Metamorphosis of a Bus Terminal in Panama

The Central Bus Terminal in Panama City is a huge building which serves as the starting point of all buses traveling to the countryside.  When it was built, everybody thought it would be a “white elephant”, meaning it would be a vacant site for many years.  They were proved wrong.  During the national holidays its capacity is completely saturated.  The place is filled with endless lines of passengers anxiously waiting to buy their tickets.  As the city population increases, an extension of the transportation complex is mandatory.

To increase revenue, the administration decided to hire space in the corridors of the building reducing the space for the flow of people during the rush hours.  Greed always wins at the expense of the consumer.  But that’s another story.

This post is about a color photograph of the transportation complex during the early hours of the morning and how the picture was modified with a digital software to make it look different.  Thus the title of the post, the metamorphosis of a bus terminal.  I can’t conceal how happy I am playing with my Birthday camera.  Here we go.

Photograph of the central bus terminal in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The original picture was modified with a new sepia filter. It certainly looks different. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

I love black and white photographs. If you look closely, you will find a white moon somewhere between the two palm trees. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photography is like drinking salt water, the more you drink, the more thirsty you get.  I’m looking forward to upgrade my camera next December.  I hope this wish comes true.  Good Day.

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Photograph of the Day: “I Am the Light of the World”

Artistic version of the Balboa Union Church in the former Canal Zone. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

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Enhancing Your Proficiency in Photography

With the proliferation of digital edition software, it’s becoming more and more difficult to select the right one.  We’re suffering from digital edition indigestion.

I recently read an article written by Lifehacker which makes the selection a lot easier.  It has a nice roundup of five different online image editors. Many of them try their best to replicate the layout and functionality found in Photoshop, and a few come really close.

If you’re looking for a way to edit photos online and feel intimidated by the amount of available software out there, I encourage you to read this article.  Maybe this is what you’re looking for.  Good Day.

Source:  Five Best Online Image Editors – Lifehacker

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Artistic Photography

Among the many things that I enjoy about digital photography, are the endless possibilities of making artistic creations  from  an original photograph.  There are extraordinary programs out there that enable you to become an overnight photographer with pretty good images.

My photographic Guru, Michael Moore, is guiding me in this fascinating excursion of digital photography.  Below are some of his creations of an original photograph taken to a handsome kid—Nicolas—who was playing with his skateboard in front  of the San Francisco de Asís Cathedral a few weeks ago.

Ain’t he sweet?  Here we go.

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

As you can see, with the appropriate software the sky is the limit for creating jaw dropping  images like these ones.  Yep, I’m  falling  in love more and more  with photography.  Good Day.

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The Multiple Faces of a Building in Casco Viejo

If you have been following my posts, you know how proud I feel about Casco Viejo and its architectural treasures.  Since I was a high school student I lived in this exclusive historic site.  Having the opportunity to capture its buildings through a camera is an experience difficult to describe in words.

Through photography we can take a picture of a building and morph it into multiple versions of incredible beauty.  This is what Michael Moore, a professional photographer in Dallas, Texas has done.   Photography is indeed an exciting activity with so many resources ready to be exploited by creative minds.

Below are four versions of a picturesque building that caught my eye during one of my visits to  Casco Viejo.  Here we go.

Photograph of a building located at Casco Viejo with exquisite columns following the Greek Corinthian Order style decorated with elegant acanthus leaves. (Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

The same previous photograph digitally edited by Michael Moore. (Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

As you can see, the same building acquires different faces through the artistic work of a creative photographer.  Next time you’re in this part of the world, set aside  a few hours of your time to visit Casco Viejo.  And take your camera with you.  Good Day.

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Variations on a Theme of a Silver Ribbon

Musicians often compose using variations on a theme to create their exquisite audible art.  Such is the case of “Variations on a Theme by Joseph Hyden” or “Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.” There are however, other forms of variations of a theme using images instead of musical notes.

Such is the case of Michael Moore, a professional photographer, who creates variations on a themes using photographic images to replace musical notes.  He selects seven photographs and modifies them to create a cohesive set of related pictures that together creates a melodic picture.  He blends images with music in the most extraordinary manner.

Who is Michael Moore?  He is a professional photographer domiciled east of Dallas in the great state of Texas.  This is how he describes himself in his photo Web site, “Biographies of the Heart Photography”:

“I’ve attended the USAF School of Photography and served my country as photographer. I’m a member of the Dallas Professional Photographers Association. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and several professional certifications.

I shoot portraits (on location or in my home) and those events and people that have special meaning to you. While I provide the standard photographic services like other photographers, I specialize in creating video biographies about the special events in your life through the language of photographs and music.”

He lives with his two kids and his loving wife, Rosa, original from San Miguelito, Panama.

Below is an example of a remarkable piece of art created by Michael Moore using seven pictures of the rails of streetcars which were used for public transportation at the turn of the century in Panama City, Panama.  I call these rails, silver ribbons because they look to me like shining ribbons under the sun light during the day or moon light during the evening.

These are his seven notes and how they blend to create one cohesive work of art.  Here we go.

First musical note:  A also known as Do

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Second musical note:  B also known as Re

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Third musical note:  C also known as Mi

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Fourth musical note:  D also known as Fa

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Fifth musical note:  E also known as Sol

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Sixth musical note:  F also known as La

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Seventh musical note:  G also known as Si

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

This is the complete set of seven musical notes creating one cohesive work of art blending images and music.  I hope you have enjoyed this visual and audio entertainment, as much as Michael and I did when we worked on it.  Good Day.

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