New Website

I have moved my website and blog to: http://kahwailin.com/

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkahwai/8238488827/

Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family) is one of the most visited sites in Barcelona. This is a masterpiece of Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, who pushes the gothic style to the extreme. The construction started in 1882 and estimated a completion date in 2028. Describing Sagrada Familia, art critic Rainer Zerbst said “it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art”.

Photography Setting:

Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM

Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 12mm | Aperture: f/4 | ISO: 3200

Exposure: 3 (-3, 0, +3)

Software: Photomatix Pro 4.0, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

Palace of Catalan Music, Barcelona

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkahwai/8239560579/

Palace of Catalan Music is a magnificent concert hall designed by the Catalan architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner. It was built between 1905 and 1908. The concert seats about 2,200 people, and is the only auditorium in Europe that is illuminated during daylight hours entirely by natural light. The walls consist of stained-glass panes set in magnificent arches, and the ceiling is a stained glass designed by Antoni Rigalt whose centerpiece is an inverted dome in shades of gold surrounded by blue that suggests the sun and sky.

Photography Setting:

Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM

Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/4.5 | ISO: 3200

Exposure: 3 (-3, 0, +3)

Software: Photomatix Pro 4.0, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, Barcelona

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkahwai/8239777861/

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia (also known as Barcelona Cathedral) is a beautiful Gothic cathedral that was constructed throughout the 13th to 15th centuries. The neo-Gothic facade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches.

Photography Setting: 

Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM

Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/5.6 | ISO: 100

Exposure: 6 (-4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1 EV)

Software: Photomatix Pro 4.0, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

Casa Batllo, Barcelona

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkahwai/8241574624/

Casa Batllo is a real masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi located at Passeig de Gracia. It was originally designed for a middle-class family. Its unique interior is just as extraordinary and it seems that the goal of Gaudi was to avoid straight lines completely.

Photography Setting:
Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/4 | ISO: 400
Exposure: 3 (-2, 0, +2 EV)
Software: Photomatix Pro 4, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

Church of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linkahwai/8243506431/

Church of Santa Maria del Mar is one of the most important religious centers in Barcelona, Spain. It was built between 1329 and 1383 at the height of Catalonia's maritime and mercantile preeminence. It is an example of Catalan Gothic, with a purity and unity of style that are very unusual in large mediaeval buildings.

Photography Setting:
Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM
Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/5.6 | ISO: 100
Exposure: 8 (-4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 EV)
Software: Photomatix Pro 4.0, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

HDR Tutorial

My HDR tutorial was published in HDR One: http://www.hdrone.com/2012/11/hdr-tutorial-for-churches-by-lin/

Comparison of HDR and Digital Blending

Original (0 EV)

HDR (10 exposures)

Digital Blending (4 exposures)

Grand Central Terminal, New York

Grand Central Terminal is a commuter rail terminal station at the Midtown of Manhattan in New York City. It was built in 1903, in Beaux-Arts architectural style. According to survey by "Travel + Leisure", it is the world's number six most visited tourist attraction, which bring about 21,600,000 visitors annually. The main concourse is the center of Grand Central Terminal, and it was decorated with the most famous features - the astronomical ceiling. However, the zodiac on the ceiling is depicted backwards. Although some thought that this was a mistake by the artist, Paul Helleu. The real reason, according to official documents, is that the painter was inspired by a medieval manuscript that showed the heavens as they would have been seen from outside the celestial sphere.

Photography Setting:
Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM
Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/5.6 | ISO: 100
Exposure: 10 (-5, -4, -3. -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 EV)
Software: Photomatix Pro 4, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust

Church of Our Saviour, New York

Church of Our Saviour is a Roman Catholic church at 59 Park Avenue and 38th Street Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 1955 and the church was built in 1959. The church interior is simple, a rectangle hall with a shallow sanctuary, but with an impressive triumphal arch above sanctuary. The church also filled with beautiful stained glass, which create a dark and prayerful atmosphere.

Photography Setting: 

Gear: Canon 7D + Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM

Mode: Aperture Priority | Focal Length: 10mm | Aperture: f/5.6 | ISO: 100

Exposure: 10 (-5, -4, -3. -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 EV)

Software: Photomatix Pro 4, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Adjust