Three 1-Nikkor Lenses for Serious Photographers

Posted on by
Reply
The newest addition to the Nikon 1 system is a very fast portrait lens.

The newest addition to the Nikon 1 system is a very fast portrait lens.

The Nikon 1 System has been out for a little over a year and a half now, and Nikon is now starting to release a series of lenses geared toward the more advanced/serious photographer. When the Nikon 1 system debuted, the only lens that wasn’t a “consumer-level” zoom was the 10mm f/2.8 prime. After adding an 11-27.5mm zoom last year (I don’t know why), Nikon has now released three lenses that are quite nice for more serious photography. Continue reading →

Submit to StumbleUpon

Window to Your Soul

Posted on by
Reply
Historical building in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Nikon D800e; monochrome conversion with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Historical building in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Nikon D800e; monochrome conversion with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Here’s another image from my recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg. On our first morning at the historical area, this house immediately caught the attention of our group. We probably spent 15-20 minutes photographing it. Because there were 12 of us there, wide shots weren’t feasible. Instead, I switched to my 70-200mm AFS G VRII Nikkor and went looking for tighter compositions.

I really loved the textures and shadows in this image, and while the color photo was nice, I really wanted the shadows and textures to be the dominant elements. I therefore chose to convert the image to monochrome. To do this, I used Silver Efex Pro 2, part of the Nik Collection (now part of Google).

Why Silver Efex Pro 2 is My Choice for Monochrome

There are lots of options for converting your images to monochrome, including on-board conversion in your RAW converter. While you can get reasonable results using those tools, a dedicated monochrome tool like Silver Efex Pro 2 offers some seriously better control options. Continue reading →

Submit to StumbleUpon

2013 Rocky Mountain Photo Safari

Posted on by
Reply
Join me Sept 29- Oct 3rd for a photo safari to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Join me Sept 29- Oct 3rd for a photo safari to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

My annual photo safari to the Rocky Mountains is coming up, and now is the time to join this special trip. From Sept. 29 through October 3rd, I’ll be leading a very small group of select photographers to the alpine lakes and high country roads around Estes Park, CO. In addition to beautiful sunrises, we’ll also be photographing fall colors and the elk rut. Continue reading →

Submit to StumbleUpon