Friday, September 25, 2009

Scanner Camera

We had a class on using the scanner as a camera. I tried it this morning while delaying my final project decision. Here are the results. As always click on the image to see a larger picture.


The scan minus the stems and black background but with a blue background added.



Blending set to difference.

Blending set to Hard Mix


Multiple background copies blended to Difference and the bottom right flower spun with an action script thirty times and moved to the middle of the frame.



I am working on the HDR of the panorama. I have the file ready but it's 1.4GB--need to decide on the final working size before I attempt the screen cast (so it doesn't crash my computer system!)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

HDR Panorama 42 shots



We had two assignments for Monday's Lab: High Dynamic Range and Panorama. I decided to try to put the two together. Rita, Marian and I drove up to Nine Pipes Wildlife Refuge directly across from the Mission Mountains. The middle of the day was not the greatest for shooting and the clouds were uncooperative. The scene didn't have great dynamic range either but we had to get the shot.

This is 14 vertical shots across with three shot bracketing of 2/3 of a stop for each shot. So I had photoshop stitch each stop's 14 shots together and then loaded the three panoramas back in to photoshop to mask off the best aspects of each. It took several hours and many GB of RAM to achieve this. Click on the image to view larger version. You may have to scroll horizontally to see the whole image. In the original the sky does not have the wavy pattern. That is jpeg compression to the image to scale it down for the web.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Palouse Area Washington State

For Labor Day weekend, Rita, Marian and I drove to Walla Walla Washington through the Palouse area to see the wheat field scenery. On the way we stopped at the Cataldo Mission in Idaho, Couer d'Alene for lunch and a barn in eastern Washington. We only drove a few miles on Sunday and stopped many times in the fields, climbing to the tops of ridges to find a view. Monday we headed home but only drove a total of 166 miles before we stopped in Farmington to shoot the sunset. Then we had to make it the rest of the way back to Missoula after dark.


Cataldo Mission in Northern Idaho, the oldest standing building in Idaho. They have a brand new modern Visitor Center with an auditorium, displays and a gift store.



Inside the Mission. Tough to find straight lines in that place. Built in the 1850s.



Wheat fields where the tractors leave tire marks in the stubble.



Later on Saturday


Store Front in downtown Walla Walla Sunday morning.


Storage for the crop.


Miles of fields.

All within 20 miles of Walla Walla.


Overlooking Lewiston, Idaho on the Way to Uniontown.

We surprised Marian and stopped in Uniontown where her father was born. We found their church and took pictures. We wanted to go inside and were looking for someone to ask permission. A man drove into the driveway and Marian introduced herself. He laughed after the introduction and told her he has the same last name. Turns out he is her cousin! We received a guided tour of the church.
Wheel fence at an artist's Co-op in northern Uniontown. Took the artist 30 years to assemble the fence.

At the corner of 27 + Farmington Rd.

We received directions from some locals to drive up these hills to look back on Steptoe Butte and the sunset.


The Butte.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Restaurant Fine Dining

We arrived at the restaurant toting all of our gear for a quick setup and shoot. Heather and I were assigned the salad. The various plates for entree, dessert, salad and soup were given to the teams and locations within the restaurant were selected. We set up in the dining room area and had plenty of space to move the table, arrange chairs and borrow silverware.

We worked out a dining shot with our salad in the foreground and a similar plate in the background with napkins, glasses, bread and butter and several pieces of silverware. The light from the table lamp and wall sconce were dragged in to try to reflect the mood of the room. With our setup almost complete (after an hour and a half of scrutinizing every detail) the instructor informed us that the plate we received was the wrong one. Our large square plate became a very large rectangular plate. We adjusted the scene and camera angle.

Then we were shown a preview of the salad. A piece of art, designed and created by the restaurant owner, was going to be placed on our table. Seeing this stark, minimalistic and very arranged array, we had to reset the table. The lighting setup changed completely too.

Here is the finished shot. Let me know what you think. Click on the image to view.


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Food Photography Class

I have been attending Food Photography Professional Studies classes all week. Monday we shot the traditional Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. My hero was a little sloppy with the jelly and needed a little piped in to cover certain areas. My first treatment was too morning light/campfire yellow and turned the bread and peanut butter the wrong color. This copy is better but too similar to the standard shot. Too many tangents too--plate/sides, plate/glass, bread/bread, strawberry/plate/bread, etc.


Next we had our favorite food shot. My hero turned out to be less attractive than the stand-in so we kept working with the stand-in. Sauce starts to run after a short time and I needed to bring a blow torch to melt the cheese. Maybe next time I'll have one.


This morning we shot beverages and everyone had an interesting take on this subject.

In the afternoon we traveled to the bakery and our group's assignment was to shoot in an advertising style--product, brand, super clean, detailed, in focus, etc.


Tomorrow we are shooting in a restaurant and then open studio for more practice. More pics later this week.