Monthly Archives: March 2013

How I took that shot by Gráinne Davies

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I wanted to photograph water drops and it’s not as easy as it may seem.

Image-No.-3

The set up I used was very simple........

  • Put some water into a black roasting tin
  • I used a small home studio kit set up on a table. If you don’t have a studio kit then just use coloured card (depending on what colour you want out).
  • I used a red velvet background.
  • Pour some water into a bottle or a bag (I used a bag) and suspend the water above the tin of water. Just put a pin hole in the bag and let the water drop into the tin of water.
  • Set your camera on a tripod in front of the water drops.
  • To find a focus I used a pencil and placed it directly where the water drops were falling and focused manually. This will ensure your drops are sharp.
  • Set up a Speedlight flash on a tripod or a flash stand and aim the flashgun directly at the background (not at the water). Set flash to manual and drop the power of the flash as required depending on the exposure of the shots.

Image-No.-3-beforePhotoshop changes - The original was shot in RAW and I changed the colour in Photoshop to give the purple colour. I just tidied the image up with some erasing and cloning and cropped the final image.

 

Technical Details:
Canon 60D
Canon 60mm Macro lens
ISO 200
F10
1/200

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Sub-Zero Temperatures no match for ECCG Members

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The sub-zero Siberian winds were no match for the dozen or so hardy souls who turned out for the first night shoot of the year in Cork City last night. With windchill dropping the temperatures to -4C, the members were treated to a full moon rising over the City Hall which was awash in a beautiful blue light that rendered the freezing conditions irrelevant.

DavidGeary_Corknight-shoot-2

After a while in the Lapps Quay and Parnell Bridge area it was off to the South Gate bridge where views of St. Finbarre's Cathedral  reflected in the waters of the South Channel were worth the walk.

More than once, passers-by paused and looked quizzically at the line of tripods and their attentive owners wondering what in the world was going on. Some looked far in the distance to see what could be the object of this group's attention only to walk away as mystified as they were to begin with. One couple's curiosity got the better of them causing them to stop and ask what was going on!

The hot refreshments at a local hostelry went down a treat afterwards as all reported a satisfying and good shoot despite the challenging conditions.

Photos by Dave Geary, Anthony O'Connor and Karen Fleming.

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The full Nik Collection by Google is now just $149 (€116)

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nik_collection_logoLatest news from the web is that the price of the Google-owned, Nik Collection of plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Phototshop Elements has plummeted to $149 (€116 approx) incl VAT.

These plugins, HDR Efex Pro 2, Silver Efex Pro 2, Sharpener Pro 3, Color Efex Pro 4, Viveza 2, and Dfine 2 have been among the most popular for years and previously would have sold for up to $500 (€388).

For all the information on these plugins and to get a free trial click here.

To check compatibility issues click here.

To see some FAQs, videos, and get an extra 15% off this price (down to $126.65 (€98.50 approx)) visit Ron Martinsen's blog, www.ronmartblog.com.

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Fairytale from Denmark

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Denmark is famous as the land of fairy tales and castles – so when top Danish photographer Henrik Sørensen was asked to do the campaign shoot for the new Hasselblad H5D-40 he decided to mastermind a shoot with a difference and do a twisted take on Denmark as a fairytale country. Underwater.

From Henrik Sorensen's YouTube Channel:

"He ended up with this submerged, slightly decadent fairy, floating gracefully in the 18th century palace setting."

"With top of the league underwater model Kristina Korsholm, the beautiful costumes from Trash Couture, a huge backdrop of Ledreborg castle, and the best crew in town, all was in place for a great shoot when Henrik dived into the pool."

"Watch the film and see one of the best underwater crews create these stunning and contemporary images, fine art or fashion? - entirely up to you."

What a concept and result! Can't really complain anymore about having to drag out a background, reflector and a light stand or two now can you?

Thanks to John Joe Joyce for pointing me to this one.

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