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Valencia Central Market Neighborhood: Barri del Mercat

One of the neighborhoods in central Valencia. The Barri del Mercat, or Market Neighborhood , is the nearest to the Central Market, which itself is a remarkable piece of modernist architecture. The neighborhood is not like that, but are rather humble dwellings mixed with occasional palaces. This space was an extramural suburb in the Arab Valencia, which had its wall in the current Caballeros street, where some parts of the wall remain integrated within existing buildings . Until the fourteenth century the neighborhood remained outside Valencia, but became integrated with the construction of the outer city wall. Next to the current Central there was a mosque, which gave way around 1240 to Santos Juanes church. That same church was rebuilt some centuries after.

Valencia Central Market Neighborhood: Barri del Mercat


Barri del Mercat by Archerphoto, professional photographer in Valencia

Barri del Mercat by Archerphoto, professional photographer Valencia Spain

Barri del Mercat, Iglesia Santos Juanes by Archerphoto, professional photographer Valencia Spain

Barri del Mercat, by Archerphoto, commercial photographer Spain

Barri del Mercat, Mercat Central, by Archerphoto, photographer in Valencia

The neighborhood also houses the Llotja Mercaders or Lonja de la Seda, world’s greatest example of civil Gothic. Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, was started to be built by Pere Compte on the very concept of Llotja de Mallorca, and it is an indicative of the commercial revolution during the late Middle Age in the city of Valencia.

Both the Central Mercat as Llotja deserve its own post, but for now, we will release some detail.

Barri del Mercat, Llotja, by Archerphoto, pro photographer in Valencia, Spain

Barri del Mercat, Llotja, by Archerphoto, professional commercial photographer in Valencia, Spain

Barri del Mercat, Llotja, by Archerphoto, commercial photographer in Spain

Barri del Mercat, Llotja, by Archerphoto, professional photographer in Spain

Barri del Mercat, by Archerphoto, professional photographer for business in Valencia

More info about the Llotja: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llotja_de_la_Seda

Sergi Albir.

Copyright Sergi Albir 2014. If you need a professional photographer in Spain, feel free to contact me: sergi@archerphoto.eu

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Armin Van Buuren in Valencia

They say that he is one of the biggest DJ in the world. According to some classifications, the best one. It is not a subject I master, but it he is certainly a well-known trance music producer and also an outstanding star who gets public attention. So if he came to Valencia and I had the opportunity to shoot some pictures of him and some on his show, well,  it did not sound bad.

Armin Van Buuren in Valencia

He came to present a product in which he has been involved in the design: Philips  M1-XDJ, an invention that allows iPad or iPhone using the full working DJ, providing mixers and including three speakers with a power Total 80W RMS, which is a respectable power for a small party. The device features a plug, but if what you like is getting lost in places that have no outlet, you can use batteries. And if your friends have a some other M1-XDJ, you can stack the speakers for adding output power.
Armin Van Buuren en Valencia

All this had Armin Van Buuren in Valencia, in the Mercat Central, an event that served as appetizer for his night show, Armin Only Intense. The event was somewhat marred by technical problems that prevented the Dutch had a minmally spectacular lighting system, so it was all as a presentation rather unspectacular but very sincere and direct, with  Van Buuren explaining details of the system and teaching it with great interest and vehemence. If you want more info, here: http://www.philips.co.in/c/audio-system/m1x-dj-sound-system-ds8900_10/prd/;jsessionid=358448819A185A74FAB4133123C049E8.app101-drp2

Later at night I assisted to his show. The tickets they gave me were subject to the general access rules so it was strictly forbidden to enter the event with an SLR or interchangeable lens camera, so I had to make do with a Canon Ixus 120 which have to, well, because I love the Ixus and go. You can not configure speed priority or aperture, so good, I managed as best I could.

Armin Van Buuren en Valencia Armin Van Buuren en Valencia Armin Van Buuren en ValenciaArmin Van Buuren in ValenciaSergi Albir.

If you want to read this article in Spanish, http://www.archerphoto.eu/armin-van-buuren-en-valencia/

 

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Images with Samsung S4: short review

Samsung S4

Images with Samsung S4

 

Everyone knows that Samsung makes great phones, and often people ask me about how good are their built-in cameras. Well, here is some data from S4, not the last phone the Korean company has launched in the market, but still a phone in the market.

Technically, the data are:

Backlit Sensor 13-megapixel
Lens: F2.2
ISO 50-1000 (100-800)
Image Ratio: 4: 3
2 Megapixel front camera
LED Flash
Video: 1080p 30fps
Simultaneous Dual Capture: front and rear cameras.
Filters and special modes
Digital Image Stabilization
4x Digital Zoom
Equivalent focal length on a 35mm camera: 31mm

I am not intending to write an S4 exhaustive review. It is true that the software used has some interesting features and some detail that I personally do not like it, However you can choose to install,among others, the implementation of Google for the camera so you can choose your favorite option.

The original application of the S4 allows manual selection of ISO and has other creative options: drama mode, which allows for multiple shots on the same picture, the dual mode, which triggers the front and rear camera simultaneously (null interest) Panorama mode (which itself is useful), Animated, which creates a GIF, Eraser mode, which is great for removing people is left in a picture, for example, to capture buildings when you are in tourist areas, night mode (do not ask me to explain it, come on), and finally the HDR mode, which allows fans of these photographs use it all the time. There is also a sport mode, which increases the shutter speed but, well, let’s just timely that improves outcomes.

There is a specific aspect of this camera is awkward: if by mistake you decided to activate vibration reduction, you won’t be able to choose the ISO value. It’s probably because the phone raises the ISO values when the algorithm considers it appropriate, so it has more speed available.

The camera quality is sufficient for the day and, as expected, much more loose at high ISOs: almost any compact will beat the Samsung S4 at night. The 13 megapixels are good, the optics are adequate, but the sensor size is still tiny.

The photos shown here have only been signed, without any further process, even levels, with the exception of the featured image (the pic with the lollipops was treated with LR).

I translated this post from the one in my Spanish website: http://www.archerphoto.eu/fotos-con-el-samsung-s4/

 

 

Images with Samsung S4

Fotos con el Samsung S4 Samsung S4, modo HDR

Images with Samsung S4

Images with Samsung S4, Night Mode

Samsung S4

Samsung S4

Samsung S4 Samsung S4, modo nocturno

Fotos con el Samsung S4

 

If you need a photographer in Europe, please contact me: sergi@archerphoto.eu

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VALENCIA DREAMHACK 2014

Telling the Dreamhack is an event of global significance, well, is something that probably does not surprise too many people. It is not a single event but it happens several times a year. Is said to be the largest LAN party in the world with eSports events and video games in general.

Dreamhack Valencia 2014

In Valencia it has been taking place from the summer of 2010 and comes to replace Campus Party that generally had much more interesting content from the point of view of science and technology. However, the Dreamhack has many followers in the international arena, but it has not had much impact in the city of Valencia as expected. Signs along the street and the like, but the public does not attend mass. Surprisingly, many people in the target group like local players, or amateur video gamers ( young people under 30 years), have no idea that this happens a few miles from home.

VALENCIA DREAMHACK 2014

From 17 to 20 July well-known casters as iNcontroL, ToD and Artosis, Tasteless or Smix flocked to submit the event to be broadcast live. We should highlight the games of Starcraft 2 and League of Legends, but this year they have also begun to be retransmitted other games like Hearthstone. In this competition Thalai,  from Samsung Gaming eSports team, won his first major trophy, leading also the debut of the team in major competitions against Ek0p. TheFallen and Evangelion also qualified for the finals, but fell in the way: TheFallen was beaten by  Ek0p and Evangelion against the other finalist, a member of his own team, and final winner, Thalai The tournament was like this: http://hearthstars.com/noticias/205-thalai-gana-la-dreamhack-valencia-2014

Thalai wins Dreamhack Valencia 2014
Thalai wins Dreamhack Valencia 2014

A little more information: Over Gaming took the trophy in League of Legends, MD | Luffy (Rose) to DIG | Ryan Hart Ultra Sagat in Street Fighter 4 and Starcraft 2 Sacscri beat MD. In CS: GO Epsilon Team LDLC defeated to clinch the win.

Casters: Artosis, ToD, Tasteless
Casters: Artosis, ToD, Tasteless
Smix in Dreamhack Valencia 2014
Smix in Dreamhack Valencia 2014

 

Thalai vs Ek0P
Thalai vs Ek0P

More pics in http://www.archerphoto.eu/dreamhack-valencia-2014/

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Train Stations

Train Stations

Train stations have always caught the attention of photographers and painters. There are a thousand reasons: reunions, farewells, huge machines, travel, video movies and series, comics or books … But, for me, a main reason is probably because of a schoolmate, who remember constantly drawing trains-I suppose he would be doing more things, of course, but my childhood memories are rather scarce, and I guess I ended up acquiring part of his interests somehow. So as stations are attracting me as buildings with a very specific purpose, which also tend to maintain an aesthetic taste that beats the crap  airports, often designed far less visually.

Liverpool Street Station - Estaciones de tren
Liverpool Street Station, London

Interestingly, almost each time I’m  in a big station I feel familiar with the site: trains sooth me, airports often bring me the feeling that if I’m wrong with whatever nonsense the plane depart without me. Tube stations do not cause me so many feelings (although here I have also placed some photos). I’m explaining this just for the uncanny case someone had a special interest to know  how I feel about the Metropolitan Transportation …

Anyway, the train stations are, for me, quite attractive and I am not alone, so I’ve compiled some of my photos that item and / or location.

[slickr-flickr type=”gallery” search=”sets” set=”72157642336114225″]

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Zsuzsanna Toldi

Zsuzsanna Toldi

Zsuzsanna Toldi

I’m not particularly a mythomaniac, but I met Zsuzsanna Toldi at the Arnold Classic in Madrid in 2013. I was there in the Wingold stand with Julio Portet, who should have gone somewhere else, and in the next corridor, almost hidden, Zsuzsanna was letting her dye go dry and preparing for the competition, but far from the area which were the rest of the participants.

Zsuzsanna Toldi, Madrid

A little bit nervous. I talked a couple of seconds with her, I told her she looked gorgeous -quite easy to see- and after a while she went through the stage and won the competition. I was lucky to see her getting the trophy, because I might not have ever noticed that the nervous girl was proclaimed absolute body fitness champion in the Amateur competition.

Zsuzsanna Toldi

In any case already although it would be an exaggeration to say that I know her, yes I can say to find such a woman hidden in a hallway and taking pictures just before proclaimed champion was a kind gift from this Hungarian competitor.

Zsuzsanna Toldi

 

 

Zsuzsanna Toldi by Archerphoto, professional photographer

 More pics from Arnold Classic 2013

Toldi

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Two second hand photography shops I like

Two second hand photography shops I like

Recently I went to London because I am considering seriously having part of my work in United Kingdom. It’s a great place, really dynamic city and I’ve got no administrative problems to go, so, it’s a piece of cake. However, I decided to visit one small second hand store that’s really near of the British Museum. Find the place and asked for a second hand Canon EF 135 f2. The guy there, with a smile, handed me a lens from his colleague: “10 minutes old”, he said. Well, I was shocked and finally got my lens. Happy ending.

And while I was having a coffee there with my sis (they don’t call it Aperture Camera Café for nothing) came to me the idea of making a post of such a lovely story. So I thought “well, this it’s been happening to me frequently at home”, and, well, I can tell similar histories from Angel, that’s the name of the guy in Valencia store. Angel has a much-more-chaotic-much-less-charming store, and certainly, he lacks some of the brilliant material Lond0n guys had (really jawdropping stuff, not kidding), but it has tons of steel old cameras that keep you looking no matter how often you visit. And he has got me some great stuff, but most of all, he’s really reliable.

second hand photography shops

 

If he has a bad lens he will tell you: “it may be useful, but I don’t recommend you that. Wait and I will get something else”. It may pass some time, but when you come again, he really has the good stuff. I was somehow obsessed with a Canon 100-400 IS. Impressive lens. So expensive. He showed me a 200-400 from Tamron, great old lens that works impressively well with my EOS 5D Mark III for less than 1/6 of the price. I can tell you also about a Minolta 58mm F1.2 for less than 100 euros, and  things like that. So when I decided to write about a shop, I had to write about both of them.

Two second hand photography shops I like

Recently I went to London because I am considering seriously having part of my work in United Kingdom. It’s a great place, really dynamic city and I’ve got no administrative problems to go, so, it’s a piece of cake. However, I decided to visit one small second hand store that’s really near of the British Museum. Find the place and asked for a second hand Canon EF 135 f2. The guy there, with a smile, handed me a lens from his colleague: “10 minutes old”, he said. Well, I was shocked and finally got my lens. Happy ending.

And while I was having a coffee there with my sis (they don’t call it Aperture Camera Café for nothing) came to me the idea of making a post of such a lovely story. So I thought “well, this it’s been happening to me frequently at home”, and, well, I can tell similar histories from Angel, that’s the name of the guy in Valencia store. Angel has a much-more-chaotic-much-less-charming store, and certainly, he lacks some of the brilliant material Lond0n guys had (really jawdropping stuff, not kidding), but it has tons of steel old cameras that keep you looking no matter how often you visit. And he has got me some great stuff, but most of all, he’s really reliable.

second hand photography shops

 

If he has a bad lens he will tell you: “it may be useful, but I don’t recommend you that. Wait and I will get something else”. It may pass some time, but when you come again, he really has the good stuff. I was somehow obsessed with a Canon 100-400 IS. Impressive lens. So expensive. He showed me a 200-400 from Tamron, great old lens that works impressively well with my EOS 5D Mark III for less than 1/6 of the price. I can tell you also about a Minolta 58mm F1.2 for less than 100 euros, and  things like that. So when I decided to write about a shop, I had to write about both of them.

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Julio Portet Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition Team Video

Julio Portet Competition Team

Julio Portet Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition Team Video

Although photography is my main activity, videos are an important part of my job . Cameras today allow an important quality results , but  they require , as it’s always happened, a later intense work editing . In fact , it is very common that the recording and production can take less than a day but the editing and postproduction require considerable additional work .
In the production of this video we were using just a little light. We chose a day with actual standard training team members . In some shots with the girls, we had a bit more planning and action , but overall it is a similar image  to what you would see on any other Saturday: machinery and a meal with salad, rice and chicken.
Bodybuilding and Fitness
In this video you can see members of the Julio Portet Competition Team in addition to himself: Sento Olombrada , Ana Maria Insa , María Herranz, Víctor García , Ricardo Alarcón , Jorge Calvo and David Alcázar . It is recorded in Fitnessland , Canet , Valencia, and the music is Summon The Rawk , Kevin MacLeod . The team won multiple titles during 2013 , highlighting Sento Olombrada Overall Spanish Champion and Ana Maria Insa, Spanish Champion in Fitness in AEFF Spanish National Championship in Antequera , Málaga .

 

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Canon vs Nikon

Canon vs Nikon

One of the questions that turns the world and no solution is ” Which is better , Canon or Nikon ? The Canon vs Nikon debate itself has been occurring since the world began, or , in all honesty , about 20 years ago over now.

The fight actually is not absurd but the motivations of the discussion are. It would be reasonable if they might claim to really know if one is better than another, but overall this is a sterile debate on forums and bars where people try to justify because it is in either system .

Canon vs Nikon

Everyone who makes a decision about Canon or Nikon has to choose before knowing if he really prefers one or the other . When one has spent many years with either brand has probably acquired a series of lenses and maybe a flash that are incompatible with the rival brand.

In my case , I’m a big fan of Canon because in my years of doing photography reflex brand it has worked splendidly . I had a Nikon , not a reflex , and it was great, but when I decided to acquire a digital DSLR preferred to take advantage of the optical I had my old EOS 300 (which I retain and use occasionally ) so I could save a reasonable amount of money on lenses.

I found out later that the Canon cameras allow use by adapters, many manual lenses, while Nikon and other brands for a mechanical issue are allowed to use some less . But then again, that was a factor I discovered later and that it is only marginally interesting , because 99 % of people will not touch  a manual lens even with a stick .

Canon vs Nikon

NIKON OR CANON ? ?

Years later, while Nikon was doing some slightly better cameras, and then Canon released the EOS 5D MarkII , a DSLR that provided significant advantages in matters of value and , above all, a better video . Obviously, if all your gear is Canon you , you are happy and you buy one. And when Nikon camera then shows some improvement on these  same cresults, or that matches them but is more affordable , you feel so sorry because, of course , you cannot “undo your position ” without incurring significant losses.

Finally , the answer to whether it is better Canon or Nikon has an answer out on a tangent : does not matter . The differences are extremely small and often and has almost always been biased by the  the most striking  offer you can access to.

Now, both brands have an interesting advantage SLRs ( also called DSLRs ) but neither has maintained that remarkable advantage in the market for EVIL ( mirrorless cameras ), where Olympus Sony or Samsung seem to later. Experiments like the EOS M and Nikon 1 series do not have the full potential than other brands.