Eight - A Ghost of a Chance

It's not something I do often - completely reprocessing a shot. I also don't usually dabble too much in extreme processing like this. I was doing some reading up on cross processing in a Lightroom book and thought it might work well with the image I posted yesterday. I started with a Lightroom preset and tweaked from there. A B&W rendition was blended in a bit to bring back some detail in areas. It added a higher level of drama and produced a kind of ghostly feel that I really like. Hopefully you will too. The shot was taken with my X100 on a photo shoot with my model friend Eight a while back. We shot around dusk in the small town of Taylor. Due to windy conditions I mainly used a bare flash with no modifers. For this shot, I did attach a grid to minimize light spill onto the wall. Strobist info: Key: Nikon SB-28 through grid high overhead at 1/64 power. Trigger: Cactus V Please hit 'L' for large on black! New blog entry on cross processing technique Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Eight - Modern Marilyn

Here is one more shot taken with my X100 on a photo shoot with my model friend Eight a while back. We shot around dusk in the small town of Taylor. It was a windy day and Eight really did have some battles keeping this dress down! A good gust resulted in this pose reminiscent of a Marilyn Monroe shot. Due to the windy conditions I mainly used a bare flash with no modifers during our shoot. For this shot, I did attach a grid to minimize light spill onto the wall. I realized that I have gotten rather lax in including workflow details. It's been pure laziness and I'll make it a point to be more thorough. I certainly want to share what I know and it's just as important for me to remember what I did! :) Post Processing (in Photoshop unless otherwise noted): - Image cleanup (skin smoothing, sharpening, blemish, and hot spot removal.) - B&W conversion with Topaz Labs BW Effects. - Nik Viveza used for a bit of constrast and structure boost on wall. - Nik Color Efex Bleach Bypass on original image blended lightly with B&W to increase overall contrast and add slight color. - Slight adjustment with Curve layer to finish out shadow/highlight balance. - Slight vignette with Lightroom. Strobist info: Key: Nikon SB-28 through grid high overhead at 1/64 power. Trigger: Cactus V Please hit 'L' for large on black! New blog entry about cross processing technique Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Eight - Torn

Here is a shot taken with my X100 on a photo shoot with my model friend Eight. We shot around dusk in the small town of Taylor. Due to windy conditions I opted to use just a single bare flash. Strobist info: Key: Nikon SB-28 camera left at 1/64 power. Trigger: Cactus V Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Eight - Gusty Exposure

Here is another shot taken with my X100 on a photo shoot with my model friend Eight a while back. We shot around dusk in the small town of Taylor. Due to windy conditions I mainly used a bare flash with no modifers. For this shot, I did attach a grid to minimize light spill onto the wall. Strobist info: Key: Nikon SB-28 through grid high camera right at 1/64 power. Trigger: Cactus V Please hit 'L' for large on black! New blog entry on cross processing technique Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - The Colorful Wall

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! We were both shivering in the cold air. She brought this warm jacket and I just brought a hoodie like a dummy. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. I thought it might be cool to have her stand in front of this brightly colored wall, thinking I could throw it out of focus and have some nice bokeh. The problem was that I wasn't able to really get it out of focus enough to remove the details. I was thinking I'd end up tossing this shot until I downloaded a copy of Topaz Labs Lens Effects to try out. It was kind of a pain to get the masking right but I did manage to get the wall blurred a bit more. Strobist: Key: SB-28 (about 1/16 power if I remember right) with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - Seated Pose

OK, one last shot from my session with Carol. I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! We were both shivering in the cold air. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. We found this patio area to use for an outdoor seated shot. I think she liked this location best because she was able to duck into an adjacent foyer while I tweaked the lighting setup. Strobist: Key: SB-28 with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Fill: SB-28 through shoot-through umbrella at mid height camera right. Cactus V triggers. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - Cold and Windy [Explored]

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! We were both shivering in the cold air. She brought this warm jacket and I just brought a hoodie like a dummy. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. The sky was overcast but still bright so I used the built-in ND filter in my Fuji X100 for this shot. It didn't take much flash power at all to add a bit of light to her face. I happened to snap this shot at the right moment when a gust of cold air blew through her hair. I think this one is my favorite from our photo shoot. Strobist: Key: SB-28 (about 1/16 power if I remember right) with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - Gloomy Day [Explored]

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! We were both shivering in the cold air. She brought this warm jacket and I just brought a hoodie like a dummy. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. The sky was overcast but still bright so I used the built-in ND filter in my Fuji X100 for this shot. It didn't take much flash power at all to add a bit of light to her face. I was looking for something moody and dramatic here. This was a shot that I wasn't crazy about at first. Her expression didn't match the full color version so I experimented with black and white. That didn't work for me either so I came up with this desaturated look that I really liked. There is kind of a film noir look to it. Strobist: Key: SB-28 (about 1/16 power if I remember right) with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - A Little Blue on a Gray Day [Explored]

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! We were both shivering in the cold air. She brought this warm jacket and I just brought a hoodie like a dummy. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. The sky was overcast but still bright so I used the built-in ND filter in my Fuji X100 for this shot. It didn't take much flash power at all to add a bit of light to her face. Strobist: Key: SB-28 (about 1/16 power if I remember right) with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - A Classic Pose

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! Luckily she had a sweater dress but we were both shivering in the cold air. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. I tend to like environmental portraits and that is mostly what I shot that day. I got in a little closer for this one and Carol fell into what I would consider a classic pose. I really liked the slight smile in this one. Strobist: Key: SB-28 with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Carol - Sweater Weather

I had the opportunity to work with Carol a few weeks back. She is a new but very talented model. We happened to pick a cold and overcast day for a photo shoot! Luckily she had a sweater dress but we were both shivering in the cold air. The pressure was on me to shoot quickly so we could get back inside. Strobist: Key: SB-28 with Lumiquest LTP softbox high camera left. Cactus V trigger. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

2011 - Another Great Year!

It's already a new year by Flickr's clock but we still have a few hours to go in Texas. I wanted to wish all of my friends on Flickr a Happy New Year. Thanks to so many of you for your words of encouragement the past year. It really means a lot to me! This image was generated with Big Huge Labs Scout utility over the Christmas holiday. Here, according to Flickr, are my most interesting shots so far. 1. Stephanie - End of a Hot Day [Explored], 2. Paratrooper [Explored], 3. Piano Sunset, 4. Judgment Day [Explored], 5. Bridge to Radisson, 6. Eccentricity, 7. Vortex Master [Explored], 8. Loss of Control, 9. Melt [Explored], 10. Stephanie - Texas Style [Explored], 11. Resonate [Explored], 12. Congress Ave in Blue [Explored], 13. Emily - Passing Through the Night [Explored], 14. Texas Capitol Dome (Angled), 15. Wheel in the Sky, 16. 121 W. 6th, 17. Gauges and Tubes, 18. Together in Spirit, 19. 140 PSI, 20. Enter Level 2, 21. Westcave Waterfall, 22. Carnival Food, 23. Yarn Bombed Angelina, 24. Tree of Lights, 25. Gobstopper Machine, 26. Smithville Mobil, 27. The Mirage, 28. Better Not Tell You Now [Explored], 29. Textures & Rust, 30. Texas Capitol Doorknob, 31. Dorothy, 32. Ana Maria - A Little Bit Country [Explored], 33. The Lighter Side of 8, 34. Angelic Diana, 35. Water Colors at Night, 36. Ghost Town Hotel, 37. Parasols in the Sky, 38. Carnival Store [Explored], 39. Grinding at the Bat Bar, 40. Stacking Light, 41. Weathered Blue Door, 42. zpizza, 43. The Artist's Hand [Explored], 44. I Love My Chick, 45. Green with Vengeance [Explored], 46. Driskill Lobby Christmas Tree, 47. Misty Morning on Pedernales, 48. Stevie's City, 49. Dark Angel Reprise [Explored], 50. Late Night Dining, 51. Right at the Capitol, 52. The Heroine, 53. Power Plant at Dusk, 54. Where Should We Go?, 55. As I See It - Yes [Explored], 56. Old Barn on 1660, 57. Tex Mix, 58. Embrace the Dark, Shun the Light, 59. A Gathering on the Lake, 60. Door 110, 61. Pipeline to the Stars, 62. Christmas Tree Spots, 63. Water & Rust, 64. Ana Maria - Night in the Park [Explored], 65. Hypnotic, 66. Centrifugal Force, 67. The Forgotten Street [Explored], 68. No Pain!, 69. Wiggy's [Explored], 70. IronStone Bank [Explored], 71. Ana Maria - Relax, 72. Happy New Year 2011! If you like, you can also be pummeled by a 2 minute condensation of all my shots from 2011 on Flickr here. Thanks again for a great year and I hope further hone my skill and provide even more cool stuff in 2012. New blog post. Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

If It Makes You Happy [Explored]

I was out in Taylor, TX this afternoon on a photowalk with my friend Mark. This gentleman struck up a conversation with me outside of a little book and antique shop. He was dropping off some things he had gathered for the owner of the shop. Ollie (hopefully I got his name right) asked if I'd like to take his picture. Ordinarily, I don't ask people on the streets for a photo. I can't help feel like I'm intruding in their lives. Since he asked, I was glad to oblige. He asked me if I liked taking photos and I said that indeed I do. "Then keep taking pictures", he said, "you should do what makes you happy." He was quite a character and we had a good little chat. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Lonely Town [Explored]

I went out with my friend Andy tonight to explore the small town of Taylor, TX. The main east to west road through town is lined with rows of cool old buildings, most of which are unoccupied and some are in a state of bad decay. Taylor seems to be growing in spite of what seems to be a forgotten area at the heart of town. The streets of downtown are eerily quiet at night. This shot is a single handheld exposure with the X100. It's a good example of the dynamic range and low noise of this camera. I only cropped slightly and made some minor contrast adjustments with curves in photoshop. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100, which was used to capture this scene. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Doesn't Happen Often [Explored]

I went downtown with my friend Andy to get a shot of the Christmas tree at the Driskill Hotel. The city was blessed with a few showers that evening and we grabbed the chance to get some shots of the wet streets in between showers. Rain is something we saw little of this year. The drought dealt a heavy blow to the crops, cattle, and property in Texas. I don't mind a bit of a dreary Christmas after a summer that felt like hell. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Christmas Dinosaurs

Nothing says Christmas like aluminum foil dinosaurs. I went down to 37th St. in Austin with my friend Andy before Christmas to check out the Christmas lights. This street is famous in Austin for the Christmas lights displayed by some of the folks who live here. Apparently, a few of the residents tried to outdo each other in years past and it caught on with many of the neighbors. People have come and gone to this little neighborhood but the tradition carries on with many of the current residents. I think this display may have even the Griswolds beat. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100, which was used to capture this scene. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Lucy's Christmas Bounty

Merry Christmas, everyone! I just had to share this shot of Lucy enjoying the rawhide chew Santa left for her. It is so hard to get this one to stay still for a picture! Luckily, she was happily engaged with her treat and let me snap off a few shots. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Not a Creature was Stirring [Explored]

Merry Christmas, Flickr friends! My favorite Christmas tree in Austin is always at the Driskill Hotel. I've gone down there the past couple years to get a shot of this magnificent tree. I went this year with my friend Andy. Getting a shot of this tree is a bit challenging due to the dim lighting and lots of people walking through the lobby. It takes some patience! Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Christmas Sock Monkey

I went down to 37th St. in Austin with my friend Andy the other night to check out the Christmas lights. This street is famous in Austin for the Christmas lights displayed by some of the folks who live here. Apparently, a few of the residents tried to outdo each other in years past and it caught on with many of the neighbors. People have come and gone to this little neighborhood but the tradition carries on with many of the current residents. I found a tree full of sock monkeys and stopped to grab a snapshot of this little guy. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

All Wrapped up in Christmas

I went down to 37th St. in Austin with my friend Andy the other night to check out the Christmas lights. This street is famous in Austin for the Christmas lights displayed by some of the folks who live here. Apparently, a few of the residents tried to outdo each other in years past and it caught on with many of the neighbors. People have come and gone to this little neighborhood but the tradition carries on with many of the current residents. Just about everything on this lawn was wrapped in lights, including this little angel. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Ornamental Bokeh

I went down to 37th St. in Austin with my friend Andy last night to check out the Christmas lights. This street is famous in Austin for the Christmas lights displayed by some of the folks who live here. Apparently, a few of the residents tried to outdo each other in years past and it caught on with many of the neighbors. People have come and gone to this little neighborhood but the tradition carries on with many of the current residents. I noticed a pleasant glow of lights in this plastic Christmas tree. The shot looks like it could have been taken in someone's living room but it is actually on someone's front lawn. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Christmas Pair

I drove through downtown Round Rock on the way home yesterday and saw that they have a pair of Christmas trees up. I hadn't had time to snap any shots of Christmas lights yet this year and this looked like a good opportunity. This is a mild HDR image. I blended a couple of exposures and a tonemapped rendition from Nik HDR Efex to balance out the lighting and shadow details. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Accessorized Torsos

Seen one night in the windows of a store in Austin's warehouse district. I can't say I have ever understood the use of dismembered bodies for clothing and accessory display. Check out my latest blog entry, a review of the Fujifilm X100! Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Night Watchman

I noticed this wooden sculpture in a window while on a photowalk with my friend Andy in the South Congress area of Austin. There are a lot of neat shops in this area with an eclectic mix of art for sale. Please hit 'L' for large on black - looks much better! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!

Continental Neon

Here's something I don't do very often - post something straight out of camera. Well, OK, I did crop just a bit but that was it! I love neon signs and this one outside the famous Continental Club on South Congress near downtown Austin is one of my favorites in the city. I like the negative space of this shot for some reason. There's an elegant simplicity to it. Please hit 'L' for large on black! Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus I welcome comments and I will be happy to reciprocate by checking out and commenting on your photostream. Group invites are welcome, but I do not participate in Post / Award groups. I reserve the right to delete gaudy, glittery, flashing group invite icons!