HDR - second try

Little less quick and dirty than last time. Only a -2EV used as the second layer and a bit more care in brushing it back in (got the gable this time!). Patch of sky bottom right was blown completely, even with -4EV applied, so not much I can do about that.

Looks a bit more balanced to my eyes now.

HDR - too much?

Just finished processing the shots I took at Alice's cousin's wedding in December. Took this shot of the hotel very early in the morning (thanks for the wake up Sam), so low sun and difficult to get the sky and the building exposed right, so eventually went for metering off the facade and accepting the sky would most likely get blown. Which resulted in this:






When I came to process, decided to have a play. Opened one version without touching anything in ACR, then opened a second version with the exposure knocked back by -4EV. Dropped the underexposed image on top of the original and then using a "reveal" layer mask brushed back in the correctly exposed building, leaving the darkened sky. Result:




I think it's probably a bit too wide a DR for the eye to completely believe and if I'd had more time, I might have done it again with a -2EV version.

Challenge 4: Portraits

Given the discussion, lets have a crack at producing some interesting, unusual portraits. Feel free to interpret the subject as widely as possible: individuals, groups, self, people, animals, posed, candid, etc, etc. 

I realise this has the potential to annoy our nearest and dearest who may get roped in as subjects, hence the fairly long time for the challenge. Is that OK?

Usual rules

* Theme: Portraits
* Submit up to 5 pictures.
* Post processing and digital manipulation is allowed.
* A brief line should accompany each photo (e.g. location or subject, camera, exposure details, etc).
* The photo must be taken between 17th Jan and 22nd Feb.
* Deadline: 22 Feb 2009.

Pleased with portrait shot

Obviously the subject can't be helped, but think this is one of my favourite portrait shots I've done.

Not sure of exif. Suspect something along the lines of 1/30s, f8, ISO400, looks like it was when we were playing with both flashes on remote, off camera.

Toby's Xmas Final

Tom's attempt got me to experiment with baubles just before the tree came down. I also tried playing with off-camera flash (a new thing for me). By doing this, I managed to avoid any obvious refelection.  F5.6, 1/60, ISO200. 

If you've ever wondered...

...what taking a photo through a red, cherry liqueur wrapper results in.

(Toby, when you release your debut album, feel free to use this as the cover)

(And don't worry, I'm back to work on Monday which means far less time to process and post pointless pictures)

Kevin's Chrimbo (redux)

Taking the approach to this challenge of breaking it down into its consitutent and logically consistent parts was always going to be futile. I did, briefly, consider taking a self portrait of me taking a photograph of the photograph that Tom took of Toby taking a photograph of........... but I started to discern eddies in the space-time continuum, so I stopped.

Anyhow, as the rules have been flexed somewhat by other contributors, my final submission is a photograph that I took while I was away on my Christmas holiday in Nice. It has no latent Chrimbo theme nor content other than the time of year. It's sole qualifying attribute is the date being over the xmas period. So there.

I like it anyhow. and a happy new year to you even if you hate it.

Will get around to posting comments soon - just got home.

Oh, and Tom, make sure your window is big enough to see the whole of the photo --> my santa wasn't chopped off as per your comment.

Rules of photography #47

Never leave your camera set up on the tripod and the remote trigger on the table when you go to help in the kitchen.