Epson 4880 Printer

Selling my Epson 4880 if anyone's interested. I've listed on Craig's List: http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pho/2632484227.html

Dark City #27, HDR

After some time away, I've returned to collecting candidate images for my Dark City series.  This picture started with three hand held 1-stop brackets processed in Nik HDR Efex.

This monochrome come from a virtual copy of the top picture with a blue/sepia split tone applied in Lightroom 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	Nikkor AF 24-85mm f/2.8-4 D IF
Exposure:	ISO 100, 52mm @f/8.0 @ 1/400s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Daylight
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Clayton, Missouri
Dates:	Capture - September 11, 2011, Processed - September 11, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Photoshop CS5

Sandy Shaw #3, Process Variations

Model Sandy Shaw for Style Magazine, makeup and hair Susan Page, photo styling Marijo Bianco.  Capture with Hasselblad 500 C/M, Zeiss 150mm f/4.0, Fujichrome 50.  Original Cibachrome print.

Grunge version, blue/sepia split tone in Lightroom 3.

Linda Keaton in Creve Coeur Park

Model Linda Keaton braving the green water in Creve Coeur Park Lake, makeup and hair by Jackie Hicks.  Photo capture with Hasselblad 500 C/M, 150mm f/4.0 Sonnar, Kodak TMax 100.  Original print on Agfa Portriga Rapid #3.

Grunge processing with blue and sepia split tone in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

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.

Pennie in Stix Fur Ad

This is model Pennie Beaumont in picture ran for several years as an ad for the Stix, Baer & Fuller fur salon.  The day we were to shoot, the furs were stolen from a loading dock before any could make it to the studio, so we had to make do with Pennie's own winter coat, which was dark and had some texture, but was nothing like fur, really.  Photo made with a Nikon F2 w/motor drive (I miss that sound!), Nikkor 105mm f/2.5, Kodak Panatomic X, K2 filter and printed on Agfa Portriga Rapid.

Terrence #2 - Variations

Model Terrence dropped by the studio after a hard gym workout for a few quick shots.  At the time, I was influenced by Francis Bacon for male nude form.  Created with a Leica M3, 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit, Afgapan 25, K2 filter, single Broncolor Pulso head with a honeycomb grid.  Originally printed on Agfa Portriga Rapid, this is a digital copy made a Nikon D700 and Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8.  

Polaroid P/N transfer version.

Blue/Sepia split tone version.

Jenny in Denim, Process Variations

Model Jenny in vintage denim, makeup by Susan Page, photo styling by Marijo Bianco for Style Magazine.  Picture made with a Leica M2, 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit, Kodak Ektachrome 64 Professional.

I made a cyanotype version for the original project, which was a denim series, but the original print was lost.  The recreation here is from Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Summer Beauty Editorial - In January

So, what do you do in when your assignment is a Summer beauty editorial, but it's January, 20F, two feet of snow on the ground and there is no travel budget and the film has to go out that day?  Why, bring 300 pounds of sand into the studio and pour it on the floor of course!  We had no swimsuit or beach wear, so the cover up top is just a scarf.  Captured with a Sinar F 4x5 and 300mm Schneider Symar on Ektachrome 64 professional.  Lighting is a Broncolor Flashman, Pulso head and direct light from an umbrella reflector.

In retrospect, I should have used white sand, not Meramec river sand, but the picture won a couple of awards anyway.  

A Hollywood Platinum print version made in Nik Silver Efes Pro 2.

Sandy Shaw #2 Process Variations

This is a digital copy of a Cibachrome print from my 1990's fashion portfolio.  The model is Sandy Shaw, with makeup and photo styling by Susan Page.  Sandy was our daughter's dance teacher.  The picture was made with a Leica M2 and 90mm Elmarit f/2.8 on Ektachrome 64 Professional.  Lighting is Broncolor Flashman and Pulso heads.

By accident, I opened the picture in Nik Silver Efex Pro (not the new 2), and stumbled on this preset I made to simulate print solarizaton.

In the late 80's and early 90's I occasionally made alternative print processes, like this cyanotype.

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

Calla Lilly #1 Variations

After several weeks of schedule conflicts, Susan and I finally made it to the studio to collaborate on a series of flower pictures.  Our first subject is this calla lily, actually a sickly plant we picked up at Trader Joe's, but we liked the bloom.  I noticed that Susan has been looking at a lot of Gustav Klimpt's paintings lately, so I thought I'd make a picture using technique that pays its respects to his work.

For the monochrome variant, I went with the Platinum process, which was new in Klimpt's day, with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 using my own Platinum preset and a K2 equivalent filter.

Going even older old school, a runner up for me is this antique print process, one of the new presets in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.  The defaults are too flat for my taste, but served as a starting point.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/22 @ 1/60s, 5 1-stop flash brackets, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Ringlight strobe, small Flashpoint 85 watt fluorescent bank
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod and Acratech GP-2 ball head and leveling base
Location:	Grand Center Artist Studio
Dates:	Capture - July 24, 2011, Processed - July 24, 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

Lotus Blossom #11, HDR Variations

#1 - "CSI Miami" treatment

A handful of lotus flowers were still in bloom in the Japanese Garden at the Missouri Botanical gardens last Saturday morning.  A hazy sun back light really brought out detail and texture, captured by the magical Nikon 180mm "Leni Lens".  I wound up making four versions and would love to hear from you if you have a preference.  The last step for #1 was to apply a partial "CSI Miami" glow effect in Nik Color Efex Pro.

#2 - "Platinum Print" process

Inspired by the exquisite work by Irving Penn, I came up with a Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 process preset that is very close to the look of a Platinum-Palladium process, especially when printed on a good matte paper.

#3 - "Lens Baby" filter

As an experiment, I decided to use the Nik Color Efex Pro 3 "Vignette Blur" tool to simulate the Lens Baby look.

#4 - Grainy Nude process

This monochrome processing preset in Lightroom 3 started out as an approach for nudes, but it has come in handy for botanical subjects, too.

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

Lotus Seed Pod #2

Drying in the sun causes the lotus flower stalks to bend and curl as they slowly collapse.

The monochrome here is from my "Grainy Nude" preset in Lightroom 3.

And I had to try a solarization version in Nik Color Efex Pro 3.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/22 @ 1/30s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Hazy daylight, back lighted
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod and Acratech GP-2 ball head and leveling base
Location:	Missouri Botanical Gardens
Dates:	Capture - July 16, 2011, Processed - June 16, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Color Efex Pro

Lotus Seed Pod #1

I was about a month late to catch the lotus blooms at Missouri Botanical Gardens, but I found some details I thought were interesting.  For instance, this lotus seed pod drying in the sun looks a little bit like damaged cherry pie.  Processing involved combining three 1-stop brackets in Nik HDR Efex, levels adjustment, lens correction and minor retouching in Photoshop CS5, local color adjustments for each corner in Nik Vivenza and finally focus vignetting in Nik Color Efex Pro 3.

This monochrome is courtesy Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, starting with the Fine Art preset and finished with a blue filter, lens 1 vignette and blue/sepia split tone.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/22 @ 1/30s, Auto WB, RAW
Lighting:	Daylight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod and Acratech GP-2 ball head and leveling base
Location:	Missouri Botanical Gardens
Dates:	Capture - July 16, 2011, Processed - June 16, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Color Efex Pro

Zombie Cicada HDR

We've been seeing quite a few half cicadas lately.  Presumably a predator chomps off the abdomen and the head, wings and four legs keep going for a while.  Susan found this guy afixed to a cushion.  Final processing step was the Polaroid Transfer tool in Nik Color Efex Pro

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/11 @ 1/60s, Flash WB, RAW
Lighting:	Ring Flash
Support:	Handheld
Location:	My Back Yard
Dates:	Capture - June 13, 2011, Processed - June 15, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Color Efex Pro

Drowning Cicada #1 & #2

Recently, a common event in our back yard is a cicada plowing into our swimming pool, buzzing for a bit, then drowning.  Tonight I had a macro lens and ring flash on hand to record this guy's last chirp.  In this shot, the his wings are beating hard and fast are causing quite a bit of turbulence.  This picture is a little soft, but, in my defense, I was leaning over the edge of the pool in the dark with $3,000 of camera gear, manually focusing a 105mm Micro-Nikkor racked all the way out.

And finally, the cicada makes one more effort to take off before being claimed by the pool skimmer.  Both shots were processed to simulate the recently departed Kodachrome 64 Professional.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D
Exposure:	ISO 200, f/11 @ 1/60s, Flash WB, RAW
Lighting:	Ring Flash
Support:	Handheld
Location:	Grand Center Artists' Studios
Dates:	Capture - June 13, 2011, Processed - June 13, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Color Efex Pro

Sunflower #28, HDR Fresson Series

This second attempt at a Lens Baby/Fresson print leaves out a few processing steps from Sunflower #27, but is still fairly involved:

• Combine three one-stop brackets in Nik HDR Efex
• Apply lens correction and adjust levels in Photoshop CS5
• Simulate the Lens Baby in Nik Color Efex Pro using the Vignette Control
• Adjust brightness and structure in Nik Viveza
• Crop and add grain texture in Lightroom 3

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 200, 2 brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Window Light
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Home Studio GPS
Dates:	Capture - August 1, 2010, Processed May 28, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Nik Suite Tools

Sunflower #27, HDR Fresson Series

After looking at some pictures made with the Lens Baby system, I wondered if the effect could be could be duplicated with tools in Nik Color Efex Pro.   The steps to make the picture include:

1. Combine three 1-stop brackets in Nik HDR Efex using the "Vibrant Landscape" preset.
2. In Photoshop CS5, apply lens correction and adjust levels
3. Crop to 1:1 in Lightroom 3, adjust saturation and vibrance
4. In Nik Color Efex Pro, apply the "Selective Focus" tool for the Lens Baby look
5. In Nik Color Efex Pro, apply a "Fresson" preset based on the "Film Effects" tool
6. Convert to monochrome in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, using an X1 filter and coffee toner

Starting with the output from step #5 above, the "Colorize" tool in Nik Color Efex Pro created this muted color version.

The output from step #3 is a very natural looking HDR image.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 200, 2 brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Window Light
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Home Studio GPS
Dates:	Capture - August 1, 2010, Processed May 28, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3, Photoshop CS5, Nik Suite Tools

Cicadas are coming!

The 13-year Cicada returns in 2011 and it's going to be noisy. This photo was made using 2 lens-mounted SB-200 flash units and a translucent Lastolite Tri-Grip to soften the direct sunlight.

Nikon D3, AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4, f/11 at 1/10 sec, ISO 200

Top iPad Photography Apps and Tools

Now that I've been making an effort to use the Apple iPad2 for all things photography a few weeks, I thought I'd share some thoughts about what the iPad brings to the table for photographers and point out some gaps that I hope iOS developers will be able to fill.  

Camera Bag

The iPad's portability and screen size make it a device that can be carried easily in a camera bag.  Several new bags have reached the market with a compartment just for a tablet device.  I had high hopes for the Tamrac Rally 5 bag, but it had several issues that led me to return it the day it arrived from Amazon.  The deal breaker for me is the way cover flap does not completely cover the top of the bag, inviting dust and rain into the main compartment.  The loud Velcro closure and tendency to roll over are also big negatives for me.

I settled on the the Think Tank Urban Disguise 5 V2.0 for my daily bag and really love it.  In addition to an iPad (or 15-inch laptop), it will hold a Nikon D700 with 180mm lens, four more lenses and has pockets and pouches I'm still discovering.  The only danger loading it with more gear than you are willing to carry.

Hardware

I consider the Apple Camera Connection Kit essential.  You get an SD card reader and a way to connect directly to a DSLR camera via USB cable.  Don't get too excited... this does not mean shooting tethered.  But it does mean you can transfer RAW files to the iPad and examine pictures on its larger screen.  On my wish list is a means to transfer pictures from the DSLR as they are shot.  A good USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable is required to connect to a DSLR.  For more information, see this review by Jeremy Horwitz.

The Apple Digital AV Adapter steps up iPad HD output for presentation on big screens via HDMI.  I recommend getting both HDMI and HDMI to DVI nine foot cables.  Amazon Basics has good value for most cables. 

When you need more control than your fingertip for sketching, the Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus works the best of all I've tried.

The Apple Wireless Keyboard is an excellent companion for heads down data entry.

Photography Apps

For quick touch ups, the Adobe Photoshop Express (free) with the Adobe Camera Pack ($4.99 in-app purchase) is about as good as it gets for a tablet or phone.  The Camera Pack adds much needed noise reduction and sharpening.  Photoshop cloud storage is limited, but handy.  Adobe's Color Lava is interesting, but will appeal more to designers than photographers.  Adobe's Nav seems to be a solutions in search of a problem, but it is pretty cool.  It would be nice if the app matured into being more like a Wacom tablet.

On the cloud storage and sharing front apps from Photobucket and Flickr are natural choices.  However, Dropbox has become a defacto standard integrated with growing number of photography applications.  Entry level accounts are free, so it does not hurt to explore all options.

It requires a camera tethered to a laptop or desktop, but DSLR Remote and DSLR Remote Pro HD from OnOne can control a camera remotely from an iPhone or iPad.  This novel and rather clumsy arrangement has some value for self portraits and shooting wildlife from an indoor blind, but isn't something you'd bother with very often unless you're Cindy Sherman.  However, should the need arise, the intervalometer feature is worth the cost of the application.

The Photographers' Ephemeris is an excellent aid for planning landscape shoots and recording locations.  The app is perfectly usable on an iPhone.  Running on an iPad, the extra screen size is welcome.

Another handy planning tool is Simple DOF Calculator (depth of field), which runs equally as well on the iPhone.

Impression is handy for adding a watermark to pictures directly from an iPad or iPhone. 

Easy Release means you always have model and property releases handy and improves over the paper equivalent by emailing PDF copies to all concerned.

Perhaps the most obvious use of the iPad for photographers is to use it in place of a conventional print book portfolio.  I had a look at six of the most popular portfolio applications, but settled on Portfolio because it was the only one with all the features I considered essential, like zooming, music, side-by-side comparisons, VGA support and loading photos from the cloud (via DropBox).  Pad Folio is a solid runner up.  A review in Professional Photographer Magazine compares several competing products.

Productivity Apps

To make quick notes and sketches, Adobe Ideas and Penultimate serve similar, yet different purposes.  Ideas is outstanding for marking up photos, where Penultimate functions better as a sketchbook.  Keynote, the iPad PowerPoint viewer and editor, could easily serve as a portfolio tool.  

If you drag the PDF version of camera and software manuals, not to mention Lightroom Slideshows, onto iTunes, they become available in iBooks.  I found some old photography annuals, like "Pictorial Photography in America 1920", available free in the iBooks store that are a joy to read on the iPad.  Digital editions of Lenswork Portable Edition and a few other photo magazines have extra content well worth investigating.

I'd love to hear from anyone who is using an iPad in any way for photography.

Lunar Corona #1, HDR Variations

Even though the subject is a Lunar Corona, the story here are the surrounding clouds.  Here I used the color "Dark City" processing in Nik HDR Efex combining two exposures.  The second moon is lens flare.

The monochrome from Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 uses my "Toned Platinum" custom preset.

Finally, solarization in Nik Color Efex Pro creates a bas relief effect for the clouds.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 400, 2 brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Moonlight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Ballwin, MO
Dates:	Capture - April 17, 2011, Processed May 18, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, OnOne PhotoFrame Free

Lunar Corona, HDR Variations

A Lunar corona is seen when the clouds are thin enough that each single corona light ray reaching the eye (or camera) is scattered or diffracted by only one droplet or ice crystal.  When I composed the moon off center, the corona vanished.  This first variation was processed in Nik HDR Efex for tone contour mapping, Photoshop for levels adjustment, Nik Color Efex Pro to create a Fresson print and finally Nik Dfine to reduce noise.

I wanted to see how well the image would hold up as a monochrome, so this is the result of processing in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 with a strong blue filter and Cyanotype toner.

I'm really on the fence with regard to purchasing OnOne PhotoFrame.  I love a number of the effects, but do I really need this one?  It is kind of creepy, so maybe I do...

Finally, a acid wash variation from OneOne PhotoFrame Free.  Nice grunge feel, I think.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 400, 5x brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Moonlight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Ballwin, MO
Dates:	Capture - April 17, 2011, Processed May 16, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, OnOne PhotoFrame Free