and cheap!), and even better company.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/3200, ISO 1600, Lightroom
The photos presented here were made with an Olympus / OM System OM-1 (v1) with the M.Zuiko ED 100-400mm/5-6.3 lens IS lens (v1). IS is turned off on the lens, which keeps it active in the body. The drive is set to SH2 at 25fps with a large AF target and Bird Detection on. I keep these settings on C3 for quick access.
All files are raw captures, processed in Lightroom for exposure, colour balance, denoise and sharpening. When needed, I used DxO PureRAW 5 or Topaz Photo AI to denoise and sharpen. Some photos denoised and sharpened up beautifully in Lightroom. Those of smaller birds that were further away were outsourced to DxO. Lastly, Topaz was used for rescue missions when there wasn’t much to work with due to distance, fast flight and focus.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/3200, ISO 1600, Lightroom + Topaz
The only truly decent shot of this magpie, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula; a real thrill to see. The waxy-looking details are the result of my best attempts with Topaz which, at that distance, seems to prefer artificial-looking details to natural ones.
Two things whet our appetite for nature. Laura and I are not really beach people. We’d rather be looking for wildlife or exploring a trail. The first was a close encounter with a European Kestrel out on the cliffs near the villa we rented. Then, last week, the three of us took a boat tour to see the dolphins and the myriad caves along the coast.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/320, ISO 800, Lightroom + Topaz
Nature Therapy
We enjoy the cultural bits, the food, wine, coffee and pastries, but in a place like this, where one villa complex follows the next, we knew we were in need of some nature-therapy. When a friend of ours mentioned some boardwalks just west of Ferragudo at Alvor, we checked on Google Maps to discover there was a large marshland along a dirt and gravel road that led down to the coast. Perfect. It boasted flamingoes, but knowing the way nature works, we didn’t get our hopes up.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/20000, ISO 3200, Lightroom
This gull passed me a few times looking ahead like a gull normal does, but this time, he/she seemed to give me the evil eye, or was just looking for a hand out.
Serendipity
Later the next afternoon, while our daughter enjoyed some beach therapy, Laura and I set out. Sure enough, not 50 metres down the road, we encountered over 50 Black-winged Stilts and a number of other wading and marsh birds. Unfortunately, everything was backlit by strong, late afternoon sunlight, so it took a while to find some that were close enough and lit well enough to photograph.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/16000, ISO 3200, Lightroom + DxO
Then, I spotted a Crested Lark. The road was just wide enough for a car to pass us, but only if our car was almost up against the fence, which made for some difficult shooting. But given the habits of birds, it returned to one fence posts after another, allowing me to get into position to photograph it.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ6.3 @ 1/10000, ISO 1600, Lightroom + DxO
Not sure why I was at 6.3. Most have been a slip of the finger because I know this lens is sharper at ƒ8, hence the use of DxO.
This was how we made our way along the road, one or two birds at a time. Over the next hour or more, Laura recorded a total of 27 species along that road. But the best was yet to come . . .
While the flamingoes were a no-show, on our way out, some two hours after starting, a flash of blue caught my attention at the same time as Laura saw long tail feathers. It was an Iberian Magpie—two of them and possibly a nest—a species found only on the Iberian peninsula. What a find! But the opportunity to photograph them was zilch and all I ended up with was a blurred photo of one streaking away from me half a football field away.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/5000, ISO 3200, Lightroom + Topaz
Normally, I would not present a photo that was this poor, but it shows the beautiful blue of the wings so well.
So, two days later, we returned. This time, Laura added another seven species, including a European Bee-eater. Bee-eaters have always been a favourite since when we lived in Tanzania and we would regularly see them on safari. They were a bit elusive to photograph, as were the Iberian Magpies, but I managed a couple of ‘record’ shots.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ 8 @ 1/8000, ISO 1600, Lightroom + Topaz
Another ‘record shot’. It was all I could do with Topaz to denoise, sharpen, then upscale, only to down-scale to get something halfway decent, though definitely not printable.
The Storks of Ferragudo
Every time we drove around Ferragudo on our way to Portimão for our dolphin and cave cruise, then out to Alvor for the marshes, we passed a dozen or so stork nests. We had previously seen a storks in the Alsace region of France and marvelled at the humungous pile of sticks roughly woven into a nest. Here, there were stork nests on every chimney (now out of commission), a number of light standards and even apartments of these huge nests on transmission towers. The huge Staples sign in town has four nests on top of it. We had to get photos of these amazing birds.
OM-1, 244mm, ƒ8 @ 1/5000, ISO 1600, Lightroom
These were wonderful birds to photograph, easy for AF to lock on to, but required careful exposure monitoring. To prevent the highlights from clipping to pure white, I had my finger on the exposure compensation dial ready to dial up or down depending on the red highlight clipping indicators, which I always have turned on in the EVF.
European Storks are magnificently large, gangly birds. They are noticeably larger than a great blue heron and have these enormous wings that span over 2.5 metres, that’s over 8 feet! As one of the pair returned to the nest after foraging, they would greet each other by repeatedly clapping their bills and bending their necks way back over their backs. What a display!
OM-1, 123mm, ƒ8 @ 1/4000, ISO 1600, Lightroom
It is such a treat to witness courtship behaviour amongst wildlife. These two had built their nest high atop the chimney of a disused industrial go-down. They greeted each other this way each time one returned to the nest.
Each morning, we were also greeted by a European Wren and its melodious song, and each evening by the persistent calls of at least two Tawny Owls. In the dark of night, we never saw them, but enjoyed the repeated calls between them.
OM-1, 400mm, ƒ8 @ 1/1600, ISO 1600, Lightroom + DxO
I’m still not completely happy with the way DxO and Topaz “rescue” details that aren’t exactly natural-looking. Topaz is worse than DxO
So, what began as a chill holiday, and ended as one, too, also provided some great birding opportunities. In fact, on our second-to-last evening in Ferragudo, we had the thrill of having 8 to 10 Iberian Magpies visit the garden of our villa complex. Of course, the lighting was the worst ever—high overcast on a dull evening. Worst still, was their behaviour of heading into the deep cover of juniper trees only coming out for the briefest of moments before zooming off somewhere. But I managed one decent frame. As colourful and unexpected as the magpies were, and the Tawny Owls and bee-eaters, and stilts, it will be hard to forget the storks.
OM-1, 138mm, ƒ8 @ 1/4000, ISO 1600, Lightroom
I spent an hour photographing these lumbering behemoths and could have stayed longer if the Alvor Marshes hadn’t beckoned. In this photo, I love the curvature of the wing and glossiness of the primary feathers.
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Focus Points for Lightroom Classic
More data, at your fingertips.
785 words; 7 photographs; 4-minute read
In my meanderings around the web and forums, I came across this plug-in that some might find helpful.
https://musselwhizzle.github.io/Focus-Points/
It’s free. It’s for Mac and Windows. And it works. In fact, it’s ideal. It is easily installed to the Lightroom Plug-in folder. From there, you add it to Lightroom Classic from File > Plug-in Manager. Once added, I re-started Lightroom and voilà, it works.
The key thing to remember is that it is accessed from within the Library module through the Library menu option — Library > Plug-in Extras > Show Focus Points — not the File menu which is used for processing plug-ins.
I also like the customization that is possible. For example, I changed my focus area from the default red to green, which is more in line with how focus points are shown with my OM-1. Apparently, users can also add a keyboard shortcut to open Focus Points, I will do that, though remembering that unique, non-Lightroom keyboard shortcut just might be beyond me!
Where I find Focus Points helpful is in determining where I or the AF system went wrong in focussing, particularly with wildlife and birds-in-flight. Now that I see what’s happening, I’m a bit concerned regarding the accuracy of the AF.
I’m illustrating this post with a series of photographs I made over the last few days here in Portugal. The kestrel is nesting just a few minutes walk away. The others were made when Laura and I visited a wonderful wetland complex to the west of Alvor. In driving along the dirt and gravel road towards the Rocha Delicata Trail, before even arriving at the car park, Laura iD’d 29 species, including a magnificently blue-winged endemic, the Iberian Magpie. We’re heading back there today with the hope of photographing the magpie and perhaps seeing some flamingoes that are commonly found there.
For the kestrel, I can see a bit of AF hunting and I can’t find a single frame where the AF locked on to the eye, as it should have. I was fortunate that the depth-of-field at ƒ8 covered the bird.
With the Lark, the AF was more successful, perhaps because this wasn’t a BIF, but a stationary bird.
It was only with the Stilt that the AF nailed the eye, as it should be doing more automatically. I also noticed that my firmware is 1.8. Perhaps a firmware upgrade will help.
Now that I’m using Focus Points more, I notice that it can also be used for culling. Along the bottom, beside the “Previous Image” and “Next Image” there are flagging icons. Images can be flagged as Picked ✅ or Rejected ❌, and it uses the same Lightroom keyboard shortcuts of P and X. As well, star ratings can be added (1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ 4️⃣ 5️⃣). Very helpful.
If you feel so inclined, you can also buy the software author a coffee — always a good thing to do when a service is offered for free, right?! There is also a link to the user manual to get even more out of the plug-in.
The only addition I would like to see in the plug-in is the ability to zoom, even to 100%, to check fine focus.
For those who are data mongers, you can select Library > Plug-in Extras > Focus Points Viewer > Show Metadata, and you get this — Metadata galore!
Anyway, food for thought. If you are data driven or want to see where, exactly your camera is focussing, have a look at Focus Points. It reads data from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus/OM, Panasonic, Pentax, Ricoh, and Apple.
Now, if only we can get apps to automatically identify the species of bird (like Merlin), but within Lightroom. 😊 I guess that will come with the next generation of AI (for better or worse).
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Night Sky and Star Trails over Ferragudo, Portugal
1240 words; 4 photographs; 7-minute read
It sure is quiet out here with only the crash of waves and the low rumble of a fishing boat off the coast. Otherwise, dead silence. It’s 1:30am and I’ve walked the 10 minutes from our rental villa, through the coastal scrub, to the edge of the cliffs high above the Atlantic Ocean
When planning this trip, I thought, ‘Wow! Only the Atlantic Ocean to the south — a perfect dark sky for astrophotography.’
So much for expectations. I was shocked at how bright it is out here! I could see without the aid of my headlamp! Oh well, I’m here now. Better make the most of it.
Olympus OM-1 w/ Leica DG Summilux 9mm/1/.7 • ƒ2.8 @ 10sec. • ISO 400 • Lightroom
It doesn’t look terribly bright, but this is 3 EV less exposure than the photos below, looking in the other direction .
To the bottom of the OM-1, I added the HLD-10 vertical grip and battery holder. This moves the active battery away from the sensor to reduce heat which reduces sensor noise. To the front, I attached my Leica DG Summilux 9mm/1/.7 from Panasonic. The set-up was atop a Benro ball head on my Manfrotto 055 legs.
Now for a composition. Initially, I wanted a horizontal, and for it to include one or two of the sea stacks off the coast. But with the light coming in from Portimao and the Ponto do Altar lighthouse, my hopes vanished. There was also a very brightly-lit fishing boat in that direction.
Instead, I turned southeast to capture some of the headland and the beach below me at Praia do Caneiros. At 25m high (80 feet), my hope was that tonight wasn’t when the cliff decided to give way and plunge into the sea! Believe me, in the dark and only a metre from the edge, every movement was carefully and purposefully made, especially with three gangly black tripod legs!
Capturing the Stars Above
Ready for action, I set the camera up for a few stills. StarrySky AF worked its magic by autofocusing on the stars. You’ll find it on the Menu at AF > 1 > [*] AF MF. This can also be changed on the LCD menu or using the AF button on the top left of the OM-1. Other settings included:
- M (Manual) → ƒ2, ISO 3200 to start;
- Drive set to Silent Self-timer 2sec.
- Noise Reduction On: Menu > Camera1 > 3 > Noise Reduction
- S-IS from Auto to Off: Menu > Camera1 > 8 > Image Stabilizer;
- Dimming the LCD Brightness: Menu > Gear > 3 > Monitor adjust;
- Night Vision to On: Menu > Wrench > 2 > Night Vision;
I’ve added each of these settings to a My Menu to make them easy to find. As back-up, I also keep them on a Note on my phone.
OM-1 w/Summilux 9mm/1.7 • ƒ2 @ 20 sec • ISO 3200 • Lightroom
A bright exposure, the light from the villas down-the coast is evident on the left side.
My first few exposures were experimentation. The Rule of 200 with a 9mm lens (or for 35mm sensor users, the Rule of 400 with an 18mm lens) told me that 22 sec was the maximum I could use and keep the stars as points of light. So, I started with 20sec at ƒ2, ISO 3200; followed by 10sec, 5sec, then 5sec at ƒ2.8. Given how well the lens performs at ƒ2, I changed the ISO and shot at 5sec at ISO 1600, then 800.
I wasn’t happy with the amount of light coming from all the villas down the coast to the east, but it wasn’t as bad as the view west with the lighthouse and Portimao. I’ll just have to ‘do the best with what I’ve got’.
One bonus of the bright lights of Portimao was that they gave an appealing blush of light to the next headland, allowing some detail to show.
OM-1 w/ Summilux 9mm/1.7 • ƒ2 @ 10sec. • ISO 3200 • Lightroom
This is still a work in progress, but for now, it works for me! I love the ethereal glow coming from the ocean. A 10sec. exposure gave noticeably sharper pin points of star light and it seemed to balance tones better than 5sec. However, it took three radial masks to adequately reduce the glow from down the coast and I’m still not 100% happy with it.
Star Trails using Live Composite
Now, for some star trails. I was looking forward to the results from a southern exposure as I’m more used to looking north with stars arcing around Polaris.
Knowing I’d be “standing around” waiting for a long exposure, I had brought my folding chair with me, which just fits diagonally in my checked luggage. I also had a book downloaded to occupy my time while waiting.
Star trails are traditionally captured on digital sensors as a series of frames that then get composited using software such as Affinity Photo. Photoshop, Helicon or Zerene. However, the OM-1 offers Live Composite, which does it all live, in-camera, as you are watching on the LCD. And, it spits out a raw file, not a JPEG—perfect!
I planned for the exposure to go for a full hour. I made sure the aperture was set to ƒ2, and the shutter speed at 60sec. I selected ISO 400, having successfully used it with my star trails over Fundy National Park — Fireflies and Night Sky — back on 1 July of last year.
I changed from M to B (Bulb) and selected Live Composite. Following the on-screen directions, I released the shutter and let it do its preparations. A minute later, it asked me to begin. I released the shutter again and voilà, Live Compiste started.
A minute later I could see the first frame on the LCD. Brilliant! Each successive minute after that, the star trails were extended and I sat down and read my book.
At 45 minutes, I checked the progress and — Wow! — it looked great. Another 15 minutes later I ended the exposure, after which the camera performed a 60-second reduce noise routine. I packed up, and headed back. In the last 30 minutes or so, a wind had begun and, being only 14°C, I was starting to get chilled, despite my fleece and light rain coat / wind breaker.
It was 3:30am. No exciting processing now. It could wait until morning.
And here is the result:
OM-1 w/ Summilux 9mm/1.7 • ƒ2 @ 60 x 60sec. exposures • Live Composite • ISO 400 • Lightroom
I’m not sure if I like the boat traffic. Nor am I enamoured with the two small satellites. Downsized to 1600px, which this is, causes the image to lose some of its detail. In fact, it looks a bit ragged. Normal size it looks great. I used 2x Generative Upscale from within Lightroom and this photo enlarges beautifully to 24×32″; 48×64″ would be stunning.
Stay tuned. I think I’ll try another area a bit down the coast, hopefully with less unwanted light. I’ll also be posting some landscapes of the cliffs and beaches with that gorgeous blue water.
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A few days in Lisbon
. . . and a different way of seeing, using both OM and iPhone
2148 words; 18 photographs; 11-minute read
We arrived in Lison on a perfect day at a perfect time. Our TAP flight landed early at 5:15am local time, Easter Sunday. By the time we were through passport control and had collected our luggage, we were hungry and found some delicious Portuguese coffee, pastéis de nata and almond Jesuitine. Yes, Captain, we’ve landed!
By then, night had transitioned to dawn and we were treated to the glorious colours of a cloudless spring morning. Sadly, we had a taxi to catch and couldn’t stop to capture those colours. However . . .
Fifteen minutes later, our taxi deposited us at the Praça do Comércio, right on Lisbon’s waterfront and steps from our accommodations. Not being able to get into our apartment until later in the day, we simply enjoyed the sunrise on what turned out to be a spectacularly beautiful day—not the easiest thing to do with two checked bags, two carry-ons, and two day packs, but hey, it is what it is.
OM-1, 12mm, ƒ5.6 @ 1/250, ISO 200, Lightroom
This is as touristy as I get with photography. I only wish I had captured the same scene at the height of the tourist rush, with the letters draped with Intsagrammers.
The photos I’m presenting here are a reflection of how I saw and experienced Lisbon. When travelling, I always make a point of capturing the essence of place — photos that reflect less of the touristic and more of the real culture. To achieve this, I have no hesitation switching between my OM-1 and my iPhone. I use what will get the photograph in the often limited time I have. I’m also a realist and pragmatist, and try not to take things too seriously. I’m not shooting for Condé Nast or National Geographic Traveller. I’m having fun, seeing what I can see and capturing what I hope portrays a more intimate view of the places I visit.
OM-1, 57mm, ƒ16 @ 1/2 sec, Live ND 16
Give me colour and design and leave me for 15 minutes or so, and I’m a happy photographer.
The M.Zuiko 12-100/4 PRO lens stayed on the OM-1 the whole time we were in Lisbon. The 12-100 is the perfect ravel lens providing the equivalent of 24mm to 200mm at a constant aperture and sharp from tip to tail. This set-up hangs unnoticed on a shoulder harness under my right arm. It really is the perfect travel camera, along with the iPhone, that is. Both are there when I need them.
In the captions, I’ll state the focal length and any variation from the ƒ5.6 and ISO 200 settings that were used almost exclusively with the OM-1. I mostly used ƒ5.6, which really is the sweet spot for sharpness and for depth-of-field; ISO 200 is the camera’s base ISO providing great speed and the largest dynamic range. All photos were processed in Lightroom.
Early one morning
There we were with this big empty square and not a tourist in sight, yet the golden sunshine streamed its way in. Even the Instagrammers weren’t up yet, though it didn’t take long before they arrived in droves.
OM-1, 12mm, ƒ11 @ 1/125
ƒ11 provided additional depth-of-field for this close-up.
I always like it when I’m presented with “downtime” or unplanned time while travelling. It gives me chance to look around and simply experience a place, taking note of details I would otherwise miss.
OM-1, 35mm, ƒ16 @ ⅙ sec, Live ND 16, Lightroom and Topaz Photo
For example, we had been on the waterfront, at the Cais das Colunas, for about half an hour enjoying the sun and the lapping waves of the Tagus River when we suddenly heard singing or chanting from the steps leading down to the water. We still have no idea what it was all about as we didn’t recognize what the fellow was singing as Muslim or Christian, but he was there for about half an hour, then disappeared without us noticing. Interesting.
iPhone 17 Pro • Lightroom
How fitting that this has been re-purposed as an ice cream parlour.
After a delicious Portuguese brunch, we ended up spending most of the day in and around the square. This included a couple of hours killing time and cooling off (it was 26°C!), sipping sparkling water at the Beer Museum. I know, a missed opportunity, but after being up for the last 24+ hours, beer would have put us to sleep!
Moving Pictures
iPhone 17 Pro • Live Photo converted to Long Exposure • Lightroom
Sitting there gave me chance to watch the many trams passing by and think about how best to capture these iconic features of Lisbon. Stationary just didn’t cut it, so I used Live Photos on the iPhone, changing the setting to Long Exposure. I love this technique for introducing another dimension to otherwise static photos.
Each time we were in Praça do Comércio, I watched as the “Bubble Man” delighted dozens of children with his hundreds of bubbles created with a a net of rope dunked in a tub of soapy water.
OM-1, 25mm
I made dozens of photos both with the iPhone and with the OM-1 trying to capture just the right juxtaposition of the Bubble Man, the children and the bubbles, backlit against the afternoon sun. I also tried it with Live ND hoping a slower shutter speed would create a more dynamic scene, but finding that sweet spot between blur and action proved difficult.
On our first evening, after a dinner of tapas, I used Live Photo Long exposure technique to capture the atmosphere around the Rua Augusta Arch, right around the corner from our apartment. We prefer staying i apartments, typically booked through Booking.com or AirBnB. For less than the cost of a hotel room, we get a whole suite with kitchen facilities, ideal for breakfasts, evening snacks or an even dinner. Part of our travel experience is shopping in local grocery stores, which really gives us a feel for a place.
iPhone 17 Pro • Live Photo converted to Long Exposure • Lightroom
Don’t think this Live Photo technique works perfectly on the first attempt; it usually takes a few tries to get the cropping and the blurs just right. The trick is to remember that, in converting the Live Photo to a long exposure, the software must crop the original on all sides. Also, if people move too fast, such as walking across the frame, they may not show at all. Then you have the people who are just standing around, looking at their phones; they’re not ideal either. But it’s fun, and it sure beats the typical tourist shots.
A Tourist in Lisbon
iPhone 17 Pro • Lightroom
Portugal is a seafaring nation and seafood is available everywhere, particularly bacalau, cod fish. We often forget that the first Europeans to our shores, other than the Vikings, were Portuguese fisherman off Terra Nova, Newfoundland.
The last couple of days, we’ve been enjoying the tourist sites. One day, we had an excellent guided tour of the Castelo de Sao Jorge. In typical European fashion there were many layers of history to unravel: first the Phoenicians, then the Romans, followed by the Suebi, the Visigoths, the Muslims and finally the Portuguese Kingdom. This is what makes European travel so fascinating—you never know what historical influence will pop up where.
iPhone 17 Pro • Lightroom + Topaz Photo
I took a few around the castle, but not many. I didn’t feel entirely inspired after our guide confirmed that much of the castle is a nationalistic reconstruction from the 1940s, designed to create pride in the Portuguese during the fascist dictatorship that ended in 1974.
Sacristy, Monastery of St. Vincent de Faro, Lisbon
OM-1 w/12-100mm at 44mm • ƒ5.6 @ 1/125 • ISO 125 • Lightroom
This reminded me how various characters in the paintings at Hogwarts would be often be asleep.
But we also like surprises. Bypassing the cathedral, we took the historical Tram 28 up to the Church of St. Vincent de Faro—a big, old, dark, fairly plain church. Begrudgingly, we paid the €6 entry fee to the Monastery and—wow! Once we were through the dark, old rooms, displaying the historical, gaudy and, no-doubt priceless trinkets and of the Catholic Church and we were presented with one of the largest collections of original 17th century wall tiles in situ in the world. And, for once, they are not stories from the Bible, but scenes of everyday life or, at least, everyday life as depicted by the privileged class.
I’m not one to photograph the works of others, but I found the depictions fascinating studies of character. I know, it sounds esoteric, and it’s not on anyone’s “Top Ten” list for Lisbon, but everyone goes to the those same sites and takes the same picture. We’re always on the look out for something a bit different, and this was.
OM-1, 31mm, ƒ5 @ 1/100, ISO 200 • 10–frame Focus Stack
This was a mistake. Intending to use Live ND, I must have touched the Focus Stack button instead, When it started, I froze, wondering what the outcome would be. Voilà! This has potential!
Now, it’s the end of a rainy Day 3. We’re back at our apartment, sipping €2.99 Syrah, eating sheep milk cheese and listening to Cesária Évora, the closest music we have to Portuguese. We had an early dinner tonight at a favourite Lisbon eatery, the Time Out Market. Great food and a festive atmosphere, there’s nothing like eating tooth by jowl on wiped, but not washed tables.
iPhone 17 Pro • Live Photo converted to Long Exposure
Over the few days we were in Lisbon, we also visited the Monument to the Discoveries and enjoyed a boat tour of the Tagus River, a definite highlight. Seeing Lisbon from the water gives a great perspective.
Despite having a Lisboa Card, which is great for transport and entries to museums, we decided to take a pass on the Jerónimos Monastery. It was raining and even the Lisboa Card queue was not moving, so we bailed. Oh well. It’s still there if we return to Lisbon one day.
OM-1, 86mm
While sitting at a pastelaria just down from the Cathedral, this photo screamed at me from across the street. We weren’t interested in seeing the museum, but you have to give them credit for making a stunningly memorable entrance. I used a medium telephoto to focus in on the main event and crop out the extraneous bits.
Another highlight of our few days here was attending a Fado music experience. Fado is the traditional music of Portugal, played on a twelve-string Portuguese guitar accompanied by singing and a classical/traditional guitar.
iPhone 17 Pro, ISO 2000
I brought the OM-1, but it was simpler and less obtrusive to capture the performance in stills and video with the iPhone.
Between the food, the culture and the history, Portugal has certainly met and exceeded our expectations. We’re now on our way southwards, by train, to Faro, and our villa apartment at Ferragudo. With nice weather ahead, I hope to be up early for the sunrise over the cliffs of the Algarve and up late for some astrophotography.
OM-1 • 100mm • ƒ5.6 @ 1/2000 • ISO 200 • Lightroom
Below the Moorish castle and just west of the Baixa district, is the Alfama, the oldest part of Lisbon, first settled by the Moors in the 8th century. This area was not destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami of 1755 (see The Earthquake that Changed the World) and retains its labyrinth of narrow streets, unlike the Baixa district, which was flattened and rebuilt after the earthquake, with a grid pattern of streets. The cathedral visible in the left, was begun in 1147 after the Christian Reconquista of the Moors and is built on top of the Grand Mosque.
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