Cullen's Restaurant

Yesterday was my daughters 13Th birthday! We took her and a friend to Cullen's Restaurant between Clear Lake City and Pasadena. Cullen's is a very upscale restaurant that offers terrific food in a beautifully designed dining space. The round structure suspended from the ceiling is a private dining room! Images of classic works of art are displayed on a rotating basis on large flat-screen displays place around the circumference of the round dining room. I highly recommend the restaurant if you want a unique dining experience in the Clear Lake City / Pasadena area.

Title: "Cullen's"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix Pro to combine three exposures (-2,0,+2) into one High Dynamic Range composit > Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate background > Distort Lens Correction to correct some verticle distortion > Crop to remove portion of the photo "lost" by the distortion correction > Topaz Adjust plugin "detail" preset + DeNoise to reduce noise > Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer to improve overall brightness > Merge Visible to New Layer > Transform Layer to remove a pole on the left hand side of the photo (by dragging the photo from the left to move the pole out of the image) > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Maas Nursery - Bird of Paradise

I did photograph a few things on my trip to Maas Nursery last Sunday besides pots. This flower (a bird-of-paradise, right?) was in the temperature controlled greenhouse.

Title: "Bird-of-Paradise"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Topaz Adjust plugin "DeNoise" to remove noise > Create new layer and paint with black in overlay mode to replace most of the background with black > Merge Visible to New Layer in Overlay Blending mode to increase contrast and darken the image > Merge Visible to New Layer and blur with gaussian blur at 25% to soften the flower with mask to keep detail sharp on the blue portion of the flower

Maas Nursery - Rock Pots

Continuing with the shots from this past Sunday's outing to Maas Nursery in Seabrook, Texas.

Title: "Maas Rock Pots"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contrast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening > Curves Adjustment Layer #2 for overall contrast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set Black and Grey points > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Maas Nursery - Triple Pot

Another shot from my trip to Maas Nursery in Seabrook this past Sunday.

Title: "Maas Triple Pot"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contrast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Maas Nursery - Yellow Pots, Masks

Here are two more from Sunday's trip to Maas Nursery in Seabrook, Texas.

Title: "Maas Yellow Pots"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contrast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Title: "Maas Masks"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Cloning to remove price tags > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening > NIK Viveza plugin to brighten the center white colored mask > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Amusing Discoveries at Maas Nursery

I made a return trip to Maas Nursery in Seabrook, Texas this past Sunday for more photos of pots and plants. Here are a couple of discoveries I found amusing!

Title: "Maas Smiley Pot"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contrast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Title: "Maas Pottery Head"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contrast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Yada Yada Yada (lots of cloning and scaling layers too numerous and/or tiresome to list here) > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Old Liberty Bridge #2

Here is another shot taken on my trip to Liberty, Texas last weekend.

Title: "Old Liberty Bridge #2"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Black and White Conversion Layer to convert to Black and White > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluging to adjust exposure to reveal some detail of the structure under the bottom of the bridge > Merge Visible to New Layer > High Pass Sharpening > Levels Adjustment Layer to set black and white points

Old Liberty Bridge

I took this photo on a trip to Liberty, Texas last Sunday. I have always thought this old bridge, which sits next to the new bridge, has a lot of character.

Title: "Old Liberty Bridge"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Just the highlights today as my complete workflow included a lot of steps that I didn't end up using in the final image or that just didn't have much of an impact. The main points to the image are that the work was done using Photoshop CS3. I used NIK Viveza plugin to add brightness to the shrub in the foreground and the bridge in the distance. I selected the top half of the photo and copied it to a new layer and used Transform Scale to make the bridge larger which made it appear nearer to the foreground shrub (this was done to make the image appear more as I envisioned it when I took the shot). Finally I merged all the previous work into a new layer and used Virtual Photographer plugin "Reminiscing" preset to create a B&W version that was blended with 75% opacity with a mask to keep the filter from effecting the foreground shrub and bridge. The really neat part of this work was the use of the Transform Scale function of Photoshop CS3. Without being able to re-scale it, the image wouldn't have matched my vision at all. I am including the original image below so you can see where I started.

More Maas Nursery by Request

Someone recently emailed me to inquire if I had any additional images from my trip to Maas Nursery earlier this month. I went back though my shots from that day and found these two additional images I thought were worthy of posting.

Title: "Maas #7"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Spicify" preset > Selective Color Adjustment Layer to improve the greens and blues in the photo > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening



Title: "Maas #9"
Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Red Paw Media Beautifier plugin using defaults mainly to add diffusion to the trees at 80% opacity > New Layer in multiply blending mode painting with black for a custom vignette > Merge Visible to New Layer in Screen blending mode for increased overall brightness

Dayton Sunset

God gave us a spectacular sunset this past Sunday! I found this spot driving between Dayton and Baytown, Texas.

Title: "Dayton Grain Elevator"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three exposures (-2, 0, +2) using a tripod > Photoshop CS3 > Topaz Adjust plugin "Clarity" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set black point > Merge Visable to New Layer > NIK Viveza to improve local brightness on the front of the grain elevator > Merge Visible to New Layer in Screen Mode at 15% opacity to improve overall brightness

Boardwalk Light

This is a detail shot of one of lights on the Kemah Boardwalk. The spikes on top discourage birds from lengthy visits!

Title: "Boardwalk Light Detail"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Used the clone tool to remove some dust spots and power lines > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set the black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

New President Takes the Oath

Today was a historical day. If I ever look back at this day through the viewpoint of this blog it might be interesting to see where I was when the historic new president took his oath. Where were you?

Title: "New President Takes the Oath"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix combination of three exposures (-2,0,+2) into one High Dynamic Range photo > Photoshop CS3 > Copy the original -2 exposure as a layer in the HDR file and mask off everything but the television screen and windows which were better exposed in the -2 shot than in the HDR conversion > Merge Visable to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin noise reduction feature > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast

Boardwalk Blues

I took this shot down on the Kemah Boardwalk this weekend. Although the shot is kind of moody the title (Boardwalk Blues) is really a reference to the predominant colors in the shot. Hope you enjoy!

Title: "Boardwalk Blues"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Color Blast" preset > Red Paw Media Bleach Bypass plugin with a mask selectively apply the effects > Duplicate Layer > Brightness / Contrast Adjustment layer to brighten up the image > Merge Visible to New Layer in Screen blending mode @ 48% opacity to further brighten the overall image

Overloaded

I spotted this car parked at a local marina this weekend. From a distance it looked like it had about a dozen bikes on it! It turns out there were only four bikes but to me the vehicle still looked overloaded!

Title: "Overloaded"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Psychedelic" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast > Levels adjustment to set black and white points > Black and White Adjustment Layer at 35% opacity to tone down colors > Merge Visable to New Layer > Red Paw Media Bleach Bypass > Merge Visable to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

The Shark and Me

...and so we talked and it turned out we both love seafood! Of course, we have completely different political views, but overall I'd say we have more in common that either of us would have imagined.

Title: "The Shark and Me"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Combined three exposures (-2,0,+2 using timer with camera on a nearby curb) with Photomatix HDR software > Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Psychedelic" preset at @44% opacity > Level Adjustment Layer to set black and white points

Not Kansas!

My brother Larry and I went back down to the Kemah / Seabrook area today to see what photographic opportunities presented themselves. Larry spotted this house which had been destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Amazingly, as we have seen in many other instances, the owners sense of humor obviously survived.

Title: "Not Kansas"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Combined three exposures (-2,0,+2 from tripod) with Photomatix HDR software > Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Simplify" preset > Duplicate Backbround layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Psychedelic" preset at @43% opacity > Add mask to "Simplify" layer to allow the "Psychedelic" layer to be revealed on the front of the house and yard only > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast > Levels Adjustment Layer to set black and white points > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Bishops Palace

This photo was created using Photoshop photo merge from six different shots. I took three shots of the top half of the building and three shots of the bottom half and let Photoshop do the work of stitching everything together. This was necessary because I had to stand very close to the building to take the picture because if I backed up any further trees would have partially obscured my shot. The resulting pieced together image had a lot of distortion but I was able to straighten things up pretty well using Photoshop's Distort Lens Correction filter. It's didn't end up perfectly square but the overall result was not bad.

Title: "Bishops Palace"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom

Lucky Me!

OK. I had a little time to play with my lights tonight. I'm not really my favorite subject but I work for free. I don't usually include the camera meta data on my posts but because it's relevant to the strobist info below I let you know the shot was taken at f/7.1, 1/125sec, ISO 250 using the 10 second timer with camera mounted on my Slik tripod. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did! :-)

Title: "Lucky Me!"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8

Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Psychedelic" preset with mask to limit the effect on the face > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast > Merge Visible to New Layer > Select portion of right background and copy to new layer > flip copied right backround portion and move to the left with a mask to hide the seem over the copied section > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Strobist: Homemade beauty dish on Manfrottp 366b light stand facing straigt in at head level using a Canon 430EX flash on 1/4 power > Vivitar 285HV flash at 1/16th on Manfrotto 366B light stand on camera right with a green gel pointing at the background > Vivitar 285HV flash at 1/16th on Manfrotto 366B light stand camera left with shoot through white umbrella slightly higher than head level > all lights fired by Pocket Wizards > Beauty Dish and shoot through umbrella were both 3-4' from subject (me)

Chimes

I took three handheld exposures of these chimes at Maas Nursery in Seabrook two weekends ago in order to use the shots to build a High Dynamic Range file with Photomatix. Unfortunately I shook the camera too much during the exposures for the HDR conversion to work. So I had some work to do to get the photo into a presentable form as lighting conditions were fairly harsh. Anyway...I hope you like the results!


Title: "Chimes"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > High Pass Sharpening in Hard Light blending mode > Merge Visible to New Layer > Red Paw Media Bleach Bypass plugin with mask to limit the effect to the background (trying to get seperation between the background and the chimes) > Merge Visible to new Layer > Dodge Shadows on chimes (left side was originally completely in shadows) > Duplicate Layer > Topaz Adjust "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Family Pics

Here are a couple of photos I took of family members while we were out running around weekend before last. The photo of my daughter Emma was taken in a gazebo at a park on Toddville Road in Seabrook and the photo of Emma and my wife Laura was taken at Armand Bayou Nature Center on the Prairie Trail. These are just "grab shots" and I know they aren't great portraits but I wanted to include them to demonstrate how HDR (first photo) can be used for portraits in harsh lighting conditions and to show off the beauty of the Prairie Trail (and my family :-) at Armand Bayou Nature Center (second photo)!

Title: "Emma - Seabrook Gazebo"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld (camera propped up on the ledge of the Gazebo and set to use the two second timer) exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Nik Viveza plugin to brighten the face which was still a little dark even after HDR processing due to the extreme contrast caused by the severe backlighting > Topaz Adjust plugin "Simplify" preset with mask to block the effect from the eyes, nose, mouth, and hair

Title: "Emma and Laura - ABNC"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 100-400mm L zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Layer > Free Transform to level the horizon > Nik Viveza to brighten the subjects > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Simplify" preset > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening in Hard Light blending mode > Merge Visible to New Layer in Screen mode at 49% opacity to make the whole image brighter

Turtle Soup

Here's one last shot from our trip to Armand Bayou Nature Center the weekend before last. There are a couple of small ponds near the end of the Discovery Trail that are home to many turtles. This green algae covered pond was so thick with turtles it made it easy for me to come up with the title for this photo: Turtle Soup.

Title: "Turtle Soup"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 100-400mm L zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Mid-Color Pop" preset to increase saturation > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Clarity" preset to sharpen details > Merge Visible to New Layer to do some cloning work on the water surface between the turtle and the leaf (there was a hole in the algae between them that was distracting) > Selective Color Adjustment Layer to increase saturation on the red leaf and orange markings on the turtle > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette > Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer to increase overall brightness of the image

No Crows in Sight!

Last weekend when we visited Armand Bayou Nature Center, I noticed this scarecrow in a little garden near the Prairie trail. I know it's a good scarecrow because there were no crows to be seen anywhere nearby!

Title: "No Crows in Sight!"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 100-400mm L zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening in Hard Light blending mode > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Spicify" preset > Free Transform to level the horizon > Duplicate Layer > Nik Viveza Plugin to lighten and brighten the hat > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Change to Screen blending mode at 59% to improve overall image brightness

Mean Cat!

This is a photo I took last weekend in Seabrook. Every time I go there I see damage from Hurricane Ike I hadn't seen before!

Title: "Mean Cat"


Here is an enlargement of my favorite part of the above photo:

Title: "Mean Cat - Details"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Dramatic" preset > Duplicate Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Simplify" preset with mask to only effect the sky > Merge Visible to New Layer > Spot Healing to remove some spots in the sky caused by dust on my camera's sensor > Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer to brighten the image a little > Merge Visible to New Layer > New Blank layer used in Multiply blending mode and a black paintbrush to add a custom vignette and shading

Windmill

This shot was taken at Armand Bayou Nature Center this past weekend.

I intended this to be an HDR from three handheld exposures but the exposures were to far off (due to my not holding the camera steady enough) to work out. This photo was processed form the underexposed (-2) photo from what was intended to be one of the photos in my HDR set. If you want to try HDRs I highly recommend that you take your bracketed exposures from a tripod or other flat stable surface where you can avoid having to handhold it. Use the timer to fire the shutter to further reduce camera shake. When I use the term "handheld" I use it to mean "not on a tripod". In other words I will use "handheld" even if I used a table or bench or fencepost on location to avoid actually holding my camera in my hands while I take the three required exposures for a High Dynamic Range (HDR) set of photos. It is possible to take the three required exposures while holding the camera in you hands but it requires a very steady hand and therefore your odds of success are decreased.

Title: "Armand Bayou Windmill"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 100-400mm L zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pludin "Simplify" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer to brighten the highlights in the image > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust "Dramatic" plugin to darken the sky and provide overall pop > Nik Viveza plugin to locally brighten the red areas > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Simplify" preset to reduce grain > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Last HDR from Maas Nursery

My last photo from this past weekends trip to Maas Nursery in Seabrook.

Title: "Red Flower, Green Pot"



Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Spicify" preset > Duplicate Layer > High Pass Sharpening in Hard Light blending mode

More HDR Pot Shots

Here are a couple more photos I took of pots on display at Maas Nursery in Seabrook this past weekend.

Title: "Glazed Pots"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Spicify" preset > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Title: "Painted Pots"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Spicify" preset > Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Prairie Grasses and Bokeh

Bokeh (for the non-photography types who don't know) is a photography word that refers to the aesthetic qualities of the background blur one achieves with a given lens. Using my Canon 100-400mm zoom this past weekend at Armand Bayou Nature Center I was extremely pleased with how the bokeh in these shots of prairie grasses turned the backdrop of grasses into a smooth curtain of fall colors.

Title: "Prairie Grass 1"


Title: "Prairie Grass 2"


Title: "Prairie Grass 3"


Title: "Prairie Grass 4"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 100-400mm L zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset > Nik Viveza plugin to brighten the subject and darken the background

Maas Nursery Potted Plant

This past weekend we visited Maas Nursery in Seabrook, Texas to look for a few plants to add to our landscaping. Besides plants Maas also sells pots, statuary, and just about any type of yard decoration you can imagine. Today's photo is one scene I really liked.

Title: "Potted Plant"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photomatix HDR from three handheld exposures (-2, 0, +2) > Photoshop CS3 > Curves Adjustment Layer for overall contast enhancement > Levels Adjustment Layer to set a black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust pluding "Simplify" preset > Merge Visible to New Layer > High Pass Sharpening in Hard Light blending mode with mask to limit the sharpening to the foreground > Merge Visible to New Layer >Distort Lens Correction Vignette

Levi

We went over to my sister's house for hot dogs on New Years Day and, of course, I took photographs while I was there. I used my homemade beauty dish with my Canon 430EX flash mounted on my tripod for an off camera light source. This photo of my nephew (actually grand nephew is technically correct) was my favorite from the day.

Title: "Levi"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Spicify" preset with mask to block the effect from the eyes, lips and hair > Merge Visible to New Layer > Distort Lens Correction Vignette > Merge Visible to New Layer > Nik Viveza plugin to brighten and lighten the eyes

Dinner Invitation

I can't even go out to dinner without my camera these days! I took this at Pappasitos on New Years Eve because...hmmm I guess I like the colors and the empty tables seemed inviting.

Title: "Pappasitos"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processiong: Adobe Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Portrait Drama" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer to increase overall contrast > Levels Adjustment Layer to set the Black point > Merge Visible to New Layer > Cloning to remove distracting background elements.

Gangsta Me

I had some fun taking a self portrait yesterday! Thanks to my daughter Emma for helping me with "the look"!

Title: "Gangsta Me"


Strobist: Canon 430 with homemade beauty dish 45% on camera left (1/16 power 3 - 4 feet away, Vivitar 285HV with white shoot through umbrella and orange gel at 45% camer right (1/16 power 3-4 feet away). I don't have a light meter but based on the results the Vivitar rig appears about 1 stop brighter to me than the Canon rig (making the Vivitar the Key light?).

Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3 > Created a blank layer on top of the background layer and painted in the black background using a black brush with layer blending in multiply mode (not necessary if you actually have a blackground but all I had was a sheet of black foam core that was too small for the job) > Merge Visible to New Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Dramatic" preset > Copy Layer > High Pass Sharpening with Hard Light Blending Mode > Level Adjustment Layer to set black point > Merge Visible to New Layer in Screen Blending Mode to increase overall brightness

Galveston Part 3

Here is another shot from last weekends excursion down to Galveston, Texas. This is the dedication to the Galveston Sea Wall with the remains of a souvenir shop destroyed by Hurricane Ike in the background. You've seen the souvenir shop in a couple of my posts before but since I think the image is such a powerful reminder of the damage caused by Hurricane Ike I keep coming back to it!

Title: "Sea Wall Grade"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Lens 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Dramatic" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contast > Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer to brighten the overall image > Merge Visible to New Layer > Cloning to remove some clutter on the beach > Duplicate Layer and blend in "Color Burn" mode at 40% opacity