Black and White, or Color? HDR in Downtown Orlando...

Black and white photography has a timeless appeal that can create an emotional response that's different from color. Light, shadow, pattern, texture, and tonality work beautifully together to create an expressive image independent from the connotations color. Black and white can romanticize an image, look at the wonderful work of wedding photographers! Much of the appeal for me started with film photography, and making my own prints, messy but a lot of fun! This was taken in downtown Orlando at twilight as a three shot HDR merged in HDR Efex Pro. The image was converted to black and white with Nik Silver Efex Pro which can create an elegant traditional film look. Try it and see! You can use my coupon code for a discount for everything Nik! Have fun in the digital darkroom! ~ Deb

Orlando After Dark...

One of the cool aspects of using a fisheye lens is that it allows you to be very creative! Certain outcomes are predictable, and others are serendipitous - which makes the lens great fun to experiment with! I used a Nikon 16mm fisheye lens to capture all the interesting and colorful elements of the composition. Fisheye lenses can be a wonderful way to expand on creativity. Getting close to the subject helps create a more dramatic image, and the bendy distortions that occur are just too fun!

Photographing after dark allows for a few extra perks. A starburst effect occurs with various points of light when using a small aperture and long exposure. This makes an image a little more cinematic. To add to the drama, shoot to create an HDR image.This photo represents several exposures merged as an HDR image for the most dynamic range. The world seems to come alive at night, capture it!

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Muse at Twilight...

Dramatic weather creates a wonderful opportunity for photographing familiar subjects under different conditions. I noticed an impending storm on the horizon, and raced downtown (Orlando, FL) to capture my favorite "muse" under an expressive sky. I used a wide angle lens to capture more of her surroundings, and photographed during twilight for the most beautiful blue color possible.

Light conditions can be tricky. If you have Live View enabled on your camera, you can scroll through and see the effect of various white balance settings. This statue is illuminated by reflected light that keeps changing, so it was helpful to see how the various settings altered the color. Auto white balance did a good job here. ISO 200, f/11, 13 second exposure. Minimal post post processing (slight adjustment in contrast). Have fun shooting this summer! ~ Deb

Twilight at the Plaza...

Downtown Orlando is a happening place. This is one of my favorite locations, the Plaza! It has wonderful statues and interesting architecture. The best time to see it is at twilight as the color of the sky paints a beautiful picture. For this image, I used a 16mm fisheye lens that creates a unique distortion that I find charming!

Want to give twilight photography a try? You'll need your tripod, shutter release cable (or you can use the self timer), and bring a flashlight. Arrive at your location before sunset and try a few compositions to find your favorites. Check your white balance setting. City scenes such as this often have mixed lighting, so you may want to experiment with different settings. Shoot in Raw format, so you can tweak things later. Twilight time, camera equipment, and lighting conditions will vary influencing exposure time. This particular image was photographed about 25 minutes after sunset. Have fun shooting! ~ Deb

Orlando at Twilight...

Twilight provides a wonderful opportunity for cityscape photos, such as this one taken in the downtown Orlando area. During the week, the office lights are still on creating a more interesting image. Passing cars create trails of light moving throughout the city. What do you need for twilight photography? A tripod, remote release (or your camera's self timer) and a great vantage point.

I used Nik Viveza 2 to enhance the color and detail in this image. This plug-in couldn't be easier. Adjustments to color and detail can be placed where desired by using Control Points. I enhanced the Structure in the buildings and brought out selected areas with color. The darker shadow areas were brightened using the Shadow Adjustment slider. Now I'm done, I can go take more pictures! Happy Friday...