I Wish - Prague 2009

Another try with Silver efex. I really think I will get used to this! some posibilities......I include the original RAW file as well. I used the 'pinhole' preset this time and tweaked it to my liking. Made the silver areas in the blue spectrum. More tests to come.... hope you like them.
--V

NIK Plugin Software

I downloaded the NIK plugin software for photoshop, lightroom and aperture this morning. It consists of sharpen, noise reduction, color, lightcontrol and black and white modules for the above mentioned programs. I played around with the color and the black and white modules a little bit. Having not really done black and white for ages, actually since I abandoned sadly my wet and chemical darkroom, I thought it was good to see if I had lost my printing eye. I really loved printing and was quiet good at it if I may say so myself. Anyway back to the computer...I opened 2 different pics in the module Silver Efex (conveniently opening from Lightroom) and I started playing. Damn this is soooo promising. I know I am not there yet, but I can see where it is heading! Back to the good 'ol B/W!!
I am going to use it for the next 14 days in its trial form. To buy the whole suite comes with a reasonable pricetag: € 299,95 suitable for all 3 programs. Go check it out at http://www.niksoftware.com. Hope you like the pics.
--Take care V.

DIY Striplights and Foodshots

I shot a food-assignment for a really nice restaurant here on the Costa del Sol, Tiki Tano. Their German Top-Chef prepared some dishes for us to photograph (not to eat unfortunately, bugger).
I started by setting up my 'big' multiblitz monohead (600 w/s) but I found it actually too big/much light and since we had to move around to different locations in the restaurant. I decided on the minimalist strobist approach, which I came to love over the last year. Meaning: I set up a sb-800 in the back, camera-right, 1/2 cto (to warm up a bit), shot through 1/4 spun (sort of a loosely knitted type diffusing material), set at 1/16th power. They other sb-800 was covered with a DIY striplight. I made the striplight (softbox that brings out a thin strip of light) myself out of a half umbrellabox (so I got 2 striplights), made a hole in the back for my sb-800 to fit in and made a large opening opposite. Covered the inside with alu foil and filled it loosely with some spun to spread the light more and closed the opening with 3 layers of tracingpaper, voila striplight as invented by Bert Stephani of Confessions of a Photographer (It really works Bert). The striplight was also on 1/16th power. Both flashes were triggered by Elinchrome Skyports. I attached the set up sketch as well...

nikon d700

Yesterday afternoon I received my new toy!!! the Nikon D700 traditional frame. probably the first one in Spain via Robert White photographics in the UK. Great service this company. All through internet....fast and reliable.

What a beauty this camera!! been playing a bit with it but can´t freakin put them through lightroom, have to buy 2.0 i am afraid.
Photoshop opens them with no probs. Love being back at the normal point of view. I am able to also attach all my old non af prime lenses and program the cam so it recognizes them.
I used for the last 3 years the fujipix S3 pro, it is really old and beatup. Did me a great job all this time, but the slowness killed me.
The flash of the d700 I use now as a commander to fire my sb-800s
The D700 is sooooo fast and easy to use

Have to play some more, soon I ´ll upload some results