Digital Darkroom

In response to my previous post, I got a question about how to get the glow in the last (fourth) photo. Here is my response:

For the last picture of the young lady, Alison, part of the softness came from the effect of a direct backlight, which was the sun coming through the studio window.

For the post-production.
I used Layers in PS5.
1) Load the picture.
2) Duplicate the picture in a new layer.
3) Blur the picture with the Gaussian Blur filter.
For a 800x533, use a strength of 4
For a 1200x1800 pic, use a strength of 20

4) Then go to the composite menu on your Layers palette (I've included a photo of it, and put a pink ellipse around it)

And you'll see a list of choices. The default is NORMAL.
What you want to look for and choose is SOFT LIGHT, this will severely increase the contrast by calculating an algorithm using the highlighted layer (which in your case is the duplicate) and the layer immediately below it (which is likely the Background or the Layer 0)

The glow come from the Gaussian Blur in step 3.

That was the end of the email. In fact, I did that same technique with some modifications specific to the photo on the following, which was 800x533, Sharpen settings were Amoun 125%, Radius 0.3 pixels, Threshold 1 Level, dropped the mids on the Blue Channel curve, but that's all standard anyway (oh, and I cropped and resized the picture):

West Coast Friends!

Original Photo

Hope that helps someone, have fun!!

In Maine shooting people...

 

Just for fun!

Commercial

So behind me is the shooting crew for a commercial. We're filming digitally for a local bank. They were looking for climbers, but we're in the middle of January. The people are fun. It's interesting to see the whole process of shooting. I'm definitely learning something.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Rainbow and the Barbarian

They say that with the analysis of the light defraction of a rainbow, it loses the mystery of its beauty that gives it an awe inspiring magical appearance. Too much analysis takes away from its beauty. I disagree. The colors of a rainbow seem more rich and complex because I know how the different wavelengths of light bend in relation to the density of the defracting object, in this case the water droplets.

But that is simply a long introduction to what I am about to talk about today.

Without knowing it, the Lombards and Nebbletts effortlessly display a good example of a group photo. Most every photographer's nightmare is a group photo where everyone stands as if they were in a police line-up. But not this case. For whatever reason these guys were a dream. The only direction I gave them was: Stand right there. Anyone to Chantée's right will be out of the picture, or to Josh's left.

That was it. I metered off Sean's shirt and dropped the exposure a touch. Counted to three and this is what I got. Cropped minor with about 5 curve adjustments and voilà! The kids did the magic really:

The Lombards and Nebbletts (l-r): Adriana Lombard, Chantée Nebblett, Elissa Lombard, Peter Michael Lombard, Sean Nebblett, Natasha Nebblett, Josh Nebblett.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There are several things that these guys did without being directed. We're going to deconstruct it so if you ever want to shoot a group shot, use this example.

The rules in group photos ares several: Everyone should be relaxed and standing anyway but straight on. Pay attention to Natasha's slight drop in her right shoulder, and Sean's left shoulder pushed back inadvertently pushing his left leg forward and putting his weight on it, as well as Josh's left-ward lean, and Elissa's lean into her brother and Pete's arm which has to wrap around his sister, and consequently shifts his weight to his left leg, turn his torso slightly to give him a nature bend. And Adri's gentle touch of her hand on Chantée's shoulder. Chantée is the only one who comes close to squaring to the camera, but even with her relaxed stance, she is slightly rotating her left shoulder back more than her right, and her position is further relaxed with the Lombard girls behind her.

But that's not it: What makes a good group photo appear like friends, not a corporate board of director's shot, is the closeness of each of the individuals. The trick is to get every one to relax individually but combine them so that they each appear close knit to the viewer. This is done by forming groups of two or three. Adri's hand on Chantée make them a group. Elissa and Pete with their arms around each other, and with Sean in such close proximity to them, that makes a group of three. The separation of Sean and Natasha make her and Josh as one group. But each group also fits in relatively close proximity to each other group.

A lot of analysis? well, these guys didn't even think about it. I just told them to relax and act like friends and they did. And for we the viewers,  it just felt right. Like looking at rainbow and not worrying about color wavelength or light defraction. It just looks right.

[click on photo for a larger image]

Courage

The distinction is subtle but the difference is so pertinent it bears examination.

Bravery is the ability to confront pain and difficulty without feelings of fear.

Courage is the ability to confront pain and difficulty DESPITE the fear that is eminent.

"The essence of courage is not the feeling of being certainly capable of overcoming what’s one is faced with, but rather is the willful choice to fight regardless of the consequences."


There is no Biblical promise that fear will not be present, courage can be obtained as our biddings from God are enablings from Him as well.

This sheds new light on the promise:

"Be strong and courageous" - Joshua 1:9

Holiday Pics

Elissa & Christy

Lauren

Joel

Abigail

Andrew

If you click on each picture, you'll get a full PRINT SIZE photo (you don't have to, I'm just sayin'...)

Snow Day

Snow Day ... this is NOT Southern California.

Growing up in Southern California, in grade school we'd had a phenomenon called Heat Days. Conditions in which it was so hot that the school's airconditioning couldn't keep up with the sweltering, and we were all sent home early. Well, something similar happened today, AND I'm on-call tonight, so I have to sit around the apartment waiting for someone to walk in to ER or head to the OR for some kind of crash c-section. While my friends get together for Sushi, and fun, and photography, and potentially new video footage.

While at work

 While at work, the snow continued to come down. They had to dig some of the 2 wheel drive cars out of the parking lot. But fortunately for my, my Jeep is tried and true, and at no other time (other than the trip to Sacramento from Mammoth through Tahoe without snow-tires, chains or a snow-plow), have I been more happy for this vehicle.

The View from my Apartment parking spot.

It's not even that cold outside, just windy and snowing A LOT! But the snow is nice and relatively dry, not as squeaky as Colorado, but still pretty dry. But relatively safe here, and warm, with books. Interestingly enough, I left my camera at the Lombards (so that their cousins could mess around with it), and I had to shoot these with my sidekick: the S90.