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
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes it is interesting taking a look back to what you were doing some time ago. I don’t think they are my best pieces of work, but there’s some life in the looks of the people I do like especially. Less process, less shots, less quality lenses and cameras but, however, portraits done with the gear I had in 2006. It seemed enough in that moment :)
Some of them are shot with Fujifilm S9500, some with a Nikon Coolpix 5000 and they determine partially the style I had to take: both of them have a noticeable shutter lag (especially the Coolpix 5000), so you will see the pics are mainly calmed, still. When I moved to DSLRs all I wanted was capturing movement in the right moment, but that’d be in later pictures. It’s very curious because I have had SLRs (a Mamiya ZE and a Canon EOS 300), so when I moved to digital, I felt terribly frustrated about shutter lag.
10 headshots I did in 2006
Nadia and the blanket
Isabel BayonasLucíaNuriaÁfricaMartaNadia in a Black DressJoanaKristynkaLola
Yeah, that’s it. I shoot a lot and some pics are not in my main line of work but some people likes them, so I decided to have them available in my Facebook page for using them. You don’t HAVE to do a single thing, but I would love if you add a Like to my page in Facebook (just in case you liked the pictures) and you can tag ArcherphotoinEnglish in the pic. But it’s not compulsory, of course. So, here you have Free Facebook Backgrounds by Archerphoto, professional photographer in Spain. All of the pictures I uploaded were taken in Spain, and I will be uploading more pictures, so keep an eye on me if you want to have more of them.
Most of them are just landscapes or details, and you have them in the exact resolution for Facebook. Of course, you can’t sell them or transfer them in any way different to use. If you would like to have some of those pictures in high resolution, please mail me and describe me the use you want and I will send you the fee and the conditions. Just remember I am a professional photographer, a commercial photographer who lives in the same planet that you and need money to buy gear and eat daily.
Some of these pictures were taken while I was doing something else: waiting during a portfolio session, or just taking a walk with my camera, and most of them are not modified, just cropped and resized for Facebook. Just 851×315 as recommended. Perhaps you are thinking if I am going to do something like that for Twitter. Well, I don’t know yet. Do you think it would be interesting?
Free Facebook Backgrounds by Archerphoto, professional photographer in Spain
Flickr Blog: Flickr best selected photos.
One of the photography blogs I do follow is Flickr Blog. In this Flickr page, which is the most important page photograph in the world, they are conducting thematic selections or focuses attention on a photographer or group of photographers. The result is often spectacularly good.
FLICKR BLOG: WHY IS INTERESTING?
Grace, of course, is in the excellent selection Flickr people do. Flickr also provides a daily “Explore”, which is a complicated selection-by-programming algorithm of the 500 most interesting photos that have been uploaded in the last hours. I’ve been lucky enough to see my photos in Explore on many occasions, but the truth is that I have appeared on the blog. Yes, you can take a look at my photos on http://flickr.com/photos/archerphoto
Screenshot of Flickr Blog. The rights belong to the author of each photograph.
In any case, the blog is chosen by direct human intervention using a computer valuing many factors, and the result of personal touch is much better and more interesting. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just an amateur photographer you love photography, I recommend it.
And one more thing, Free Flickr accounts now have 1 GB of free storage, so if you liked your blog, you might want to join the page and have chances to appear on your blog. It’s not impossible :) This also should join one of their groups, Flickr Friday, where calls for photographs related to the theme each week.
I usually write longer reviews, but in this case, with a brief comment will suffice because this is not a detailed analysis but a simple note discussing a bad experience with a Transcend 16GB Wi-Fi I bought in late July 2013.
Having taken a look at the options available (Sandisk Eye-Fi, Toshiba Transcend AirFlash and Wi-Fi), the best option seemed Transcend, so I decided to get myself one.
Transcend 16GB Wi-Fi. A bad experience.
The first moments were a bit disappointing: the card works as a Wi-Fi server and can connect up to three devices, very intuitive to set up, but a few minutes later I could see the photos shot on my Nexus 7 and mobile, thanks to the Android application. In a few minutes, I could see them on the laptop with Windows 7 but here came the first major problem: not only does not transfer RAW files with ease, but to photos download to the computer has to be ONE by ONE. There is a web interface that connects to the card, but you can not automatically download the pictures to your computer. This would streamline the work flow when we are shooting in the studio. I contacted the technical support team to confirm this software flaw and they did.
Transcend 16GB Wi-Fi
However, the card was relatively affordable (about 45 €, shipping included) so the profitability could come by the card capacity to transfer directly photos to the cell phone. I was mistaken. That evening I took my EOS 5D Mark III and the card to a beauty event, and suddenly, the card locked my camera. It could not read the pictures and I couldn’t shoot. I had to restart the camera and remove the SD card. Photos are not lost and did not lose the work done that day, but if it was not because I had a second memory card, I’d had not been able to work. In any case, when I got back home, the SD remained unable to work, so I decided that my new SD Class 10 would be returned.
As a commercial photographer I rule out the use of this card and I do not recommended neither for amateur use. The odds that this is only one point of failure are high, but if a professional photographer can not rely on his memory card and this one not only does not permit significant function (Wi-Fi transmission) but also did not you allow view photos in the camera, those are determining factors to qualify as a bad product.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III review is one of the matters I had to do. I’ve had this camera for more than 6 months now, so it’s time to make an accurate analysis about my personal impressions. Here you will find detail of technical issues and links to other review, but mostly you will find my personal feelings about this camera. It’s possible you are interested in raw data comparisons, and you can have them, but when I look for an important piece of work like that, I love to find what other photographers have said about it. Especially when they are not paid by any company to bias their written opinions. I am paid by Jalalala SL, my own company, so you may understand I am not marketing any camera.
EOS 5D Mark III review. What’s new.
If a camera is called EOS 5D Mark III you have to make the references to Mark II. I won’t be very innovative. EOS 5D Mark II was an impressive feature that brought outstanding HD video and high ISO with impressive performance with affordable prices. And 5D Mark III is more of those features. Some people expected a big leap from Mark II to Mark III with some impressive new feature. Bad news. Mark III is an impressive camera with lots of small details improved from its predecessor, but there is no miraculous new feature. And, oh, it’s more expensive. But we can take a look to the highlights…
AF System
Perhaps the most important improvement in the camera is introducing the same AF System (and hardware) used in the EOS 1Dx. The Mark II had a 9-points system. Good, but probably too humble for such a great camera. In its usability it was probably the most important problem you will use if you are going to work with Mark II. Mark III has61 bright points with advanced programs depending the movement you think are going to find. Of course there is an automatic version, but adding options to improve performance is important in this camera.
EOS 5D Mark III review
Shots per second
If you add the dramatic increase in AF performance to the update in shots per second (from 4 to 6) you find that now it is a suitable camera for sports. Not as good as EOS 1D series, but now you don’t feel like a turtle when you shoot in bursts. Shutter has an average life of about 150,000 shots. It may sound very high, but it’s just standard in Canon. My Mark II had an estimated life of 150,000 also and I sold it with 180,000 without any problem (I told the guy, of course, but I haven’t received information that he has had to replace it yet). There is some curiosity about the shutter life. I saw a web with info about shutter lives, with info added by customers and it seems it is not exactly a normal distribution: if camera is OK, shutter will live way far more than 150-200,000 shots. But the average number of shots is pulled down if it’s defective (those die before 15,000 shots). In that case, I suppose, Canon would replace your shutter if in warranty, so, effective shutter life is more than that those 150,000 declared shots.
Dual slot: SD and Compact Flash
Really interesting. There is lots of combinations to take advantage of this feature.
Processor
Digic 5+ is one of these magic things… You don’t see it, you can’t touch it, but it’s there and it’s making changes. Better performance with high ISOs and, what it is very important, it will correct lot of defects of older lenses you have or buy, so suddenly everything looks slightly better. That makes the camera even more valuable, because is improving your actual gear value. But not all lenses profiles are included, so perhaps you will need to connect your camera to your computer uploading profiles in camera.
Depth of field button
Right to its place. Now it’s more usable.
Rate button
Interesting for classifying pictures while are in the camera. I don’t use it, but it can be worth in some situations. Not to me, yet. Mostly gets my pics rated when I fail to push another button.
Screen
From 3″ to 3’2″ and from 940,000 to 1,040,000 pixels. OK, an improvement, but not a critical one.
Viewfinder
From 98% to 100&. It’s OK. Thanks for that. Another of the little things from Mark II that help to understand why EOS 5D Mark III is a better camera.
Silent shutter
To be honest, I didn’t notice it had this feature until some days after I bought it. For ceremony, theater, classical music, etc, it’s a blessing. Unexpected.
5D Mark III review
EOS 5D Mark III review. The quality
Holding a 5D Mark III doesn’t feel very different from holding a 5D Mark II. Strong, bulky but tolerable and solid feeling. But it feels very differently from holding, for instance, a small DSLR like a 400D or 600D. The grip is much better and you can feel 5Ds have a heavier, more trustable skeleton magnesium-alloy from the first moment. Of course, the cost of that is not just money: weight is serious, but you can be sure that you can hold the camera all day long even when you are not a strong guy. If you have big hands, there is no problem: the camera is easy to handle and has all the controls with distance enough to be accessed in a quick and handy way. As usual in Canon, two control wheels to quick access to main features. Don’t expect using this camera with one hand, because you will need both of them. However, one of the most important features in this camera is not easy to find in any sheet of characteristics: everything is accessible. Even if you are not an expert photographer, you’ll get used to it in minutes.
Even when I was not unhappy with my 5D Mark II, the AF performance, the dual card slot and the extra ISO are useful features, but the real advance is in quality. Sharper, nicer, better pictures with better colors. The new sensor and image processor are conceived to provide better results without complicating the work for the photographer.
The camera is better sealed than Mark II, which is a good feature for a professional photographer in Spain, but I am sure is even better for photographers who work in more extreme environments. I feel quite comfortable with the general sealing of this camera, but I would love to have it totally impervious to water and dust. Just paranoia.
Another improvement that is really interesting is the headphone socket: this camera has a real usability for video, so it’s very useful having controls and feedback in audio. Mic hasn’t improved, however.
As a conclusion: for me, it’s unmistakably a great camera. Great heir to the 5D Mark II and it’s worth the about 3,299 € it costs. I’ve read some comparisons with Nikon D800 and it’s impressive sensor, but the results are not really different. However, I am a Canon boy. But it’s not a matter of heart, it’s a matter of gear. I just could not afford to buy the same gear again :)
Valencia is my home town and it’s where I live now. Sun, beach, colorful place and funny people. On the other hand we’ve got some issues with our politicians but, then again, who hasn’t?
Valencia is a 800,000 inhabitants city on the shore of Mediterranean Sea. If you include the metropolitan area you can count about 1,300,000. Mostly flat, as long as an important part of the area was desecated from a lagoon, the Albufera de Valencia. The Albufera is partially wet and it’s the only protected natural space in a capital in a UE city. Or I read that some time ago.
Mercado de Colón, Valencia by Archerphoto, professional photographer in Spain
Valencia is very famous for the Fallas, giant monuments made of cardboard and wood that are exposed in the street during less than 1o days. After that they are burnt in March 19th, Saint Joseph. It’s kind a way of a good-bye to the winter. The festivities are popular, but you can find a growing social pressure against it. Lots of problems with traffic and the constant fireworks and explosions happening. People hurt by fireworks, wasted money, social discussions. Yeah, I’m one of the people who disagrees with the festivities, I’m not trying to be impartial.
Architecture in Valencia
The cultural inheritage is really important. Valencia was a kingdom some centuries ago and was integrated in Aragon Crown and after that in Spain. Palaces, religious and civil buildings are very important, and also contemporary architecture. Most important civil Gothic building in the world, Silk Exchange, is inside Valencia.
There is also a cathedral, important baroque palaces (Marqués de Dos Aguas). Architecture in Valencia is really interesting. As a commercial photographer in Spain, when I have some time I love to shoot those buildings.
This is my English-speaking website: Archerphoto commercial photographer. My name is Sergi Albir, I am Spanish (I live in Valencia, Spain), so you may find some odd-looking English in these pages. Please be patient and if you just can’t stand one of my mistakes, please send me an e-mail and I will correct that one.
I am a Spanish professional photographer and writer (and producer) who does love pictures, images, movies and all these things. One of my main activities is shooting portfolios for incoming models. I encourage you to come to Spain and shoot with me, take a look and, if you’re interested, ask me for a quote.
