Posts from the ‘Black & White’ Category
We had front row seats on the roof of our hotel in Cozumel for this one! Most of the time I leave sunsets in color, in all their glory. However, because of the smaller clouds dancing in the foreground I decided the contrasts would make a nice black and white composition.
Capture Notes:
Nikon D300
Nikkor 70-300 VR AFS
Singh-Ray 3stop Reverse GND
Gitzo Traveler
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 300 mm
Processing Notes:
Capture (1 image)
NIK Silver EFX Pro (B+W Conversion)
NIK Viveza 2 (enhance the glow of the sun on the sea)
Photoshop (resized for web)
LightAsMagic.com
Tip: It might seem counter intuitive to shoot sunsets with a long focal length, but it is a great way to get up and close and personal with a setting sun. I always carry a 70-300 with me while traveling.
Any Tori Amos fans out there? Why is this question relevant to a photography and travel site? Because, whether you are in the darkroom or on an airplane, it is nice to have your music with you. That being said, if you haven’t noticed the new Darkroom page I have added, I listed out some tunes that are in heavy rotation while I am processing images. Feel free to check out the playlist.
Nikon D300
Tokina 11-16 ATX Pro
Gitzo Traveler
Singh- Ray 3Stop RGND
Exposure: 2
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal Length: 16 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Processing Notes
Capture (1image)
Nikon NX2 (Raw conversion)
Photomatix (HDR/Tonemapping)
NIK Silver Efx Pro (BnW conversion)
Photoshop (Size for web)
LightAsMagic.com
You all know I missed its rise yesterday, so I to set my alarm to see if it was still there in the morning. Sure enough it was! The image has its flaws, but I hadn’t had my coffee yet.
Nikon D300
Nikkor 70-300 ED AF
Gitzo Traveler
Processing Note:
Capture (9 images)
Photomatix (HDR/Tonemapping)
NIK SilverFX Pro
LightAsMagic.com
Tip: Something I discovered this morning is that the Moon’s orbit is faster than you think. I bumped up my ISO to 400 so I could increase my shudder speed to get 9 images shot as fast as possible.
Had I had my wits about me, I would have been posting an incredible image of a full moon rising above the Denver skyline. It was an amazing moonrise and the image was ready for the making. Missed it! Ah well, thanks to Ptolemy I will be ready next time. I noticed the moon sets tomorrow morning at 7:17am. Check back to see if I woke up in time!
Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VRII
Gitzo Traveler / Markins Q3T Ballhead
Processing Notes:
Nik ColorEFX Pro (Bleach Bypass)
Nik Viveza 2 (CP Contrast/Structure Boost)
Photoshop (Resize)
Flickr
Reminder: Just a reminder, the Illuminate Workshops evening photo walk is next week (Feb 6th). I’m not affiliated with them, but I do like to support the local photography community. It is a great group of folks who photograph the town red! To find out more, just visit their website.
A cold day of training reminded me of a tree I had been meaning to make an image of and I thought the storm behind it might do well for the backdrop. Nature’s studio cooperated. Sure, a bit dramatic, but after 5 hours of riding in the cold I felt dramatic!
Nikon D300
Nikkor 35mm 1.8
Gitzo Traveler
Processing Note:
Capture (7 images)
Photomatix (HDR Tonemapping)
Nik ColorEFX Pro (Bleach Bypass)
Nik Define 2.0 (Manual selectively applied to sky)
Photoshop (Crop Re-size)
Nik ColorEFX Pro (Vignette)
Nik Sharpener (Display adaptive selectively applied to tree and foreground)
LightAsMagic.com
Tip: I’m not sure if this necessarily falls under the category of a tip, but I had a friend of mine ask if I would write a bit more about my process. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I figured I would start with a concept I have decided to call ‘Creative Scheduling’. We are all busy doing everything but making art. That is one of life’s common denominators. My personal way of dealing with this is to schedule the creative process. It sounds crazy, but hopefully I can try to shed some light on it. I break my photography time into 4 broad categories.
- Photo Walks: These are times that I have set aside to grab my gear and throw myself into an environment. Just like meeting friends for dinner, or going to the doctor, the appointment is on the calendar.
- Photography of Opportunity: This is just a matter of being prepared. Put together a kit that your are comfortable taking with you wherever you go. It could be a small PointnShoot or an SLR with a select set of lenses. Just make sure it is portable enough that you like to have it around. That way, when the images show themselves, you are ready for them. Here is what I take.
- Travel: It is basically a blend of the above. When I am traveling I will conduct some forward recon on the net and schedule a couple of ‘Photo Walks’ during my vacation. The prior planning makes me very efficient when on location which still allows me plenty of time to hang out and relax with my family and friends. On vacation, I always have a Photography of Opportunity kit at the ready.
- Pre-Visioned: These are images that I have stumbled upon when I (or the image) wasn’t ready. These are things I see when I am out and about running, riding, or just too busy to stop. I will make note of these images and save them for later. In my mind’s eye I will try to imagine the ideal conditions for my vision. Then, when it fits into my schedule and the conditions are right, I will go make it happen.
Why use this post to describe my ‘Creative Scheduling’ process? Because it is an example of Pre-Visioning an image for later. I found this lone tree on a road I commonly ride and I knew that a southern storm would make the perfect backdrop for it. The storm arrived the same day I had to run an errand to the quarry. I grabbed my gear and stopped to make the image. Two minutes later I was back on the road, image in hand, and off to get some flagstone.
Driving up the coast from Half Moon Bay to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge I had visions of fog rolling over the bridge, leaving only its towers exposed. The fog was thick and I knew once we got to the summit of the Marin Headlands we would punch through. Below us would be an isolated pillar towering above a sea of rolling silky white. We never got out of the fog, so I had to duck into an abandoned bunker built during WWII to find a composition of interest.
When life gives you fog, make images underground!
Nikon D300
Nikkor 17-35 AFS
Gitzo Traveler
Processing Notes:
Capture (5 Images)
Photmatix (HDR/Tone-mapping)
Photoshop (Crop to 20×16)
Nik SilverFX (Boost Contrast/Structure, Apply Vignette, Burn top and bottom edge)
Nik Viveza (CP brighten the tunnel a bit)
Photoshop (Resize)
Nik Sharpen (Display 30% adaptive applied to trees)
LightAsMagic.com
One from the archive. I made this image of a surfer hiking up from Black’s Beach in 2002 with my trusty D1X. Digital photography was in its infancy then, and the D1X was a big investment at the time. It has however proved to be an invaluable learning tool. The instant feedback digital photography provides you is critical to accelerating your learning curve. Nowadays, you can get some fantastic gear at a very reasonable price. I got my D1X back then from a great camera store in Indiana. I have never visited it, but every time I call to place an order I ask for Ed! If you are looking to establish a long term relationship with a camera store, let me recommend Roberts Imaging. When you call, ask for Ed and tell him Justin from Colorado sent you!
I was scared to setup my tripod at this overlook along Hwy 1. Actually, I was scared to get out of the car. The wind was howlin! My flapping clothes left me bruised. Whatever was over that hill was coming our way fast.
Processing Notes:
Capture
Nik SilverFX Pro (B&W Conversion)
Nik Sharpen (Display 30% adaptive w/ structure boost)
LightAsMagic.com
Nikon D300
Nikkor 60mm Micro
Tip: If you ever find yourself stuck in a dense fog bank along Hwy 1, thinking to yourself that this is hopeless. Don’t give up! Drive around the next bend. You might find a beautiful beach bathed in sunlight.
If you are headed to Boston, take a look at the travel resources and photo map I added to the site. I mapped some photo locations as well as provided a couple items for the non-photographers in your group.
http://www.lightasmagic.com/travel/boston/
The story behind the picture: As we explored the Freedom Trail in Boston’s famous North End we not only found a great bakery, we also found a grand old building. I set up the tripod while enjoying some pastries and a coffee. What a corner!
Nikon D300
Nikkor 17-35 AFS 2.8
Nikon CPII
Gitzo Traveler
Capture (5 images) –> Photomatix (HDR Details Enhancer) –> Nik SilverFX (High Structure, Red Filter, Burned bottom edge) –> Nik Define –> Nik Sharpen (For Display) –> LightAsMagic.com
