Nikon 1 V1
Nikkor 10mm f/2.8
10mm, 1/150 Sec at f/2.8, ISO200
Processed in Adobe Lightroom V4.0
On a Mac MacBook Pro, OS-X 10.7.3
Testing Post Processing in Lightroom 4
I am a big fan of getting things right in camera, but I used to love experimenting in the darkroom.
Today we all have a darkroom at our finger tips with products like Gimp (Free), Adobe Elements, Apple’s iPhoto, Adobe Lightroom and lets not forget the big one, Photoshop.
Since the Beta was released I have been going over some of my old photographs and reprocessing them, trying to get my head round the new tools that Lightroom V4 brings to us.
I have used Lightroom since the early beta of V1, and have used it longer then I have Photoshop. Every image I process goes through Lightroom but only a few go into Photoshop.
The above shots I reprocessed in LR4 and I took them in a different direction to how they were originally processed in LR3.
They may not be killer images but with each one I have learnt a lot.
Some of the film shots were very difficult images, with several of them I used a too contrasty film on a day that already had a lot of contrast.
For the portrait of Ashleigh; this was a simple shot with a small softbox to my left. I deliberately underexposed the natural light to make the full sun shining through the window look like late evening sunlight. Normally after minor exposure tweaks, adjusting the colour balance, and some sharpening, I would take this straight into Photoshop for the major editing. This image I did everything in Lightroom V4, and its produced a very pleasing and natural portrait.
Backup, Backup and Backup
Some people think I have a rather ridiculous Photography backup routine.
When out on site if away for more then a day I back up to the iPad, then backup to the computer when back to the office/home. Files then get backed up to time machine (very useful if you have a Mac), then eventually moved off to an external hard disk, and also backed up to a Drobo and to a disk that is kept off site.
No matter what there should always be three copies of my files.
Well I don’t know how but last night I managed to delete my 2012 photograph directory off my main external hard drive while doing some extensive testing of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom V4.
Tonight to my horror, I discovered the fact. I had also been efficient and deleted the early 2012 photographs of my Laptop to make some room and emptied the trash.
I had a copy off site and on the Drobo, but I still had that moment of panic! I decided to not revert to the Drobo but try and recover the photographs from my Time Machine Backup.
Time Machine is an automatic backup program included with all Macs. Using this I was quickly able to recover all photographs except two shoots, these had to be recovered from the Drobo.
So I can say my backup routine works, but I must remember to keep to my strict routine. One of my backups did not have all the photographs on it, but luckily my routine ensures I always have more then one backup.
Remember; Backup, Backup and Backup.
Recall for Nikon EN-EL15 Batteries
Nikon have issued a service recall for the EN-EL15 Batteries, this is the battery found in the new D800, D800e, D7000 and the Nikon 1 V1.
More details here on how to identify if your battery is affected.
Photo Tip – Filters for Digital
One of the huge advantages with digital is that we can leave most of our filters at home and when we are safely back at home or at the office we can apply the effects we want in post processing.
Put there are a number of filters we should consider as still essential for digital work.
- Polariser
- Graduated Filter (but you can use HDR and digital blending)
- Neutral Density Filter
Don’t leave home without them.
Adobe Release Photoshop Creative Suite 6 – 7th May
I having been playing with beta of Adobe Photoshop CS6 for a while now, but today it was officially announced and can be downloaded from them on the 7th May.
Kelby Training will be releasing a number of videos to help you get up to speed and there are a number of free webcasts showing what it can do. Check some of them out here at Scott Kelby’s blog.
Nikon announce D3200 – 24MP’s of digital goodness
It was not long ago when if you wanted a 24MP camera you had to go medium format. Then along came the D3X a seriously high resolution full frame digital SLR.
Well today Nikon brought that kind of resolution to the masses, with the new D3200.
Have to admit, not sure about 24MP for most casual users. 6MP is the most thats needed for most people but the megapixel race continues. The D700 and D3(s) models showed you can get amazing results with lower pixel counts, but technology continues forward.
They also announced a new lens, the 28mm f/1.8, and its full frame. Now to me wide angle for 35mm photography starts at 24mm, so Nikon if your listening can I have a D800 with your 24mm f/1.4 to test, pretty please?
Austin 7 – 90th Birthday
On Sunday I had a trip to Hartsholme Park, the main reason was a couple of Landscape shots I wanted to get (report to come once I have developed the film)!
When I arrive I was surprised to see lots of Austin 7’s arriving. After I took my landscape shots I headed over to the cars to take a few shots.
I took one on my Ebony 5×4 Large Format Camera, possibly not the best choice! Also a few with my old trust Nikon FM2 which had some Black & White film loaded. I also took the shot above with my trust Nikon V1, shot in RAW and then processed in Lightroom V3 and converted to Black & White. I really seem to be in a Black & White mood at the moment.
It turned out they were all having a drive out and meet up to celebrate the Austin 7’s 90th Birthday. A lovely old car and very photogenic.
Film Processing – a New Semi Automatic Home Unit
For film users it’s been a lean few years on the film and print developing front. High street shops that develop and print film are becoming few and far between, and those that still exist only process 35mm print film.
A few specialist mail order companies still offer E6, and Black & White for 35mm, Medium Format and Large Format, but these are cutting there services. The local one I use has just stopped processing Black & White for Large Format 10 x 8.
I like many old film users have the equipment for manual processing of 35mm Black & White film, but I do not have the means for Colour or Medium and Large Format.
It’s been over twenty years since a new home processing unit was release and in 2010 the last unit available was discontinued.
I would like to shoot more Black & White film for Medium and Large Format but good quality processing is getting harder and harder to find, so in the last two weeks I have been researching my options.
Manual processing is still an option and you can still pick up Patterson, Jobo processing tanks as well as solutions like BTZS but I would prefer a temperature controlled semi automatic system that can handle colour too.
There have been rumours recently that Jobo may be about to go into production with a new model this year. The prices of old second hand units has been climbing in the last twelve months, and they now cost more then they did new. Checking out their website, I looked up their UK distributed and dropped them an email. Their reply was prompt and promising; I was please to find out that Jobo are currently gauging interest and are looking at putting a new model into production this summer for an autumn release. Its unlikely to be cheap but it should mean that secondhand prices should drop and new spares are also soon to be coming.
Its interesting that Fuji has been releasing new films and new film medium format cameras yet companies like Kodak have been cutting back. Let’s hope films revival continues and more film related products get released.
Practice Landscapes
I spent some of this bank holiday weekend planning a few future photo shoots, nothing definite yet but starting to get a few things lined up.
I definitely want to get a few large format landscape shots completed; mainly for the practice; ready for a big photo trip next month. As I have not owed a large format camera until recently, and have only hired, borrowed or gone on large format landscape courses I am terribly out of practice. Its going to be good shooting some film again, I have shot barely four frames of film this year and over 1700 digital.
I might even dig out my old Nikon FM2 possibly one of the greatest manual film SLR’s ever, and shoot a few rolls of Ilford HP5, now where did I put my old developing tank!