My years of living photographically, 2000–2008 · 2009 · 2010.

I started treating photography seriously about a year ago. Buying a DSLR was on my mind for a long while, but I never got around to doing it. However, when I was going to visit New York for the first time, I thought that would be a great opportunity to check it out. Based on my team mate’s advice I bought an XTi and a “thrifty fifty” (it was such a rush decision, I had to do pay extra for a two-day shipping), installed the demo version of Aperture on my notebook, switched the camera to manual mode and left it there for months. Funny how back then I wasn’t even sure if I’ll get into it, and today it’s already such a huge part of my life.

During the last year, I took 41,000 photos, upgraded from the XTi to 50D, bought five more lenses covering me all the way from 10mm to 200mm, a flash (which I still don’t know how to use), a tripod, some books… and finally switched from M to Av. ;·) I learned a lot from Google’s internal photography list, and I am always inspired and depressed how other people’s photographs are so much better than mine. But that’s what’s great about photography — there will always be something new to learn and try even decades from now on.

Since I just recently went through all my photos and picked about 100 that I loved, I am not going to go through that pain again to try to narrow it to 10. However, I wanted to choose 20 of the photos that I made throughout my life (not only 2008) that ended up mattering to me most. They might not be great shots, but each one was some sort of a turning point to me, or an “aha!” moment.

So, for what it’s worth:


Latch Poland, March 2000

Back when I used to live and work in Poland, we had a PowerShot G1, which was a great digital camera for its time. I used to play with it once in a while, and this is probably my favourite photo made with it. Already so early on I was turning the business end of my camera toward various computers and machinery (I worked at an ISP), and eventually put some of them together as a digital 2001 calendar for my friends — funnily enough, we ended up doing something similar this year at the Computer History Museum.


Wake up in the morning and there’s still no guarantee London, July 2001

Taken with the cheapest film point-and-shoot (idiotenkamera, as we called them) during my first proper trip abroad, in London. Taken without much thinking as we were passing from one side of King’s Cross station to the other. No post-processing here. I love this photo; I ended up turning it into a poster.


Zürich in snow Switzerland, March 2006

Many years have passed without me doing any photography whatsoever. I bought a cheap point-and-shoot (Powershot A520) mainly to send some photos back home to my family. While I quickly learned to love the picturesque, scenic, beautiful Switzerland, I never really cared much for Zürich, which I thought boring — except that one day when it snowed and I just knew I had to take my camera and try to capture its short-lived, monochromatic charm. I am glad I did; I return to this set every time I miss snow. (The only post-processing there was “auto level” or some such to bring in more contrast.)


Vacuum tubes Switzerland, July 2006

One of the many photos taken in the PC museum in Solothurn, but the only one you could actually try to call beautiful. I just took it, then played a bit with the settings in iPhoto, and was floored by the result.


Cathleen, my neighbour on the plane SFO, December 2007

One of the first photos I took with my new DSLR (XTi + 50mm/1.8) during my aforementioned trip to New York and I immediately knew I was going to love it. I also forced myself to take more photos of people… Still not very good at that part. Somehow it’s easier for me to relate to machines and buildings.


NYC cabs. Beware New York, December 2007

Probably the first time I actually waited a long time to compose a good photo. I still don’t do it often enough. :·(


Hope New York, December 2007

A crappy photo, but an example of how I noticed something only because I had a camera with me. Today I try to open my eyes and look around even if I don’t have my camera on me (which I try to avoid anyway — I usually regret not taking it much more often than not taking it :·) ).


The Moon over Bay Bridge San Francisco, January 2008

An example of a photograph that many people loved, even though I still don’t care much about it. I mean, I love Bay Bridge and always considered it the most beautiful of Bay Area bridges (especially compared to that show off Golden Gate), but somehow that photo does nothing for me.


Smile San Francisco, January 2008

Having a beautiful girl in a shot never hurt :·), but what astonished me is the (technical) quality of my photoset (XTi, 50mm/1.8, ISO 800), compared with another taken with a regular point-and-shoot.


Ready for adventure San Francisco, February 2008

Not a great photo, but an example of one that I took as part of my Grand Plan of visiting all the named hills in San Francisco with my camera in hand. There are between 40 and 60 such hills, depending on how you count. I’m halfway through. Most of them are really boring, but I think that’s what makes the exercise worthwhile — trying to find beauty in places where no one ever tried to found it before.


Full cycle Mountain View, April 2008

This is one of my first photos of the Difference Engine, right on the day it arrived at the Computer History Museum. I would end up photographing the hell out of it, my photos would end up on mugs, postcards, posters and calendars. But I didn’t know it then on that day. I would just shoot around, and only later figure out that these actually came out quite well.


Finished with my first note San Francisco, April 2008

I took way too many photos during my letterpress course. That’s fair, but I should’ve discarded many more. I guess that comes with time. I was surprised how great some of them turned out, especially considered that a) I had no idea what I was doing and b) I was doing the actual course in the meantime. :·)


ERA magnetic drum memory Mountain View, July 2008

“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Ha! Not-so-great artists steal too; I was inspired by a better photographer. (By the way, many thanks to Jean-Baptiste Queru from Google for lending me his 5D and lenses for a couple of days.)


Sieve Mountain View, July 2008

Someone at the Museum asked me to take some photos of the Lehmer Sieve. “Can I make them ’artistic’?” I asked, tongue firmly in cheek. “Em… Sure?” I was so very happy how beautiful I could make it look compared to what it normally appears as, using just my camera and a touch of post-processing.


Chicago skyline Chicago, August 2008

I waited for hours to take this, and was amazed by the details in that and the other pictures. I also learned the best skyline photos are just before it gets totally dark — which was counterintuitive to me at that point. (I ended up using all those photos that I thought I would throw away.)


Cadillacs Amarillo, TX, September 2008

My friend had a dream of following Route 66 since he was little. I didn’t care much, but decided to join him and make it my own thing by taking photos and posting them on a blog every single day (sometimes even while driving :·) ). This above is him approaching the probably most famous landmark of Route 66, the Cadillac Ranch in Texas. I felt really proud I could capture moments like this forever, and I know both my friend and I will appreciate those for decades to come. If only I ever get around to making that photo book. :·)


Amsler Integrator Model 4282 Mountain View, October 2008

As a counterexample to the Bay Bridge photo above, this is a photograph I totally ignored until others mentioned to me how amazing they thought it was — and now I can see it too. :·)


California Point Reyes, CA, October 2008

My friend and I were already leaving. “Tell me if you want to stop for more photos,” she said. “Naah, let’s just floor it and go back to SF before it gets dark,” I responded. About 15 seconds later, I said “Scratch that. I changed my mind.” That was after I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw the above.


Corky Mountain View, December 2008

The idea of making it b&w and high contrast came from this very list, after someone suggested the same thing to Brandon. I know this above not a great portrait, but I love my 70–200 f/4 IS that allowed me to shoot it. I waited for two months before purchasing it and, in hindsight, I should have bought it much earlier. It’s my currently most favourite and most fun lens. It not only allows me to peek further and take photos that I couldn’t have taken before, but it’s also razor sharp. The only thing annoying about it is that the widest it gets is 70mm. Again, in hindsight, I probably should’ve kept my older body and bolt my 17–55 onto it, because switching gets kind of annoying after a while. But: would I be really ready to start going outside carrying two cameras? I am not too sure. ;·)


Fireworks over San Francisco Yerba Buena Island, December 2008… if you squint ;·)

My most serious photography project to date. I went scouting for the location before, read many posts and sites about shooting fireworks, and wasn’t deterred even by cops telling me to leave. I was very happy with the end result, even though the fog made it just slightly less than perfect.

But hey, there’s always 2009. :·)

— January 2009.