First Attempt at Cross Processing

Back in the film days, cross processing was the name given to the practice of developing slide film in chemicals used for developing negative film, and vice versa. Cross processing resulted in high contrast and sometimes wild color shifts. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, this was a common technique in vogue portraiture.

By separately adjusting the red, blue and green channels using a Curves adjustment layer in Photoshop (or by using a Curves plug-in for Photoshop Elements), you can achieve a cross-processed look. Here's an article discussing how I did this (and from which I took the historical information in the first paragraph). Here's my first attempt at cross processing, albeit on a sign. Actually, on this version, I duplicated the background layer of the original and used the SmartCurve plug-in for Photoshop Elements on that layer to do the cross-processing (users of the full-blown version of Photoshop can just use a curves adjustment layer). Underneath that is a channel mixer layer to convert the image to black and white. So, what you end up with is marginally colorized, cross processed black and white. Not really what I was looking for, but the full-color version just explodes with green grass, so for the full picture, it's a good compromise.

But, of course, the object is the sign. Here's a cropped version featuring the sign, but without the channel mixer b/w layer. Which do you prefer? Maybe this would be a good candidate for selective coloring--b/w everything except the cross-processed sign? I really like how the cross processing brings out the contrast of the rust and weathered metal on the sign.





EXIF data: Nikon D80,ISO 100,Nikkor 50mm 1.8,f2.8,1/500
Manfrotto 3021BPRO Tripod (488RC2 head)
Sig Sauer P229 40 caliber pistol (just in case)




UPDATE: I took a stab at cross processing the sign only, and leaving everything else black and white.

It's Almost Pink Flamingo Time Again

In honor of the Pink Flamingo parties in our neighborhood during the summer months, here's a guy from Sea World.

EXIF is as follows:

Nikon D80
Nikkor 70-300VR at 105mm
f8 for 1/200 sec
ISO 200
Shutter priority mode

How did I get the out-of-focus background at f8? It's an illusion. First, the telephoto lens compresses everything, which helps throw the background out of focus. Secondly, I shot the flamingo at a downward angle, and used a circular polarizer to eliminate the glare from the water in the pond he was standing in. The bottom of the pond was a brownish concrete, so there's an illusion that the background is out of focus. It sort of is, but the combination of little detail in the background, the compression of the lens, and the elimination of glare from the water (thanks to the polarizer) makes it look like I used a faster (i.e. a 2.8 or better) lens.

Where is Our Freakin' Government?

How much higher can gas prices go? I suspect $4.00 per gallon by mid-summer. Our federal government is so interested in the next election that we cannot go out and prop up the dollar. Our president is so weak (if for no other reason than he's perceived to be ineffective) that he cannot pressure OPEC and/or the Saudis to increase production (as it is, unless there's evidence of a shortage, OPEC has no intention of increasing production until 2012).

This is an aisle-crossing issue. We're getting our ass kicked on the world stage, and our government just clicks blindly along, as if things can be reversed by opening the strategic reserves. Give me a break. Our last oil refinery was finished in 1976. In 2005, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah remarked that he'd send us more oil but we lack the refining capacity. Duh. If there was one area to allow buhzillion tax incentives, this is it. Incentives for doing the right way--an environmentally responsible way. If gas gets to $4.00, it's gonna be bad. Prices at Wal-Mart will go up. C-stores will struggle. Recreation will suffer. I mean, it's a downhill slide. Middle-class and lower-class Amercians will suffer while Congress piddles.

Piddles.

Regulators! Let's Ride!

Apparently called Bella Vista Young Guns, I understand that there is going to be a working man's 9-hole golf league in Bella Vista this year. I've got the email for the guy that's putting it together. Post a comment if you're interested. I'll post more as I learn more.

Flickr for a While

You might notice that I've removed the Photo.net link for pictures. I have started a page on Flickr.com (the link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/314images). I only have a few pictures out there for public consumption. I have put up about 44 other pictures from the San Diego trip for friends and family, but you have to register to see them. I'll also post picture of the kids playing, get togethers, birthday parties, Ryan and Rex trying to swing a golf club after a few beers (hahaha) as the months go along, so if you want access to that stuff, post a comment, and I'll send you the invite from flickr.

(Yes. Shameless attempt to solicit posts.)

Technique. Create. Paralysis. Liberate?

I read way too many photography magazines. I buy way too many photography books (at least relative to other types of books). I study the technical side of digital image creation. I have learned (not enough) about my camera. I know the basics. I know some advanced stuff. This crap is like a drug.

I was at Barnes & Noble today and grabbed the usual assortment of photography books and magazines. One of the Brit mags that are so good. Photo District News. A few books I had seen reviewed. Random magazines I had never purchased. I set them down in a chair and slipped off to the bathroom. Upon my return, some overly-efficient employee had taken my stack off to be re-shelved. So I went and got them again. All of them. All of the books and magazines I had impulsively gathered. I flipped through an interesting book on digital black and white photography (heavy on photoshop, including a very cool sampling technique I had never seen and must learn and ohmygodihavetohavethisbookjustbecauseofthisonetechnique). Another one on landscape photography. I ripped through the stack with all of the cold analysis I would bring to a so many cases I might have dug up for a brief. Sorting. Culling. Stacking (two stacks--one for absolutely not, one to go back through).

And then I opened a magazine called Life Images. The pages of this magazine have very cool shots (although maybe not technically superb) and some words that either inspired them or were inspired by them. (Never mind the fact that the publishing company is apparently big into publishing magazines on quilting.) I created a third stack--keeper--and put this magazine in it.

At that moment, something clicked. I've gotten so into the technical side of my little hobby that I have forgotten what I love about it--creating, capturing, preserving and story-telling. I have managed to get caught (bound?) up in the technical side of photography at the expense of getting out there and pushing the button.

Driving home, I noticed a field of purple flowers leading to a metal barn that will be a great shot if the clouds decide to move out. I noticed the water-laden bunches of scrub grass in a pattern on a hillside next to the interstate that would look oh-so-cool in black and white. Spring is often thought of as a time of renewal. Liberation, too, I hope.

Don't Think Twice

Did anybody watch American Idol last night? I usually space out at this point in the competition because most of the freaks are off the show, and the amusement of the earlier auditions has faded, but I tuned in for a while last night, and caught David Cook's cover of Chris Cornell's cover of Jack-O's Billy Jean. I'm usually pretty sharp with music stuff, who's covered what, who's produced what, etc. I had no clue that Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden fame) had covered this. So while I'm a little less impressed with David Cook for maybe letting this get passed off as his arrangement, at least he knew about it, and if you really listen to it, Ryan Seacrest introduced it as a cover, so it was out there. Whether RandyPaulaSimon picked up on it, I don't know. Bottom line: most incredible performance I've seen on American Idol ever, and a great version of what was a good song (for about 3 minutes, anyway).