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