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Pyramids in sepia.

Going back over some of my Egypt photos for my Egypt-Jordan photo gallery, when I decided to reprocess the image you see in today’s post. The image was captured back in 2007 and this is it’s third processing.

In truth this is a multi frame composite in order to remove modern day tourists from an otherwise timeless scene. The compositing and masking techniques haven’t changed, but what has changed is the final toning and lighting of the image. Two reasons, firstly, I guess it’s true that with time our tastes, our sensibilities if you like, change. And secondly there are new digital imaging software options available. To better appreciate those changes, take a look at this effort from 2010 pyramids-giza-revisited.

My earlier processing of the image in Photoshop involved numerous layered effects, I think about 6 layers from memory, each with it’s own mask. This current version makes use of Nik Software plugins of which I’ve become a fan, specifically Silver Efex Pro. From Lightroom I took the composite across into Photoshop, quickly cloned a couple of spots I’d previously missed, converted the layer to a smart object and then opened in SFX. I selected “harsh structure” from the presets as a good starting point, used control points to tweak the structure (Nik’s terminology for fine detail contrast) increasing the values for the rocks and stones whilst reducing the effect in the sky. From there a vignette was applied and the job basically finished. The current process is so much faster, it’s a pleasure to use. (if anyone wants a more detailed explanation, let me know, otherwise just enjoy the picture! )

Pyramid, Giza, Egypt. presented as a sepia toned monochrome. (Kevin Dowie)

May 15, 2013 | Categories: black and white, Egypt, historic sites, Nik Silver Efex Pro, toned black and white | Tags: Egypt, Image processing, Nik Software, Photoshop, toned monochrome | 1 Comment »

Egypt gallery.

Looking back over some of my Egypt and Jordan photos from 2007, I found that I was less than satisfied with the processing on some of the images. Maybe I’ve learnt a thing or two since then! In any event, I decided to go back into the files and reprocess them utilizing some of the tools I now embrace. Among those tools are the Nik Software Photoshop plugins.

Interesting to note that Nik has recently been taken over by Google. What this means in the long term is not clear, but one of the welcome initial developments is that the pricing of the Nik plugin suite has come down dramatically. Considering the options that the software offers, I think it’s now a bargain.

The processing for all today’s images started in Lightroom, the first was then taken into Photoshop where the Silver Efex Pro plugin was utilized. The image is a composite of several frames, about 6 from memory. The detail in the stones was enhanced without introducing or emphasizing noise in the sky and a sepia toning used.

Pyramids, Giza, Egypt. (monochrome) (Kevin Dowie)

Trees and rocks reflected, River Nile, Egypt (Kevin Dowie)

The second image, “Trees and rocks” (now there’s an imaginative title!) was processed in Lightroom alone. This was an image which I looked at in Color Efex Pro, but this was one instance where I felt the many options available weren’t really adding anything I liked to the image. I guess just because you’ve got the tools doesn’t mean you always have to use them, some discretion is good.

Mosque, Cairo, Egypt. (Kevin Dowie)

The third image also took the Lightroom to Photoshop route but was then processed through HDR Pro. It required 2 image files for the HDR blend and I tried to keep the effect reasonably subtle. HDR has been given a bad rap in some quarters because the effect has been used to extreme by many enthusiasts and for that matter many pros as well. You don’t have to look too far on the internet to find the appalling “Harry Potter look”, indeed it seems to be the “style” of some rather high profile folks on the web proving once again that having a million fans/followers on social media websites doesn’t necessarily indicate quality.

For my own taste, this image goes about as far done the altered reality path as I wish to go. Indeed I wonder whether I’ve actually strayed too far!

For those wishing to see more of my Egypt photos, you can check out my Egypt-Jordan photo gallery. I’ll be adding further images to the gallery as time allows.

May 02, 2013 | Categories: Egypt, Lightroom, Nik HDR Pro, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Photoshop, toned black and white | Tags: Egypt, HDR, Middle East, mosque, Nik HDR Pro, Nik Software, Nile River, Pyramids, Silver Efex Pro, toned black and white photographs | Leave A Comment »

Waterbird silhouette, India.

Given that Google + has changed its format and now offers, indeed seems to encourage, the opportunity to use a larger image on a profile page, I looked through my files for what I thought might be a suitable image. I decided that a relatively simple image which allowed me to include some (self serving) text might be in order. This is the image that I decided to use. The image, which was taken in 2000, is a silhouette of several waterbirds roosting in a tree at the end of the day in what was then known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

Waterbirds in Silhouette (Kevin Dowie)

Being in 2000, the image was of course captured on (colour negative) film and has since been scanned into the computer. The birds shown are of three species, and although I didn’t record at the time precisely which species, it’s fair to suggest from their silhouettes they are ibis, stork and egret.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, declared a protected sanctuary in 1971, has since been renamed Keoladeo National Park and is located in Rajasthan Provence. The sanctuary is based on a man-made wetlands created during the mid 18th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the then ruler of the princely state of Bharatpur, and used for many years for duck shooting. Today it is home to thousands of birds of hundreds of species, it’s a place I’d like to return to!

The Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds especially during the winter season….
Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the national parks of India. The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods, provides grazing grounds for village cattle and earlier was primarily used as a waterfowl hunting ground. The 29 km (18 mi) reserve is locally known as Ghana, and is a mosaic of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps, and wetlands. These diverse habitats are home to 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 species of fish, 13 species of snakes, 5 species of lizards, 7 amphibian species,7 turtle species, and a variety of other invertebrates. Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering breeding etc. The Sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world. It is known for nesting of its resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds. (Source Wikipedia)

RSS feeds. Goodbye Google Reader.
Google has announced that it is having a “spring cleaning” as part of which they will be “retiring” Google Reader on July 1, 2013. So for those that have relied on this system it’s time to find an alternative. Fortunately there are numerous options available including Feed Demon which I’ve started using and so far have found to be satisfactory, at least when used on my PC. With mobile devices becoming more and more popular, it’s worth looking at several different readers to see what works well on your devices. Being a mobile phone/devices Luddite, I can’t offer any insight regards mobile performance!

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Mar 21, 2013 | Categories: Bird photography, India, silhouettes | Tags: Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Bird photography, bird silhouette, Feed Demon, India, Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, RSS subscription, silhouettes, waterbirds | Leave A Comment »

Leaves on dark water, Sukhothai, Thailand.

A fairly simple image today from my recent visit to the historic town of Sukhothai in Thailand. There are pleasures to be found in slowing down and observing the fine details in nature. Here I liked the dark tones of the waterlilly leaves contrasted against the colourful smaller leaves which had fallen from nearby trees and settled on the water. ~KD.