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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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

Nature's Beauty

The above flower is commonly referred to as a Hibiscus (Disambiguation). There are several hundred species of Hibiscus that grow in warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (hibiskos), which was given to Athaea officinalis. Many specimens of Hibiscus are used extensively in landscaping because of their flowers and size and also because they tend to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Many countries around the world serve tea made from the Hibiscus flower. Hibiscus tea is known for its color and tangy flavor. The tea is a natural diuretic and it contains vitamin C and minerals. It can also be used as a mild medicine. Hibiscus flowers are often used as a garnish. They are also edible and can be candied.

To learn more about Hibiscus go to the: American Hibiscus Society and the: International Hibiscus Society.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S VR Macro 105mm f/2.8G lens, Subject Distance: 1.12 meters, Exposure: 1/125s at f/8.0 – Manual: Matrix Metering, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 105mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight (off camera), Date: 06/27/2012 at 06:15 pm, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Just Hanging-Out

 

I photographed the above two Meerkats at the Houston Zoo in 2011. Meerkats always make great photographic subjects because of their curiosity and quirky behavior. Fortunately, you can get very close to the action at the Meerkat exhibit in the Houston Zoo. So, a telephoto lens is not required for close encounter images.

For more information regarding the Houston Zoo please see the following link: Houston Zoo

 

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Metadata: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 1.88 meters, Exposure: 1/125s at f/5.6, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 70mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 10/11/2011 at 11:01 pm

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Nature's Beauty

The above flower is commonly referred to as a Blue Butterfly (Rotheca Myricoides) which is from the Butterfly Bush. Its common name is obviously derived from the flowers look and shape. The Butterfly Bush is a fast growth evergreen shrub that can get up to 10-feet tall and wide and its leaves are 3 to 4-inches long. It is a partial shade plant that requires regular watering. The Butterfly Bush was originally native to East Africa but is now enjoyed in many warm regions of the world.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S VR Macro 105mm f/2.8G lens, Subject Distance: 0.79 meters, Exposure: 1/125s at f/5.6, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 105mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight (off camera), Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 06/27/2012 at 07:12 pm

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Beauty and the Bluebonnets

Simply put, this is a great photograph. I do not get to say that very often. But, everything came together in the above photograph and just maybe Saint Veronica the patron saint of photographers (and laundry workers?) was smiling upon me. My model was beautiful and talented (thank you Mikayla), the bluebonnet blooms were at their peak and the morning light was just right. I love it when an image comes together.

Visit the following link for more information regarding: Saint Veronica

 

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S VR Zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens, Subject Distance: 7.5 meters, Exposure: 1/50s at f/10.0, ISO: 1000, Focal Length: 220mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 03/31/2012 at 09:13 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Nature's Beauty

I have decided to start a series called Nature’s Beauty. In this series I plan on featuring botanicals, landscapes and wildlife images.

The above Purple Conehead was photographed at the home of Denise Files in Lafayette, Louisiana. Denise is quite the gardener and my sister-in-law. I only had about an hour to photograph her gardens because the afternoon sun was setting. The plant-life in her gardens is so extensive I could have easily spent hours photographing her floral plants. Please note that I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to plant-life names. But, I will endeavor to provide plant-life names and background information when possible.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S VR Macro 105mm f/2.8G lens, Subject Distance: 0.89 meters, Exposure: 1/125s at f/4.5, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 105mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight (off camera), Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 06/27/2012 at 07:01 pm

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

And Now For Something Different

I recently took one of my favorite photographs (top image) and using Photoshop CS5 to convert it into an artistic painterly image (bottom image). Then I had it printed onto canvas to complete the effect. It came out as good as I had hoped.

The following is a brief description of what I did in Photoshop CS5 to convert this image into a painterly image.

• First I selected Filter from the top menu selection in Photoshop CS5.
• Then I selected Artistic from the pull-down menu.
• Lastly I selected Post Edges from the Artistic menu selection.

Note: there are many other painterly and special effect options to choose from within the Artistic menu. Once you make an Artistic effect selection you can then further adjust the selected effect to your desired style. That’s it. Now create something that Michelangelo would envy.

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Metadata: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 11.9 meters, Exposure: 1/600s at f/5.6, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 300mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 08/05/2009 at 11:57 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Texas Wedding Shoot
"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue..."

Sometimes, there’s nothing like an old pair of boots for a Texas bride. Personal items can make a strong statement about the subject being photographed. In wedding photography today, shoes are typically used as part of the brides’ identity and personality. Photographing the brides’ shoes can be a creative moment for the photographer.

Today’s Wedding Photographers are looking beyond the typical bride and groom images of days past. Wedding photographers must be creative in capturing the entire event, mood and personalities of all involved from the brides’ first cup of coffee in the morning and until the happy couple departs the reception to begin a new chapter in their lives. As a Wedding Photographer it is important to create your own style. But, a Wedding Photographer must create a style that sells a vision. Then you must be ready to deliver on that vision of style and creativity.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens, Subject Distance: 3.35 meters, Exposure: 1/250s at f/3.2, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 56mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight with a 22-inch Defused Beauty-Dish, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 4, Date: 06/10/2012 at 8:36 am

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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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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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

Texas Wildflower Shoot

I took the above photograph in a field of wildflowers at Baylor University State Park, in Brenham, Texas at the end of March 2012. My NIKKOR 70-300mm zoom lens created a great depth of field effect in this image. The depth of field effect in photography can help to emphasize your subject while de-emphasizing your foreground and background. Even though the depth of field de-emphasized the foreground and background they contribute to the mood and artistic value of the photograph. The out of focus areas give the flowers and the tree in the background a somewhat painterly look.

For an in-depth explanation of Depth-of-Field see Wikipedia.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 9.4 meters, Exposure: 1/400s at f/10.0, ISO: 1000, Focal Length: 250mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Nik Softwar’s Color Efex Pro 4, Date: 03/31/2012 at 9:21 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

Rule of Thirds

The “Rule of Thirds” in many cases makes for a more appealing image. This rule segments your image into nine equal parts with two vertical and two horizontal lines as above. The idea behind the Rule of Thirds is that your subject occupies one of the four intersecting guidelines. This technique is said to create tension and interest within the composition. The Rule of Thirds can turn a center-weighted (mundane) image into an image with emotion and feeling.

 

Please note that the Rule of Thirds is only a guide and is not written in stone. It would soon become very boring if every photograph was processed with the Rule of Thirds. You should always use your own artistic eye and values to create images of interest.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: 5.96 meters, Exposure: 1/60s at f/8.0, ISO: 400, Focal Length: 110mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 2, Date: 02/25/2012 at 5:22 pm

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

Tilt-Shift (It's Just An Illusion)

The above photographs were processed in Photoshop CS5 as Tilt-Shit images. Tilt-Shift imagery is really an optical illusion. A Tilt-Shift image tricks’ the viewer’s eyes (and mind) in believing that they are looking at a photograph of a miniature diorama.

The following steps will assist you in creating your own Tilt-Shift images:

1. Choose the right photograph (typically an image shoot from above works best).
2. In Photoshop select the Edit in Quick Mask Mode (Q)
3. Then select the Gradient Tool (G)
4. Then within the Gradient Tool Bar select the Reflected Gradient icon
5. In the Gradient Editor use the pull-down menu and select Foreground to Background
6. Make sure in the Set Foreground Color that Black is the foreground and White is the background
7. Now select your focus area by placing your curser on your image and click and hold your left mouse button and dragging it across your focus area then release your mouse button. Your focus area should appear in a transparent red glow.
8. Now select the Edit in Standard Mode (Q) icon again.  You should see an outline of marching ants.
9. Select Filter > Blur > Lens Blur.  This will open your image in a new window.
10. In the Lens Blur windows adjust the Iris Radius (typically I find that 20-30 is a good number, but you’ll have to use your own judgment at this point).
11. When you’re happy with your Iris Radius setting select OK.
12. To remove the marching ants press CNRL-D.
13. At this point if you have not done it yet, you may want to consider increasing the Saturation, Contrast and/or Structure of your image to increase the modeling effect of your photograph.

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Metadata: 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: 200, Focal Length: 24mm, Filter: Circular Polarizer, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Date: 07/31/2010 at 11:20 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Beauty Glow

One of the ways you can use the sun in your photographs is to place your subject directly in front of the sun as in the above photograph. In the above photograph, it was late afternoon and the sun was low over the horizon. The sun can create a desirable halo or glow effect as an outline to your subject. I did not use a flash to front light the model in the above image. I wasn’t having any problems with uneven shadowing because of the trees overhead. You may want to consider using some type of lighting at times to fill-in shadows if desired. Photography is an art form and the conditions and subject should always be speaking to the creative goals of the photographer.

Visit Brazos Bend State Park's web-site for more details.

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Technical Data: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 G lens, Subject Distance: 5.96 meters, Exposure: 1/60s at f/8.0, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 120mm, Filter: Ultra Violet, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5/Nik Software, Color Efex Pro 2, Date: 02/25/2012 at 6:17 pm, Location: Brazos Bend State Park, 21901 Farm to Market 762, Needville, TX 77461, USA

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved

Bronze Horse

The above photograph was taken at Hilton’s Waikoloa Village Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island in 2010. Simply put, the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort is beautiful. The resort is composed of 62 acres of recreational activities, shopping, restraints, ocean front views, extensive plant life and art. Yes, I said art. There are over 1800 works of art on display throughout the resort at an original cost of over seven-million dollars. The Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort could be considered one of the most beautiful art museums in the world. Photography is my chosen creative artistic outlet. But, I appreciate most forms of art. I enjoy photographing sculpture art if it has a suitable background. Photographing sculptured artwork is like photographing a still-life but in an action pose. I find that the bronze horse sculpture above gives a real sense of movement. My attempts to discover the name of the artist of the bronze horse unfortunately has gone unanswered. So, I am unable to give created to the artist at this time. If anyone out there knows of the above sculpture and the artist please e-mail me their name so that I can update this blog entry.

For more information see the: Hilton's Waikoloa Village Resort

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Metadata: Nikon D3 with a Nikon NIKKOR AF-S 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, Subject Distance: Infinity, Exposure: 1/80s at f/5.0, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 55mm, Filter: Circular Polarizer, Lighting: Natural Daylight, Post Processing: ACDSee Photo Editor 2008, Date: 07/31/2010 at 8:46 am

Copyright © 2012 Windows of Photography, All Rights Reserved