THE OPERA HOUSE

HANOI, VIETNAM

Image Number 860

The beautiful Hanoi Opera House was built in 1911 by the French. It’s a phenomenal piece of neo-classical French architecture featuring Gothic themes on the doors and domes with pillars, shuttered windows, balconies and a glass room. Musicians, actors and dancers play to a 600-strong audience.  The opera house was restored in 1997 and now hosts high level international artists..

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/400th of a second and aperture F5.3.  45 mm Phase One lens with a focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

THE HANOI RAILWAY

HANOI, VIETNAM

Image number 859

There’s a residential street in Hanoi that a speeding train passes straight through twice a day. The street is so narrow that all residents must ensure their bikes and precious personal belongings, as well as their roaming children, are all safely inside the house before the train passes. The Hanoi railway runs through the city on a single track - a remnant of colonial times - close by the houses.  Immensely crowded.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/15th of a second and aperture F10.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with a leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

KAUFMANN'S CLOCK

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

IMAGE NUMBER 660

Kaufmann's, Pittsburgh's largest store, called itself
"The Big Store" with good reason: it occupied over
a million square feet of space in buildings built in
1898, 1913, and 1955. 

The flagship store in downtown Pittsburgh was built in 1887 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street .  Kaufmann's flagship Big Store had a landmark outdoor clock at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street since the building's construction. The original clock was installed in 1887 and was free-standing with four dials.  It immediately became a popular downtown meeting place, with the oft-used phrase "Meet me under Kaufmann's clock." With the expansion of the store in 1913, the current clock was installed. 

The clock is a Pittsburgh icon, and is often featured in visual materials representing and marketing the city. Both the Kaufmann's flagship building and the clock are designated as Pittsburgh Historical Landmarks. Upon announcing the 2006 retirement of the Kaufmann's name and the store's rebranding as Macy's, it distributed tote bags printed with the clock image and its phrase "Meet me under the Kaufmann's clock" to honor the store's 135-year history.  In 2013 the Kaufmann's Clock celebrated its 100th Anniversary.   To celebrate, Macy's redecorated the store's windows along Smithfield Street with photos of the iconic clock from over the years,

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/15thof a second and an aperture of F11.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

CASA MILA

BARCELONA, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 769

Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera or "open quarry", a reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a modernist building in Barcelona, Spain. It was the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and was built between 1906 and 1910.  The building was commissioned in 1906 by businessman Pere Milà.

At the time, it was controversial because of its undulating stone facade, twisting wrought iron balconies and windows designed by Josep Maria Jujol. Several structural innovations include a self-supporting stone front, columns and floors free of load-bearing walls, an underground garage and sculptural elements on the roof.

This image shows the internal courtyard.

 Casa Mila was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and an aperture of f3.6.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE LONDON EYE

THE THAMES, LONDON

Image Number 289

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London.  The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). When erected in 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel. Its height was surpassed by the 160 m (520 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006, the 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer in 2008, and the 167.6 m (550 ft) High Roller (Las Vegas) in 2014. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel".  It is currently Europe's tallest Ferris wheel and offered the highest public viewing point in London until it was superseded by the 245-metre (804 ft) observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013 It is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.75 million visitors annually. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 30seconds and aperture F14.   45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

BIG BEN

WESTMINSTER, LONDON

Image Number 288

Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, is among London's most iconic landmarks. Technically, Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg).  The clock tower looks spectacular at night when the four clock faces are illuminated.  Each dial is seven metres in diameter.  There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial.  Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.  The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.  In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 20 seconds and aperture F16.   150 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with 2X Schneider Kreuznach teleconverter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

TERRACE HOUSES

CADOGAN PLACE, SLOANE SQUARE, LONDON

Image Number 284

Cadogan Place is a street in Belgravia, London. It is named after Earl Cadogan and runs parallel to the lower half of Sloane Street. It gives its name to the extensive Cadogan Place Gardens (not open to the public).  Cadogan place showcases spectacular and delicate terraces.  In 2015 the typical rent for a one bedroom appartment in Cadogan place was $US2000 per week.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/25th of a second and aperture F20.   150 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

TERRACE HOUSES, EATON SQUARE

BELGRAVIA, LONDON UK

Image Number 283

Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century. Before World War II Eaton Square was a securely upper class address, but not of the grandeur of London's very grandest addresses in Mayfair and Belgravia. However, after World War II, when those places were converted to mainly commercial and institutional use, Eaton Square remained almost wholly residential and rose to the front rank of fashionable addresses.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/20th of a second and aperture F22.   45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

ROOFTOPS 

TEMPLE STREET LONDON UK

Image Number 282

The Temple is an area of central London, in the vicinity of Temple Church. It is one of the main legal districts of the capital and a notable centre for English law. The Temple area of the City of London consists of the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, which are two of the four Inns of Court and act as local authorities in place of the City of London Corporation within their areas. The wider Temple area is roughly bound by the River Thames (the Victoria Embankment) to the south, Surrey Street to the west, Strand and Fleet Street to the north, and Carmelite Street and Whitefriars Street to the east.  It contains many barristers' chambers, solicitors' offices, as well as some notable legal institutions such as the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The International Institute for Strategic Studies has its headquarters at Arundel House. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/50th of a second and aperture F12.   150 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

TOWER BRIDGE

LONDON UK

Image Number 279

Tower Bridge (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London.  The bridge consists of two bridge towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal tension forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical components of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour.  The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whilst the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, for which an admission charge is made.  

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/640th of a second and aperture F3.2.   45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

HALLOWEEN AT ARIA SHOPPING CENTRE

LAS VEGAS USA

Image Number 228e

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County.  Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 31st-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business and meetings. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1.4 seconds at F8.   55 mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

BURGER PALACE

LAS VEGAS USA

Image Number 228d

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County.  Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 31st-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business and meetings. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/60th of a second at F8.   55 mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

"PARIS" IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS USA

Image Number 228c

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County.  Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 31st-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business and meetings. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/30th of a second at F11.   350 mm Zeiss telephoto lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

CROFT LANE

MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Image Number 271

Croft Lane is an emerging landmark in Melbourne due to the diverse urban art commencing in Hosier Lane.    Its striking mural has become a popular backdrop for fashion and wedding photography.    

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of half a second and aperture F6.3.  28 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  The image has been cropped and the barrel distortion in the wide angle lens has been mitigated with Capture One.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Image Number 264

Most images of the Melbourne skyline are made along the Yarra River or from buildings within the city itself.  One of few vantage points which encompass the heart of the city is Pullman Quay West on the south bank of the river west of the art centre.  This shot on New Years Eve 2015 was captured from a balcony on the 19th floor of Quay West.  

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb from the 19th floor of The Pullman Quay West, Melbourne, on a Phase One 645 medium format camera with Phase One 45mm wide angle lens at F7.1 with an exposure of 13 seconds at ISO 35 – no wind and bless the tripod.   Registered on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.

PLACE DAUPHINE

PARIS FRANCE

Image Number 96a

The Square de la Place Dauphine on the Isle de la Cite, Paris.  One of the most enchanting and original squares in Paris.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 4/5 second and aperture F25.  150 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

SHANGHAI MISSES

SHANGHAI, CHINA 1981

Image Number 249

In 1981 many of the houses in Shanghai were in hutongs -  narrow streets or alleys comprising traditional courtyard houses.  The houses presented flat facades to the street but all major rooms opened off airy internal courtyards.   Most hutongs have now been demolished to make way for multi-storey housing. Atticus Webb visited a diplomatic colleague in China in 1981 early in China’s opening to the West and photographed the hutongs.  Despite over thirty years which have elapsed, this image is included in the collection because it is one of Atticus Webb’s finest photographs.  Note the juxtaposition of the legs of the girl on the left with the right elbow of the girl on the right at the daring edge of the frame.  Note also the different planes presented by the doorways, roadway and façade... and finally the expressions on the Shanghai Misses themselves – knowing beyond their years.  

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb on a wet morning on a Hasselblad 500 cm medium format camera with Zeiss 80mm lens at F16 and recorded on Kodak Colour Negative 100 ASA film.  The image was scanned in high resolution by Bond Imaging in 2012.  The image has been cropped top and bottom from the original 6cmx6cm square format.   It has been sharpened and the saturation has been intensified to compensate for the age of the negative.

 

THE DOGE'S PALACE AT DAWN

VENICE ITALY

Image Number 241

The Doge’s Palace between St Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal is the most recognised symbol of Venice.  Typically the area is occupied during the summer months by many thousands of tourists.  To capture this image, Atticus Webb arrived just after dawn.  Even so, there were already visitors moving through the square.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with a Zeiss medium telephoto 120 mm lens at f45 with an exposure of six seconds.    Fortunately it the morning was still enough for the long exposure on the tripod, making the other early morning people appear ghostly as they walked through the square. The image was registered on a transparency using Fuji Velvia 100 ASA film.  It was then scanned in high resolution by Bond Imaging.  The image has been cropped to remove extraneous detail but has not been significantly manipulated. 

GONE TOMORROW

RUTLEDGE LANE, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Image Number 235

Hosier and Rutledge Lanes are bluestone cobbled laneways and the precinct is a celebrated landmark in Melbourne mainly due to its diverse urban art.       The graffiti-covered walls and art-installations have become a popular backdrop for fashion and wedding photography.   Hosier Lane is also known for its avant garde cocktail lounges.  

No graffiti, however creative, remains in place for long.  New street artists obliterate the work of their predecessors.  This means that any photograph of Hosier Lane is truly a snapshot in time.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Image captured late morning after rain on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with Zeiss 55mm medium wide angle lens at f32 with an exposure of 11 seconds.   The image was registered on a transparency using Fuji Velvia 50 film. 

THE STRIP

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

Image Number 227

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County.  Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino–hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 31st-most populous city in the United States, with a population at the 2010 census of 583,756. The 2010 population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business and meetings. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 16 seconds at F11.   80 mm Zeiss lens.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.