Pennie #5 Process Variations

Pennie Beaumont strutting her stuff for an ad... that I really don't remember what it was for, but likely the boots!  But I always like the mood of this picture.  This picture was made with a Nikon F2 w/motor drive (did I mention I miss that sound?), Reflex Nikkor 500mm f/8.0, K2 filter, Miller fluid head on a Sampson tripod, Ilford Delta 3200.  It was windy, overcast and blistering hot.

Platinum reprint.

The original cyanotype is lost, but recreated here using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 and my custom preset.

Staircase #3, HDR Variations

About a year ago I posted two pictures of this staircase at the St. Louis University Museum of Art that were single image HDR mappings.  Today I returned to to make bracketed shots from a different angle with a wider lens.  Processing steps include passes through Nik HDR Efex, Photoshop CS5, Nik Color Efex Pro and Nik Dfine.  Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 was the final step, applying a strong blue filter, blue/sepia split tone and the Agfapan 100 film preset.

In Nik Color Efex Pro's Glamour Glow preset, I've worked out setting I call Vintage Glamour, which applies a gentle glow and desaturates the color.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f/2.8-4 D IF
Exposure:	ISO 1600, f/5.6 @ 1/20s base, 3 1-stop brackets, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Mixed window and tungsten
Support:	Handheld
Location:	St. Louis University Museum of Art GPS
Dates:	Capture - July 30, 2011, Processed - July 30, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Color Efex Pro

Lotus Blossom #12, HDR

One last lotus blossom for the season, adjacent to the previous post.  Even though the angle in relation to the sun was only about 15 degrees different, the full back lit glow is missing.  Still, I liked the composition and clicked off the bracket series.

The monochrome generated by Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 is a platinum print preset I developed.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 200, 3 brackets around f/8.0 @ 1/200s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Hazy sunlight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2 w/leveling base, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis
Dates:	Capture - July 16, 2011, Processed July 17, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Dominique #31 Processing Series

While I love the new features in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, I do wish that the custom presets I created for the first version could be imported to the new.  The "Grainy Nude" preset I used for earlier pictures of model Dominique was one of my favorites.  To recreate the preset, I started with an unprocessed image of Dominique and went through the processing steps a few times until it matched the other pictures.

A new preset I worked out is one for vintage Platinum prints.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/4.0 @ 1.2s, Auto WB
Lighting:	Two Calumet Quattro beauty dishes
Support:	Gitzo Basalt tripod w/Acratech GP head
Location:	Grand Center Artists' Studios
Dates:	Capture - August 15, 2010, Processed - April 23, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Untitled detail In Dark City Variations

This detail of "Untitled" by Keith Haring in City Garden was taken from a vantage point just a few feet away from my last post, "Arch and Old Courthouse In Dark City".  The faint detail in he middle is the top of the Old Courthouse.  Pete Turner used to pump up the saturation and contrast of his pictures by making multiple generations of Kodachrome dupes.  I did the same thing here using Nik Color Efex Pro to convert the picture to Kodachome 64 Professional twice.

The Tintype preset for Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 uses a sharp blue filter to emulate the vintage process.  The result here feels very Zen-like to me.

This is the first generation Kodachrome conversion and the basis for all the monochrome conversions.

Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 has a vintage preset called Yellow 2 that I've uses a few times now.  I like the dingy yet glowing feel it can impart.

This cyanotype conversion has the longest tonal scale of any of the processes I used.

Finally, this partial solarization made in Nik Color Efex Pro was split toned sepia with blue shadows in Lightroom 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/8.0 @ 1/400s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Morning daylight and shade
Support:	Handheld
Location:	City Garden, St. Louis GPS
Dates:	Capture - April 11, 2010, Processed - April 9, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Arch and Old Courthouse in Dark City

This starting picture of the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse, as seen from City Garden, is the result of an autochrome processing experiment.  I started by introducing noise with Nik RAW sharpener, then ran the file though Nik HDR Efex to emphasize the grain and map tones using my "Dark City" preset.

To add to the impressionistic effect, I added a Glamor Glow in Nik Color Efex Pro.  I think it now have a Steam Punk Autochrome.

The partial reversal was made using the solarization tool in Nik Color Efex Pro, followed by a blue/sepia split tone in Lightroom 3.

A cyanotype, from Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 makes a good day for night conversion.

Photoframe Free has a number of hand coated emulsion effects.  If finally realized that you can resize them!

To finish, a gum bichromate made with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/8.0 @ 1/400s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Morning daylight and shade
Support:	Handheld
Location:	City Garden, St. Louis GPS
Dates:	Capture - April 11, 2010, Processed - April 8, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Trisha/Marilyn #1, Processing Series

Model Trisha Bradshaw had the idea to make some pictures as a modern Marilyn  Monroe, borrowing makeup styles from the early 60s.  I decided to go fairly flat with the lighting to match the style of the day.  The processing here is aims to look like a 1950s Technicolor still.  The processing steps were Lightroom 3 to adjust color and apply typical portrait retouching, Photoshop CS5 to do minor pixel retouching and adjust levels, Nik Vivenza to boost brightness and contrast, lower structure and saturation, Nik Sharpener Pro RAW to boost eyes and mouth crispness, Nik Define to reduce noise, Nik Color Efex Pro to add the CSI Miami glow.  This picture served as the basis for the

One of the new Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 presets, Film Noir 1, was the starting point.

The 60s Ektacolor Pro look I was able to dial into the Nik Color Efex Pro Film Effects tool.

Back to Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, I'm still trying to get the hang of the selective color feature, which is very powerful.

Finally, Susan showed me a portrait of Taylor Swift that was on the cover of Parade Magazine that was sepia toned with color lips and asked me whether I could to the same.  The selective color tool in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 makes the processing relatively easy.  The processing emulates Polaroid P/N film.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 100, f/7.1 @ 1/60s, Flash WB, RAW
Lighting:	Broncolor, main light small Chimera Super Pro, hair light snoot
Support:	Gitzo Basalt tripod w/Acratech GP head and RRS L-bracket
Location:	Grand Center Artists' Studios
Dates:	Capture - March 19, 2011, Processed - March 27, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Trisha Bradshaw - Bond Girl in Dark City Variations

 It took nearly a week to find the right balance of grunge, but I finally got 'round to processing Trisha Bradshaw's Bond girl into the Dark City series.  This picture is straight out of Nik HDR Efex Pro using a custom single image tone mapping I call "Dark Vintage".  Many thanks to Trisha, makeup artist Sarah Lynn and Susan Page.

This is the base image, color corrected in Lightroom 3 and level adjusted in Photoshop CS5.

So how could I resist the new "Film Noir 1" preset in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, with green filter and blue/sepia split tone.

Exploring the new selective color tool in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, with dark blue toner and green filter, Trisha becomes something of a vamp.

Working the night shift for "CSI Miami" thanks to Nik Color Efex Pro.

And finally, a gritty Fresson from Nik Color Efex Pro.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/4 @ 1/60s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Ambient night plus on camera flash
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Grand Center Artists' Studios
Dates:	Capture - February 19, 2011, Processed - February 25, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Trisha Bradshaw - 80s Portrait Variations #2

This final picture from our 2/19 shoot with model Trisha Bradshaw and makeup artist Sarah Lynn goes for Hollywood glamor, '80s style.  This monochrome was created in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, using a new preset I made just for portraits.  Trisha's right arm, which you'll see in the shots below, didn't read quite right in this version, so I took it out with Photoshop.  The blue/sepia split tone was applied in Lightroom 3.

This is the base picture, color corrected in LightRoom 3, spotted, leveled and lens corrected in Photoshop CS5, noise reduction in Nik Dfine, treated with Nik Sharpener Pro and brightened in Nik Vivenza.

It would not be the '80s without a nod to Sarah Moon and Sheila Metzner with a Fresson image made with a custom preset in Nik Color Efex Pro.

And of course, the who can forget medium format, warm toned prints by Bruce Webber?  Nik Silver Efex Pro at work again, using the Ilford Pan-F 50, green filter and coffee toner settings.

And finally, the look of 6cm x 4.5cm Kodachrome 64 Professional and a B+W black net filter printed on Cibachrome.

I'd like to thank one more time Sarah Lynn, Trisha Bradshaw and Susan Page for lending me their talents for a few hours last Saturday.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/4.4 @ 1/30s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Single Calumet Quattro beauty with 5500K fluorescent bulbs
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP head, RRS L-bracket
Location:	Grand Center Artists' Studios
Dates:	Capture - February 19, 2011, Processed - February 23, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, Nik Color Efex Pro