Neil March 10th, 2011
Stacey Doyle is a Providence RI based, wedding photographer with 16 years experience.
For her workflow these key Lightroom topics were key:
Neil October 12th, 2010
“In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.”
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)
I just wrapped up my P90X Core Synergistics workout.
And heavy breathing aside.
It brings me to thoughts of discipline, as the core workout for the creative indivisual.
How’d I make that big leap? I dunno, I think it’s my creative intuition telling me so, maybe I’ll be able to explain it after a shower.
The P90X graduates are all people who took control of their lives for 90 days straight and said, “I am going to do this. I will not back down, and I will not give up. I will stay focused on my goal of making it to day 90, and I will not allow myself to be distracted in any way from reaching my goal.”
Hmmm…that sounds a bit like the recipe for success in any endeavor, doesn’t it? The P90X grads, however, have an edge that most people don’t: They know that the system works.
They know that by staying disciplined and on track, that the results will be there. It isn’t hearsay to them, it isn’t a rumor, it isn’t some vague bit of personal development advice – it is a fact.
Someone today after looking at my website said “How do you get such amazing colors?”
And I’m afraid the answer is in my current life situation. I am traveling on a commercial photo assignment photographing a new hotel each day. For 7 days straight. I’ll take a few days off and do it again. I compose, light and make a final image for 7-12 rooms a day. ”Neil, how to do you get so good at lighting?”
Such amazing color and tonality is the pinnacle of composition, then lighting, then processing.
This just popped up in my twitter stream:
“Once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That’s it. And what’s more, the people at the very top don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.”
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)
“In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.”
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing that makes you good.”
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)
Want to be better at lighting? Then stop reading this…and shoot a 10 rooms a day until you get to 10,000 hours.
Neil September 30th, 2010
Mac Pro quad 2.6ghz for sale $1350
• 6gbRAM
• 500gHD
• SuperDrive PLUS LightscribeDVD (both slots full)
• 4 Slot SATA PCI card
• 2 slot STAT external converter (from motherboard to external)
This is a massive data crunching machine! You can easily run in 9 SATA connections putting you at 9TB of fast live storage. Two slots for RAM are still open so there’s space to upgrade if you need more RAM.
I will ship UPS or FedEx 3 day insured delivery included in the asking price of $1350 – OBO, want to sell by Oct. 5.
PAYPAL (click link here) – Credit Card (call with your details 585.721.0632) – and money order by mail accepted.
Neil February 22nd, 2009
Totally funny video by Zeke
I mean Deke
Really – don’t fear the LAB Colorspace – it’s Zen beauty!!
Neil February 17th, 2009
Strobist: PocketWizard FlexTT5 and MiniTT1: Full Review
So that’s the big news for now!
Neil December 4th, 2008
Following in the footsteps of my retouching tutorials:
I know these are written to a more abstract level and so today I’d like to provide a more hands-on experience and so I have posted this L*A*B* colorspace photoshop file for you to download. There are eleven layers in this file, from the starting image, on up through the finished look.
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil September 4th, 2008
Let’s talk about texture
In response to my release of the Light Touch beginner’s textures, we’re about wisdom here
Can you see what’s happening when I added the texture in the first image?
Can you quantify it in your mind?
If not I recommend taking a read of the classic text “Perception and Imaging” to give yourself a strong backbone in realizing the subtitles and abstractions of what you see.
But let’s try and put our finger on it for a moment with the end in mind – what does a texture do for an image?
In the first image I composed the shot with a piece of the ceremony decor in focus with the bride’s head in the background but out of focus. The sharp objects are perceived by our eyes as the subject – the blurry or soft things are the ground – upon which the subject ‘rests’ or ‘resides’. Without separation there is nothing.
So what happens when a texture file with small sharp details is introduced?
In the texture file that I used from the Lighting Overlays Disk 1 set, a focal plane runs through the image with the texture of paper in sharp focus. In this image where only one small object is in the focal plane the texture adds to the perceived depth of the image by adding more ‘figure’ to the figure/ground relationship. It appears as though the crystalline beads rest on something as they sway in the breeze.
The second image of the diptych shows the opposite point of focus, but has the same exact texture applied to the image. Even with my best blue sky photo processing tricks, I couldn’t help the bride’s face rise in perceptual value without some additional lightening or darkening of the sky. I chose the blue texture file and applied it in overlay blend mode which darkened the sky while increasing saturation. Here’s the image as it looks straight out of camera raw.
Interesting perspective, but not the same dramatic picture energy as the finished version. The lighting overlay helps channel the image’s tones into a dramatic and emotionally engaging corner burn (compare the top and bottom right. The cooling blue effect helps the skin-tones rise in prominence and the overlay blend mode deepens the shadows and brightens the highlights for a stronger dimensional feel to the hazy sunlight.
I hope this discussion brings you deeper understanding on your path to visual wisdom!
Neil August 21st, 2008
Hi Neil, I am a wedding photographer based in Tunbridge Wells, England and have just had the pleasure of looking through some of your amazing photography! I really loved the images from the above wedding and was interested to find out what software you use to get that unique look on some of your images. I am looking for a good ‘filters’ package to give my images some individuality and so would really appreciate your feedback.
I’m grateful for you interest in my work. I was teaching in the UK back in June and joined the BPPA. I hope my work continues to take me around the world. I’m disappointed to tell you that no filter set will help you achieve a unique look – in fact quite the opposite will occur….I’ve a strong opinion on this, so sorry if I come off well – opinionated!
You can listen to some of my theories from my creative journal, try out: http://makelightreal.com/blue-photoshop-tutorial/ as a start.
You’ll find that my philosophy is to approach each image as a blank canvas, respond to the elements and develop the picture to the highest emotional state I feel possible. Some images receive careful raw conversion for color and contrast, but no more alteration: 
Some receive a greater amount of attention, usually to help get at the emotion/effect I’m feeling:
Much of it simply has to do with basic doge and burn, which accomplish with a simple workflow that operates in lab color mode: http://makelightreal.com/one-action-photoshop-workflow-tutorial/ So the premise of my action set is to make the basics of art theory/color theory as close to possible to my fingertips to be able to reach for the tool, and have it as close to my subconscious artistic mind as possible.
The trouble with filters are they encourage you to push a button instead of stretch your inner vision abilities
The goal I reach for in my photoshop workflow actions, is the quickness to achieve the look that resonates with my heart – but also avoid the pitfall of escaping from true artistic resonance. Let me just type out the inner dialog that might occur when I open an image into my workflow. First off as I open an image, I’m often distracted from the focal point and emotional resonance by some feature in the photo, most often the response is to doge down (darken that element) – this is one of the biggest reasons I work in L*A*B* as you need to dodge to color. Removing a distracting element is a negative action, so I will often look next at what needs to come out – or be highlighted – in positive response. The automated adjustment layers in the ONE Actionset are not the solution, they are a starting point that is at my fingertip to customize. As I open the layer I seek the specific curve that blends with the rest of the picture and resonates with the artistic vibe in that picture. Or I do one of a number of advanced curve adjustments that do everything from smoothing freckles to polarizing areas of the tonal scale. This pause is not bad, it’s cause for careful reflection. The adjustment layers can interact with texture layers, vignette layers, and be re-ordered to refine and define your intended result.
The goal for the ONE Actionset is to put reflection without distraction at your fingertips.
Tao 46
There is no greater calamity
Than not knowing what is enough.
Neil April 23rd, 2008
Please join me in a meditation on ancient Hebrew scripture:
Well, where to start with all that.
First do you have any potential biases? Have you ever considered the truth contained in Hebrew scriptures? If you can find truth in the oldest spiritual text on the planet – then you might have a chance with a lens too. Clear your mind of any haze of skepticism and find the essence of these scriptures and how they may effect you.
Vs. 1 is an intro – kinda set’s the stage with the most important summary of all. Connect with God and you’ll connect with creativity itself, more on that later.
Vs. 2 – can you actually conceptualize nothingness? Try it – oops – no you can’t do that, because you exist – I kinda see this verse along those lines. A little gotcha joke, that teaches a lesson. Quantum physics is now just learning and informing us that the mind creates the universe……another very tricky catch22, that we all find the answer to when we die.
Vs. 3 – Ok so we’ve tackled some pretty major philosophical hurdles, what’s next? Well we know a few things about light now in the Twenty First century. We admit to knowing less about God so let’s put it together. E=mc2 is the best explanation that we have so far. It’s no such thing as why – but a very nice how. Energy, can become matter if it’s moving fast/slow enough. Pretty cool so Genesis has it right, God created ‘light’ and there was matter all nice and tidy in His one substance. Those ancient people knew a bit of something about reality didn’t they! they just communicate it differently than we do.
Now let’s draw some parallels that are important for our craft. God’s first creation he used for our primary interface with the world. I don’t mean to Kinda tricky how he did that eh? We are created to interact with the light. Ponder the multidimensional wonder of that thought for a while since you’ve now realized that light gives us information, as well as creates the substance we inhabit.
But wait, I have to burst that wonderful thought bubble to break in that we don’t actually interact with the light anymore – we interact with the darkness. Yep, you’re responding to the darkness around you. The darkness tells you where your keyboard is; the darkness tells you where the subject in your viewfinder is; the darkness defines color and shape in your photographic prints. The study of visual perception has been around since the Greeks were able to guess that light came into our eyes, and the first photography book that really opened up my mind to understand the intricacy of how we see was Perception and Imaging by Richard Zakias. It is always my first recommendation for those seeking to study photography and understand building a photograph with visual elements.
So here you begin to understand the levels upon which I developed the concept and the motivation for this site – to Make Light Real
As another perspective on light as a key to metaphsyics, you can watch this clip by Bob Proctor
Neil April 22nd, 2008
Robert Mitchell writes a lovely post at the Canon Digital Photography forums:
Robert Mitchell’s blog has a few more interesting points you might be interested in….
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