Shadi Enbashi Photoblog

My First Darkroom Endeavors

shady — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:56:24 +0000

not sure how much will this influence my interest in photography on the long run, but in the past few weeks, i spent long hours every Saturday in Tashkeel’s darkroom, developing b&w rolls and making b&w prints and getting soaked in chemicals. below are selected negative scans out of few Ilford Delta 400 developed rolls, all shot with a Nikon F80 and a 50mm prime lens. obviously, these are not the finest film development results, handling wet negatives wasn’t as easy as I thought it could be.. scratches, dust, finger prints are clear in many of the frames below..moreover, only those who know can tell that these scans are nothing but a preview compared to actual darkroom prints..

a couple of prints are mounted as part of Made in Tashkeel 2010. and only if you get the chance to go to the exhibition, you would appreciate the b&w film tones when printed on b&w paper in the darkroom compared to some ink-jet digital printing.

this frame was the highlight of my first attempts in the darkroom. printed it on a 12x18in which took me over half a day of testing and the print is currently exhibited as part of Made in Tashkeel 2010. Needless to mention how flat the tones and details on this negative scan are compared to the actual print.

even a random highway shot at night looks different on film (mind the dust and scratches).

not an expert yet to explain why did this frame come out this way..

the leica M6

and its Ammaar..

praying? to a tree?

i tried to log my exposure settings since there is no EXIF data on film, but it turned out to be a waste of time.. not sure how important it will be on the long run capturing my exposure settings..

Jalal Luqman's giant..

film shooting digital..

stopped sideways once to finish a roll on the way to Tashkeel..

and tested mastering how to maintain the horizon horizontal whilst shooting moving objects..

reflection more than double exposure..

dead bugs and dirt more than rain drops..

and some shots IN the darkroom..

here is some hanging laundry to dry..

and here is Ammaar, hanging laundry..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | My First Darkroom Endeavors is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Amsterdam – Eurotrip Part III

shady — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:54:11 +0000

last (long) post from last march trip.. it was great to be in amsterdam again, had a good time with the boys and it was awesome to be back in bochum for a couple of more days before flying back home..

manual focus.. by the time i got to amsterdam, the camera auto focus was a hopeless case..

we crack started our amsterdam week by cracking the bedroom window within less than an hour of settling down in the apartment..

we stayed in leidseplein (or leids square), in a long street full of restaurants, coffee shops and clubs.. a broken window was a good way to mark our place.. specially that you cannot guarantee consciousness all the time when in amsterdam ;)

first neighbor to meet..

first fresh puke to photograph..

and some puke on their own shoes..

testing terribly slow autofocus on bulldog drink cans..

Abdul.. Abood.. Abobo..

Senor Jamal.. in his second visit to amsterdam..

we stayed out long enough the first night that we could not locate night bus routes back to our street, so we had two options.. taxi or walking.. and we went for the second.. passing by this building was like a dream..

in our nice apartment..

spiral.. can you notice the pattern?

the penguin feet ;)

next day, a tourist walk in the DAM area..

brazilian anti gravity..

street french fries, amsterdam's popular snack.. and the only thing you can get in early morning ours when everything else is shutdown..

romantic?

of my favorite ones..

pigeon man..

it really was kinda cold for such a dress, too much wine..

even restaurants..

an amsterdam cliche..

obsolete.. no more shrooms..

watched alice in wonderland on 3D at tuschinski.. a magical theater.. the movie was so so.. and as something was kicking in towards end of the movie, i do not really remember much of it ;)

it wasn't rainy when we got into the movies, but this is amsterdam..

so we went to the burger bar across the street from the cinema.. a new neat discovery in this city.

another cozy discovery was alto jazz cafe which was 2 minute walk from our apartment.. cool bar with mostly old generation jazz lovers..

reflection.. i guess manual focus is the best way to go in such lighting.. even on dslr

just outside of FOAM

dutch birds don't bother to fly much..

it was a lovely sunny day..

never saw this much of constructions in amsterdam before, at night i would totally get lost in some places..

he's real.. and i am real too..

another cliche..

notice the legs position in this shot compared to the next shot..

and yet another typical amsterdam photo..

there is something about the light and shadow in the photo that i fancy..

no kidding.. specially in amsterdam

you can imagine the very predictable conversations that can take place infront of this shop..

girls.. boys.. and a sex shop. the photo says it all..

our favorite pick amongst amsterdam's coffee shops.. best kept a secret!

am i supposed not to photograph this? or post this?

a dutch goddess..

nice place.. nice wall paintings.. nice cakes ;)

interesting color mix..

in the transport office, checking trips to Paris for the boys..

back to the burger bar for a goodbye lunch..

one of my (our) favorite places too ..

grocery shopping..

creepy ..

then in the central station, waiting for my train back to germany.. back to bochum.. until we meet again, amsterdam..

5 minutes to my destination..

last day in Germany..

Deni and I went for some Waffeln

a walk in the city..

i just don't get it..

too many legs..

seldom to have such an opportunity.. on the way to the airport..

a dog and his man passed by..

not a long check-in queue luckily..

unlike this one..

boarding..

sweet dreams..

the usual..

the usual too..

back in Dubai airport..

curves..

straight lines..

and finally the greeting crew.. welcome to Dubai indeed..

regards,
shadi

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Amsterdam – Eurotrip Part III is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Eurotrip – Part II

shady — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:03:26 +0000

second week.. Munich & Bochum.. and almost half way the post is when I smashed my camera and shifted to manual focus shoot.

they were promoting for overnight train trips.. Munich Central Station

the lights were so funky for a metro station..

in "Lederhosen"..

again, playing with manual focus and distance guessing..

went to this restaurant before, again don't bother remembering names of German places.. they're just a bit difficult to pronounce, let a lone to remember.. anyhow, those hanging utensils were just awesome..

snow leftovers..

abandoned?

some didn't bother to leave home.. or maybe just to drive..

liked something about this scene.. the zig zag the sun, the snow.. the combination of all..

sun!

and then to Dali's place.. I adore his map wallpaper, i want one ;)

priceless!

and yes, it was bloody -7

a clear sky day.. for a change

the snow did not leave yet though..

some fun..

in munich university

i think this is the most useless thing ever made..

just so I remember the name of this fantastic place..

happy hours.. happy nap..

glüwein in cheesy christmas themed mugs..

an overpriced slice of pizza..

she sort of stood out in front me being the only one in colorful clothes compared to the background..

i vaguely remember when and where i took this shot..

the shadow.. so damn creepy

i was sitting just like him, with the camera on my knee.. kneeshot

the last shot before arriving to the airport.. once i got off the train, the camera strap got stuck in my knee (i know!) which pulled the camera from my hand hitting the ground lens first..

testing the camera to see if it was working still.. focusing was slow..

this is snow.. this is real snow, snow isn't always white and clean..

Hello Dubai..

waiting for the boarding call..

too much neon light..

testing the focusing.. i wasn't sure what was damaged, the camera body or the lens.. i was hoping for the last, and i didn't have another lens to confirm.. I shifted to manual focus from here.. sucks on an SLR and impossible with the lens wide open..

it happens..

another blue sky day..

to be continued..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Eurotrip – Part II is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Eurotrip – Part I

shady — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:16:13 +0000

three weeks.. four cities (Bochum, Munich, Salzburg and Amsterdam).. one camera and a 50mm lens..

Dubai Airport, i guess iPads are not widespread yet.

Bochum. Deni has just moved into a new place in a beautiful neighborhood..

and too much work for the first few day..

Dali was around to help too..

Viola's homemade plum knedla traveled all the way from Munich so I try them.. they were delightful

on the way to IKEA

i first read "residents killer"..

a walk checking out the neighborhood..

Deni spotted a nearby park on google maps, so we went to check it out..

weird way to place seats in a park..

pink !

we decided to go for few days to Munich after we settled down..

funny intrusion on the Audi's in Munich airport..

next are some anonymous captures in Munich's subways..

the park cafe.. breakfast favorite.

Carpe Diem.. goes well with my motto..

last self portrait before I get one of my most expensive haircuts in Munich..

we met Dali in the city later on that evening..

he looked familiar..

Weather Surprise !

It was snowing all night long apparently, how convenient for a day on the Austrian borders..

red lights..

green lights..

Dali was prepared for the weather..

my healthy breakfast..

not used on metro stations being too empty and quiet in Munich..

on the way to Munich Central Station.. playing with manual focus and distance guessing.. hipshot.

he was nervously flipping through a stack of papers..

Europe's most annoying and confusing kiosks ever..

color match..

we were supposed to arrive at 10am

unattended luggage..

indoor vs. outdoor..

to remind me of my lovely company in that ride, the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy ;)

our cabin neighbor, she was asleep throughout the trip..

eventually the train moved.. after getting stuck in this station for nearly an hour thanks to heavy snow..

it sure is more comfortable to enjoy the scenery through a window..

and finally we made it to the Sound of Music city..

and decided to plan whatever left of our time in the first warm place.. the big M

and then to find out how to go to Mozart's place.

a tiny room..

and too many people..

i felt sorry for her..

in Austria they're orange, in Germany they're gray..

snow always exposes the beauty of trees..

even trash looks good enough to photograph when it snows..

with my goofy touk on..

glüwein is like magic in such weather..

contrast..

it was a short trip, we got a refund because of the delay..

photography 101.. f/2 at 1/1000 sec

f/3.2 at 1/640 sec .. can you tell the difference?

a run to the right train wagon..

and finally made it to our seats heading back to Munich..

to be continued..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Eurotrip – Part I is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Camp Ka Champ at Mahmovies

shady — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:57:27 +0000

Week after another, Mahmovies and its curator Mahmoud Kaabour prove that this weekly event is not just another “entertainment” show. Camp Ka Champ is a singing competition that takes place annually across Dubai’s labour camps, a number of the superstars and contest winners were performing to the Mah kind of people. It was A cappella performance, no instruments, no DJs.. just them and their raw talents.

Again, it was beyond just fun to be there photoshooting the happening..

empty Jamjar.. an hour before the show.

some arrived late to the rehearsals..

keep an eye on these shades.. they weren't just hanging from the pocket..

rehearsals..

shadow play.. MJ?

I still need to work on my staged shooting skills..

with Mahmoud..

the favorite screen..

the favorite corner..

and the cupcakes !

Eva.. the Cupcake Diva

Amy.. serving them delicious pizza slices..

Mahmoud introduced him as Mr. Love..

the stars..

and then came the press.. I needed some content to enrich my frames..

I couldn't resist..

a very interesting duet..

this guy was recovering from some cold, yet his voice was quite tender..

some got characters.. they lived the moment, they earned it..

more cameras.. with big lenses..

everyone got excited..

it turned emotional towards the end.. shutter dragging..

Do pay Hind’s blog [link] a visit for a detailed review of the event. It was difficult to managed getting this post ready so quick.. but I believe, like others, that this event deserves some publicity..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Camp Ka Champ at Mahmovies is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Mahmovies.. Live Art

shady — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:09:05 +0000

another Mahmovies post, I think I should have a section for this event if I keep taking photos every Monday at the Jamjar.. I got in early to shoot the rehearsals and setup.. not to stick with one view angle from a beanbag spot.. and it was worth it:

Henriika's cello.. having a break between rehearsals..

first shot as I entered Jamjar a couple of hours before the show.. must have been time consuming to sort all these beanbags..

cable check..

all turning on the same page..

a quick stretch..

and here we go..

a marimba view..

Henriika

Mahmoud and Muriel Aboul Rouss, camerawoman at Mahmovies and on Teta, Alf Marra, Mahmoud's upcoming feature documentary film..

sound check and setup in the dark..

pizza time! musicians grabbing some pizza before opening doors..

this goes out to the awesome California Pizza Kitchen.. sa7tain Mahmoud !

people were waiting outside during last minute rehearsals..

doors opened.. straight to the pizza corner !

here .. Mah' kind of people.. " class="thickbox" rel="set_4" > almost every face is in focus, check out the high res version here .. Mah' kind of people..

a scene from the trailer of Mahmoud's upcoming feature documentary film Teta, Alf Marra (Grandmother, a Thousand Times).. quite an impressive combination of video performance, spoken words and live music it was..

Henriika playing the cello live along with the rest during the silent trailer of Teta, Alf Marra

after the video performance and before the screening of Let's Get Lost, a documentary about the legendary Chet Baker's downfall..

and next was some beautiful musical performance by Nabil Amarshi, Noura Sadaka and friends..

Silhouette Noura

Nathan and Nabil..

the last musical piece featured very beautiful marimba tunes played by Chris (I guess this was his name)..

these people played beautiful live music that evening..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Mahmovies.. Live Art is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Sight Sensing..

shady — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:18:56 +0000

was at the opening of a group photography exhibition last Wednesday.. Sense of Sight

Hind Mezaina's participation in the group exhibition..

overexposed staged Mezaina family portrait.. pardon the out of focus..

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Sight Sensing.. is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

The Lost Fingers at Mahmovies!

shady — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:36:46 +0000

Mahmoud Kaabour and Girl Talk..

The Lost Fingers.. well, most of it..
shooting at f/1.8 1/2500sec on iso3200

Mahmoud Kaabour towards the end of another fantastic Mahmovies! night

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | The Lost Fingers at Mahmovies! is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

yet another end of 2009 set of photos

shady — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:55:39 +0000

2009 passed quickly, the 2010 appears to be in a hurry too.. it is almost end of Jan and I am already putting some plans for 2011.. my camera was in repair and my laptop crashed and got recovered like magic.. this is how i started the year.

some of last photos i captured in 2009..

sham..

a typical bargain scene in the fruits and veggie market..

weather was getting better, captured after a 5k beach run..

Fadi, my friend who works for Canon got me a tilt-shift lens to try it out over a weekend without prior notice! it was showering rain that weekend and i barely managed to take a couple of shots using that awesome lens.. how ironic.

i was out of the country last year during the few days of rain attack and i heard ridiculous stories about traffic chaos in those days.. i experienced this chaos myself this year..

saw several of these during the rain.. we have quality drivers over here in dubai.

no matter how random i throw the camera to capture a random photo in dubai, burj dubai (or khalifa?) will be in it.. took these photos while driving from the side window.. the right side window..

a smoke in the jam under the rain..

without any exaggeration, it took me around 6 hours office to home that day.. it was horrible.. when i got in the car it was daytime and i was stuck until the evening..

went in december to watch Barcelona playing in the semi final match of fifa clubs world cup.. i am not a football person, but it was really fun to watch a live game..

the mexican team (can’t remember the name) scored the first goal..

the wave!

barcelona made it up quickly..

the signed said: All Syria Loves Messi!

yeah.. lots of bazooka photographer were there too..

the game was over 3-1 to Barcelona who won the cup eventually..

Deni spent holiday break over here.. it was great.. we went on 31st of december to watch Capitala tennis tournament.. we could not get tickets for the last two days to watch Federer or Nadal playing..

but we watched davydenko who was slamming ferrer with one of his crazy serves in this shot.. davydenko lost against ferrer, but i think i overheard the news the other day about him being ranked first or so nowadays? i enjoy playing sport over watching sport..

uber belated happy new year… or so

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | yet another end of 2009 set of photos is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}

Adonis.. Adunis..

shady — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:07:16 +0000

met, shook hands and had a 10 minute chat with him.. quite enlightening it was

if you do not know who this dude is, read on

_{2010 Shadi Enbashi | Adonis.. Adunis.. is a post from: Shadi Enbashi Photoblog}