Sony The NEX Image thread

BBW, the photo makes itself (I think that's how it is said???). I just recorded it. :D And thank you for the compliments. It's encouraging.
 
Another one that I noticed right away on your Flickrstream. A photo makes itself in many ways, but the photographer is the one who sees the image and makes it his or her own, I think. You've done this in both of these, bonyari.
 
Simon, I never knew how much work is involved in a b&w conversion. It is a great image too. :)

Well, there doesn't have to be as much to B&W conversion as I typically do, but I come from a wet darkroom regimen (albeit many years ago), so for me, at least half the pleasure of making the image is in the processing.

With the tools we have at our disposal today, I find it fascinating to use different combinations of PP software to see what can be done. In my mind, what I do with a program like Topaz (Adjust or Detail) is similar in a way to choosing a specific paper for printing to emphasize the contrast etc. With Silver EFex Pro, I get the ability to do the conversion to B&W, choose the film type, do selective dodging and burning, and finally to add a tone, vignette etc.

It's all a bit backward from the film days, but as I say, this process is almost more of a thrill to me than the actual capture is sometimes. This is especially true when shooting RAW as I don't see the image in B&W until the end of the process.

Here's another example showing the kind of end-product I'm after for B&W. I hope that you'll forgive this being shot with a D300 (not exactly a compact, but that's what I shot prior to switching to m43 and NEX). Here, a straight conversion to B&W would have missed much of the drama in the sky, whereas pre-processing before B&W conversion really emphasizes the clouds.

_DS11872.jpg


Ciao,
 
That is an incredibly beautiful and intense image, Simon and I couldn't agree with you more about the enjoyment of the digital darkroom. I find I get lost in there for hours at a time. This is a wild and stunning scene!
 
Don, Topaz works great on NEX files or any digital files, really. I use Topaz Adjust, Detail, DeNoise, and Simplify, and love them all. I esp. like their presets and you can make your own. I rarely use any of the effects full-strength, though. If you have Photoshop, you can apply a preset in the Topaz plugin (and maybe tinker with Topaz slider bars first), and when you land back in PS with the "Topazed" image, go to Edit/Fade and consider fading/reducing the effect a little or a lot. Edit/Fade also gives you the option to change the blend mode, which can make a huge difference in outcome and give you many more choices. And you don't need layers to do this!

For example, say you want to get rid of color noise but don't want to add any blurring because you aren't worried about grain and you want to preserve details. You can select a standard DeNoise preset that removes all the color noise. It will also do some blurring (though DeNoise is very good about not going overboard on blurring). Back in PS, go to Edit/Fade, and from there choose the blend mode Color. You don't have to actually fade the effect (i.e., you can leave the percentage slider on 100% if desired), but just by changing the blend mode the color noise will be gone without any blurring because Color blend mode changes ONLY color. (I assume you can do the same thing by moving around the sliders in Topaz itself each time, but I find it easy to do with PS Edit/Fade because it's a tool I use a lot anyway. I haven't made my own DeNoise preset for this but perhaps should...)

My favorite blend modes for Topaz filters other than DeNoise are Multiply, Overlay, and Soft Light, and it's incredible how dramatically they can change the effect. The net result is as if you had many more Topaz effects to choose from -- enough to make your head explode, actually.

I don't know if you can do any of this in Lightroom unless you add the new layers software to Lightroom. In that case you would apply the Topaz effect as a layer, and if desired, reduce the intensity by lowering the opacity of the Topaz layer to less than 100%. You have access to the same blend modes using layers as you do in Edit/Fade. Or you can just leave blend mode on Normal, which is the default.

BTW you can use Edit/Fade on almost any action you take in PS, such as sharpening, brushing on color, cloning, etc. The key is to use it immediately after whatever step you want to change. And if you don't like it just back up in your History log and go back to before you used Edit/Fade.

Don't know what caused me to go off on a PS discussion, but I'm a big fan of Topaz plugins and that's how I use them! Others may very well have more efficient methods. I don't have any NIK filters at the moment, but I think all of the above would apply to NIK and any other filters.

BB, feel free to move this, of course!
 
Simon,
It looks like you've been hanging out with Wayne at DPI......
That's a very interesting image.....
don

Don,

DPI is certainly one of my favourite websites, but I must admit, I'm not sure to whom you are referring...

Oh, OK, it just dawned on me... Wayne of the Forestry service? He is certainly no stranger to heavily PP images.

I guess I just prefer my colours bright and saturated, and my B&Ws rich and contrasty.

Cheers,
 
Andrew, 1st off...that one's for you.

I call that a mile marker image. As you go about your life and make all the photos you'll make.... when you feel that you just made a great body of work....or feel that you don't know what to do...
or just every 5 years....look at this image... you will instantly know what your work is all about. That image is a mile marker, you'll never be lost if you look at every once in a while.

Maybe everyone thinks I'm crazy but.... test this in 20 years and see if I'm right...
That is a wonderful moment....
Don
 
Newbie here! Not just new to the forum but pretty new to photography as well. Just got a NEX 3 with the 18-55 Lens and am very impressed. This thing is perfect for me. I wanted DSLR quality without the bulk.

Here are a couple of my first few shots of one of my favorite subjects-- my dog Mia.

DSC00030.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)


DSC00008.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
 
This one's for BB.

p618620665-4.jpg

Andrew, thank you so much. I am sorry that I didn't find it here earlier when I was looking for it. I must have ben in pre graduation mode. This is an example of one of the most important images in your life...as it would be in my own. Being able to make a memory of the people one loves the most in this kind of moment is priceless. For myself, photographs such as yours are the most important and most meaningful in existence. Add in the fact, that I am now on balancing on the cusp of my own offspring's diving off into a not just a new chapter but a new volume of her life...well, I've always been nostalgic, and seeing this picture makes me even more so. Many, many joy filled hours were spent reading to my own child, Andrew. I think I'm in love.
 
PRS TiFJ, welcome to you, your NEX3 and to your sweetheart Mia! She is a beauty and adorable - those soulful eyes...even with her rubber chicken lying within reach!:cloud-9-039: As a confirmed dog lover, I am an immediate fan!

Do us a favor the next time you're back and stop by the Welcomes and Introductions forum for a quick hello, if you have the time. You can start a new thread or just add on to the "sticky" up top that says "Welcome!".:th_salute:
 
Hi PRS TiFJ, cracking springer, she is beautiful. She's very clean! The photos are great too, I really like the light, and the colour in the first one with the red and yellow.
 
Hi PRS TiFJ, cracking springer, she is beautiful. She's very clean! The photos are great too, I really like the light, and the colour in the first one with the red and yellow.

Thank you very much! She is a wonderful dog. I see you're from Scotland, very cool. I have a Scottish heritage. Last name Sinclair.
 
Thanks BB! I'm starting to realize they grow up fast! Off for some weekend fun with the family in the Russian River area this weekend a la a house in the woods thanks to the school raffle!
 
Back
Top