My Introduction to Lightroom (the 30 day trial)

Pre-Regatta: Henley-on-Thames

Lightroom.
I am currently on a 30 day trial for Lightroom 4. I have heard a great deal about this alternate processor from photographers and lecturers. They say it is better than Photoshop. I can't make a judgement to that yet, seeing as I am only on day 2, however I know it is complimentary to RAW processing and great for creating an effective workflow. I have also been intrigued by the dramatic skies and tones, particularly found in Landscape. I find that these effects, add some dimension to average photo of some hills and some sky.

It is all about experimenting really.



This is what I shall be working on for the next month, dipping in and out of the features and hope to find some light and some purpose that could help me delve deep into the photographic industry. I'm sure everyone wants to try this but I think you can still create unique images, even if this is a popular piece of software. Every Photoshop image isn't identical. I am going to strive to make my images different or at least add my own touch to them.

I am quite pleased with my first edit, but it is not until you use the Before/After mode that you can see what a difference is really made. And that is another thing that Photoshop doesn't have, unless you do it manually and as a plus, the original photo is left untouched, meaning you could create as many edits as you so wish without destroying the image.

Lightroom certainly has a promising start.

Want to visit my Flickr photostream with the featured photos in my blog and more then click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brown_eyed_dreamer/

York on film...

York, United Kingdom (2012)

Would you have perhaps imagined that I took this picture using coloured film? It sure wasn't that long ago that cameras used film and you had a limit of 36 exposures. Technology has certainly developed over the years. I remember my childhood was captured on various film cameras and from time to time, selecting a wallet from the draw with a random date kind of just takes you back. I find coloured film nostalgic.

I never imagined York to be an old place, the photo above, says it all really, but even the roads were cobbled and mainly untouched by the modern man. It was a coincidence that I wanted to try out coloured film here. I had been using black and white HP5 film during my first two semesters at University, but other than the odd disposable camera, I had never used a proper coloured film with a proper film camera.

Black and white is one thing. It is very classic, very vintage and the grainy quality is one of a kind. I wondered if I would get such an effect with colour but I have found that once a print has been scanned, there is almost a clear-film like texture overlaying the image and I quite like it. It is what a photograph is supposed to look like, in my eyes anyway. I have learned over this year that photography is about truth and capturing what the eye can see, unlike in painting. However my style and my interest in photography is making the photographs a little different from what you see and I like this because it is almost like an escape to from the real world. You can take bits you like from them and make them richer or desaturate them and I guess from saying this that the digital world suits me very much, however I still love using film.

What I have found, also, when scanning in a film print is that if you don't deselect auto-exposure then that is how you get a more saturated image. In addition, by comparing the images below is that the auto-exposure image is more like the digital cameras of today. There is certainly more definition and more truthful to reality but it is the fact that anyone these days can take an image like that and it is the quality of the film that makes it unique.

scanned - straight from print
   (no alterations)

scanned - (+ auto exposure)

Not much of a difference?

foggy - natural

auto exposure - more definition

There is a subtlety but it depends on what you are looking for and how fussed you are. 

The great thing about photography, these days is that you can experiment to your hearts content. However new cameras and the progress of technology wouldn't have happened without experimentation in the first place. I believe it can get you far. 

Want to visit my Flickr photostream with the featured photos in my blog and more then click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brown_eyed_dreamer/

Painting by colour, posting by numbers...

Adding colour to black and white
Final Edit

This is post 100.
I had never really thought about such a milestone before. I began my blog on 10th August 2009, a few months after my dream of photography had been conceived, feeling fresh and inspired as an enthusiastic, yet curious new born child. At that time, the memory and awareness of the future is simply unknown and I suppose I felt this way about my blog. I took each post in its stride and helped it grow and age and develop. I have developed by writing it and showing my pictures and expressing my thoughts. But now reaching such a milestone, I can reflect on my progress so far and what I have learned and what I want to continue to learn. This post will be the many of hundreds in years to come, but for now, I am celebrating my passion and determination through photography.

At the beginning I mentioned a lot about collecting photography magazines and entering competitions and about six months ago I had a look through the years-worth that I had collected and cut out some photoshop tutorials and inspiring photographs for me to go back one day and perhaps have a go at developing my editing skills. I would say I am quite confident with photoshop, with some bells and whistles yet to be discovered. I purchased another photography magazine today Digital SLR Photography and noticed some tutorials that I took interest in. I got home and had a go.

The writer of the tutorial explains how many of us and transform a colour photograph into black and white, almost instantly, but how many of us can turn a monochrome image into colour? This was the task and this was the challenge.

I began with a colour image that I transformed to black and white, then removed the original colour image from photoshop, as not to cheat. I then followed the step-by-steps and created some of my own. The final image is above, but how did I do it?

Let's take a look.

Original Image

Converted to black and white

Paint brush tool with a skin colour
covering the whole face

Go to the Blend Mode in the Layers palette and
change to colour

Lasso Tool and erase the skin colour
unwanted around the eyes

Select suitable hair colour
and repeat Blend Mode
(step 4)

This Blend Mode and colour selection is then repeated, for the eyes, lips, clothes and background until you are happy with your result. 

Simples.

I completed this tutorial using Photoshop CS4.

Want to visit my Flickr photostream with the featured photos in my blog and more then click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brown_eyed_dreamer/

Photography and the recipe of life...

It's amazing to think that I just completed my first year at University, my 'Freshman' year. I didn't quite feel like a freshman, simply because there is such a range of people, whether that be age, race, sexuality and beyond who were first years' too. It wasn't like at school when you could pretty much define each year, particularly by their maturity. University has a much more mature approach and you can barely tell which year is which, and there is no need to, because there is such a blend and an acceptance.

I remember last year and how I was, nervous but excited about going to University to study Photography. I never imagined in just one year that I would have learned so much already. I never imagined I would have bought a film camera or be able to make prints in the darkroom. I have been introduced to the studio equipment and learned about what pictures really communicate and how the confusion of f-stops and aperture is dissolving into thin air.

Before I know it, I will be out there in the industry. The excitement of work with photographers and re-touchers sparks me with such enthusiasm. And even though it can be a chocolatly rich indulgence and dream, it doesn't mean to say there will be a few crunchy areas that will be hard to get your teeth around, however there will always be the soft pink fluffy marshmallows to catch you when you fall. Life in the real world is simply the recipe of a Rocky Road. It will taste right if you approach it that way.

The triple threat: portraiture, still-life and interiors...

I have combined still-life, interiors and a little bit of portraiture and I have enjoyed composing them, even with a few set-backs along the way.  I always found motivation with personal projects at home really hard, which is why I have enjoyed education. I get given a theme and then I can do my own thing with it. Early mornings are never an excitement but at the same time it gives you a buzz because it something to do in your life. The Summer Holidays are creeping up and as enjoyable as they are for a while, you want to get back to the work or even out into the world to do work and start a career. It bothers me that people complain about how little they come in to University for the amount they have paid for but they should have known this when they applied. Why complain over something you have chosen? It's an ironic topic to talk about but then it is something very immature in the first place that would not need to be complained about.

Whatever you choose in life, enjoy it as much as you can

So stay positive.


Want to visit my Flickr photostream with the featured photos in my blog and more then click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brown_eyed_dreamer/