End Of The Path, Valley Park Trail

Piled at the end of a path along the Meramec River sits this precarious stack of large concrete blocks.  The scale isn't evident here, but they are large enough to require a crane to move them.  Curiously, they don't seem to match any structures nearby.  This monochrome was created in Nik Silver Efex pro, applying a sharp blue filter.

The color picture upon which the comes from five one stop brackets merged in Nik HDR Efex Pro, followed by levels adjustments in Photoshop CS5 and finally cropped in Lightroom 3.3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/16 @ 1/80s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Late afternoon daylight and shade
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP head, Really Right Stuff L-bracket
Location:	Valley Park River Trail GPS
Dates:	Capture - October 10, 2010, Processed - December 29, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Peeling Paint

Shooting with the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 Zoom

Nikkor 14-24mm at the Kraus House site in Kirkwood. This is Kirkwood's Frank Lloyd Wright house and it's a beautiful site with the low house set behind the tall trees.

I bought this lens a week ago and it's pretty obvious that it's going to take some time to learn how to use it effectively - to get into the super-wide mindset. I hope to be shooting with this a lot and will post more examples soon.

Nikon D3, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @14mm, 1/1250 @ f/5.6, ISO 200.

Kirkwood Station, Christmas Eve

Two images from Kirkwood Station on Christmas Eve morning. Both shot using Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8.

Both images: Nikon D3, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 @ 80mm, 1/1000 at f/5.6, ISO 640

Buddha, Polaroid Transfer

Catching up on my "to do before the end of the year list" includes scanning some fragile old artwork.  This is a scan made with an Epson V500 Photo of a Polaroid transfer on watercolor paper by Susan Page from a 35mm Kodachrome 25 slide I shot circa 1974 using a Nikon F2 and Nikkor 105mm f/2.5.  The already muted colors have faded and some of the pigment is flaking away.

For those unfamiliar with Polaroid transfer, here is a video that demonstrates the technique:

I made a scan of this print several years ago using a scanner by HP, but the results were not very clean.  Epson certainly makes a better photo scanner and software than HP.

Chrysthanemum Variations

This is my first test shot with my new AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED, improvised with a bowl of fortuitously wilting chrysthanemums sitting on our breakfast table.  The lens is a beauty.  Auto-focus is snappy, image amazingly crisp, color rich and its bokeh as good as it gets.

The monochrome is courtesy Nik Silver Efex Pro and blue/sepia split tone from Lightroom 3.

Ray-O-Gram solarization effect courtesy Nik Color Efex Pro.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/11 @ 0.5s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Heavy overcast window light
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP head, Really Right Stuff L-bracket
Location:	My house
Dates:	Capture - December 25, 2010, Processed - December 25, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro

Um...Who ripped my wall down!?

I noticed this while driving to work in Dec, 5 2006. Unfortunately, this family lost an entire exterior wall to their home when a neighboring house was removed. The removal of the neighboring house caused the ground to shift, and with it, a very necessary wall. Thus, revealing this poor PC, left to weather the winter elements by itself.

Hole with Spider Web

With Ralph Gibson much in mind as I took the shot and I was debating whether to remove the spider web.  It grew on my as I worked, so the spider stars in final edit.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF
Exposure:	ISO 200, 70mm @ f/6.7 @ 1/180s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Bright Sunlight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Frontier Park, St. Charles, Missouri GPS
Dates:	Capture - June 28, 2009, Processed - December 23, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Bilge Pump Control Panel

This pump is on a tug dock along the Missouri River near Frontier Park in St. Charles, Missouri.  As I shot, I had the monochrome below in mind.  However, the fortuitous distribution of red, ocher and cyan makes it work in color.  Processing included the crop in Lightroom, lens and levels adjustment in Photoshop and noise reduction in Nik Define.

Monochrome is courtesy of Nik Silver Efex Pro, using the equivalent of a K2 yellow filter and blue/sepia split tone.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED ("Leni Lens")
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/4.0 @ 1/2000s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Bright Sunlight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Frontier Park, St. Charles, Missouri GPS
Dates:	Capture - June 28, 2009, Processed - December 23, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Off Grand

Pipe #2

This is a second posting of the large, rusting pipe that juts out of the Missouri River near St. Charles, Missouri.  The first time around, I used Mike Lao's "300" Lightroom develop preset.  I liked the result, but it squeezed out the silver paint's reflection of the sky on the  shadow side, which makes the structure look transparent in spot at first glance. Processing in Nik HDR Efex to bring out texture, Photoshop CS5 to apply lens correction and levels adjustment, Nik Define to reduce noise and Nik Vivenza to brighten.

The monochrome version comes from Nik Silver Efex Pro, using a strong orange filter, followed by a sepia/blue split tone in Lightroom 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED ("Leni Lens")
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/4.0 @ 1/2000s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Bright Sunlight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	St. Charles, Missouri
Dates:	Capture - June 28, 2009, Processed - December 20, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

3000

Bust of Hygia #3

A bust of Hygia hangs out at our studio, usually on a window ledge.  This is an iPhone 4 Instagram image, processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro for a monochrome conversion using my "Grainy Nude" preset.  The blue/sepia split tone came from Lightroom 3, as well as lens correction.

Technical
Camera:	Apple iPhone 4
Lens:	Apple 3.85
Exposure:	ISO 500, f/2.8 @ 1/500s, Auto WB, JPEG
Lighting:	Window daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Grand Center Artist Studios
Dates:	Capture - December 5, 2010, Processed - December 19, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Ice Strom

Fan Plant in the Climatron

It is hard to tell in this shot, but these back lighted leaves in the MOBOT Climatron are enormous.  The treatment here was levels and lens correction in Photoshop CS5, added contrast in Nik Vivenza and 11x14 crop in Lightroom 3.

The monochrome conversion was in Nik Silver Efex Pro, followed by a sepia/blue split tone applied in Lightroom 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF
Exposure:	ISO 200, EV -1, 70mm @ f/8.0 @ 1/400s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Window daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Missouri Botanical Gardens Climatron GPS
Dates:	Capture - April 17, 2010, Processed - December 18, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Staircase #2, HDR

For those familiar with the venue, yes, I took some liberties with the appearance of this staircase at St. Louis University Museum of Art.  I thought I'd try the Photoshop CS5 content aware brush to remove a statue that sat dead center on the floor.  The tool created some twisted tiles that I rather liked.  The next step was to add some grunge by processing the single image in Nik HDR Efex to exaggerate texture.  Finally, Nik Vivenza brightened the picture about 10%.

The monochrome conversion is from Nik Silver Efex Pro using a custom preset I call "Leica I" that emulates the fine grain 35mm film stock and silver rich paper available circa 1930, with blue/sepia split tone added in Lightroom 3.3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure:	ISO 400, f/5.6 @ 1/8s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Window daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	St. Louis University Museum of Art GPS
Dates:	Capture - October 9, 2010, Processed - December 18, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Water Glass, Duffs Restaurant

Al fresco dining with family and friends is my favorite way to take a meal.  This picture was taken at the end of one of those experiences with a Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4 wide open.  This lens has a buttery smooth bokeh that I seldom use to advantage.  Nik HDR Efex applied with a light touch to a single image can help pull out detail and boost contrast.

Monochrome conversion and sepria/blue split tone thanks to Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure:	ISO 1600, f/1.4 @ 1/5s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Streetlight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Duff's Restaurant GPS
Dates:	Capture - October 9, 2010, Processed - December 11, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Tangerine #1, iPhone HDR

I've come to realize that the iPhone 4 camera, with sufficient illumination, is has almost the depth of field of a pinhole device and can be exploited in much the same way.  In this close-up of a small tangerine on a frosted glass table, I worked in the reflection of a corner wall just beyond the table.  Shooting in HDR mode, the iPhone generates two pictures.  I pulled these into Nik HDR Efex and applies a realistic tone mapping, then added a glow, muted colors and introduced an acid wash border using OnOne Photoshop plug-ins.

The monochrome was created in Nik Silver Efex Pro using a green filter approximating the venerable X1 and sepia/blue split tone.

This is the HDR basis for the two pictures above.

Technical
Camera:	Apple iPhone 4
Lens:	Apple 3.85
Exposure:	ISO 500, f/2.8 @ 1/15s, Auto WB, JPEG
Lighting:	Southern skylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	My house
Dates:	Capture - December 2, 2010, Procesed - December 9, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, OnOne Tools, Photoshop CS5

Soiled Napkin at Duff's

This is my napkin at the end of a wonderful, leisurely meal on the sidewalk in front of Duff's Restaurant.  Processing included Nik HDR Efex, Nik Dfine, Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure:	ISO 1600, f/2.0 @ 1/4s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Streetlight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Duff's Restaurant GPS
Dates:	Capture - October 9, 2010, Processed - December 11, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Mouse Laser Opening

Taken during a long conference call yesterday, this is a picture of the lit laser hole on the bottom of my PC mouse at work, captured with an iPhone 4 using Instagram.  The "face" emerged with the application of a red filter and sepia/blue split tone.  

Technical
Camera:	Apple iPhone 4
Lens:	Apple 3.85mm
Exposure:	ISO 500, f/3.5 @ 1/20s, Auto WB, JPEG
Lighting:	Red laser
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Anheuser-Busch Corporate Offices
Dates:	Capture - December 9, 2010, Processed - December 10, 2010
Processing:	Instagram, Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5

Nautilus Shell #3, iPhone HDR

This is a slightly different take on the backlit nautilus shell that I think better preserves the effect.  The Lightroom 3.3 update included a lens profile for the Apple iPhone lens, which I applied.  Nik HDR Efex provided the extra texture given the two iPhone HDR shots.

This monochrome conversion is from Nik Silver Efex Pro using a split tone preset I made for still life subjects.

I liked the hand coated paper look of the Instgram picture and remembered that I have the OnOne Edge Effects free version.  This is the "Controlled Grunge" frame I applied in Photoshop after laying down a 2.0 Gaussian blur.

Technical
Camera:	Apple iPhone 4
Lens:	Apple 3.85
Exposure:	ISO 500, f/2.8 @ 1/17s, Auto WB, JPEG
Lighting:	Window light
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Grand Center Artist Lofts GPS
Dates:	Capture - December 2, 2010, Procesed - December 9, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

Nautilus Shell #2, iPhone HDR

This picture of a nautilus shell started with the Instagram App on the iPhone 4.  I liked the composition and "Lord Kelvin" preset, but the shot was too flat.  To give it some life, I ran the picture through Nik Define, Nik Vivenza and finally Nik HDR Efex.

I've become a big fan of Instagram.  It is well suited to playing impressionistic work.

The monochrome comes from Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Technical
Camera:	iPhone 4
Lens:	Apple 3.85mm
Exposure:	ISO 500, f/2.8 @ 1/17s, Auto WB, JPEG
Lighting:	Window light
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Grand Center Artist Lofts GPS
Dates:	December 5, 2010
Processing:	Instagram - Lord Kelvin preset, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro

RW 607, Single Image HDR

I have no idea what this structure labeled RW 607 is, but the rust turned a bright red in the late afternoon and enhanced slightly with Nik HDR Efex using the default realistic preset.

This monochrome conversion comes from Nik Silver Efex Pro using a green filter and sepia/blue split tone.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF
Exposure:	ISO 200, 70mm @ f/11 @ 1/500s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Missouri Riverfront, Pioneer Park, St. Charles
Dates:	Capture - June 28, 2009, Procesed - December 4, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Photoshop CS5

Shadows #2

The strong shadow abstracts by Man Ray, Ralph Gibson and Ernst Haas are among my favorites.  I stumbled upon this hatch on a rusting steel tug boat dock along the Missouri River.  For the color version, I used a custom preset I made for landscapes Nik HDR Efex, then applied my "CSI: Miami" effect in Nik Color Efex Pro.

This monochrome version comes from Nik Silver Efex Pro and a custom preset I made that applies a green filter and sepia/blue split tone.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF
Exposure:	ISO 200, 30mm @ f/11 @ 1/500s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Missouri Riverfront, Pioneer Park, St. Charles
Dates:	Capture - June 28, 2009, Procesed - December 4, 2010
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Photoshop CS5

Bilge Pump, Missouri River

This single image HDR tone mapping of a bilge pump that sits on a tug dock on the Missouri River.

The monochrome comes from Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Lens: Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF 

Camera: Nikon D700

Exposure: ISO 200, 30mm @ f/11 @ 1/500s, Auto WB, RAW

Lighting: Daylight

Location: Missouri Riverfront, Pioneer Park, St. Charles

Dates: Capture - June 28, 2009, Procesed - December 4, 2010

Processing: Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Photoshop CS5

Grid #16a-b, HDR Polaroid Transfer

This shot went through a number of processing steps.  First, the RAW file was cropped to 11x14 proportion, straighted and vertical lines made parallel in Lightroom 3.  Next, the image got single file HDR tone mapping in Nik HDR Efex.  The HDR image got minor levels and curves adjustments in Photoshop CS5.  Contrast and structure got a boost in Nik Vivenza and finally, processed as a Polaroid Transfer in Nik Color Efex Pro.

The monochrome conversion came from the precursor to the Polaroid transfer, processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro using a sharp green filter.  The sepia/blue split tone added in Lightroom 3.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED ("Leni Lens")
Exposure: ISO 200, f/8.0 @ 1/200s
Support: Handheld
Lighting: North Skylight
Location: Clayton, MO
Dates: Capture - September 11, 2010, Processed - December 3, 2010
Processing: RAW in Lightroom 3 and Nik Silver Efex Pro

St. Louis Art Museum Muse at Dusk

The muse to the right of the St. Louis Art Museum main entrance as it appeared at dusk.  The building is lit by a sodium vapor streetlight and the statue by skylight and tungsten.  Auto white balance from Nikon draws some heavy flack in reviews, but I think it does a remarkable job interpreting perceptual colors.  A picture I took in January this year does not have the black railing showing at the foot of the statue.    

Monochrome was processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro using a green filter equivalent to Wratten #61 and toned sepia/blue in Lightroom 3.

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure: ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/5s
Support: Handheld
Lighting: Mixed dusk skylight, tungsten and sodium vapor streetlight
Location: St. Louis Art Musem GPS
Dates: Capture - November 26, 2010, Processed - November 27, 2010
Processing: RAW in Lightroom 3 and Nik Silver Efex Pro

St. Louis Art Museum at Night

Leaving the St. Louis Art Museum at dusk last evening, the sky was absolutely crystal clear and lighting on the statue of St. Louis spectacular.  This monochrome was processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro using a custom blue/sepia split tone.

This is the color version, pretty much straight out of the Nikon D700 set to auto white balance.  The color is accurate, which is to say, this is how the scene looked to me.  The sky is amazing, but, as Susan pointed out, it really over powers the subject.


Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure: ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/8s
Support: Handheld
Lighting: Mixed dusk skylight, tungsten and mercury
Location: St. Louis Art Musem GPS
Dates: Capture - November 26, 2010, Processed - November 27, 2010
Processing: RAW in Lightroom 3 and Nik Silver Efex Pro

Artemis Running #9, HDR Test

The one picture stop I always make on a visit to the St. Louis Art Museum it "Artemis Running".  This time, I thought I'd see how well make handheld HDR work.  The light was very flat, so I used my custom "Realistic Bright" setting in Nik HDR Efex to pull up detail and contrast without introducing exaggerated color or texture.  The picture got a little finishing help from Photoshop CS5 to adjust levels and curves.

This monochrome was made in Nik Silver Efex Pro using a custom preset I call "Wet Plate" that emulates the collodion process, then applied the sepia/blue split tone in Lightroom 3.

I have a preset in Nik Color Efex Pro that I call Fresson, which I applied for this version.  I can see that the Fresson processing lends itself more to pictures with less dynamic range.


Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 G
Exposure: ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/50s x three 1-stop brackets
Support: Handheld
Lighting: Mixed window daylight and tungsten
Location: St. Louis Art Musem GPS
Dates: Capture - November 26, 2010, Processed - November 27, 2010
Processing: RAW in Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Photoshop CS5, Nik Silver Efex Pro