Engine 4449 – Before and After

On national train day (May 9th) I went down to Portland’s Union Station with my wife to see the Daylight engine (#4449) out in the open. It was crowded and busy so I had to frame my shots carefully and often very tight to get rid of distractions. As time went on, things opened up a bit and I got this shot. I have taken it from daylight to “nightlight” using Photomatix, Nik Software and Photoshop CS5. Here are the basic steps.

1. 7 exposures at 1 stop apart (12mm lens) combined in Photomatix and processed dark and grungy - first image on left is one of 7 originals exposures. The second image on the left is the Photomatix output.
2. Image opened in Photoshop and the Nik Software ColorEfx Pro “Pro Contrast” filter applied.
3. The Midnight filter from ColorEfx Pro was then brushed to  darken the image – from 60% opacity at the edges to 30% near and on parts of the train - next image on the left.
4. The headlamps were then lit up using Nik’s Viveza. Third image on left.
5. A duplicate layer was created in Photoshop and the layered was lighted using Apply Image set to Screen. This layers color balance was then shifted to match the headlamp tones.
6. The final step was to move the new layer (color balance 2)down (behind) the previous layer (Viveza), select the light beam shapes using the Polygon selection tool (twice additively), feather the edges (around 30-40) and create a hide selection mask. See the layer stack.

The final image is at the top of the blog. This was a pretty complex set of steps that a video would do wonders to explain, but until then hopefully this gives you some ideas of the process.

Sorbaria

What is sorbaria? It is a shrub native to the northwest woods. In spring it has the beautiful foliage you see here.  Later with will have white clusters of flowers.

 

  Blog images:

1. An oblique swipe of one of the leave sprays with just a light touch of Nik Software’s ColorEfx Pro “Fog” to mute the color and add to the light airy aspect of the plant.
2. An in camera overlay with one selective focus and one totally defocused. The Orton filter effect was then added in Photoshop.
3. A simple straight shot showing a new leave spray echoed by two larger ones.

Backpacks and Camera Bags

I don’t know about you but I hate picking out backpacks and camera bags. Finding the one that exactly fits your needs or what you think you need seems more difficult than it should. Maybe its just me, but I suspect not. What makes me bring this up? Well I have been adding and upgrading equipment over the past year and my current packs just don’t hold what I need. So for what its worth here are my thoughts on the subject.

1. You have the ask yourself how do I really use my packs? Do I hike for yards, miles or tens of miles? Do I hike to one location and shoot or shoot a lot along the way.
2. How much gear do I really want to carry? What is the real minimum. I encourage you to load a pack up with what you think you want and try carrying it around a little – you may rethink your decision.
3. Do I need multiple bags or packs? The answer is almost always yes. There will likely be at least one with what you use all the time and one with lens or such you use infrequently. You may also end up with a smaller pack and a bigger one.
4. If you do need a pack that can hold a lot, get one with good back support. This is probably the most important factor when getting a large pack.
5. If you go on even modest outdoor hikes 1-5 miles, make sure there is a way to carry water or food and a mini survival kit.
6. Other questions you may need to ask are: Do I go out in the rain? Is security an issue? Do I use a laptop in the field? Can it hold my tripod?

There is not shortage of choices out there, but you will be surprised how that don’t make the one you had envisioned!

Early on I read one photographer’s notes on this topic and he noted that you will end up with an amazing number of bags and packs over the years – I think he said something about a closet full!

Blog Image: Shot this image here in my home town last week while working with a couple students. It was near sunset. The image was post processed with ColorEfx Pro using the Color Contrast filter and then through SilverEfx Pro with high structure, a red filter and a little vignette.