Tag Archives: cornwall

Software

Upgrading Exposure

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Porth Kidney Sands, Cornwall. Olympus EM5 and 12-40mm lens. ISO200, 1/640″ at f/7.1. Processing in Exposure X2 with the Velvia 100 film simulation.

I have finally taken the plunge and upgraded my copy of Exposure from Alien Skin. This is a great all-purpose piece of editing software which I tend to use as a plug in to Photoshop. What I really like are the film simulations.

I already owned Exposure and was resisting the temptation to upgrade. What really changed my mind was a 40% discount and the other Alien Skin tools thrown in. These were Blow up for enlargement and Snap Art for painting special effects. I’m not really one for painting effects but since upgrading my iPad I have started to draw more. I’m finding packages like this provide a nice yet creative break from work.

I’m now under more pressure to find time to experiment with the new version of Exposure and learn how to best use the new Layers feature.

Friday Image

Friday Image No.143

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The sea off Cornwall. Sony RX10, ISO80, f/5.6, 1/400″

It’s been said that a picture paints a thousand words. Sometimes though I think it’s enough not to say anything. Just empty your mind and let it drift on a sea of nothing and marvel at the expanse before you.

That’s enough rambling for a Friday evening.

The weeks work is over and I can finish off by posting this shot of the sea off Cornwall. It’s of nothing at all but conveys a feeling of vastness. Despite it not having a point of interest I felt compelled to take the shot. Best of all, I love it even if I can’t explain why.

Have a great weekend.

Friday Image

Friday Image No. 142

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Olympus EM5 converted to shoot Infrared. Four images merged to panoramic in Lightroom. Panasonic 45-150mm lens at 45mm. ISO200, 1/80″ at f/8.0. Post processing in Alien Skin Exposure.

This week I have come to realise that I’m not getting out to any new locations to photograph. When I do manage to get out, I seem to be repeating many of the scenes and shots I have taken in the past. Or at least that’s the way it feels.

This image was taken on a recent trip to Cornwall and is a case in point. I have visited the location before but have never been happy with the image. That’s why I haven’t shared them. I’m not sure that I’m any happier with this image but I’m forcing myself to share it as I’m not likely to visit again soon to shoot it again.

And that’s the point. I seem to be caught in a loop of not being satisfied with my images and so I keep returning to shoot them again and again, never creating anything new. I’m going to work on this for the next 12 months to see if I can improve. I’m also determined to get out with a camera more often.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Friday Image

Friday Image No.141

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Olympus EM5 converted to shoot Infrared. Olympus 12-40mm lens. ISO200, f/7.1, 1/160″

For this week’s Friday image, it’s a shot from my recent trip to Cornwall. I took this whilst walking the coast path. It’s probably about a mile outside Fowey.

At the time, the light was very harsh and the images I was shooting on my standard Olympus EM5 weren’t looking very appealing. As is often the case when the light is harsh in summer, it can be helpful to switch to Infrared.

The image was captured using an infrared converted Olympus EM5 with an Olympus 12-40mm lens. This makes a great pairing although there is a faint hotspot in the centre of the lens. Fortunately, this vanishes once converted to black and white. What surprised me here was the strength of the Infrared effect. The weed in the sea is practically glowing.

The conversion from RAW was performed in Lightroom and then the post production conversion was using On1 Effects.

Have a great weekend.

Approach

Back to Work

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Porth Kidney Beach Cornwall
Porth Kidney Beach. Olympus EM5 + 12-40mm lens.

You might have noticed that there was no Friday Image or posts this week. If you were wondering why, it’s because I took a much needed holiday. But despite the holiday I still took a couple of cameras along with me to capture the landscape. Here is one from the beach near to where I was staying.

If you’re wondering where this exotic tropical scene is, it’s Porth Kidney Beach in Cornwall, near to St Ives. The sea there is so blue and clear. It’s a wonderful place to take a holiday and get away from everything.

But now I’m back and starting to work through all the emails.

Approach, Friday Image, Software

Friday Image No. 110

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Cornish sunset. Olympus EM5 processed using Nik Viveza.
Cornish sunset. Olympus EM5 processed using Nik Viveza.

This isn’t a deliberate ploy to post the same image as last week. This image was taken at the same time as last week’s Friday image but the lighting is stronger. The reason it looks stronger is that the image is processed using Nik Viveza. When I did this, I employed a few adjustment tricks that people might not realise to try. I decided to share these “Secrets of Viveza” using a video which is posted on my you tube channel. I also embedded the clip below.

I hope you find it useful and have a great weekend.

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Friday Image, photography

Friday Image No.109

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The beach at Godrevy, Cornwall. Olympus EM5, 12-40 lens + 0.9 ND Graduated Filter
The beach at Godrevy, Cornwall. Olympus EM5, 12-40 lens + 0.9 ND Graduated Filter

It’s the end of another week and I’m preparing for an early morning start. I’m going to try some shots over in the Peak District but as is often the case, the weather forecast doesn’t look too good. Hopefully things won’t look quite as bad when I get on location.

I have also been busy trying to find an image to share but I wasn’t coming up with much. In the end I selected the image above. I have shared other images from this shoot in the past but I really like these.

This is a single RAW image processed in Lightroom and then enhanced with Nik Viveza. I have tried to keep the adjustments looking natural and I hope you like the treatment.

Have a great weekend.