Richard Bernabe
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Tim,
There are three considerations when it comes to working with natural light: Intensity (harsh, mid-day sunlight or diffused), direction (front, side, or backlighting), and color (color temp corrected or enhanced through WB adjustments).
But backlighting (the sun in your face) can result in some of the most dramatic, inspiring images when done properly. I photograph into the sun a lot, but it takes practice and some experience of knowing when and when not to do so. Here are just a few examples, but completely different images in each case:
It’s been a long, strange trip…
This recent interview saves me the typing, which is difficult at the moment with an infected finger…
The problem (depending on the camera you use) is that CS2 (ACR3.0) will not support RAW files from newer cameras. For example, I have a Canon 5D Mk2 and CS4. I had to upgrade from CS3 to CS4 (ACR4 to ACR5) in order to process the files.
Guys,
Ad revenue is WAYYYY down right now, almost everywhere. Unfortunately, when cash flows are tight, rent, salaries, well almost everything, comes before paying writers and photographers who are not employees.
Right now I have over $3000 that is at least 90 days old – all magazines, all experiencing tough financial times. Be patient. Getting upset will only cost you future work. Hopefully they all pull through and everyone will be paid eventually.
This is the best thing going right now, and one of the best purchases I made in 2008.
http://www.drobo.com/products/drobo.php
It’s got built-in redundancy features, expandable to 16TB (mine is currently 4TB), fan cooled enclosure, and USB 2.0 and firewire 800. I only wished it was available in e-SATA, but that might be coming with the next version.
Here is a video explaining how it works:
The red filter is a waste of money, especially if you don’t have a lot of it, as you say – unless you are shooting film.
But that money toward the best quality polarizer you can buy. For digital photography, you only need two filters – a circular polarizer and a neutral density filter.
If you want to filter or neutralize the red channel (darken greens for b&w?) drop me a line and I’ll show you how.
Mike,
The obvious answer is the aspect ratio. If your image came out of the camera, it was 2:3. If you had an 8×10 enlargement made, your 2:3 image would have to be cropped to 4:5 dimensions.
Ask for 8×12 prints or crop the image to the 4:5 ratio yourself before making 8×10 prints.
If you use Layer Masking often, PS4 will be worth the upgrade. There is an entire adjustment tab on masking, including mask feathering, mask placements, opacity, etc. I used to have a trick of feathering my masks with gaussian blur, but they’ve taken care of that.
Mike,
What you need to remember is that even though you are shooting in raw mode, the image you see on the LCD is a jpeg representation of how that image might look with the camera image values used. These include WB, sat, contrast, and yes, in-camera sharpening. With the raw capture, these are all bypassed, obviously, so the LCD image is irrelevant. You might choose different values in the converter anyway.
A low-pass capture sharpening should be done immediately after importing the image into PS from the raw converter. Otherwise, all output sharpening should be the last step in the workflow per usage and size.
By the way, I think the images are great and with some PP sharpening, you’ll be happy with them.
There is no such thing as having an “eye” or not having one.
We all have eyes that perform the physical act of seeing and a “Mind’s Eye” that interprets what we see and forms our perception of it.
General aesthetics, such as composition and the use of light, can be learned – by anyone. Being receptive to the emotional stimulus of a scene or object is easier for some than others, but everyone has this ability. This is what makes or breaks an image – how your finished product makes other feel about it, and others can’t feel anything that you, yourself didn’t feel when you experienced and captured it.
There is more information in an article I wrote here:
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0608/rb0608-1.html
Chad,
I have a photography book published in 2006 and I now work with/for Mountain Trail Press. If you have some specific questions you can contact me via email – whether it’s us publishing your book directly or providing the distribution and design for a custom publishing project.
Good choice, particularly for the price. If you want to calibrate both your MBP and an additional monitor (like I do), you will have to upgrade to the Spyder2 Pro.
If you are looking for GND filters, forget the screw-in circular types. They have the transition gradient right across the middle with a 50/50 split, forcing you to fit your composition (and vision) to the filter. Go with the rectangular filters and a Cokin filter holder (or hand-hold them). Bob Singh makes the very best GND filters on the market, and I can highly recommend them after trying many different brands and types over the years.
I use a combination of GNDs and manual digital blends for high-key landscape work.
The convergence of light, mist, and water movement all make for a very dynamic image, Travis. My major nit here is the treatment of the sun, which is presented as a very large white blob and a distraction from the other visually pleasing elements of the scene.
This is the big difference between the linear tonal response of a digital capture and a
I dislike rigid visual constructs when designing images. Particularly the “rule of thirds” where image after image begin to look predictable.
Rules and photography simply don’t mix. Oftentimes, I will follow a particular rule subconsciously and realize it after the fact, but I never let rules dictate my personal vision during the discovery process.
