Infrared Trees, Tower Grove Park

A high contrast version of this picture posted earlier as Infrared Tree Abstract #1. In the post, I mentioned a Photoshop tutorial on the Life Pixel web site that explains how to process digital infrared captures.  The picture I posted, however, ultimately had very little to do with the tutorial.  I also had a few questions about the infrared processing, so I thought I'd post the intermediate steps.  This picture is a more conventional monochrome conversion with a sepia highlight/blue shadow split tone, much like a print on Ilford Multigrade FB that has been bleached in Farmer's Reducer then toned with Selenium.     

Above left is the straight color shot.  Center was shot using a Cokin P007 infrared filter.  On the right is the output of the center image in Photoshop after applying a custom white balance and swapping the red and blue color channels. 

Here is a runner up version I like quite a bit.  It is based on the color corrected output, processed as a Polaroid transfer in Nik Color Efex Pro, then a split tone applied in Lightroom.

Camera: Nikon D100 

Lens: AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8 D

Exposure: ISO 200, f/11.0 @ 1/2s, Cokin P007 filter

Location: Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, MO GPS

Processing: RAW file in Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Sharpener

Tripod Weight

I thought you guys might like to see this new piece of gear. I shot a time lapse project in NE Utah last week and it was the windiest place I've ever been. This is how I kept the camera from blowing over.

Skull Study #4

After researching the properties of an alternative printing method called the "German Two Color Bromoil Process", I decided to see if I could reproduce the effect.  This picture is the result of my first attempt.

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Nikkor 180mm f2.8 "Leni Lens"

Exposure: ISO 200, f/4.8 @ 1/30s, handheld, window light

Location: Grand Center Artist Lofts

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Suite.

Fallen Tulip Petal #1, Monochrome

I can't resist trying B&W versions of flower pictures, possibly due the influence of Karl Blossfeldt's amazing book, Urformen de Kunst - 1928, which might not have been as compelling had color film been available to him.  As a bit of trivia, I've read several places that Blossfeldt's masterwork is the best selling photography book of all time.  I have a great Tachen version, Karl Blossfeldt: The Complete Published Work, that I visit frequently.

I had a blast shooting a heap of dead tulips, and would like to give public thank to my wife, Susan, for bringing them into the house,  pointing out their spectacular demise and suggesting that I might like to take some pictures.

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Exposure: ISO 200, f/45 @ 1/3s, tripod

Location: GPS

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Silver Efex Pro

Decaying Tulip #3, Solarized

While the color is nice, I think I like this Man Ray version with split tones better.

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Exposure: ISO 200, f/45 @ 1/3s, tripod

Location: GPS

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Suite workflow

Decaying Tulip #3

Still standing on the mantel, but only just, these two tulips collapsed moments after this picture was taken.

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Exposure: ISO 200, f/45 @ 1/3s, tripod

Location: GPS

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Suite workflow

Crushed Tulip

Lying just as I found them on the fireplace mantle, one tulip crushed another as it fell.

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Exposure: ISO 200, f/45 @ 1/3s, tripod

Location: GPS

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Suite workflow

Fallen Tulip Petal #1

The colors seem to get richer and more varied on tulips after the flower starts dropping its petals.  I shot this in place, sitting on our fireplace mantle.  

Camera: Nikon D700 

Lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

Exposure: ISO 200, f/45 @ 1/3s, tripod

Location: GPS

Processing: DNG in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Suite workflow

Decaying Tulip #2

An entertaining read for monochrome aficionados is George DeWolfe's "B&W Printing: Create the Digital Master Print".  DeWolfe studied with Ansel Adams and his book does a great job of translating the Zone System objectives for silver printing into a digital workflow.  While DeWolfe has a religious bias that all prints should look like they were made by a member of Group F/64, the old school advice is a solid foundation and provides a point of departure for the adventurous.  DeWolfe's book has many excellent before and after examples by guest photographers, with workflows for Photoshop and Lightroom.

This picture is the result of a follow along with the Lightroom workflow.  Of course, a proper member of Group F/64 would not shoot a dying flower in the first place or use a split toner.

Technical: Nikon D700, Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, ISO 1600, f/32 @ 1/8s.  RAW file processed in Lightroom 2.7 and Nik Tools.

Decaying Tulip #1, Color Solarization

While I'm not a big fan of color solarization, I like to try it one in a while to see what happens.  Starting with the base file of Decaying Tulip #1, I pumped up the contrast in Lightroom, then used Nik Color Efex Pro to make the solarization.

Technical: Nikon D700, Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8, ISO 1600, f/32 @ 1/40s.  RAW file processed in Lightroom 2 and Nik Color Efex Pro. GPS

Decaying Tulip #1

A bouquet of tulips on our mantel suddenly wilted in a most spectacular way.  Susan plans to make a painting of the over all scene and I decided to capture some details over the next few days.  Lighting here is with a Calumet Quattro without its shower cap.

Technical: Nikon D700, Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8, ISO 1600, f/32 @ 1/40s.  RAW file processed in Lightroom 2 and Nik Suite workflow.

Infrared Tree Abstract #1

On LifePixel.com, the company sells kits to convert cameras to be dedicated infrared devices, there is an excellent tutorial about how to process digital infrared captures in Photoshop that caught my attention.  I decided to play along at home with an old infrared shot from Tower Grove Park.  The key step in the tutorials is to pick a custom white balance to get good tonal separation from the dull red capture.  I had to rough it up a bit beyond the tutorial, but I like the final product as an abstraction.

Technical: Nikon D100, Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8, Cokin P007 infrared filter, ISO 200, f/11 @ 1/2s.  RAW file processed in Lightroom 2, translating the Life Pixel recommended Photoshop processing steps, then adding a few of my own, including a sepia/aqua split tone effect.
 

My Grandfather's 1954 Leica M3

Due to ailing eyesight, in 1989 my grandfather, Max Wilson, officially retired from being an artist and gave Susan his painting supplies and me his camera gear.  I've had the cameras sitting on my desk for a while, just to admire the design the elegant design.  This is a picture of a double stroke Leica M3 from 1955.  The lens is a unique collapsible Leitz 50mm f2.8 Elmar, still in fine shape with no fungus.  I love the M3, but the reason for this quickie shot was to test the indoor accuracy of the budget Columbus nGPS unit for Nikon DSLR cameras.

The Columbus nGPS clips into the camera's hot shoe and tethers into the 10-pin accessory jack for power and data I/O.  Indoors, from a cold start, the unit locked into position in 30 seconds.  After the initial fix, warm start acquisition is a barely noticeable one second. Positioning was accurate for all pictures taken inside the house, beating a Garmin eTrex, which works only near a window on the South side of the house.

Recorded with each capture is latitude, longitude, altitude and UCT, but not bearing.  

Very thoughtful and missing from most competing GPS units is a remote release that operates through the nGPS plug.  Without this feature on a Nikon D700, you'd have to choose between the GPS and a cable release.  The build quality seems very solid, but only time will tell.

Technical: Nikon D700, Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8, ISO 1600, f/16 @ 1s, hand held.  GPS
RAW file processed in Lightroom 3 Beta 2.