Similar Color Tones, Strikingly Different Images, and Messing Around in Photoshop Pays Off!

What’s Up?

On Sunday I did lots of work getting ready for my Falklands South Georgia pre-trip and continued enjoying my personal Chopped Marathon via TIVO… I swam a slow mile–88 lengths of my Digital Basics lap pool.

I was glad to learn on Sunday that Chas Mc Rae’s old Canon 600mm (finally) sold. I suggested last week that Chas lower his price a bit. He did, and it worked to perfection.

I prepared this post in about two hours on Monday morning.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, makes-no-sense, 245 days in a row with a new educational blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases. For best results use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. AND Please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was created on the Palouse IPT at an old round barn that held innumerable treasures. I used the Induro GIT 304L/ Induro BHM-2 ballhead mounted Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 73mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. I used the Wimberley P-5 camera body plate to mount the camera on the BHM-2 ballhead. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-2 stops around a base exposure of +1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/10 in Av mode. WB = 5000K. Live View with 2-second timer as usual. Flexi-Zone single/Rear Focus AF was used.The big square was on the emblem. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Door of old truck

Similar Color Tones and Strikingly Different Images

I noticed well after the fact that today’s featured images feature quite similar color tones but that the subject matter of the two photographs could not have been more different. The strange thing is that both the seemingly natural rolling fields in Image #2 and the truck door in Image #1 are actually both manmade…

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s two images do you like best? Either way, be sure to let us know why you made your choice.

This image was created on the second 2016 Palouse IPT with the with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, (with the internal TC engaged), an external Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at the maximum, 784mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. WB = Flash!. Live View with 2-second timer. Image #2: Rolling hills with the sun just on the horizon… Center AF Point (Manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. I focused on one of the ridgelines just this side of halfway into the frame. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Messing Around in Photoshop Pays Off!

The colors in the RAW file for Image #2 were quite flat and uniform, basically a red-orange. I am not sure how I wound up in Flash WB but the color in the RAW file was exactly as I remembered it. I did, however, want to boost the contrast and find out if the color tones were not quite as uniform as they seemed. After the RAW conversion in DPP 4 I brought the image into Photoshop and opened a Curves Adjustment layer.

There, I decided to try the various items in the drop-down Preset menu. The first, Color Negative (RGB) was interesting; it turned the image various shades of a lovely blue. I clicked on the second item, Cross Process (RGB) and as soon as the image rendered, I said, “Bingo!” It had increased the contrast and introduced a beautiful color gradient from the dark red-orange foreground to the yellowish/orange almost golden tones at the top of the frame. Before I clicked on Cross Process (RGB) I had never even heard of it. But I will not soon forget it.

I learned 99.9% of what I know about Photoshop from various friends, professional colleagues, and students over the past 15 years so it feels great when I come up with something new on my own…

Pronunciation Question Answered

Q: Is it turbines with the second syllable sounding like “bins or with the second syllable rhyming with “signs?”

A: Though the long I version (turbines–second syllable rhymes with signs) is preferred in the UK, either pronunciation is acceptable in the US (according to several online dictionaries…)

Palouse 2016 Horizontals Card

Why Different?

The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour

In what ways will the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour be different from the most other Palouse workshops?

There are so many great locations that a seven-day IPT (as opposed to the typical three- or five-day workshops) will give the group time to visit (and revisit) many of the best spots while allowing you to maximize your air travel dollars. In addition, it will allow us to enjoy a slightly more relaxed pace.

You will be assured of being in the right location for the given weather and sky conditions.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills.

You will learn to design powerful, graphic images.

You will visit all of the iconic locations and a few spectacular ones that are much less frequently visited.

You will learn long lens landscape techniques.

You will learn to master any exposure situation in one minute or less.

You will learn the fine points of Canon in-camera (5D Mark III, 5DS R, and 7D II) HDR techniques.

You will be able to share a variety of my exotic Canon lenses including the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens and the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens, aka the “circle lens.”

You will learn to use your longest focal lengths to create rolling field and Urbex abstracts.

You will learn when and how to use a variety of neutral density filters to create pleasing blurs of the Palouse’s gorgeous rolling farmlands.

As always, you will learn to see like a pro. You will learn what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time. You will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images.

You will learn to use super-wide lenses both for big skies and building interiors.

You will learn when, why, and how to use infrared capture; if you do not own an infrared body, you will get to borrow mine.

You will learn to use both backlight and side-light to create powerful and dramatic landscape images.

This trip will run with one participant.

Palouse 2016 Verticals Card

The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
June 8-14, 2017. Seven full days of photography. Meet and greet at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 7: $2,499. Limit 12/Openings: 11.

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will enjoy spectacular sunrises and at least one nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. I will bring you to more than a few really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join me for this trip. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.

Over the past three years, with the help of a friend, we found all the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and vistas. What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, my extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions. As above, there will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before the workshop begins.

To Sign Up

Your non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold your spot. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining this IPT. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange for the payment of your deposit; if by check, please make out to “BIRDS AS ART” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: artie.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right 🙂