Friday, September 30, 2011

The Sentinel of Therasia Island...


Therasia is part of the Greek Islands, a bit of a ghost town compared to Santorini, but what a wonderful place to explore. The trip to Therasia takes about 15 minutes by ferry from Santorini, I recommend sitting on top, or inside the boat so your gear doesn't get splashed by the sea! The town is perched on the very top of Therasia, a long way up from the harbor. Very few people live on this island, and many homes are vacant as shown above. Cats roam freely and will become your best friend in a heartbeat. This little cat was inquisitive, and affectionate, although she looks a bit possessed here. I like to think of her as the sentinel of Therasia island.

I used a Nikon 16mm fish-eye lens to make this picture, getting as close to the subject as possible. Several Nik Software products were used for finishing touches including Viveza, and the fantastic new Color Efex Pro 4. Tonal Contrast was brushed over the cat's fur to enhance the color and detail. Polarization brought out the blue colors in the doors and sky area. You can use promotional code DSANDIDGE for a 15% discount for everything Nik. Have fun shooting! ~ Deb