Photography Tips : Switzerland as a Photography Tourist

Zermatt – Matterhorn October 2012

I decided to visit Switzerland as a tourist. For this trip I took a railpass for 15 days. It is not an optimal solution since one cannot make frequent stops to take pictures, The advantages were it was less tiring than driving and much cheaper than renting a car.   During this period I visited:

• Grindelwald / Lauterbrunnen
• Zermatt
• Luzern / Engelberg
• Lugano
• Ascona / Lugano
• Geneva
• Fully
• Thun
• Lavaux
• Evian (in France across from Lausanne)
• Chatel St. Denis

I had pictures of Zurich, Bern and Lausanne so I decided to skip them. In October weather is a factor and I lost a couple of days due to rainy weather.

Like in some other countries, taking pictures of people can get complicated. I have been asked to delete pictures on occasions for privacy reasons.

LAVAUX

For more pictures of Switzerland click here : http://photobyphm.smugmug.com/TravelVoyages/Switzerland/25982587_qv9DZC#!i=2156042714&k=CLTvZpX

Photo GPS

When I mention to fellow photographers that I am taking a GPS unit (Sony GPS-CS3) with me, I am usually given the reply:  “What for”? The answer for me is obvious. So I can record where we went and where I took my pictures.

Amongst others, I am a “travel photographer”. I have taken pictures in numerous countries,    but until recently without GPS. When asked where was this picture taken, I can usually remember or refer to the file name. Now with Mr. Google Maps or similar programs, it is possible to show where. 

I use my elephant pictures as a perfect example. There are quite a number of elephant camps around Chiang Mai. Which one our tourist guide arranged for us was a mystery. However with GPS I was able to find it.

The picture featured next is not anything special. For me though it has enormous meaning. The picture was taken at GPS Coordinates 18°47’32” N 98°33’7″ E. If one looks at the location on Google Maps,  one will see it is in the middle of nowhere.  We were not technically lost, since our other GPS unit knew exactly where we were, however this was not a “road”. In the end we covered 40km in 4.5 hours and were lucky that was all.

The main problem with using GPS for pictures is the workflow. Most digital “travel” cameras shoot only .jpeg. The coordinates are integrated automatically in the exif data. That is easy. However, if you shoot RAW, good luck. With my sony unit I have to: a.) Download the photos to the computer. b.) Process the photos and create .jpeg. files c.)  Launch the Sony software to link the .jpeg to the gps file.  A real time consuming process.

Moral of the story: It is alot of extra work to have a Canon and use GPS. However, it is an added plus if you are a travel photographer. On my upcoming trip to India I am looking forward to using GPS.

For more pictures, visit my gallery at: http://photobyphm.smugmug.com/galleries

Thaipusam Singapore 2012

Zermatt – Matterhorn October 2012

Photography Tip: Whats going on where you live? Lausanne International Horse Show

In every city there are events happening all the time. Try and find a calendar for your city or area and check it out regularly. Normally I check around the 28th of the month for the upcoming month. I then note the activities in Google calendar with a reminder. For me it is a great incentive to get out and shoot something I normally wouldn’t. 

This week was a perfect example. Lausanne is hosting the “Lausanne International Horse Show” LIHS. Although there is an entry fee Saturday and Sunday, Friday was free.

How could I refuse such an offer? I had never thought of taking pictures of horses but why not? In addition it was the perfect occasion to test a 70-300 DO IS.  This lens has mixed reviews and I wanted to see for myself how it performs. The results, judge for yourself.