Before There Was Photoshop . . .

There is probably not a photographer out there who has not heard about or has used Photoshop - or another digital imaging program.

Indeed, it is amazing what can be done – and what magic can be created – in the digital darkroom.

Sure, there are a ton of creative and fun effects in Photoshop. For example, you can hand-color a black-and-file, add a vignette to an image, and desaturate an image for an "old photo" look. You can add type – in any font, size and color – to an image, and place it wherever you like in the image.

The above example illustrates all of these techniques, but it's not an image that was enhanced in Photoshop. My mother, in 1943, hand-colored the black-and-white print of my dad in Central Park. She and my dad developed the negative in their wet darkroom. My mother also added the vignette and the text. And . . . the print survived!

Image makers today still use these creative techniques, which I think is kinda cool.

I found the picture while going through my Dad's stuff today. He passed away in April of this year - as readers of my blog know. (Thank you for all your notes and cards. Means a lot.)

Here is the original print.
The next time you are working and playing in Photoshop, keep in mind that some of the totally cool effects are not totally new.

Explore the light,
Rick

Here is another thought: Save your family photos and keep them in a safe place . . . for future generations.

It's good to have a link to the past.

Here's a picture of my parents taken during WWII. Now that's a cool dress!

HD SLR Video: Getting Started with a Basic Setup

In talking with my friend and HD SLR innovator, Vincent LaForet, he offered some good advice for those just getting into HD SLR video: Keep it Simple.

Well, I am just getting into HD SLR video, and I took his advice.

Here is my simple (starter) setup for images and sound - and why I use this stuff:

Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone. The sound quality is very good and I only have one thing to worry about (as opposed to a transmitter/receiver lapel mic set up). Also, the mic plugs directly into the camera (or an accessory recorder). Because it's not wireless, there is no chance for interference, which I have experienced even with a very good transmitter/receiver mic setup - even when I turn off my iPhone. :-)

If you use an on-camera mic, be sure to turn off the IS and AF features on your camera. Those tiny sounds will be picked up big time.

Want more professional sound? Check out the Zoom recorder. That's the recorder I use for my DPE on-site interviews.

Induro CT 214 Tripod. Steady as a rock and supports the longest lens I use for video: 70-200mm f/4.

If you plan to use longer lenses or other accessories, you probably want a heavier tripod.

Manfrotto 501HDV Fluid Video Head - Supports up to 13.2 lbs (6kg). Lets me move the camera in any directly smoothly and easily. As a bonus, the handle makes me feel like a pro. :-)

A fluid head is an essential accessory for steady shooting.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera Kit with Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens. I like to travel light. This lens is very versatile for people and scenic shots. What's more, at the wide settings, I can hand-hold the setup.

Another favorite lens of mine is the 17-40mm. I shoot more wide-angle stuff than tele stuff.

Lexar 32GB Professional UDMA 600x CompactFlash Card. Reliable and plenty of space for shooting several segments.

Don't leave home without plenty of memory cards (and batteries).

For more HD SLR video/sound information, check out the Digital Photo Experience. Juan Pons posts some good stuff there, as does Art Howard. We also have a interview with Vincent on the site!

Explore the light,
Rick

Get a Free Gourmet Meal In Your Neighborhood

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm Macro Lens, Canon MR-14 EX Ringlite.

I am the first to admit it: I am not a professional food photographer, as any food photographer reading this post will quickly realize. :-)

However, I can take a good enough food photo for a local restaurant's web site and menu.

That's what I did this afternoon. I took a few food photos at the local Japanese restaurant, Samurai, here in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Best of all, the meal was free: I traded the owner my photographs for 10 great - and beautiful – dishes!

Previously, the owner, knowing that I'm a photographer, asked about the trade off. I said, "Sure!" I was on my way to a great sushi meal, and he was on his way to some fresh photos.

So here's the message of this short homily: Why not ask the local restaurants in your area if you can do a trade-off: your photos for their best dishes? It never hurts to ask , you know.


Here are a few quick tips for very basic food photography:

• You'll need a macro lens for close-up shots. However, bring your wide-angle lens for wider shots.

• Carefully watch your aperture. Although pro food photographers often like to use shallow depth-of-field, the restaurant owner may like a more traditional shot, with everything in focus.

• A ring light is helpful for even lighting.

• Try to work with natural light; bring a reflector to fill in shadows, which is what I did for this photograph.

• Bring a tripod for low-light, natural light photographs.

• Shoot each dish from different angles: from the side, top, etc.

• Use digital darkroom techniques (such as vignetting and selective sharpening) to enhance your pictures.

• Be sure to ask the owner if he/she is happy with your pictures before you leave the restaurant.

• When you are all done, post your pictures on your blog in the hope of other local restaurants finding you. Note the labels for this post :-)

Hey, let me know if you plan to try this idea. And, let me know how your shoot (and food) turns out.


Explore the light – and sushi.
Rick


P.S. Sake (hot and cold) was included, in case you were wondering. :-)

Thank You!

Just a quick "thank you" to all those who purchased my new HDR book, HDR Photography Secrets, on amazon.com. The book hit #1 in the How-to category today!

I am happy to be associated with all the other pros in the top 5 - and the top 10!

Hey, the ranking changes from hour to hour, so I was glad to be there at least for a while.

Stay tuned for a cool HDR project in June on DPE.

If you want to learn HDR, I hope you can join one of my workshops. We have a ton of HDR fun!

Thank you again,
Rick

P.S. Ahhhhhh! The book was published before Photoshop CS5, which features a new and improved HDR feature!

Black-and-White HDR Rocks!

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is becoming more and more popular – and easier than ever with programs like Photomatix, and now with the new (and greatly improved) HDR Pro in Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Even though these programs are powerful and offer almost endless creative options, you will find that exploring additional black-and-white options open up additional creative possibilities. I say "additional" because you can desaturate an HDR image to create a black-and-white image.

One reason for the added creative options in black-and-white imaging: When you remove the color from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your picture can look more artistic and creative.

Here are two examples of black-and-white HDR images. Both images were original created in Photomatix from color files. To create the black-and-white effect, I used Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro plug-in.

As an aside, Ansel Adams was a master of HDR imaging. He created high dynamic range images in the wet darkroom by burning/dodging, using different filters/papers/chemicals, and by vary exposure times. Kinda interesting when you think about how long HDR has been available – to pros like Mr. Adams.

Back to Silver Efex Pro. You'll find several cool Presets, which suggest starting points for your images. One is Antique Plate, illustrated below. After selecting a Preset, you have many other creative options, including which color digital filter to apply to an image, shadow/highlight control, brightness, contrast, and of course, control points.


You can get a 15% discount on Nik Software products here.

If you have CS5 (or CS4), other options for creating black-and-white images are available in ACR (under the HSL tab) and as a Black-and-White adjustment (use an Adjustment Layer).

Have fun creating your black-and-white HDR images.

Explore the light,
Rick