Dancing Fingers

Dance of the Fingers : Pianist at the Majestic, Melacca.

Shooting Info:
Canon 5D MK II
EF 85mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2 @ 1/100 ISO1600
AI Servo targeting the fingers.

This is a straight up shot converted from RAW with WB corrected (point on key board and watch face, yeilds the same WB). I like the way the 85L 'mood' up the photo. Under extremely low lighting condition, the 85L's about the only lens apart from the 50L that can manage decent shutter speed to 'stop' movement.

If shot at f/1.4, the resulting shutter speed would had been 1/80 or thereabouts instead of 1/100, introducing more motion blur. Or the ISO is futher boosted above ISO1600, adding more noise.

At ISO1600, noise is noticeble from the 5D MK II files, especially in the smooth 'bokeh' area. I wonder how the Nikon D700 compares under similar condition?




100% Crop, Sleeve


100% Crop, Fingers, a little soft due to finger movement. Higher shutter speed will help get a sharper shot, but also means shooting at ISO3200 @ f/1.2.



On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), this photo is probably a 4, maybe a 3 depending on which angle its been looked at. From a creative point of view, i'd give this one a 3, for getting the angles right, and not make the hands looked like they've been amputated. Technically, this shot is only possible using the 85L, again, no big deal, its more about the equipment than the photographer (question, could some one using lesser equipment shoot something similar? ... its possible! yeah, that gives this shot an even lower score.). But being there, and shooting the pianist for a full 1 minute to try and grab a creative shot and nailing the exposure ... maybe this qualifies for a 5. LOL ... 'angkat sendiri'.

Trapped

Here's a twist on the standard Landscape shots.


Original : Jpg conversion from Raw

I spent two days cooped in a room at Holiday Villa in Ampang. This scene right out of the window made a mockery out of the whole situation ... in the pursuit of 'career advancement', we give up the simple and extrodinary things in life. Just out the window, the whole wide world, welcoming, open and free. Inside, stiffling, droning ... tell me something that I dun already know!


100% Crop: Here's a crop from the finished photo. Shot thru colored glass, using the EF 20-35, its not bad in terms of details.







Trapped : A Twist on the Ordinary.

The finished photo, with the colors, contrast, the lines and asymetry, I hope conveys the extrodinary in everyday things. Futher, the different colored glass on the window adds variety to the scene, which also says, sometimes, we can look at the same thing and gives it different meaning. And

Contrast the OUTSIDE to what's inside ... its just black. To the eyes, we still see some colors on the inside as we 'see' what we want to see, but to the camera and for all objectivity, its just bland and black. Life's quite the short story to be penned indoors.
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Shooting Information:5D Mk II
Evaluative, +1/3 ev
EF20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM @ 25mm
1/200, f/4.0 @ ISO200 D+

Photo is finished in LR 2.4, sky portion given a slight reduction in exposure and brightness using Adjustment Brush.

Overall brightness, vibrance and clarity given a slight boost, about 50%.



PS: I probably have to learn how to do masking better, there's a noticeble halo around the buildings. It could also be due to 'size reduction' from the full res 5DMKII file. I'm still trying to find out. Using 'Bicubic Smooter' produces much better results than 'Bicubic / Bucubic Sharper' in reducing the 'halo'. Its horses for courses, the usual downsampling recommendation is 'B Sharper', but in this case, too noticeble 'halo'.


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Ares Jones : First Portrait

Here's one photo that I did way way back when I first got my first DSLR, the Canon 400D. Messed up the exposure big time. This is not one of my better shots.



Orignal JPG : Camera : 400D, 1/160, f/1.8, ISO800, Jpg

So, the dilemma arise, cause I'm gonna treat this shot as a 'once in a lifetime' shot. And its crap. Throw it away? or Save it? Why did I ever used Jpg?

Here's the result after some 'intensive care' measures done to bring the jpg shot to life. Some tuning, really some tuning later in LR, here's the end result. I've a few version of this one floating around. But this version's the latest ... LOL.



100% Crop



Ares Jones : First Portrait

Does it work?

Note: Shadow toning done : enhance gold / yellow feel.


Ares Jones : Original Version (2007)

Here's one that I did a couple of years ago, for comparison sake.

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