SML Photo Blog

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Most of you know by now that I have been working on a Kiss project (More on SML Flickr) for a while now. For this valentine's day, I thought that I would post some recent photos of the project here. These are new so they're mostly shot with my new Canon 7D! :)

Color Fields

2009-11-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

Color fields are photography made up with multiples of similar objects.

It is my belief that life celebrates diversity, and I intend to show this through photography — that the visual interests stem from the differences and individualities of each object.

Similarly, I believe the world would be a bland and boring place to live in if we were all clones of one another. The future of humanity lies not in raging wars against those who are different than ourselves, but in our ability to accept and appreciate our differences from one another.

Color: Red

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Red
+ Color: Red (Most Interesting)

Color: Orange

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Orange
+ Color: Orange (Most Interesting)

Color: Yellow

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Yellow
+ Color: Yellow (Most Interesting)

Color: Green

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Green
+ Color: Green (Most Interesting)

Color: Blue

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Blue
+ Color: Blue (Most Interesting)

Color: Magenta

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: Magenta
+ Color: Magenta (Most Interesting)

Color: White

Related SML Flickr Sets
+ Color: White
+ Color: White (Most Interestig)

Kisses in black and white

2009-10-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Kiss = Love + Affection + Compatibility

Kiss is an active project of mine. I have been working on it since 2007. I rarely photograph in the studio, so most of these were taken in real life, usually during events were I happened to be photographing.

I usually try to get permission after spotted the love birds in their acts. The photos were shot after I gained permission, but as love is in the air, they generally came out fairly natural as they could care less about whether or not a camera was pointing to them or not! (This is true even for my own self portrait with MMF!)

See the whole set on Flickr.

1. Ideal Husbands: Marlone Star + Chicago Tigerboy

2. Kiss (name withheld)

3. Kiss / Ideal Husbands

4. Kiss: Kevin Aviance + Friend

5. Kiss between friends. It's a friendly kiss as the guy is gay and the girl is straight, but they came out just as sweet.

6. Kiss: SML + MMF. Self-portrait. See also SML Photo Blog: Taking the umbrella outside of the studio.

7. Failed attempt while photographing Bert + Ernie. See SML Gay Blog: Bert + Ernie / SML Ideal Husbands.

Downtown Brooklyn

2009-10-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Related SML
+ SML Flickr Tags: Construction
+ SML Flickr Tags: Demolition
+ SML Flickr Tags: Downtown Brooklyn
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Forms
+ SML Photo Blog: NYC

Sunset Park Panoramic Photography

2009-09-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

My first attempt with panoramic photography at full resolution. This shows the 360-degree panoramic view of Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York City.

View large (1024 x 106)
View original (14998 x 1551)

Here's an 720p HD video of the 360-degree sweep:

Sunset Park Panoramic (360) version c1 (720p high-def 1280 x 720 pan video) / 2009-09-21 / SML from See-ming Lee 李思明 SML on Vimeo. Also on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZWfuG01xfc

Photographed using Canon 10D mounted on a tripod with the Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L lens, triggered via Canon Remote Timer Control TC-80N3.

The whole thing was stichedtogether in Photoshop CS4 with 24 full-res RAW files:
20090921.10D.54310
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This HD video and the photo is licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en

SML Paintings 李思明油畫

2009-09-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Actually these are photography disguised as paintings. I have always wanted to paint but I lack the drawing skills so I try my best to create what I wish to do through the lens of my camera.

Most of these also exist in my abstract photography set because they are abstract by nature.

Untitled Abstract / 2009 / SML

間 Division / 2009 / SML

Abstract in C / 2009 / SML

Untitled Forms / 2006 / SML

Untitled Forms / 2008 / SML

Abstract in Beige / 2009 / SML

Abstract in G minor / 2009 / SML

Dots + Lines / 2007 / SML

Untitled Forms / 2009 / SML

Black Hole / 2009 / SML

Untitled Forms / 2009 / SML

Related SML
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Abstracts 李思明抽象攝影
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Forms
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Paintings 李思明油畫
+ SML Pro Blog: Art

Cross-posted on SML Pro Blog.

Taking the umbrella outside of the studio

2009-09-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've been reading strobist for a while now and learned a ton of techniques on shooting with flash inside and outside of the studio but I never really tried much of it outside of my studio.

Since I was carrying a ton of equipment for my photo trip to Sunset Park, I thought that I would try my first shot using an umbrella outside the studio. Wow what a difference! Definitely carrying the light stand with me next time I go out. Absolutely worth the extra bit of weight!

Technical info: Canon 580EX mounted on light stand with a studio umbrella from below (as the second light source in contrast to the backlight from the sun), remote via Canon ST-E2 on Canon 10D body mounted on a tripod. Shot with Canon 24-70 f2.8L lens. Self-portraits triggered using Canon Timer Remote Control TC-80N3.

Mac Farr (MMF) for the Ideal Husbands project.

Happy Together: SML + MMF for the Kiss project.

Kiss: SML + MMF for the Kiss project.

+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Men
+ SML Projects: Ideal Husbands
+ SML Projects: Kiss

MMF / SML

2009-09-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

Magical things happen when love is in the air. Also see full set on SML Flickr: MMF / SML

Technical info: handheld Canon 580EX from left, remote via Canon ST-E2 on Canon 10D body mounted on a tripod. Shot with Canon 24-70 f2.8L lens.

MMF at Deadyard in SML Studio

MMF at Deadyard in SML Studio

Kiss: SML + MMF at Deadyard in SML Studio

Kiss: SML + MMF at MMF home. Shot with the Canon SD 850IS

Related SML
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML BW 李思明黑白攝影
+ SML Flickr Sets: SML Men
+ SML Projects: Ideal Husbands
+ SML Projects: Kiss

Chelsea Art Galleries Openings

2009-09-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

After the positive experience with Aaron Johnson (Flickr / SML Flickr / Twitter) first at the Chelsea tour then at the Eastern State Penitentiary, I joined up with Aaron again on 2009-09-10 to check out the art galleries openings in Chelsea.

All photographs taken with:
+ Canon 10D
+ Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L: my current everywhere lens
+ Canon 580EX

See description on Flickr regarding detailed information about the pieces.

Art, artists and art openings crashers

More Ideal Husbands found while touring

For the SML Ideal Husbands project. Aaron spotted him:

Aaron Johnson Chelsea Tour

2009-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I met Aaron Johnson (Flickr:Erotocrat) on Flickr. I really enjoy his stream and the witty comments by him and his loyal followers, and I decided to meet up with him on 2009-09-04. All photographs were taken that same afternoon.

Aaron keeps a journal to jot down interesting conversation. Hopefully I'll get quoted at some point in his satires.

Men trapped in a prison named GYM

167 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

What is art?

I think this is art!

I think this is art too!

Abstracts: everywhere I go, I like to do abstracts.

Ideal Husbands: For the SML Ideal Husbands project

Trash for my Deadyard project.

Crazy is good for my Crazy is Good Flickr Group based on my motto: Crazy = Good!

SML Me: and of course me. For the SML Me series!

Check out the full set on Flickr: Aaron Johnson Chelsea Tour / 2009-09-04 / SML

Eastern State Penitentiary

2009-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Eastern State Penitentiary (Wikipedia) is considered one of America's most historic former prisons. It was the world's first true penitentiary, a prison designed to inspire penitence - or true regret - in the hearts of criminals. the original seven cellblocks spread like the spokes of a wheel, and had running water and central heat before the White House.

Its vaulted, sky-lit cells held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and "Scarface" Al Capone. The prison stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and a surprising, eerie beauty.

I had a chance to visit the place thanks because Novaid Kahn (Flickr:numbphoto / SML Flickr) offered to drive me there. The day before the trip, I met up with Aaron Johnson (Flickr:Erotocrat / SML Flickr) for the first time, and I asked him to come along.

Check out the full set on Flickr. Detailed description of the photos are included on the Flickr photo page. Here are some highlights.

Hallway

Hub at the Center

Typical cell

The cell of Al Capone

Abstracts

HDR

The extreme lighting condition at the Eastern State Penitentiary (Flickr set) makes a fine candidate of creating some HDR photos. I'm glad that I brought my tripod!

ESP Photo Trip Camera Bag

See Flickr notes for equipment details

Novaid Kahn

Aaron Johnson

SML Me!

Photo Credit: Aaron Johnson

Abstracts in C

2009-08-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Downtown Brooklyn is changing very quickly, with buildings going up at a very fast pace. With development comes the scaffolding and other construction materials that often present itself as a wonderful canvas for photography.

Abstracts in C major and C minor refers to the dominance of the color cyan. C major is where cyan fills out the photo. C minors are duets of cyan with other colors.

These were shot with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash on a tripod.

Abstracts in C

Abstracts in C minor

Multi Strobes

2009-08-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

I've done multi-strobes before. But only in the studio, and always with a tripod.

Tonight I went to see Arthur's Landing and I took some photographs. The place is completely dark and I'm using my flash. The dynamic energy and motion of the musicians were lost, so I thought to myself, why not try it out with multi-strobes - it's silly to get the 580EX and just stick it on with TTL all the time.

So here it is. Hand-held at a live event, with no tripod, trying to hold the camera still while setting the flash to multi at 10Hz. It's pretty clear that I couldn't really hold still, as there are double-image of the drums, but the musician's motion were captured. I will definitely shoot more in multi-strobes in the future.

The event
Arthur's Landing
Genre: Pop / Experimental / House
A celebration of musical genius Arthur Russell
www.myspace.com/arthurslanding

About Arthur Russell
Wikipedia: Arthur Russel (musician)

Charles Arthur Russell, Jr. (May 21, 1951 – April 4, 1992) was an American cellist, composer, singer, and disco artist. While he found the most success in dance music, Russell's career bridged New York's downtown, rock, and dance music scenes; his collaborators ranged from Philip Glass to David Byrne to Nicky Siano. Relatively unknown during his lifetime, a series of reissues and compilations have raised his profile in the 2000s.

Related SML
+ SML Flickr Tags: Arthur's Landing
+ SML Pro Blog: Arthur's Landing

Lines in space

2009-08-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Fish story

2009-08-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I browse back old photos in my Lightroom library and find things that I did not like then that I like now. The intensity of the green is so intense in the raw file that I had to tone it down quite bit. Looks like they're having a family meeting of sorts.

Circles Story

2009-08-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Walking down 7th Avenue at night, I encountered the reunion of circles, and the beautiful notes they left behind.

Location: Signage at 888 7th Avenue, New York, NY

Decay

2009-08-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

There is something exciting about lines and texture coming off of natural decay, and stories to be found with each mark. It's up to anyone's interpretation. For me, these marks taken while riding the Boston Duck Tour forms the gateway to the heavens.

Boston

2009-08-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last week a went up to Boston to join my parents visiting from Hong Kong to visit my sister. Unlike my previous visits where I was too busy with my friends, I really got to spend some quality time with my family. Since it was a family trip and not a photo trip, I brought only a single lens and I now declare the 24-70 f/2.8L my everywhere lens.

My sister was kind enough to drive me around the MIT campus and the Harvard Medical School where she now works to see some pretty spectacular buildings, and I am grateful for I have found some very eye-candy to savor for a good while.

Space and the quality of light

2008-09-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Taking photographs of people was fun for a while. The journalistic images generated much traffic for my Flickr stream, and photographs depicting the diverse lives of souls have given me much pleasure. Event photography requires a totally different skillset, and I am happy to have the experience I had in the past two years doing that... but I appear to have neglected the reason why I started to begin with, which was to study composition. As I ran out of reasons to find and attend events that I appear to have no other purpose than to find materials in front of my lenses, I went back to my roots today and decided to explore light.

It started out as a reminder on the quality of light from a Strobist blog post, that, we can manipulate light with texture and other qualities. That light does not need to be what emits solely from the source, but be added subtle texture to add another dimension onto what would otherwise be another blank canvas. And so the journey started with an off-camera strobe, a few metal cylinders lying around (one being the capucinno frother, and the other being my ashtray)... I put on the Canon 580EX on my lightstand, put up my umbrella and started shooting as it passes the circular holes of the Ikea chair to create little spot lights on the subject.

It started with a predefined goal, but ended with something much for satisfying in the end. Here's a series of image which dates back before the sudden strike of inspiration, leading through different light sources and shadow to explore space using the quality of light:

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM: Experience Report: Part 1

2008-08-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Bought a new lens this weekend: the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM. This is my first L lens priced over a thousand dollars, so for sure it is a fairly big buy for me. It also filled the gap in my lens line-up between 40 and 70 (which are currently served by either 17-40 and 70-200). Based on the results taken today around Brooklyn Bridge, it looks like that it has made its cut to become my new walk-around lens.

SML Flickr Set: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

Highlights from today:

Kiss

2008-07-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

When the festivals are over and the city paces down to normal, I venture the night scenes in search of delicate moments of human expression.

Did you know that kissing is not just an act of affection, but has biological function? Apparently, it is a way to allow prospective mates to smell and taste each other's pheromones for biological compatibility. (Reference: Wikipedia: kiss)

Related SML Universe
+ SML Flickr: Kiss
+ SML Flickr: Black and White

Gay Pride New York 2008

2008-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

It was pouring so hard that I missed the parade this year, but I did managed to photograph the other events during pride week. Because of the weather, I shot most of these at ISO 800. Although quite grainy when viewed at 1:1, the photographs were fine at screen resolution scaled down.

As in my previous experience, for shooting events with a lot of crowd, zooming all the way into the expression of folks far outweigh the necessity to show the costume and such.

Here are some highlights:

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2008

2008-06-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ever since I went to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade in 2007 for the first time, I have been waiting for my second opportunity to photograph this event again. Here are some highlights from today's event.

Related Flickr Sets
+ Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2008
+ Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2007

Hong Kong Flower Show 2008 / SML

2008-04-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

The end of my trip in Hong Kong coincided with the annual flower show so I decided to pay a visit, in particular to give my macro lens some use since I carried it half the planet over anyhow.

Related SML Universe
+ SML Flickr Set: Canon 10D
+ SML Flickr Set: Canon EF 100 f/2.8 Macro USM
+ SML Flickr Set: Hong Kong
+ SML Flickr Set: Nature Photography

Hong Kong: Architecture / 2008 / SML

2008-04-22T08:21:00.001-07:00

I went to Hong Kong in March, 2008. Here are some of the city's architecture captured during the visit.

View from the peak

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong Hang Seng Bank Headquarters

Four Seasons Hotel

Hong Kong Cultural Center

Related SML Universe
+ SML Flickr Set: Architecture
+ SML Flickr Set: Hong Kong

Brooklyn Botanic Garden / 2007-09-09

2008-04-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the first time last year but never got to process the photographs. Here are some of the highlights from the day. Complete coverage can be browsed on SML Flickr Tags: Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Canon 50mm f/1.4 Tests

2008-03-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

First series of images after plugging new Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens onto the camera. Very happy that under room light setting, I am able to shoot at ISO 100, 1/90 seconds at f/1.4.

Review of the lens
After spending most of my time shooting with L lenses, the lack of color vibration is fairly prominent to me. The sharpness difference is also fairly pronounced in detail, but not that you can see it on Flickr anyhow. (most people don't view large)

Related SML Universe
+ SML Flickr Collection: SML Setup
+ SML Flickr Set: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4

SML in Motion

2008-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

Having more fun with multi-strobes today:

Here's the setup:

Strobist Info
+ Canon ST-E2 on camera for focusing + flash control
+ Canon 10D: Manual: ISO 100 70mm f/4.0 1/2 sec
+ Canon 580EX on light stand with umbrella set to 1/32 power 8 exposure at 10Hz

Related SML Flickr Tags
+ Experiment
+ Multi-strobe

Related SML Universe
+ SML Me
+ SML Photo Blog

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

Canon 580EX multi-strobe exploitation

2008-01-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

I've had the Canon 580EX for a while now and I still haven't played with all its functions, so today I put on multistrobes to see what I can do with it:

Kinds of look like martial art movies... the hands.. that is. I don't think that I should be wearing a t-shirt for sure but I'm a bit shy. I am no April Greiman, who's been my hero since 1995 :)

Naked men-spotted in NYC / 20070908.850SD.IS.0650 / SML

2008-01-28T19:56:00.001-08:00

Naked men-spotted in NYC / 20070908.850SD.IS.0650 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Photograph taken on the street on 2007-09-08, uploaded onto Flickr on 2007-10-02. It's now 2008-01-28 (4 months), no advertising or promotion: 5000+ views!

:)

SML Zebra

2008-01-15T06:36:00.001-08:00

I really liked the results of projecting 2D images onto a 3D form to articulate its contour, so I decided to draw some vertical lines in Illustrator and project onto my body and see what would happen:

Setup
+ Canon 10D
+ Canon 70-200 f/4L
+ Canon ST-E2
+ Light source: Panasonic PT-AX100U projector hooked onto computer screen (pattern drawn using Adobe Illustrator)

Related SML Flickr Tags
+ Experiment
+ Me
+ Projection

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

Personal Branding

2008-01-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

I thought that it would be fun to stick my logo onto my body: it's personal branding afterall...

Revision 1

Revision 2

Instead adding a lot of noise of URLs and words, I thought that a logo is probably enough. And with motion it becomes fun.

Multiply

Setup
+ Canon 10D
+ Canon 70-200 f/4L
+ Canon ST-E2
+ Panasonic PT-AX100U (light source)

Related SML Flickr Tags
+ Experiment
+ Me
+ Projection

Related SML Universe
+ SML Advertising
+ SML Brands
+ SML Pro Blog: Personal Branding

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

See-ming Lee + SML Photographs / 20080114.10D.47518 / SML

2008-01-14T20:22:00.001-08:00

See-ming Lee + SML Photographs / 20080114.10D.47518 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Self portrait with my own photographs as an off-camera light source, thus allowing self to co-exist with people that I shot earlier.

Related SML Flickr Tags
+ Experiment
+ Me
+ Projection

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

Projected Timescape: See-ming Lee / 20080113.10D.47490 / SML

2008-01-13T17:32:00.001-08:00

Projected Timescape: See-ming Lee / 20080113.10D.47490 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

I decided to try something new today: using a video projection as my off-camera light source. Projected here is Frank Gehry's drawings to go with my uneven non-existent goatie-do that I'm experimenting with.

The result is encouraging.

I got this idea originally from Gabo1977's amazing HORUS set, whom I met originally on Life Celebrates Diversity and I am forever inspired by his work.

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)
© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

Skyscape / 20080108.10D.47296 / SML

2008-01-09T21:36:00.001-08:00

20080108.10D.47296 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

I went to the Brooklyn Promenade today with my camera equipment on my first real day out of the house. It was a little bit late and the sunsets around 4.30pm.

Nature paints such beautiful skyscapes. I made a few exposure intended for HDR which has not been developed yet, but the sky sure is great to look at.
© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

See-ming Lee / 20080105.10D.46904 / SML

2008-01-05T22:44:00.001-08:00

Playing with more flash setup today at home. This time, I placed a flash head right behind my head to create a bit of backlight. The result is a lot more satisfying than the theory. It really does work!

See-ming Lee / 20080105.10D.46904 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Setup
+ Canon 10D
+ Canon 70-200 f/4L
+ Manfrotto 190XPROB
+ Canon TC-80N3 timer release control (so I can shoot myself)

Strobes
+ Canon ST-E2 Speed Light Transmitter / E-TTL / with ratio A:B set to 2:1
+ Group A: Canon 580EX with Gary Fong LightSphere from the right
+ Group B: Canon 430EX between me + the background to create the backlight effect

SML Flickr Tags
+ Me

Related SML Universe
+ SML Me (most recent self-portraits)
+ SML Singleton Instance (most interesting self-portraits)
+ SML People

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

See-ming Lee / 20080103.10D.46774 / SML

2008-01-03T21:36:00.001-08:00

See-ming Lee / 20080103.10D.46774 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Gary Fong LightSphere on 580EX on Camera hotshoe.

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

See-ming Lee / 20080103.10D.46814 / SML

2008-01-03T16:55:00.001-08:00

See-ming Lee / 20080103.10D.46814 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Playing with flash: single Canon 580EX on a light stand aiming from top left, creating the first self-portrait that I actually like. No doubt I would be playing with strobes more often now. This is fun!

© 2008 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / LinkedIn / Network / Orkut / Twitter / Wiki)

SML Copyright Notice
©2008 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML / SML Photo Blog / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

Urban Bird Houses / 20071230.10D.46705 / SML

2008-01-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

20071230.10D.46705 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Took this photo during my evening walk with my dog and posted on the same night. Somehow it got discovered by Flickr Explore and brought me tons of traffic. It's one of the best holiday gift I've had this year. Thank you!

Bedroom Abstracts / 2007-12-25 / SML

2007-12-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Borders / 20071225.SD850IS.1604 / SML

2007-12-25T16:06:00.001-08:00

Borders / 20071225.SD850IS.1604 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

20071108.SD850IS.1036 / SML

2007-11-11T19:52:00.001-08:00

20071108.SD850IS.1036 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

FDNY Magic / 20071103.SD850IS.1017 / SML

2007-11-11T18:24:00.001-08:00

FDNY Magic / 20071103.SD850IS.1017 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

See-ming Lee + Gregory Kirschenbaum / 20071103.SD850IS.1013 / SML

2007-11-11T18:23:00.001-08:00

See-ming Lee + Gregory Kirschenbaum / 20071103.SD850IS.1013 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Korres in Soho, NYC / 20071108.SD850IS.1038 / SML

2007-11-11T18:22:00.003-08:00

Korres in Soho, NYC / 20071108.SD850IS.1038 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

www.korres.com

Manufacturer in Greece of hair, body and face care products with highly concentrated natural active ingredients.

SML Thank You
I would like to thank Joshua van der Broek (Flickr / LinkedIn) for recommending that I check it out.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Zinco in Soho, NYC / 20071107.SD850IS.1032 / SML

2007-11-11T18:22:00.001-08:00

Zinco in Soho, NYC / 20071107.SD850IS.1032 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

zincozone.com

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© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

OCHRE / 20071107.SD850IS.1028 / SML

2007-11-11T18:21:00.003-08:00

OCHRE / 20071107.SD850IS.1028 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

ochre.net

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Michael Kors / 20071107.SD850IS.1027 / SML

2007-11-11T18:21:00.001-08:00

Michael Kors / 20071107.SD850IS.1027 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

michaelkors.com

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Eduardo F. Ortiz (EFO) + See-ming Lee (SML) 20071101.SD850IS.0992 / SML Life

2007-11-04T14:08:00.001-08:00

Eduardo F. Ortiz (EFO) + See-ming Lee (SML) 20071101.SD850IS.0992 / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Eduardo F. Ortiz = E. F. Ortiz
See-ming Lee = SML

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Wear your brand colors everyday / See-ming Lee / 20071031.SD850IS.0949 / SML Everyday / SML Life

2007-11-04T13:16:00.001-08:00

Wear your brand colors everyday / See-ming Lee / 20071031.SD850IS.0949 / SML Everyday / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Pro Blog: Wear your brand colors everyday aka I am SML

My halloween costume: SML

Related SML Universe
+ Design for everyday living
+ SML Brands
+ SML Me
+ SML Life
+ SML Wiki: See-ming Lee

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Kevin Kuntz Kracy Tricks / 20071101.SD850IS.0991 / SML Life

2007-11-04T10:35:00.003-08:00

Kevin Kuntz Kracy Tricks / 20071101.SD850IS.0991 / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

24-Hour Party People / See-ming Lee (SML) + / 20071101.SD850IS.0976 / SML Life

2007-11-04T10:35:00.001-08:00

24-Hour Party People / See-ming Lee (SML) + / 20071101.SD850IS.0976 / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Look! / Jen E + Colin Sutherland / 20071101.SD850IS.0985 / SML Life

2007-11-04T09:43:00.001-08:00

Look! / Jen E + Colin Sutherland / 20071101.SD850IS.0985 / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Michael Paige / 20071031.SD850IS.0943 / SML Life

2007-11-04T09:42:00.001-08:00

Michael Paige / 20071031.SD850IS.0943 / SML Life, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice
© 2007 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML

2007-10-28T14:20:00.003-07:00

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML

2007-10-28T14:20:00.001-07:00

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Scott + SML's first honeymoon at Provincetown. It was fun;
Scott = SML's second husband;
We broke up in 2005, i.e. I am a single gay man;

Apply for love
Here's what I look for in an ideal husband: SML Ideal Husbands.
Remember to look at the brand attributes: creative + inspiring + intelligent + magical

Send your love applications to seeminglee+love@gmail.com

Related
SML Flickr Tags: Scott+SML
SML Flickr Tags: SML.Me
SML Love: Google search results = my online personal ad

SML Copyright Notice
© 2003 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Google / LinkedIn / YouTube)

©2003 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML / SML Photo Blog / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML

2007-10-28T14:19:00.001-07:00

Scott + SML / 2003 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Gregory Kirschenbaum / 20071023.850SD.IS.0914 / SML

2007-10-28T07:11:00.001-07:00

Gregory Kirschenbaum / 20071023.850SD.IS.0914 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Aspire to Greatness: The Art of Gregory Kirschenbaum

Last week I was walking on the streets of soho and I ran into some great work by an artist named Gregory Kirschenbaum, who work with metal and an array of acid to bring out natural oxidation on canvas.

I did an adhoc video interview with him and you can see it on my blog:
blog.seeminglee.com/2007/10/gregory-kirschenbaum.html

©2007 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML / SML Fine Art / SML Universe

See-ming Lee / SML Skydive / 20071013.SD850IS.0885 / SML

2007-10-14T19:26:00.001-07:00

See-ming Lee / SML Skydive / 20071013.SD850IS.0885 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

I went skydiving again! Read the full scoop on my professional blog.

This photograph was taken by Brad Schwartz after we our jumps. Like the first time. It was awesome!

See my skydive video on the same day at:
SML Google Video: See-ming Lee - SML Skydive - 2007.10.13 - Crazy Again!
SML YouTube: SML Skydive: Episode 2: 2007-10-13 = Crazy Again!

See all my skydive gigs at SML Skydive.com

SML Copyright Notice
©2007 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML / SML Photo Blog / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

200 Most Interesting Images / Flickr Analytics / SML

2007-10-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

SML Flickr: Collections: Flickr Analytics: 200 Most Interesting Image
(Thumbnails / Detail / Comments)

My most interesting images (photography + design + screenshots) on Flickr.

Flickr Analytics
FlickrAnalytics.com

SML Analytics
smlAnalytics.com

SML Copyright Notice
Copyright 1976-2007 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML / SML Photo Blog / SML Photographs / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

Manhattan Bridge HDR / SML

2007-10-02T06:24:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge HDR / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Manhattan Bridge HDR

Setup
Canon EOS 10D
Canon 17-40 f/4L

Exposure Settings
CRW_35498: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/9.5, 17mm
CRW_35499: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/13, 17mm
CRW_35500: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/6.7, 17mm

Variations
black and white version

Background
When I shot these photos, I did not have a timer cable release with me. If I were to shoot these at a small aperture, I would have to set the camera on bulb while keeping my finger on the shutter release for the entire exposure. To minimize the risk of completely ruining the photos, I've decided to vary the aperture values for the different exposures instead of varying the time and keeping a constant aperture value.

HDR Processing
Note that it is generally not recommended that you vary the aperture values for images intended for HDR processing. If you use software like Photomatix to perform tone-mapping, for example, the varying levels of focus on the photo will create blurry results. I have had to apply a bit more USM than usual for this image. And if you view large, you can see that the grains are quite visible.

Results
I am happy with the HDR result though--the wider aperture gave it enough exposure to show the golden reflection under the bridge, and the small aperture contribute to the oh-so-gorgeous star bursts from the lights.

Related Sets + Collection
Manhattan Bridge, New York City / Project (Set)
HDR Photography / Project (Set)
SML Photography (set)

SML Copyright Notice
Copyright 2005-2006 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Google / LinkedIn). All rights reserved.

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45911 / SML

2007-09-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45911 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

At Jeffrey's RB10 celebration. Had lots of fun!

Here you see Jeffrey doing is typical boy-scouting :)

SML Copyright Notice

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45856 / SML

2007-09-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45856 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel.

SML Flickr Set
Hiro / 2007 / SML

SML Flickr Tags
Friends
Gay
Life
Men
People

SML Flickr Collections
Gay Pride New York 2007
SML People

SML Flickr Groups
Homo Magi
Ideal Husbands
Life Celebrates Diversity
Meta Men
SML Men

Flickr Analytics
Most Interesting Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2007
Most Interesting Design
Most Interesting Gay Men
Most Interesting Gay Pride New York 2007
Most Interesting Ideal Husbands
Most Interesting Images
Most Interesting People

SML Domains
SML Analytics
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Content Syndication
You may syndicate this content for non-commercial purposes as long as you attribute credits to me. Commercial usage will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Model Credits
If you know the models of the photograph, please email me at seeminglee+flickr@gmail.com so I can give them proper credits.

SML Copyright Notice
©2007 See-ming Lee / SML Flickr / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

SML Copyright Notice

10D.39670 / SML

2007-09-23T22:17:00.003-07:00

10D.39670 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

10D.39812 / SML

2007-09-23T22:17:00.001-07:00

10D.39812 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

10D.34667 / SML

2007-09-23T22:16:00.001-07:00

10D.34667 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

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Times Square Anti-War Protest

2007-09-23T22:15:00.003-07:00

Times Square Anti-War Protest, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

20060623.10D.40176 / SML

2007-09-23T22:15:00.001-07:00

20060623.10D.40176 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Relaxation / Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2007 / SML

2007-09-17T21:04:00.001-07:00

Relaxation / Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2007 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Manhattan Bridge / 20030706.G2 / SML

2007-09-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge / 20030706.G2 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Manhattan Bridge / SML

2007-09-17T06:24:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

No lifeguard on duty / Waikiki Beach / Oahu / Hawaii /

2007-09-17T06:23:00.003-07:00

No lifeguard on duty / Waikiki Beach / Oahu / Hawaii / 20060518.10D.39262 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Construction Truck / 20060608.10D.39759 / SML

2007-09-17T06:23:00.001-07:00

Construction Truck / 20060608.10D.39759 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Manhattan Bridge HDR / SML

2007-09-17T06:22:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge HDR / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

As I organize my raw files on my hard drive today, I noticed that there are some photos that I had decided to not process because of the lack of tonal range.

I shot many of these in multiple exposure settings. With the availability of HDR processing now, I decided to give that a go and I am stunned by the results. Here's one.

Please note that the original images were not shot with the intention of creating HDR. Now that I know the possibilities, I'd be sure to go back and shoot some more with that intention and see if I can get better results.

CRW_35453-35455

Canon EOS 10D
Canon 17-40 f/4L
CRW_35454: ISO 100, 17mm, f/4, 0.7s
CRW_35453: ISO 100, 17mm, f/4, 1.5s
CRW_35455: ISO 100, 17mm, f/4, 3.0s

This image is part of the Manhattan Bridge set

SML Copyright Notice

Spice Factory, DUMBO / 2006 / SML

2007-09-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

Spice Factory, DUMBO / 2006 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

CRW_40071

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Manhattan Bridge / New York / SML

2007-09-17T06:20:00.003-07:00

Manhattan Bridge / New York / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

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Charmed / Lab / 20070212.10D.41207 / SML

2007-09-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

Charmed / L*a*b / 20070212.10D.41207 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

10D.39402 / SML

2007-09-17T06:19:00.003-07:00

10D.39402 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Crown / SML

2007-09-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

Crown / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

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Veins / 20060627.10D.40395 / SML

2007-09-17T06:18:00.003-07:00

Veins / 20060627.10D.40395 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Brooklyn Bridge Sunset HDR / SML

2007-09-17T06:18:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn Bridge Sunset HDR / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Setup
Canon EOS 10D
Canon 70-200 f/4L
Manfrotto 3021BPRO

Exposure Settings
100mm, ISO 100

CRW_40087: 0.3 s, f/8
CRW_40088: 1/6 s, f/8
CRW_40089: 0.7 s, f/8
CRW_40090: 1.5 s, f/16
CRW_40091: 0.7 s, f/16
CRW_40092: 3.0 s, f/16

File name
CRW_40087-40092_01

Related Flickr Sets
HDR Photography (Set)
SML Photography (Set)

Related Flickr Collection
Flickr Analytics (Collection)
SML Collection (Collection)

SML Content Syndication
You may syndicate this content for non-commercial purposes. Commercial usage will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

SML Copyright Notice
Copyright 2006 See-ming Lee (Blog / Facebook / Google / LinkedIn). All rights reserved.

SML Copyright Notice

Bauhaus / 20060606.10D.39702 / SML

2007-09-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

Bauhaus / 20060606.10D.39702 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

A is for Awesome / Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45672 / SML

2007-09-16T20:21:00.001-07:00

A is for Awesome / Hiro at the Maritime Hotel / 20070910.10D.45672 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Hiro at the Maritime Hotel

SML Flickr Tags
SML Flickr Tags: Gay
SML Flickr Tags: Hiro
SML Flickr Tags: Life
SML Flickr Tags: Men
SML Flickr Tags: NYC

SML Copyright Notice
Copyright 2007 See-ming Lee 李思明 SML (SML Flickr / SML Pro Blog). All rights reserved.

SML Copyright Notice

Pink Power / 10D / SML

2007-09-16T20:20:00.001-07:00

Pink Power / 10D / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

SML Copyright Notice

Manhattan Bridge HDR / BW1 / SML

2007-09-16T20:19:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge HDR / BW1 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.

Manhattan Bridge HDR / BW1

Setup
Canon EOS 10D
Canon 17-40 f/4L

Exposure Settings
CRW_35498: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/9.5, 17mm
CRW_35499: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/13, 17mm
CRW_35500: ISO 100, 30.0 s at f/6.7, 17mm

Variations
color version

Background
When I shot these photos, I did not have a timer cable release with me. If I were to shoot these at a small aperture, I would have to set the camera on bulb while keeping my finger on the shutter release for the entire exposure. To minimize the risk of completely ruining the photos, I've decided to vary the aperture values for the different exposures instead of varying the time and keeping a constant aperture value.

HDR Processing
Note that it is generally not recommended that you vary the aperture values for images intended for HDR (Wikipedia: High dynamic imaging) processing. If you use software like Photomatix to perform tone-mapping, for example, the varying levels of focus on the photo will create blurry results. I have had to apply a bit more USM (Wikipedia: Unsharp Mask) than usual for this image. And if you view large, you can see that the grains are quite visible.

HDR Results
I am happy with the HDR result though--the wider aperture gave it enough exposure to show the golden reflection under the bridge, and the small aperture contribute to the oh-so-gorgeous star bursts from the lights.

Black + White Processing
By using Photoshop's channel mixer for the black and white conversion, I was able to manipulate the the local contrast further. The absence of color united the tonal values of the two orthogonal axis of the bridge. The overall composition seems to have improved, and now looks like a giant extruded plus sign with very heavy industrial ornaments.

B+W Results
The result is very rewarding and I'd like to thank Moxette for her suggestion to process this as a black and white photograph. :)

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Related Flickr Sets
Manhattan Bridge, New York City / Project (Set)
HDR Photography / Project (Set)
SML Photography (Set)

Related Flickr Collections
Flickr Analytics / SML (Collection)
SML Collection (Collection)

Related SML Pro Blog entries
Functional = Beautiful
HDR: Manhattan Bridge in Black and White
Manhattan Bridge HDR
Photography = Composition
Photography / Philosophy
SML Collection = See-ming Lee + Design + Technology + Marketing Strategy
Theorizing aesthetics

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Manhattan Bridge HDR / 20060618.10D.40140-40142 / SML

2007-09-16T19:57:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Bridge HDR / 20060618.10D.40140-40142 / SML, originally uploaded by See-ming Lee 李思明 SML.