This is Bloody Cool!
That little bird, the Upland Sandpiper can fly! See how they are sending email, that’s right emails, about their route!
Luminar … More Than Just Something New!
Stinson 9F
captured by D750 / 24-70VR
You’ve probably received the email and said something like, “Oh, something new for the digital darkroom” and then deleted the email. I’m here to tell you, that might was a BIG mistake because Luminar available today has at least ONE thing you need to own! My challenge is to explain all that Luminar from MacPhun is all about in a blog post, and I can’t. You’re going to want to head to here after reading this post to at the very least learn more but let me tell you why you’re going to do that. What is Luminar?
You might rightfully so think Luminar is a stand alone Raw file processor because it is. What you won’t understand until you start to work with it is that it’s a Raw file processor with layers, effects and so much more. And it not only works its magic on Raw files but you can use it on layered PSD files, that’s right, PSDs. To understand how all of that works, you need to watch the videos on the MacPhun site. The potential here alone is worth the price but I’m excited by another feature of Luminar!
With a simple click, you can make Luminar a plug-in that works within Photoshop. Why would you want to do that? Great Question, let me show you!
This one feature of Luminar is more than worth the price of the app, its Black & White engine! It is hands down the best B&W engine I’ve even used and I’m all over it! What you see here is just a HINT of all the controls you have to quickly and easily convert your images to B&W. You can create presets which I highly recommend cause with a simply click, you have a gorgeous B&W. And as you can see, they work with your Smart Objects.
I regret I have just this most cursory tease preview of Luminar to share with you because there is so much more. But I’ve always promised to share with you my advances in B&W processing and this is my current love. Luminar is available today, check it out!
Turnstone?
Ruddy Turnstone
captured by D5 / 800mm / Panning Plate
Turnstone, turnstone, what kind of name is that for a bird that is found most often on the beach? We have two turnstones in North American, the Black and Ruddy, this is a Ruddy. And their name comes from their constant habitat of turning over debris looking for food. Unlike many of its beach neighbors, Turnstones don’t constantly prob the sand looking for a bite to eat, but under debris where the rest of the birds never look. It always fascinates me to watch all the different species of shorebirds gather and feed with minimal competition in the same little patch of sand, all finding what they need to survive the day. Beautiful!
Ruddy Turnstone
captured by D5 / 800mm / Panning Plate
In these first two photos you have two different stories of the Ruddy Turnstone. The above is your basic intimate with the subject shot, the bottom is the biology unfolding. While they were both taken with the D5 / 800mm w/TC-1.25x but the top one, the rig was resting on the sand with the Panning Plate and the bottom photo with the rig on the Gitzo mounted to the Zenelli. The difference in elevation changes two things. The biggie is the background and next is the comfort of birds to feed. Birds feel very vulnerable when feeding so if shy and feeding, being close and on lying on the sand might keep them at a distance. In the case of the Turnstones though, they only have so many opportunities to feed, that debris. Then to get the bottom photo we need to combine biology and technology.
Ruddy Turnstone
captured by D5 / 800mm / Panning Plate
It simply requires understanding how the Turnstone got its name and use that knowledge to stack out that debris. Because at some point they will come to check it out and if you’re laying on the sand and they come to YOU on THEIR terms, then you can get the biology with the clean background. There are times then when knowing what goes into a critter’s name is your clue to the biology to exploit to make your photo. Pretty simple once you connect the dots :-)
Ya, I Pretty Much Suck at Moon Landscapes
Isn’t it obvious with this photo? Why is that? Well, in this straight shot taken at Kodachrome Basin, just like everyone else, I saw a beautiful moon in person and the mind’s eye made it big and special. But put that cold heartless bastard to your eye and instantly that beautiful moon looks like what I’ve always called a “processing mistake” (an old reference back to the days of film). We’re drawn to the moon like a moth to a flame, and we all know how that turns out for the moth. Technically, it’s real easy to get the exposure, a full moon is Basic Daylight (ISO-Shutter Speed f/16) or you Spot Meter off the moon. The problem is visually, the moon, unless you use a long lens is always small in the frame. That’s why I’ve always gone old school when I really want a big moon in a photo, double exposure (photo below). That is the actual moon that evening, but when the photo of the buildings was made, it was hidden behind a dust cloud. It was also smaller. So once the dust thinned I zoomed in on the moon and made a double exposure. Not a great shot but it was fun and that’s really the important part. And while I suck at taking the photos, I do recognize photos those are well done. Those are the ones where the moon is part of the story, not just sharp.
Working Birds on the Beach
Sanderling
captured by D5 / 800mm / Panning Plate
There is NO one way to work with wildlife, this is especially true with birds! There are many paths to success so then the way to find your path should include the fun factor. When you include that, then lying on the beach has to be one of the best techniques (Kelby class on the technique). We’re working with birds about the size of your fist darting about a world that is full of visual distraction. To make them visibly pop, we need to either make them larger in the frame or remove the visual distractions. Getting down on their level accomplished both with a lot of fun mixed in. Here’s a video showing you the technique in action a few days ago.
The video was shot with the new Nikon KeyMission 360. It was attached to a flash arm over the 800mm lens. It’s a 4k video (be sure to set it to 4k when viewing) resized down from 2.1Gb to 524MB to upload quickly to YouTube. Clicking on the arrow in the top left corner or dragging the hand around in the frame, you can see how we’re shooting in 360 degrees using the Panning Plate from the surf. You can see it all which might help you work with this killer technique!
The Legacy We’re Leaving … or Not
Collared Pika
Adorable American Pika Is Fast Disappearing, And We’re Doing Nothing To Stop It is a headline that should stop us and make us think at the very least. And it’s not just the America Pika but Collared Pika as well. Seeing firsthand populations disappear literally in my own backyard, it saddens me to no end.
American Pika