Laissez les bons temps rouler
(Let the Good Times Roll)


The above photograph is a small piece of a fantastic window display from a boutique called Razzle Dazzle. Razzle Dazzle is located at 524 Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In my opinion Razzle Dazzle is a shopping destination when in New Orleans. Razzle Dazzle has very unique gifts and holiday items and ideas.

The photograph above and this blog are in celebration of Mardi Gras 2012. I photographed this image through a glass display window. To eliminate reflections and ghosting in the image I used a Circular Polarizer Filter. Even though a Polarizer Filter helps a great deal you also need to find the best angle to shoot your image. I also had to pump-up the ISO to 640 because the window was in fairly dim light. Now go out and shoot a window display.

For more information see: Razzle Dazzle and Wikipedia - Mardi Gras

 

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 0.67 meters, Exposure: 1/25s at f/6.3, ISO: 640, Focal Length: 78mm, Filter: Circular Polarizer, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 01/17/2012 at 9:01 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

Frozen Grace

I took the above photographs at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans in 2009. The top photograph is what you might classify as a standard photograph. Although I think it’s pretty good and certainly not standard. I used ACDSsee Photo Manager 12 for the post processing of the image. The bottom photograph is the same photograph but I processed it in ACDSee Photo Manager 12 as a HDR (High Dynamic Range) image using three consecutive images with an Exposure Value (EV) of +/- 1.0. HDR processing can produce a more surreal looking photograph but, most of the time I prefer an image that is realistic looking. What I like about HDR photography and its post processing is the ability to produce a more 3-Dimensional image. Even though I captured the above HDR photograph using a hand held technique (tucking my elbows in to my sides), I strongly recommend using a tripod for stability. I also recommend using a remote shutter release trigger. When shooting HDR images it is very important to take your time. Look through your camera’s view finder and envision the final results. Think about where your light source is coming from and how this will affect your final image. But, as always, have fun with your photography.

For more information about HDR Photography and the Audubon Nature Institute see the links below:

To learn more about HDR Photography see the Pixiq and HDR Cream web-sites.

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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: 6.31 meters, Exposure: 1/60s at f/5.0, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 180mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, HDR: Yes, Bottom Image, Post Processing: ACDSee Photo Manger 12, Date: 08/05/2009 at 11:22 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).

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To view my Photographic Art visit: Windows of Photography

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved