thanks man, awesome

bump for you.

amazing!

:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown

how do u get those colors/definition from a camera? It's like an orgy for the eyes! Ohh Yes!!!

It just kind of happens ;)
for the panoramic photos, it's all down to the film, velvia. It's great for colours, but contrasts very strongly, so it's often difficult to get balanced shots.

For the normal ones, a long exposure in reasonably low - light conditions will bring out amazing colours, colours you'd not normally even see :)

It's been a few years but be prepared the grease the border guards. I have had experiences with border crossings in Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and even Slovakia where the border guards take your passport and shake it open as if they are expecting paper to fall out. In the most humble way, without drawing attention to other guards, tell the nazi bastard that you must have forgot to put your permits in there and ask if you can see your passport. Slip a few 20's (Euro's or Dollars) into the passport and then hand it back to him.

P.S. Don't look back when you drive away and keep your money stashed in a safe place. (Anal is not good enough). We used to stash our cash in plastic wrap and place them in radiator hoses and such.

Same thing goes for Syria, Jordan & Lebanon. If you make it to Syria & Jordan it will be a life changing experience. By far my favorite places to shoot in the middle east if not the world. The architecture in those countries is still to this day as untouched as it was before you know who came along....

Enjoy yourself and if any border guards tell you not to take a certain road, then take that to boot. 8 years ago we were shooting for national geo and the talent decided to wander off the path. They never returned. This was in Syria.

I'm personally very jealous and wish I was able to do what your about to embark on. Enjoy and thanks again for the pics, beautiful work and can't wait to see the images you bring back.

All the best.

Those are some awesome photos.
WG

Incredible history.
I'm hoping that we won't be going to extremes of such nature. It's going to be a tester trip for me, in any case - the countries are so huge, it's impossible to see it all.
Plan is Kiev for a trip to Chernobyl - official tour - I'm not that desperate to die (slowly, in any case) - then onto Moscow for hopefully what will be metro and underground happenings. Russian metro is like nothing else.

Trans siberian to Irkutsk, then to Ulan Bataa, where we're gonig to do our best to wing it down toward Choyr, to see some of the more amazing relics of the ex-soviet empire, that, as you say, still stand untouched to this day.

We'll be packing light, duplicating and stashing memory cards and film, and trying to upload photos at any chance in case we lose our gear.

I've never had the chance to head to the 'real' middle east, only ever the UAE - which, amazing as it is - is like the vegas of persia ;)

I've seen some photos of the nature, landscapes and buildings of iraq and iran, especially, and I'm blown away by it.

What's your history? NG shooter?

I used to AC (Stills) for a handful of amazing shooters. Later migrated into the film business as a 1st AC (ASC) and then later became a Assistant Director (DGA).

Here is some of my work with a few of my old clients. I've assisted all the photographers that Robert Mead reps.
http://www.rmeadimage.com/

I've asked him specifics but zoned out fairly quickly when he got all crazy technical on me. He definitely knows his shit and does it well.

Are you going with DS?

Very nice pics :)

Yeah, I'm bouncing to London to meet ds, and a few other old friends - we're doing the UK, then they're coming back to France so I can show them around, then Kiev and Moscow as a group. Ds and I will be doing the Mongolia leg ourselves.

You should come, but I don't know if there are that many asylums :P

Incredible photos! Do you have a portfolio online somewhere? I'd love to see more of your work

Closest thing is probably http://quantum-x.ice.org - I really need to update it though :)

Wow.. some amazing pictures

Great shots , Pleasure seeing you in Paris:thumbsup

Awesome photography

Awesome snap shots!

Beautiful pics Quantum and have an excellent trip. :)


Do NOT get shot :Oh crap

I did that trip the opposite way... Beijing to Moscow via Ulaan Bataar in '85 in the middle of a nasty Siberian winter, truly mindblowing...many stories... like the time I came out of the train station in Ulaan Bataar to see the Tran Siberian moving off down the platform...without me.. but with my backpack. :Oh crap I had to run to find an open door and a guard barely pulled me up before it got too fast... it was like a scene from an old Western.. would not have been fun waiting a week in Outer Mongolia for the next train with no money passport/visa etc. :error

I always look forward to your pics but can't wait to see what you capture on this next one especially. Have fun! :thumbsup

Really nice work. One day these will be in books in the stores.

awesome shots :thumbsup

Once again, Wow! I can't get enough of your pics. I'd love to have your eye!

Hop!
http://ninjito.com/dump/2008-05-22/q...t-martin-2.jpg
http://ninjito.com/dump/2008-05-22/q...t-martin-3.jpg
http://ninjito.com/dump/2008-05-22/q...t-martin-4.jpg

Unreal. Un-fucking-real. What gear do you use for these shots?

More specifically, what gear do you use for light travel? I have a Gitzo GT2540 with Markins M10, I have the feeling like it may be too heavy to drag it around future travels.

I'd love to learn more about your gear, as I am a gear head through and through.

Awesome stuff as usual quantum!
You really should post these pics in desktop resolution on your site. I want to rotate them all as my desktop background hehe

Excellent photos. Really nice work!

Hey :)
Thanks for the compliments.

Here's what I shoot with:
Canon 1Ds, Normally a 17-40mm F4.0, or a 50MM f1.4

for the panoramic, a Fuji TX-2 / Hasselblad XPan-2 [they're the same camera], with a 30mm lens.

For lighting, normally just carry a LED torch, or if it's really dark, a 540EX Canon Flash, but that's it :)

Damn dude, insane pictures! Those last three are off the heezy.

Can you toss me a link to a full size of this one for my desktop? This is gorgeous. You should seriously think about putting up a site selling these photos as desktops. :thumbsup

Just in case, it was alot of fun knowing you.

Mad skilz mate, mad skilz....

Wow.. just breath taking

First page of the thread, there's a link to a huge version of this shot ;)

Thanks Torn, means a lot.
I hope that you and Toni are doing well - it's been a while :)

you're living life the right way mate - good on ya:thumbsup

come back with more visual treasures for the rest of us to see

The link on page 1 doesn't seem to be working, and I also would love to have a full size one for my desktop.

Woops.

http://www.ninjito.com/dump/2008-07-...-c-1-large.jpg

Nice pictures man congrets...

those are definitely the most breath taking pics ive ever seen. man you have THE eye for photography! now, you just need to take that eye and infuse it with porn and youll be setting a new standard for sure! :)