I’ve liked what I’ve seen done with Chris Klug’s black and white images. If you’ve not been over there for a visit I suggest spending a few minutes over there. I like the results He gets from Silver Efex Pro in his post processing. So, I bought it knowing it would make me a better photographer, like him. About a year later I received an email offering a free NIK software package that included Analog Efex 3, Color Efex Pro 4, Dfine 2, Sharpener Pro 3 and Viveza and an upgrade to Silver Efex Pro. I took it. Needless to say, I’m not any better photographer because of these software tools and I have done almost nothing with any of them except Silver Efex Pro.
I’m finding there are a ton of options available in Silver Efex and I’ve touched very few of them. There are helpful tutorials in the internet in using this software. I just have to dig into it.
Six years ago today I bought my first Nikon D300, an upgrade from a D100. Fell in love with it and ended up purchasing a second one as a backup for the weddings and portraits I’ve taken. In the digital age thats a long time to keep a camera. Both cameras still take awesome images as long as the photographer plays his role. I checked them out and was surprised at the shutter count were as low as they are. They show 65,564 and 42,931 counts. Happy shooting!
After seeing the photo from yesterdays post, I noticed the reflection on the glass of my iphone. I thought it interesting to see the texture difference between the reflection and the glass table top. I took the image on the left and was very surprised to see the outcome on the LCD. What the lens saw at f 5.6 was so much different from what my eyes saw. I then changed the aperture to f 22 and took a second image (on the right) keeping my focus on the reflection. You can see quite a difference and was a reminder of the difference depth of field can make.
The X-E1 is my first camera with an EVF (electronic viewfinder). My first impression was: slow. (Notice I said was.) DPReview uses the word “laggy” in their review. I’ll call it slow. At first this bothered me as I’m use to having a DSLR camera in my hand where I can pull the camera up to my eye as I turn it on. Once it’s at my eye I can shoot immediately. This is not true of the EVF or LCD on the X-E1. I must wait a second or two for them to settle in. As I’ve gained more familiarity with the camera I’ve come to appreciate this. It has shown me a trait of looking through the viewfinder too quickly. Now, when I’m turning on the camera and raising it up to my eye I’m taking more time. This allows me to continue to look at the whole scene and not just what the viewfinder allows. So, even though the EVF is slower than an optical viewfinder it may help me be a better observer and to anticipate a scene about to appear.
I’ve been using a G12 for a couple of years now for my travels. It has an optical viewfinder but I use the LCD 99% of the time.This was mainly due to the usefulness of the information I was able to use on the LCD that was not in the viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder on this X-E1 will display the same shooting information as it shows on the LCD. Cool! I’ve also come to check out the exposure compensation meter on the lower left corner of the viewfinder as moving the exposure compensation dial on top is quite easy to move.
Who are those strange characters in the above image? Using your imaginations you can see some of our blogging friends, or yourself, hiding behind the goggles. 🙂
Too often putting inspirations into action fails to happen. Quieting the other voices suggesting I avoid taking action on inspirations is my challenge. Fear, laziness, busyness and comparing suggest I do something else. I’m moving away from the worry that some people will consider another photographer to be better at this than me. My photography is a personal way to express what I feel whether that is a sunrise, architecture, a bunny or a portrait. As I drove by this church I noticed a new sculpture garden with a new sculpture. I had an inspiration. So, I turned around and pulled into the parking lot. I like what I found.
“Here’s what I think: I think an art photographer is a photographer with an opinion. An opinion about which of their photographs can truly stand as one of theirs, and about how the photograph ought to look.” Mike Johnson
In a previous post last week I admitted to being a photographer. Don’t’ laugh. I’m one who thinks there is an artist within each of us, buried, hidden and waiting to come out. Whether we feed the artist within or keep it contained is our choice. Many of us are reluctant to place the adjective, art, in front of photographer.
In my photography I shoot from the gut, not necessarily attempting to express some opinion or idea at the time I press the shutter. I’m more intent on seeing what’s in front of me, using my intuition and experience to see the light, find a composition, select a specific depth of field or select a perspective according to what feels right. After saying that, I would suggest all of these make up my “opinion”, but subconsciously. This opinion may come to my consciousness at a later time. I look at my photography from the perspective of an artist, “my art.” I look to the voice within me to lead me forward, opening my eyes, to come up with ideas for images and projects. Don’t all of us desire for our images to have some impact on viewers, inspiring them to step outside in nature rather than living life through a TV, a computer, a tablet, or smart phone? But, that’s another opinion for another time.
The above image was not an attempt at creating an artistic image. It was a moment when I was not totally prepared for the immediate takeoff and was a series of quick shots. Only after post processing did I see something I liked. Just my opinion or mere ramblings. 🙂
