The Whole World Opens Up
Posted by admin on August 22nd, 2010 filed in UncategorizedComment now »
I was given a gift recently.
I had been using an antiquated version of Photoshop (PS7) on my ancient Windows machine (Celeron something-or-other maxed out at 1GB RAM, no capacity for updating the video card, and barely running XP). Combining that, with Exifer, I was able to get most of what I needed in the way of editing. Yes, I had the old Macbook, but never bothered to throw a Windows partition on it, and while GIMP works in a pinch, I never could get the hang of URAW.
With each security update (once a week; I think I had more patches for Windows on my machine than actual programs), my desktop was increasingly sluggish. After it took 10 minutes to load Google (the main page, not any search results), I gave up. I was planning on buying a new computer towards the end of the year anyway, and started looking at my options. Maybe I could just get something to tide me over until then.
Then everything I started putting together, that wasn’t an exact clone of the machine I was ready to throw out my front door (and gleefully watch smash into a thousand pieces, 3 stories down) was about the same price as the base model Mac I’d been eyeing. After a few days, I decided to bite the bullet, go all out, and buy the base model 15″ MacBook Pro.
But that wasn’t my gift.
About a week later, courtesy of a friend, I was able to create a Windows 7 partition, so I could finally retire the desktop. Now, I only booted up Windows if I had to balance my checkbook or edit photos. Of course, this meant still using the Photoshop 7 & Exifer combination (Exifer, because Photoshop 7 doesn’t like camera RAW files, and strips all pertinent information out of the saved .jpg).
Windows 7 was a gift, but not The Gift.
I’d said in the past that I always do a minimal amount of processing on my photos – I really dislike doing it, but understand the necessity for it. I don’t know that I will ever be a fan of HDR (I’ve seen it done correctly, for some phenomenal photos, but it’s far too over-used), and I still like to try and get things right the first time around. PS7 worked for what I needed, and the RAW capability was .. enough. Mind you, I still had to download a plug-in so PS7 would actually read my .ORF files (silly me for not being trendy & going with Nikon or Canon), but it worked well enough.
I have now discovered the joy that is Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Bridge.
Between being able to add the Metadata to my photos from the start, to the increased editing ability of Camera RAW, I’m seriously in awe. I’m not only able to bring out details & colours in new photos, but I’m able to go back and re-edit older shots, to help bring out the colours and details I simply couldn’t get with PS7. I’ve even been able to edit photos I thought I’d never be able to save: the ones too dark, too noisy, too flat.
A gift indeed, and it has made my workflow so much easier to handle. I know Adobe has since stopped supporting CS4, in favor of CS5, and when I buy a new camera, I will likely have to upgrade, but I’m just thrilled with what I’m capable of doing now.
And now I only boot Windows in a Virtual Machine to balance my checkbook 
Something new:
And Something Old, not posted previously:
Although looking at it now, I think I went a little over-board with the vignetting.
While You’re Waiting …
Posted by admin on August 21st, 2010 filed in UncategorizedComment now »
Here, have a cookie. I promise when you finish eating it you’ll be feeling right as rain….
– The Oracle, The Matrix
Taken with an iPhone 4, and the Hipstamatic App (Lucifer VI lens, BlacKeys B+W film, no flash). Cookies by me 
Speaking of it Being a While ….
Posted by admin on August 21st, 2010 filed in blurbComment now »
Yeah. Um. Yeah.
So life got a little crazy in the last year, mostly with work. I have still been taking pictures – I even broke down and purchase 2 new pieces of photography equipment: a 70-300mm zoom lens (I still don’t like it as much as my baby Prime (the 105mm Macro lens, that’s still my go-to lens) and my first external flash.
I’ll let you know when I finally figure out how to use the flash. It’s definitely a learning curve, since I’m more about available light & still trying to get exposure right the first time (not that I always succeed), and I find I tend to leave it home more often than not – it’s heavy to lug around.
In addition to new gear, there have even been new locations: Southern California (Dana Point, Capistrano Beach, Laguna Beach) and Orlando, Florida (Disney, Disney, and yet more Disney). More playing with the point & shoot camera, more playing with the camera phone & various camera phone apps (Kinda digging on Hipstamatic and it’s “shake for random” feature). I’ll get something new posted soon.
Purity
Posted by admin on May 31st, 2009 filed in photos, post-processingComment now »
It’s been a while since I’ve updated here – too many things to keep up with. So here’s a new one for anyone who’s reading this:
I keep my camera on a -.7EV, to keep it from blowing out hilights & whites. During normal post-processing, I do the following: contrast +3, saturation +2, sharpness +1, and I’ll adjust the exposure compensation anywhere from +.7 to +1.0.
For this photo, I did all my usual post-processing except for my exposure compensation. Instead of increasing the EV, I lowered it even further, an additional -1.0 on what I’d already done in camera.
It’s the best photo from that set; the rest of them could use a little work.
I’ve Been Playing
Posted by admin on January 6th, 2009 filed in photos, post-processingComment now »
with my Camera Phone, of late. I discovered that it doesn’t completely suck if I stick to black & white or sepia images.
(click on the photo for that set)
It doesn’t replace my big, pretty, shiny camera or my big, pretty, shiny macro lens. It’s a Nokia 6126 phone, with a whopping 1.3MP camera. All that really means is: a) I have to have lots of light for colour photos, and b) I should get really creative with all other shots, to make up for lack of sharpness. Still, I’ve liked the results I’ve gotten thusfar, and minimal post-processing.
Take this photo, for example:
The Secret Life of Shopping Carts
I played with some adjustment layers (curves, brightness/contrast, and levels), cloned out some blown-out rocks & debris, and poof. One very moody shopping cart, laying in a ditch.
Playing in Black & White
Posted by admin on December 17th, 2008 filed in photos, post-processingComment now »
One of my customers at my regular job asked whether or not I’d considered doing a black & white treatment on some of my photos. I had played around with it Yesterday, but hadn’t done anything with the other photos.
So, I sat down and played a little. I didn’t do anything more complicated than Mode > Grayscale in Photoshop 7. I only uploaded a few, but I’m pretty happy with the results.
(Click on the Photo for the set)
Shoot the Light
Posted by admin on December 7th, 2008 filed in photosComment now »
Someone posted that as an invaluable photography tip: don’t shoot the subject, shoot the light.
I’ve found time and time again, that’s almost always what catches my eye: how the light plays on something, dancing, highlighting, reflecting. Things I would have normally walked by, without so much as a second glance, suddenly take on a whole new life.
This was one such subject.
(click on photo for the 6 Dec 08 photos)
Beatles Day at Upper Bull Creek
Posted by admin on December 3rd, 2008 filed in photosComment now »
(Photos taken 26 April 2008)
I am horrifically shy and somewhat socially awkward. I have to make a concerted effort to get to know people outside of my circle of friends or through work, and I tend to be pretty nervous about asking some person I really don’t know that well if they want to go and do something.
9 out of 10 times, when I go on my walkabouts/Photo Walks, I prefer to go alone. This particular day, for whatever reason, I decided to ask one of my neighbors (really, the only one I know, at this point) if he & his dog would care to join me.
I almost didn’t. I walked by his door, went down to my car, stopped a moment, then went back up and knocked on his door. Obviously nervous, I posed the question.
He was polite in his refusal, offering up a couple different excuses. I said my “Okay, just thought I’d ask, see you later” and wandered off, heart racing, voice still shaky, and shaking my head, thinking how silly I’d just been.
Then I got to the park. After about 2 minutes, I realized that his refusal had been fortuitous. I would have missed certain shots had they been with me: a group of 4 tiger swallowtail butterflies, in a frenzy around a puddle of water.
It was one of those early photos that set the theme for that entire photo shoot.
I give you … Abbey Road:
(Look! The last one is barefoot!)
In addition, we also have:
Come Together
A Day in the Life
Something
(yes, that really is the name of a Beatles song)
All Together Now!
and
A Taste of Honey
GIMP Saves the Day
Posted by admin on November 29th, 2008 filed in photosComment now »
This would be a much more informative post if I could remember exactly how I achieved the final result. “I just played with it until I liked how it looked” isn’t very informative (albeit, probably the way most post-processing happens).
When I went to California, in October, I made sure to take my camera (Olympus E500) and my laptop (MacBook) with me, because I figured I’d regret it if I didn’t. I didn’t get many pictures, but was glad of having both along.
I managed to get out and get a few photos taken, in the couple of days I was in town. I clearly remember kneeling down on the ground, careful to avoid the rabbet pellets that littered the ground, carefully composing the shot, and then slipping right as I hit the shutter release. The result:
One very washed out photo. Still, I was hesitant to just toss it. Instead, I opted to see what I could do with it.
My MacBook contains the software that came with it, and all kinds of freeware/shareware programs: NeoOffice, a few free games, the flickr uploader, and GIMP. I have both GIMP and Photoshop 7 on my desktop (PC), but don’t have a copy of the program for my Mac (and am too poor to purchase it right yet).
I opened up GIMP, opened up my photo, and played. The result is something I have yet to duplicate in Photoshop:
Needless to say, I’m happy with the end result.
Little Miss Muffett
Posted by admin on November 26th, 2008 filed in photosComment now »
Little Miss Muffett
Sat on her Tuffett
Eating her curds & whey.
Along came a spider
Who sat down beside her
and frightened Miss Muffett away