I am evaluating an interesting website called ProShow Web, that allows you to create, on the fly, videos or slideshows of your photos. It is amazingly easy. I just need to decide whether to purchase the upgrade that allows you to use more than 15 photos.

I’m the new owner of a B+W ND 110 neutral density glass filter. When threaded on to the end of your lens, it allows you to increase your exposure by a factor of 1,000! It’s so dark that you cannot see through it looking through the viewfinder. This allows you to slow down the exposure to add intentional motion to your shot, even in bright daylight. I look forward to seeing what this will do to Nantucket Seascapes. Here’s the first two examples:

Experimenting with the Pixel Bender plug-in. Trying to decide if there is artistic merit here, or if it is just another Photoshop parlor trick. Might have to see one of these printed on canvas or watercolor paper to decide.

I have a book available!

I have two exhibitions at present.

1) Artists Association of Nantucket’s Joyce & Seward Johnson’s Gallery

2) Nantucket Memorial Airport – Photographer’s Alliance of Nantucket’s display

With my horn sufficiently tooted, here’s your chance to see actual prints.

Here are two photos shown three ways: straight out of camera, fused exposures, HDR with tone mapping. The originals (SOOC) are the captures with the best average exposure for the scene. The fused exposure version was made taking three exposures of the same scene, and using Photomatix to merge the exposures, without any further adjustments. Then taking the merged result into Photoshop and using the curves tool to heighten the contrast. The third version is my standard HDR merge using Photomatix’s tonemapping. It’s always a surprise to see what results from the tonemapping. Often the image is amazing, but sometimes it’s a little over the top. I’m experimenting with the Exposure Fusion feature to see if I like the more subtle images you can make with it. What do you think?

SOOC

EF

HDR

SOOC

EF

HDR

Monday I got my new camera. Let’s call it Bill. It’s a Nikon D700. It’s more camera than a hobbyist deserves, but it’s sweet. You hear about the middle-age guy, going through a life crisis, purchasing a Porsche. This is my Porsche.

I’ve only made it halfway through the manual. There are still buttons that I do not know how to use. But my initial impression, using only a 50mm prime lens, is that this camera is amazing. The pics look great, right out of the camera.

Here are a few samples: