The Spinning Earth – Ben Heine’s Panorama Works

Here are ingenious series of artworks by Ben Heine, a Samsung imageloger. All the pieces of images, served to complete the panoramas, was taken with Samsung NX10. Enjoy the fact that the world we are living in is perfectly round. The Earth continues to spin…

Ben’s note : 3 days of intense work to make this huge panorama of Cologne, Germany’s fourth-largest city. This is a 360 degrees view, I tried to get as many details as possible, sometimes repainting different parts of the cityscape. The original composition is really big (almost 20.000 pixels wide!) because I assembled more than 30 photos. I took all of them from the top of “KölnTurm” when I was in Germany 2 weeks ago… (FYI, I didn’t use any autopano or fisheye). The city’s famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe’s oldest universities.

Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne International Furniture Fair and the Photokina. Cologne is also well-known for its celebration of Cologne Carnival, the annual reggae summerjam, and Cologne Gay Pride. Within Germany, Cologne is also known as an important media center. Several radio and television stations, including Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), RTL and VOX, have their headquarters in the city. ©Ben Heine

Ben’s note : This is the landscape I saw from the top of Beynac Castle, in the Dordogne department of France. I visited this beautiful place last week. I spent several days to assemble and edit some 20 photos I took there (no Fisheye and no AutoPano). The original image is huge and it was quite a challenge this time because my graphic tablet just got damaged and I had to do everything with a standard mouse. :) ©Ben Heine

Ben’s note : This is where I used to revise my books when I made my degree in Journalism. I didn’t use a fisheye lens. I have actually assembled some 14 photos I took when I was there. The original image is huge (12000 pixels wide). The “Mont des Arts” (meaning “hill of the arts”) is a historic site in the center of Brussels, Belgium. The showcase square was created for the Universal Exposition held in Brussels in 1910. It featured a park and a monumental staircase with cascading fountains descending the gentle slope from Place Royale down to Boulevard de l’Empereur.

The original square was destroyed during the post-war construction frenzy known as Brusselization; between 1954 and 1965, the square and its surroundings gave way to massive, severely geometric postmodern structures such as the Royal Library of Belgium and the Congress Palace. The Mont des Arts offers one of Brussels’ finest views. From the vantage point on a hill, the famous tower of the Brussels Town Hall at the Grand Place is clearly visible. ©Ben Heine

Please visit Ben Heine’s Photostream to see more of his artworks.

Jumping Princess called Posuni and Seven Angels

Today Posuni is busy again. Because she tries jumping harder to get one more attention from us.

Let’s all advice to Posuni “Posuni~~~ you are going to hurt your joint~~~!!”

Let’s all watch her spectacular jumping which she does not give up at all the time!

[PL70 │ 15s │F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

Look~~~Once door is open, She has already got started!

First! Jump from left side!

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

Now Jump from right side!!

Can u see the other friends who don’t jump?

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

Of course, She must jump from the middle, too!

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

LOL are not you wondering of her face?

Yes Posuni is pretty princess.

This time, I am gonna introduce Seven Angels who all together got rescued at one time.

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

These darlings always run into us when we go to work.

And they bark at us with the most wonderful sounds!

Why were you late..Please open door faster..We are hungry hungry”¦

Feels like they are talking like that.

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

These boys were found where their house was not suitable for them to live.

They have not been eating well so they become crazy when they see food ^^;;

One thing I am proud of them is they stick to each other at all time.

I guess it is because they have gone through tough time together.

No matter how many cushions I give them, they only sleep in one cushion.

Amazingly, Now Seven of them are in one cushion,too.

[PL70 │ 1/15s │ F3.4 │ ISO 400 │ 5.0mm │ Program Auto]

Sometimes one who couldn’t breathe well goes out from their territory LOL.

Until one day they may get separated, we are going to do our best for them to take care of each other! LOVE YOU, Angels~~~~~

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Electronics Co.,Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung PL70, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co.,Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here

Interview with imagelogers, 2nd Story – Daniel Kulinski, a Real Talented

NX10 │ 1/30s │ F2.0 │ ISO 200 │ 30mm

Daniel Kulinski is one of the first Samsung imagelogers. It has been almost one year since Daniel has raised his passion for photography through the relationship with Samsung. When Samsung first met Daniel, he even hadn’t a camera for himself. He had been used to take shots with a camera of his brother, Samsung Pro815. But how his pictures were impressive, Samsung didn’t hesitate to offer him a camera, Samsung WB1000, only for himself. Since the day, Daniel has always surprised us with his shape talent and artistic feeling. And he has been provided a Samsung NX10 afterwards. Today, he has started to shot with a Samsung EX1.

Daniel is a father, husband, and, what we can obviously say today, an excellent photographer. Whoever facing his pictures appreciates hidden charms of the ordinary life. These are tenacious gratitudes for the life and, at the same time, simple contemplations in the life. Daniel shows them us in a clear way. He has a kind of humor that makes people fall in love with his pictures. He is effectively a rough gemstone that has been found by chance and carved by itself. We are really enjoying his works, seeing how he progresses with courage. Bravo, Daniel !

Here are three nice pictures of Daniel. Let’s enjoy !

NX10 │ 1/60s │ F5.6 │ ISO 400 │ 100mm

NX10 │ 0.3s │ F2.2 │ ISO 100 │ 30mm

NX10 │ 1/250s │ F2.2 │ ISO 1600 │ 30mm

To see more photos of Daniel, please visit his Flickr.

We interviewed him with a couple of interesting questions. Here are the answers from Daniel.

Q. Please freely introduce yourself.

A. My name is Daniel, I’m not the youngest – I’m 33 years. I live in Warsaw, Poland. Professionally, I work for the Polish Post in the IT section, Network and Application Monitoring. This means we are spying the Internet – So I’m a bad guy. My family is wife Agatha, daughter Natasha, and a dog – Courtney, English bulldog. Who knows, maybe soon you will see one more person. And my hobby is, at present, the photography. Due to my work and child, my beloved sport has to wait me for now. In fact, I am addicted of BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For the moment, my stomach is growing instead of my muscles.

Q. We are seeing on your every single post your lovely daughter “Natasha”, can you tell us more about her?

A. Natasha is 5 months now. She is very lively child. She is now shouting at the parents, annoyed if something she wants isn’t gotten, learns to sit down. Crawling is already learned. And she likes carrot and pumpkin soup.

Q. In your opinion, what kind of profession does Natasha will go for? We saw her playing with the NX10, wouldn’t you mind if Natasha’s going to be a photographer?

A. Currently hard to say what will she do in the future. (I hope that she will be famous soon because she promised me a Mercedes!) Actually she takes my camera, loves playing on the TV with a remote control. She loves to sing in the middle of night, shout to strangers on the street, and then she is just happy a lot.

Q. We know you love to take shots of Natasha, are there any other interesting subjects you like to capture when you photography?

A. I love “macro” and “close up” photography. Unfortunately, I lack macro lens. Of course, I have an old camera, Samsung Pro815, which has a super macro function, but since I have NX10, it is hard for me to use the old equipments. I would love taking macro shots with NX10 even if it needs some other combinations and additional lens. But no problem, because I have a special technique to make a macro lens from a normal lens. I like also “abstract” images of ordinary objects.

Q. You seem like be a real big fan of Samsung‘s digital cameras. Could you talk about what amazing experiences you have gotten with your Samsung cameras?

A. Actually came out, so I’m a fan of Samsung. Why? In fact, this was by a conscious choice. I had wanted to buy a DSLR camera. As all we know, the body is not expensive, but the largest costs come from their lenses. I came to the conclusion that I need a big camera with a big zoom and DSLR-like features. And the choice had fallen on the Samsung Pro815 which so far works flawlessly. WB1000, compared to the Pro815 is a milestone. Of course, it is hard to directly compare these two cameras. However, I see a huge progress that has made Samsung. When I got WB1000, I was a little disappointed all a few minutes :) but when I go out I bring it with me. Actually, my wife took it and that’s the end of the camera because she did not give it back to me. Then, NX10 and EX1 are already very advanced, which should satisfy most people not just amateurs. In my opinion, if anyone knows how to take pictures will also realize the potential of the NX10 and EX1. If Samsung makes some other fast lens and a little more correct firmware, NX10 will mark a really big career in the domain of photography.

Q. You shoot really gorgeous pictures in the street. We imagine you going out everywhere with your best friend, Samsung NX10. What does the NX10 mean for you?

A. That’s right. The camera is always in my backpack ““ now, I have two cameras and three lenses :) NX10 has a brilliant mobility. It is Compact, light, and fast. With the 30mm is absolutely sensational. If there were more lens like 30mm – dream !

Q. Please show us your favorite picture made with.

Someone fell asleep │ NX10 │ 1/50s │ F4.3 │ ISO 400 │ 37mm

I have a lot of favorite pictures, but this is one of the last.

Q. What is your next plan as a father and as an amateur photographer?

A. As a father and husband, I have to support my family, so this is my biggest plan. As an amateur photographer, I want to improve skills and gain new experiences. I would gladly go to some advanced courses, but it unfortunately is costly affair. So I’m looking for competitions and will try to take part of them. But competitions are not easy. I also have dreams… The biggest one is to live in Portugal over the ocean. I want to travel, too. My familly loves to discover interesting places. Since long ago we has wanted to see the Far East countries such as: Korea, Thailand, China, and others. Dreams come true sometimes, so maybe one day…

Q. Please give a message to all blog visitors.

A. Taking pictures is difficult but possible. You just need to know basis and later do, do and do it. Posting pictures on sites are good for this purpose. Do not be afraid of criticism, in this way you will know what is right and wrong. A negative opinion may not discourage you, just the opposite has to motivate you. I always wanted to get the opportunity to thank all who read “my posts” in Samsung Imaging Blog. And special thanks to Samsung and the relative persons.

Interview with imagelogers, 1st Story – Ben Heine, a Belgian Artist

 

Benjamin Heine is one of impressive artists heating up internet world. The most recent art project “Pencil Vs Camera” is really brilliant one, has contributed to stamp his name on numerous art fans’ mind. At first, he had started to attract public’s attention as a cartoonist, illustrator, painter strongly reminding of Belgian Surrealism, American Pop art and German expressionism. He had participated in book covers and illustrations for popular authors, collaborated with some of magazines and papers in Europe. He has been frequently holding exhibitions in several art spaces in Brussels where people appreciate his artworks in an atmosphere more intimate than online.

But how lucky we are to be able to experience Ben’s every new update just by clicking a few times on his website, blog and his Flickr. Here is some of “Pencil Vs Camera” series elaborated with a Samsung NX10 which is provided to him by Samsung Digital Imaging. Through these artworks, we can observe not only his photography talents, but also his sketching skills and gifted humor that draw amazing themes of life from his optimistic view.

Let’s enjoy Ben’s famous work, “Pencil Vs Camera” created by a Samsung NX10.

To see more pictures, please visit Ben’s Flickr.

We had a short online interview with Ben. Here are the questions and answers for people who are curious about him.

Q. Please tell us about yourself.

A. I’m a Belgian visual creator. I was born in Ivory Coast in 1983 and I now live and work in Brussels. I studied graphic arts and sculpture and I also have a degree in journalism although I’ve never really worked in that field. I currently have a part time job in the associative sector but I spend most of my time and energy at my personal artistic projects. I recently co-founded with my associate and agent a new art gallery called “The Artistery”.

Q. When did you start taking photos and what mostly influenced your motivation?

A. Photography has always interested me but I started taking pictures more seriously in 2006. Before 2006, I’ve mainly been working as a painter and illustrator. The photos of Gilad Benari are really those that gave me loads of ideas and motivation to start my own photo projects. It took months, even years before any of them received some good attention.

Q. Which object you like to focalize on when you take shots?

A. My favourite sources of inspiration in photography are nature and countryside. I just love fields, wild animals, empty spaces and paths with huge vanishing points. I’m also interested in architecture, urban landscapes, skyscrapers, massive buildings (I know it’s quite the opposite of the nature and countryside themes but I still love it because there are many things to express with it). I intend soon to have a more social approach and to focus on people, taking for instance close up portraits of random persons in their usual environment.

Q. Please describe how your experiences are as a Samsung Imageloger.

A. I honestly feel really proud about it. I consider it a privilege. “Imageloger” (fusion of “image” and “blogger”) is quite the perfect description for me as I’ve been an active blogger since 2005 and also a passionate and prolific image creator since I’m a kid. I’ve always believed that any kind of successful communication is achieved with a subtle combination of textual and visual contents.

When I received the proposal to be supported as an imageloger, I was directly very excited and willing to discover Samsung Imaging’s latest gear and technologies. This is a totally new experience and I’m still discovering the NX10 I received. I’m very happy with its graphic results, its powerful sensor and other particular functions. I’ve for instance always wanted to get more inner quality in my photos, less grain and noise, more details, etc… And this is what I have now thanks to my new Samsung camera. I also enjoy its pleasant interface and its easy portability.

Q. Are there any changes in your life after you have been an imageloger?

A. Not yet, but I’m sure the best is to come and there will certainly be some major changes in my life. All I can say right now is that Samsung technologies have already allowed me to take photos with better quality and reach innovative visual effects in a new graphic matrix.

Q. Please show us the favourite one from your pictures made by NX10.

Symphony l NX10 l 1/125s l F11.0 l ISO 100 l 55mm

A. The photo I prefer so far is “Symphony”, a black and white image I captured with the NX10 in the Belgian countryside, near Rochefort. The original shot was gorgeous but I’ve still heavily edited it to get the tones and contrasts I exactly wanted.

Q. What is the next plan for your life and for your photography?

A. After “Pencil Vs Camera“, I will be working on new creative series. I already have 3 different subjects in mind but I’d rather not reveal them yet. Travel is one of my priorities. I always want to move as far and a long as I can.

Q. Please give a message to all who are reading this.

A. I hope they will be able to fulfil all their goals and dreams in their professional and private life. I wish them luck and success and I thank them for reading this interview till the end.

Sense of Life

WB1000(TL320) 1/90s l F7.2 l ISO 80 l 4mm

Life is like a hesitation staying between a feeling of expectancy and a feeling of lack. Sense of accomplishment is something certainly understandable, but barely practicable. It seems that only the brave ancestors and young lovers in twenty centuries know how to walk a tightrope tied up from the balance of hesitation. Universe has totally obtained the guarantee to exist by amplifying its vibration. Humans are born since the relevant days, and the great quantum string goes on to keep the existence trembling.

All the things we decide to drop off on such petty surface of the earth will always remain on the tightrope where sense of life survives. We just walk on the line like archeologists who have sought for decades for borns and patterns in vestiges of ancient civilization destroyed. Tiny slopes on the string will always be a pleasure. But we also are conscious that living the life is not one of the first choices should be done since the birth, because more the enthusiasm is incarcelated, more the sensation of live takes place.

Interviews with Samsung Imagelogers at Photo Exhibition

 

Samsung Imageloger Photo Exhibition has held the opening ceremony last weekend. The exhibit hall was thronged with passionate people of photography and Samsung digital cameras. Each of them was absorbed in taking photos with own Samsung cameras to capture moments of excitation of the day. The atmosphere rose to a climax, as Samsung Imaging announced three best Imagelogers in first half of the year of 2010.

Mr. Junghyun Jun

Mr. Junghyun Jun, best of the best Imagelogers talks about his picture displayed at the exhibition. “Samsung EX1 has a manageable LCD that allows to take shots in various angles. ‘Tree dreamed by sea’ is created by my EX1, making profit of its flexible LCD. I tilted the camera to capture nearer from the bottomside these trails on sand beach left by seaweeds.” Before using EX1, he had been an Imageloger of Samsung WP10, the compact water proof camera.

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Mr. Mu Shan Bo Nan

There also were some special guests from China: Mr. Niu Yu Long, Mr. Mu Shan Bo Nan, and Miss Yao Li Sha. They all are Samsung Imagelogers using NX10. Niu Yu Long said, “It is an awesome experience to be one of Samsung Imagelogers. I really appreciate the chance to share my photos with the public.” Mu Shan Bo Nan talked about his the camera. “Samsung NX10 is a magnificent camera that enables users to rediscover the sense of perception. NX10 has a extremely light weight and the highest quality ever.”

A part of photos in the article is made by ‘zenzang75′, an imageloger, has been posted under the author’s consent.

Samsung Opens Imageloger Photo Exhibition

 

Last Saturday, there was an opening ceremony of Imageloger Photo Exhibition at Samsung D’light, Samsung’s exhibit hall in Seoul. Samsung Imaging invited some of Asian Imagelogers, who had performed creative activities during first half of 2010. The event got started by introducing the meaning of Imageloger and how these Imagelogers have contributed to public relations of Samsung Digital Cameras. ‘Imageloger’ is a compound word formed from ‘Image’ and ‘Blogger’, which designate a group of amateur photographers taking solidarity for Samsung Digital Cameras. Samsung Imaging supports a limited number of Imagelogers worldwide to share amazing experiences created by Samsung Digital Cameras.

Samsung Imaging also hold an awards ceremony for best Imagelogers in first half of the year.

After the general presentation, all the invited Imagelogers moved to the gallery to enjoy the photo exhibition, which is composed of the best photos from Imagelogers, carefully selected by Samsung Imaging. In the gallery hall, there were a small reception party and a giveaway event for all participants. The place was swarming with overseas reporters.

Samsung Imageloger Photo Exhibition continues until 10^th of July.