dannyrich

Pink Flower

2008-11-12T21:21:00.004Z

This evening I had an hour to spare as my wife was out. I decided to try to snap some pictures of some flowers we got at the weekend.

I had a rough setup in my head and decided i wanted to try use off camera flash in TTL to light up the subject.

Firstly i finaly got the SB600 in wireless TTL, the first time like this since i got it about a month ago! anyway, i managed it and fired a few test shots.

I mounted the 600 on a tripod to the left and my D90 was in portrait so had on camera flash firing from the right. I turned off the main light in order to make WB settings easier to determine and then played with a couple of aperture settings to get the right exposure and DOF.

I managed to get a few that looked reasonable, I exchanged the piece of black card i had as a backdrop for a black throw we have and then it all began to come together.

I adjusted curves to blacken the background and 'burned' the clips out which held the flower, you could just make them out. I created a duplicate layer and erased through to bring back the shadow on the top of the stem as the curves had make it solid black.

Below is the final result. Pretty pleased for 15 mins of photos and a few minutes of editing!

Shaped Bokeh

2008-10-28T21:39:00.003Z

Evening All... I say all, its probably just me lol!

Anyway tonight my dear wife is out for someones birthday and my darling daughter is in bed. I thought I would take the opportunity to try create some bokeh having read some threads on DPS.

I went to the stationers today and bought the only craft punch available which hapened to be a love heart. Whilst listening to my beloved Leeds Utd get beat by Southend (booo) I began my blue peter task of making a disk to cover the lens and a mechanism to fit it over the lens.

I cut a long rectangular piece, as deep as the lens and run it around the outside of the lens, then stuck the disk on the front ensuring very little light could enter from the joints. I guess its like a cup with a heart shaped hole in the bottom!

I got the christmas lights out but as usual they didnt work, as time wasnt on my side and dinner was calling me I decided to take the shades off the lamp in the corner and photograph that instead.

The result was quite pleasing although the colour was not how i had seen it. I adjusted the colours using the colour channels in CS3 and added a vignette.

Another bokeh picture is below, I took it at some traffic lights and managed to capture the red and my sat nav!

Bold colour and Legs!

2008-10-28T08:23:00.002Z

Like any other red blooded male I am a great fan of womens legs!

When I was shopping with my wife we came across some red heels which i thought would look great in a picture. She bought them and in teh wardrobe they sat, getting more use from my 18 month old daughter. Weeks later we then passed some tights which she decided would enable he to wear the heels with a skirt... then she recalled she had a ridiculously tiny skirt that he had never worn! I added the three together and this is what i got!!!

I took this in the kitchen, she was stood on a box covered with a table cloth and i fired the flash at the wall. I had a few issues and used some tools in CS3 to fix the background, which i have since noticed isnt perfect.

I thought it had quite a devil wears prada look to it and quite like the image.

I like the colours moreso, bold reds against the black starkly contrasting the white of the flash. I did have some issues with stray light from teh flash and have a lot to learn about off camera lighting.

Fifty Two

2008-10-28T08:20:00.002Z

Soooo, sorry I havent updated for a while things have been a little hectic.

I should have some time now and begin to update as I try new things.

I have to make an effort to photograph because I have signed up for a fifty-two set in Flickr. This means i get to concentrate on lighting and self portraits a hell of a lot more.

I had an idea for my first, actually thought of the idea before signing up but if the cap fits and all that. Some of them arent perfect but the gist of the item is there.

Just me having a shave (after specially going out to get shaving foam which i dont use!!).

I thought it came out well...

I'm home!

2008-10-10T07:55:00.003+01:00

As you were aware I have been counting the days away until my honeymoon and my chance to have a rest... that and the chance to take millions of pictures of Malta!

Well hence the delay since my last post I got just that.

Not quite as I had imagined mind, my daughter takes a lot of looking after, especially overseas where there are added dangers of crazy roads, swimming pools and heat.

Still, I think I managed to get some keepers and varied styles away from standard holiday shots.

Here are a couple of my favourites, the rest are on Flickr under my Malta set;

As you will see from my set, i spent quite some time on long exposures and night shots. Mainly to capture the movement of the waves to create the 'misty waters' effect however I also had in mind the star shaped lights too.

Anyway I hope you enjoy looking and I will post some How To processing tips later.

Style

2008-09-21T08:30:00.003+01:00

You may have heard me refer to style, on my blog and on flickr.

I'm still trying to find my style, I look on my flickr and this guy... http://www.flickr.com/photos/fchouse/ I believe has a great style.

I know what I like but the problem is I like too much and do a bit of everything. I do however think that I am falling into a style of saturation. Much of my processing involves use of the hue/saturation sliders. Either to bring on a strong contrast and heavy saturation or removing traces of saturation to barely noticable levels.

I would like to be a master of portraits but would be even more happy if I could grasp off camera lighting, I cannot justify the cost to try at the moment. I have got an SB600 now which will help wet my appetite for further off camera flash projects.

Another guy that deserves a mention with regards to developing techniques to enhance your style is http://yanikphotoschool.com/personal/yaniks-photo-school/ he has some great tutorials and never ceases to amaze me with some of teh hints and tips.

Realisation

2008-09-21T08:17:00.002+01:00

It's taken a while to get to this stage but having had time to reflect over the past couple of days I have realised that I have actually changed my stance on processing.

When i first set out on my photography journey my use of Photoshop was to "save" a photo. So as I took the shot I thought, i'l get that crop right in CS3 or I will touch that up later...

Now my thoughts are based on enhacements, just yesterday I was taking pictures of items on a walk, signs, olde looking shoppe fronts to try to enhance the picture as opposed to save it.

I think this has come about because I have started to understand photoshop actions and how to apply certain tecniques. I think my advice on this would be to use the B&W presets, cross process etc and just tweak them as opposed to taking on the daunting task of doing it all. Making a mess of processing is detremental to confidence and I beleive photos only get better with confidence.

I did some work on this sign, to me it had some interest and the detail, dirt and grit on the sign was bound to make it have character. I opened it in CS3, adjusted the shadows and highlights to bring out the shadows to add some grit for the desaturation to take hold of. I the reduced saturation and added a strong vignette using lens correction.

I think it turned out pretty good.

Due to the above I am now quite pleased with my photography process. I have had a lifetime of interest however I would say my real journey commenced 18 months ago. The first 6 months of which were snapshot heaven at 3fps, the remainder a will to boost the creative artistic side.

I now consider composition for every shot, can use manual (although often use A or S) and know my way round processing software. I think my next progression is lighting and accurate setups, that should take me onto a diferent tier.

Taking that into account any new photographers out there, don't give up. It comes with practise and experience. I must have taken more than 12000 pictures since I was SLR'd and am learning every day. Read as much as you can and try to develop a style.

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-09-20T16:04:00.002+01:00

It's here.

8.30 this morning the courier came to deliver my D90!

Wonderful piece of engineering just like the D80 but better. I havent trawled the menu's will save that for my holidays.

Here is my first picture...

and this being around number 96 a couple of hours later whilst walking around Thornton Le Dale near Pickering, North Yorkshire.

I thought i would give it a try to take a waterfall picture, the water doesnt fall far but still...

I will post more later, i'm off to play.

One bad point is that you cant just throw the memory card in the reader. Im sure i will find an easier way.

New take on Cross Processing

2008-09-19T08:14:00.003+01:00

I was looking through some summer pictures the other day as to whether to process some of them to turn them into keepers.

I came across a photo I had taken of my friends daughter whilst we were having lunch with his family. I put my cropping hat on and reined in the frame and got to what i thought was a close enough, intresting shot.

I sharpened the eyes, i like practising this technique! I removed some blemishes on her nose, selected the teeth and whitened them by using the dodge tool (3 clicks at 69 hardness).

I then used the cross process filter in curves to cross process the picture and give it a more retro look. I think it works well.

My only regret being that i took this as a snap as opposed to a staged portrait and had the pushchair in teh background. Im still happy with the outcome, i dont think this picture would date as much as its unprocessed predecessor.

Obviously you sill see more detail in the lager version.

Jackpot!!!

2008-09-16T20:47:00.003+01:00

I had a call this evening from Warehouse Express, they tell me that they are getting my D90 on Friday and it will be couriered for Monday!

HOPEFULLY I will be in receipt of this by Tuesday when I go on my honeymoon.

Cant wait now, for both! Honeymoon and for the D90 to record my wonderful, joyous experience.

UPDATE! I'm getting it Saturday now I've waited long enough! lol

Flash

2008-09-15T08:29:00.006+01:00

I got a new flash Saturday morning, i got the SB600.

First thoughts were that it fustrated me. I couldnt work it and I got mad!

Then i managed to get it firing wirelessly and I had a much better time of it.

I took a picture of my mother with the flash illuminating the wall behind blowing it out. I'm really pleased how it came out.

I'm now looking for ways to experiment with lighting and hopefully I will get some cool shots!

UPDATE - Me being the womble that I am, I took another couple of pics last night but forgot to send to work the one I took of my mother at the weekend. You will have to do with the above picture of me.

It was taken in the hallway, the flash fired away from me towards the wall creating the white background. I cropped the image but no other processing was done.

Churwell - Childhood memories

2008-09-15T08:12:00.002+01:00

I went back to Churwell (Leeds) this weekend to stay with my parents.

I thought I would go see what the developers had done to the wonderful land behind he house that I spent so much time in.

I also wanted to take a panoramic of the 'Pit Hill' a place where I used to go on my bike and go shooting sometimes. This place was GREAT for sledging in the snow. You will see that I was at the top of the hill, the slopes are really steep and go into the field at the bottom.

The road that you see is the M621, this links the M62 and the M1 - Hence the clever name!

I had to process the sky as it was very overcast, it took some hefty curves and some shadow and highlight work to get something worth keeping.

I also took lots more that are posted on Flickr, some need work though. Here are some that I like...

This one is a blackberry on a bush at the side of the beck. I wanted to see how mch bokeh I would get with my kit lens zoomed in. I like it, makes my eyes feel funny then again I am hungover!!

This used to be a corn field, we used to make crop circles in this in the summer! It's now used for nothing, sometimes horses are on but since the New Village it tends to have been left.

Speaking of which, this is Churwell New Village, the part that backs on to the fields. I hate this place, they should burn the houses down and drive them out! Booooo!

Obviously all of the above are far better viewed large. You dont get the detail unless you do. I have noticed they look somewhat blurry when small.

OK so a week till my honeymoon and still no sign of my D90! :(

Busy Busy Busy!

2008-09-12T09:02:00.002+01:00

Hello All,

I have been extremely busy this week and not had much time for processing or photography in general! When both home life and work life are busy my hobby is cast aside!

OK so, of my London trip I took a couple of photos, a self portrait, a picture of an office in London and a panoramic of Berkely Square... I am however struggling with the pano as the square was busy and I seem to lose some detail in the people. Processing yet to do and I hope to have it sorted over the weekend.

Kit news... dont tell the wife but i bought a SB600! I got it off eBay, £130 cant really ask for more given that Jessops would gladly charge an extra £100. That means i now have a redundant SB400 should anyone wish to purchase, its hardly used.

Anyway thanks for looking. Hopefully this weekend will be spent visiting family, taking pictures and processing! yippee!

Cross Processed Retro Look

2008-09-07T18:26:00.003+01:00

Afternoon,

I had a couple of days off my laptop as i was watching the mighty Leeds hammer Crewe 5-2!

Instead of posting a celebratory picture I had friends round for dinner and decided to play today.

I remembered a picture I took the other week of my sister and my niece Ruby (who you can see frown on demand!!!) here...

...and give it a cross processed look adding a slightly retro effect. I think i managed it however I am not totally sure that the picture is light enough. I added the noise and a vignette but the idea behind it shows through.

Cut Throat

2008-09-05T13:16:00.002+01:00

I received a gift for my birthday earlier this year, of an ultimate shave.

Basically a facial massage, hot towel treatment (and one very cold one) and a cut throat razor shave.

Anyway I had it today, whilst sat in the chair i was looknig around at the ample opportunities for photos, angles, shapes, lights etc. Additionally I thought about how to make the camera your eye.

Like this morning I saw a post from Goose (flickr member) of a shot from his dashbord in the car. Totally new perspective.

I think im going to start trying to make the camera my eye instead of taking pictures.

Anyway if any of youlive in Leeds and want a treat, go to Dandies on Wellington Street! Link here... http://www.dandybrowns.com/

Self Portraits

2008-09-05T08:35:00.004+01:00

I'm not into self - portraits really.

I prefer to be behind the camera as opposed to in front however I like the idea of the ones catching you doing normal things.

I have taken loads of these in the past, out of the fridge but I like this one

The focus is actually on the butter but its a tough one to get the AF right in there! My other self portrait was 3 of me, I merged layers together to have me appear in the same photo

Was fun to do, i just need my new house and an open plan kitchen to do the one of me making dinner! I might even wash up that day.

The other thing i am dying to do is a time lapse, of me getting a shave or something. I think it would be pretty cool. I can only do that when i get my D90...

18 days till my honeymoon, hopefully 14 till I get my D90! I still dont have an exact realease date or delivery. The guys are Warehouse Express excpect them in in the second half of Sept. Boo!.

Focus on the eyes

2008-09-05T08:10:00.003+01:00

I have seen a number of tutorials on eyes over the past months.

It lead me to look at working on eye enhancements in portraits and even some extreme eye work with selective colur / sharpening and de-saturation.

I took these pictures and went through the following pocess;

>Duplicate Layers
>Select the eye>Smart Sharpen (130-159%)
>Contrast +7 - +15
>Erase the desaturated eye revealing the sharpened colourful eye
>Use the dodge tool to bring the whites back
>Flatten image and crop

I used the same technique on all however on the picture of Ruby (above) I brought her graze back in for the horror look!

With Chloe I adjusted the desaturated layer with curves to give a high key feel to it. Somehow it didnt have the drama with her brown eyes so it needed a bit more.

This teqnique is less harrowing if you have a softer photo IMO. On the picture of my daughter below I had a narrow DOF, it works better as it doesnt look that our of place.

So basically, to deal with the eyes just select them, change the contrast/saturation then smart sharpen until you feel they look right. I always frin 159% looks heavily processed but if your going for that look great. I change some portrait eyes the other day and went to 119%, it was subtle yet effective. I didnt need to change the contrast on that one as Evie has great eyes.

Flickr

2008-09-04T22:22:00.005+01:00

Right, change of tac.

Instead of me posting every picture i have ever taken, i wil post my flickr address and let you look at your leisure...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyrich/

Some of the ones I really like are (click for properly sized picture)...

Green Grass Lake, Brandesburton

A dog at Roundhay Park, Leeds (one of my first 50mm shot)

My daughter, desaturated with selective colour on the eyes

My daughter with natural framing

This weekend 6 - 8 Sept 08

2008-09-04T22:17:00.003+01:00

Before I hit the smoke I get a weekend at home and in Yorkshire. Saturday I am gracing the land of the giants, Elland Road to watch teh famous Leeds United.

Sunday I am going to see my grandparents and will venture the scenic way through Skipton and such like to see if I can get any shots.

Last winter I took this pano, its a capture made up of 3 pictures vertically stacked of Grenberfield Locks on the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

A great walk if you have a dog or child as there is plenty to see, like wildlife.

The Big Smoke

2008-09-04T22:11:00.002+01:00

I get the pleasure of visiting London on Monday.

I'm there overnight now so I am planning to take my camera. Dunno whether to take the D40 with the 50mm and concentrate on composition and manual focus or go for broke and take the D80 with 18-135mm...

Any ideas?

I won't be doing the Big Ben, London Eye, Parliament and the tourist stuff just some architecture and cool shots of Mayfair hopefully.

Im thinking Berkeley Square bokeh may be called for. Of an evening theres often some well lit restraunts and bars.

We will see, I will post some of my stuff when I get back.

Panning

2008-09-04T22:04:00.002+01:00

Boy have I struggled with panning.

To the point whereby I was going to throw my camera against the wall.

Then on bank holiday weekend we took a trip to see some friends at a camp site in Brandesburton, Nr Hull. It had a watersport lake and a fishing area.

I spent 10 minutes playing at panning, no monopod just handheld and got some interesting results. This included the following...

I have recently learned how to add basic borders hence the framing! Let me know if you think it works, i think it makes the that little more special.

When I get some time, probably xmas as I wont be taking my laptop on honeymoon, I am going to download the tens of hundreds of borders included on the cd's from my magazines.

There are loads of tutorials on panning, basicaly just keep persevering, you will get it. Why not try it, set to 1/20 F/22!

Water works

2008-09-04T21:55:00.004+01:00

So, some of the first cool shots i got were with water.

Inspired by the members of DPS I decided to have a go and see how i went on. This was really my first crack at manual settings.

After a few blank screens I got some focus and a decent picture. After about 175 snaps I saved about 3 that I liked. This one was the best...

I then went on to do some fruit...

I made a Yorkshire Rose... (for all you Lancastrians Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire!) for those who dont know we won the war of the roses! :P

Then the latest was with a Bud cap... which is cool as I got to drink the beer!

Just pre-focus on a ruler roughly where you will be dripping the water, switch to manual so it doesn't throw the AF and snap away, i used F/8 50mm 1/50.

Try it you might just be suprised at how professional they look.

If your really daring get the water in clear pyrex bowls sat on patterned wrapping paper.

Thank you

2008-09-04T21:48:00.005+01:00

OK so i'm trying to get some further information on my blog.

I plan to post the photo's that I am most pleased of to help you understand what I'm about.

Basically one of my proudest moments was when I got married, at the wedding I let my friend take my D40 and my lenses. The only one I kept was the F1.8 50mm so when i got back the day after the wedding I took this picture...

A big thank you to the guys on DPS for their help and comments in helping me finalise the picture. I had this printed and added the to the thank you cards to the guests, most of whom don't believe that I took it!!!

I did, no expensive set up just a conservatory, buffet, sheet of A3, my button hole and our wedding rings. Ohhhhh and Photoshop!

The Waiting Game

2008-09-04T21:32:00.000+01:00

Well I think I managed to get plenty of detail across relating to my photographic profile.

I hate having to write about myself and my life, I guess thats pretty odd given that I'm creating my own blog! lol

Well today another day passes, not the easiest day i've had recently but it brings me another day closer to two things...

1. My Nikon D90 being the first! Ordered last week from WarehouseExpress.com, I am due to receive the D90 body, a new backpack and an 8Gb SanDisk Extreme III.

2. My honeymoon, woooooo i go on the 23rd and cannot wait! It's been a while since I took a holiday properly as i have been driving to further my career and my family somewhat over the past 3 years.

The latter is more important but it would be great to have the D90 to get some fisheye video footage somewhere where it isnt raining!

The good old trusty UK is still as unpredictable as ever for the rain and bad weather. Early in the year we had some fantastic sky shots, like this one...

By the way, my wife and daughter are in this picture, taken just before I embarked on a pano shot of the park. One that I framed on three seperate occasions because i messed up the sky in the first two! Always check you dont blow the sky on a pano!!!

That is a great example of the sky of which I refer.

Anyway I'm moving away from the subject. I hate waiting! Everything I ever buy I get it there and then, even if its more expensive. I hate to wait, it's killing me!

Anyway, as it goes i just pray i get the camera and my honeymoon (in that order)