Blast to the Past



I love the composition of this image but, the original photograph (top) did not deliver. The sky was blown-out and the rest of it was too washed-out. I could do nothing to improve it. Yea, it happens sometimes. So when I have an image like the one at the top, I apply the old saying from Dale Carnegie: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” And that’s exactly what I did in the following two images. The image was already distressed so why not distress it even more but, in a good way. I used presets in Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2 and Color Efex Pro 4 to create aged images.

Image No. 2: After doing minor post processing in Photoshop CS6, I used Silver Efex Pro 2 to create an aged black and white image with burnt edges. Within Silver Efex Pro 2 I selected the “Full Spectrum Inverse” preset. This particular preset created the right tone and mood for an aged B&W image. To finish-off the image I added a distress white border and burnt edges.

 

Image No. 3: Once again, after doing minor post processing in Photoshop CS6, I used Color Efex Pro 4 to create a postcard like image. Within Color Efex Pro 4 I selected the “Kitschy Postcard” preset. It should not be a surprise that this preset is perfect for creating a postcard style image. I only had to make minor adjustments to finish the image.

 

The great thing about Nik Software’s presets is that once you select a preset, you can then further make adjustments. Plus, you can also combine multiple presets to create something different.

 

To learn more about Nik Software's Presets and Recipes go to: Nik Software
 

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 70-120mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, Exposer: 1/500s at f/5.6, IOS: 200, Focal Length: 95mm, Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority, Exposure Bias: 1.00 EV, Metering Mode: Matrix Metering, Filter: Ultra Violet, Subject Distance: Infinity, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Date: 08/4/2009 at 10:15 am, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (images 2 & 3) & Nik Software - Silver Efex Pro 2 (image 2) - Color Efex Pro 4 (image 3)

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Shades of Gray

Botanical photography is mostly recognized for the stunning colors and textures that flowers and plant-life in-general produces. But, I find that sometimes even flowers can look exceptional in a monochrome format. The above photograph was processed using Adobe’s Photoshop CS6 and Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 4. The original RAW image from my camera only required modest adjustments in Photoshop CS6. I used two Presets in Color Efex Pro 4 to further enhance this image. The first preset I selected is called Big Sky. This preset is a somewhat high contrast preset, I then chose the B+W preset. The B+W preset is exactly what you would expect it to be, an excellent black and white preset which complimented the Big Sky preset nicely. Nik Software’s Presets allows you to try preconfigured setting and then you can make further adjusting from the selected preset. You can also combine presets for even more creative imagery. Nik Software brings value to Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom products.

To learn more about Nik Software’s Presets go to: Nik Software

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To view my Photographic Art visit: Windows of Photography

Metadata: Nikon D3 with a Nikon AF-S VR Micro NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens, Exposure: 1/250s at f/7.1, ISO: 400, Focal Length: 105mm, Exposure Mode: Manual, Metering Mode: Spot, Filter: Ultra Violet, Subject Distance: Unknown, Lighting: Off Camera Speedlight (Nikon SB-800), Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS6 & Nik Software – Color Efex Pro 4, Date: 8/16/2012 at 4:42 pm

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Shades of Gray
(Classic Beauty)

I am very pleased with the way that the above photograph turned-out. I feel that this image is somewhat reminiscent of the Hollywood Starlet photographs of the 30’s and 40’s. I processed this photograph using Nik Software’s, Silver Efex Pro 2.0. For me and I believe for many other views, the lack of color brings out the drama and emotional aspects of this particular image. I find that sometimes as an art form, color can be a distraction and not an enhancement. Somewhat ironically, humans are very much creatures of color but we are also emotional beings. Being human, we are guided by our feeling and we are looking for a connection to the art form and the meaning behind the artist intent, whether we realize it or not.
 

Everything been said, I must give a great deal of the beautiful composition to the model. I only had to work with the model for about a minute to get the shoot.
 

To see examples of Hollywood Starlet Photographs please visit the IMDb web-site.

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To view my Photographic Art visit: Windows of Photography

Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 4.47 meters, Exposure: 1/640s at f/10, ISO: 1000, Focal Length: 300mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2, Date: 03/31/2012 at 8:58 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Little RED Streetcar

The above streetcar photograph was taken in Woldenberg Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Woldenberg Park is a great place to get away from the sometimes crowded and noisy streets of the French Quarter. Plus, there are expansive views of the river.

I first processed the above image in Photoshop CS5 and Color Efex Pro 4 as I would any color image. I then continued to process the photograph as a black and white image in Silver Efex Pro 2. Silver Efex Pro 2 offers many monochrome pre-sets to choose from. The pre-sets can give you a good starting point to begin your processing. I chose the “Full Dynamic (harsh)” preset.  After choosing the Full Dynamic (harsh) pre-set, I then selected the “Yellow Color Filter” to enhance the tonal color of the streetcar. Next, I further adjusted the Brightness, Contrast and Structure of the image. I then brought the RED of the streetcar back into the black and white image by placing “Control Points” on the streetcar and then sliding the “Selective Colorization” slider to a 100 percent. I had to use about a dozen Control Points to bring the red of the streetcar back into the black and white image. Lastly I used the “Color Replacement Tool” in Photoshop CS5 to remove any unwanted color distortions. Silver Efex Pro 2 is an indispensable tool for any photographer looking to step-up their post processing.

See Nik Software's web-site for additional information about Silver Efex Pro 2. 

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To view my Photographic Art visit: Windows of Photography

Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: Infinity, Exposure: 1/60s at f/6.3, ISO: 400, Focal Length: 75mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2, Date: 01/17/2012 at 9:49 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Nik Software - Silver Efex Pro 2

At the 2012 ImageUSA Image Expo in New Orleans I purchased Nik Software's Complete Collection (Professional Photographic Tools). Within the Complete collection of software plug-ins for Adobe's Photoshop and Lightroom there is Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2. Silver Efex Pro 2 is a Black and White imaging processing software tool. It has over three dozen presets which can make for a great starting point when creating a Black and White image. This software also features the use of Control Points. With a Control Point or Points you can selectively spot process desired areas of your image. The Control Point feature is a very nice tool to have in your tool box. Silver Efex Pro 2 also has a set of adjustable Color Filters, Film Types and Finishing Adjustments tools. Silver Efex Pro 2's extensive features and adjustments allow the photographer the ability to create the exact Black and White image they had envisioned. Nik Software also provides Live Training and On Demand Videos of their products for members over the Internet. You should take the time to learn your software tools, and experiment with them, break the rules. Who knows, you may even invent a new rule.

While at the Expo in New Orleans I took the above photograph of a statue of President Andrew Jackson in Jackson Square. First I processed the color image in Adobe's Photoshop Bridge and then I saved it. Secondly I used one of Silver Efex Pro 2's presets and then i used several Control Points to increase the white and contrast effects of the clouds. And, then I saved this image with a different file name. I always preserve the original NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) image file for future processing. Nikon Electronic Format is Nikon's RAW file format that features image information and metadata received from the camera's sensors.

To learn more about Silver Efex Pro 2 visit: Nik Software's website

To learn more about President Andrew Jackson and Jackson Square, New Orleans, see the links below:

 

Also, see Widipedia to learn more of Andrew Jackson and Jackson Square (New Orleans, Louisiana).

See my Facebook page for additional Photography and Photographic Art discussions.

To view my Photographic Art visit: Windows of Photography

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved