This is another image from my visit to the local rail yard last year. You can see a previous composition from the same location here. It was one of those days where I knew I was going to pass something interesting on and errand, so I decided I would grab my gear and tack on 30mins to my commute. I wonder how much memory my brain is wasting trying to efficiently plan photo errands? I should formalize a documentation strategy so I can save space for things like remembering to mow the lawn.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VRII
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:
Capture (9 Images @ 1EV)
NX2 Raw Conversion
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Nik Define 2.0 – Noise reduction
Photoshop – Global curves adjustment
Photoshop – selective Desat adjustment
Size for web
LightAsMagic.com

It seems like summer is just getting started. The calendar tells me it is over halfway gone. We are trying our best to take advantage of what summer has left to offer. No better way than an evening hike in the hills near our house. As you know, I have been putting the Nikon D5000 through its paces, and I am pretty darn surprised by it. If you can get over the fact that it has only one command dial and get used to doing your adjustments in the menu system, you have yourself a very capable camera. One thing that I have been wanting to test is the exposure bracketing feature. The D5000 will only allow 3 brackets, but the nice thing is you can bracket by 2 full stops. 2 stops is usually enough for most of my HDR work. For very high contrast scenes (think super bright light out the window of a room) you need more than 2 stops on either side of the anchor. However, for most of my bracket sequences, the D5000 is proving to be a great companion.

For the non-photographers out there, that interested in knowing more about this ‘photographer speak’, feel free to drop me a line. I would be happy to help you get started making images!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D5000
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Gitzo Traveler
Lexar UDMA

Processing Notes:

Capture – 3 images @ 2ev
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Photoshop – Global curves adjustment
Nik Color Efex Pro – Soft Focus (experimenting a bit with it for that dreamy look)
Photoshop – Selective saturation boost
Photoshop – Selective saturation cut
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

A while back I was searching for a reasonable backup camera to travel with over the summer. After quite a bit of deliberation, I decided on the Nikon D5000. I have been putting it through the paces and I am quite pleased. Here is a simple capture from the camera while we were out on a drive over the weekend. I will be writing up a more formalish review of it shortly, as for now, here are a couple things I like about it.

• Same image guts as its big (D90) and bigger (D300s) brother.
• Quiet shutter mode. It helped when shooting some street photos in France. Very stealthy.
• It has video! I made a quick movie while I was in France that I am still editing. Once it is done I will post it along with a more detailed review.
• Super light and compact.
• You can get the same image quality of a D300s, for under $500 (if you are willing to buy refurbished).
• Swivel LCD – Much easier on the back when having to shoot in yoga poses.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D5000
Nikkor 16-85 VR II

Processing Notes:

Capture – 1 Image
Nik Silver Efex Pro (B&W Conversion)
Sized For Web
LightAsMagic.com

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with this one. It was the product of a “hey, go back, that looks kind of cool” moment. I’m not over the moon about the image. I think both the composition and processing has a bit to be desired, but what the heck, maybe someone else will find some inspiration in it. If that happens, mission accomplished. If not, at least you had a glimpse of something you might not have otherwise.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Gitzo Traveler

Aperturef/4.2
Focal Length 26 mm
ISO Speed 400

Processing Notes:

Capture – 7 images @ 1ev
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Photoshop – Mask in the anchor trees
Photoshop – Curves adjustment
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

This is a local Super Fun(d) site close to Denver. Boy, do I ever want inside. However, I am guessing the fence protects me from my willingness to ignore the asbestos in the name of photography. I think I will just continue to photograph the building from the safety of my truck bed.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Nikon CPLII
Gitzo Traveler
2004 Toyota Tacoma

Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 25 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Processing Notes:

Capture – 9 images @ 1EV
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
NIK Color Efex Pro – ProContrast
Nik Color Efex Pro -Glamour Glow (desat a bit)
Nik Color Efex Pro – Tonal Contrast selective to building
Size for web
Nik Sharpener – Display 40% output
LightAsMagic.com

From the safety of my truck.

Tip: I have mentioned it before, but always make sure to shut your engine off when shooting from the bed of your truck. Your high dollar tripod is worthless on a a vibrating surface!

This image is from the ‘Out My Front Door’ project. You can read more about it on the about me page. The basic idea of the project is to make images of sites I have found within a bike ride of my house. The goal of the project is simple, make images instead of thinking about making images. This is one of those sites. It is the last remains of a ranch that was donated to the city as open space. Story has it that the man who owned the ranch would spend over 4 days to mend the entire line of fence. Now it is home to many miles of trails for both cyclists, hikers, and runners. Philanthropy at its finest.

In an attempt to capture the essence of this wonderful space, I had a great time processing this image. I surely pushed it a bit more towards an impressionistic interpretation of the scene. However, to me the mountain itself is a beacon of green rolling grass, painted on a canvas of sky, that can be see from miles away.

Tech Note: I was experimenting a bit using the Promote Control which allows the camera to bracket any number of frames (up to 99) at 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV. Far more than most cameras are normally capable of. You can read a great review of it over on my ‘Bracketer In Cirme’, Brian’s Matiash’s site.

According to Brian, good Promote Control form.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Nikon CPL II
PromoteControl
Gitzo Traveler

Aperture:f/8.0
Focal Length:16 mm
ISO Speed:400 (oops)

Processing Notes:

Capture (21 images @ .3 EV)
NX2 – Raw Conversion
Photomatix 3.2 – HDR/Tonemapping
NIK Define 2.0 – Noise reduction auto profile
Photoshop – selective curve adjustments applied to grass
Photoshop – selective sat adjustment applied to grass (trying to tame it abit)
Photoshop – Global curves adjustment
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour glow
Sized For Web
LightAsMagic.com

Apparently my wife knows me all too well. We were running a couple errands today, when she spotted this old garage. She quickly told me to turn and said, “Those textures would make a great HDR image.” Sure enough, she was right!

With images like this, I like to back up a bit and shoot with a longer focal length. In this image, I positioned myself across the street and zoomed in a bit longer than what your eye would normally see. It is a nice effect if you have the room to operate.

We are still trying to determine if this place is abandoned or not? The porch light was on.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VRII
Nikon CPLII
Gitzo Traveler

Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 62 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Processing Notes:

Capture (9 images @ 1ev)
Photomatix – HDR/Tonemapping
Photoshop – Curves Adjustment
Sized For Web
LightAsMagic.com

When your good friend calls and asks “Are you getting this?!?!” You don’t ask what? You grab your camera a head out! That is exactly what happened last night. I got the call, grabbed my gear, and headed up the hill, realized I forgot CF cards, cursed like a sailor, headed back down the hill, ran into grab a my cards, startled my wife, headed back up the hill, and made some images!

Stay tuned for iPhone Friday tomorrow. I have a few new coupon codes to offer as well as a couple new features that I have added to the site. You can probably find them now, but I normally try to package all the news and notes into Friday’s post.

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VRII
Gitzo Traveler

Exposure: 18
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 16 mm
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
ISO Speed: 200

Processing Notes:

Capture (1 image)
Adobe Camera Raw – Process .NEF
Photoshop – Cropped a bit of the sky out.
Sized For Web
LigthAsMagic.com

After a 5 hour drive, 1 hour of which was being stuck in a traffic jam, we finally broke clear of the weather and horrible drivers. I tend to over hydrate while driving, so a quick break was in order. Boy, we couldn’t have picked a more beautiful location. I kicked off my flip-flops (we were in the desert 4 hours earlier), strapped on the boots, and grabbed my D300. Click, Click, Click….then off to the restroom!

Capture Notes:

Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Gitzo Traveler

Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Processing Notes:

Capture (3 images @ 1ev)
Photomatix (HDR/Tonemapping)
Nik Sliver Efex Pro – BW Conversion and Vingette
Nik Color Efex Pro – Glamour Glow selective to water
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com

Underprepared.

Sorry for the quick post, but the weather is beautiful and I need to get back out to make some images.

Capture Notes:
Nikon D300
Nikkor 16-85 VR II
Gitzo Traveler

Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Processing Notes:

Capture (9 images @ 1ev)
Photomatix (HDR/Tonemapping)
NIK Define (Noise reduction automatic profile)
Nik Color Efex Pro (Tonal contrast selective to the fence)
Photoshop (2 selective curves adjustments)
Sized for web
LightAsMagic.com