davidfcookephotography.co.uk

 

 

This image was taken in Regents Park Underground Station in London. I noticed the girl as I walked past her and down the steps. I thought the movement of the train, together with the stationary girl, could make a good image. So, I turned and waited until the train started to leave the station before I took the shot on my Nikon Coolpix P5100 camera (see the original image below).

Processing started by using Photoshop Transform to straighten everything up. This was followed by a series of Viveza and Darken/Lighten Centre layers to shift the emphasis of the lighting to the girl. Further Viveza layers were used, together with Selective Colour and Curves layers, to change the colour of various parts of the image give it the overall feel I wanted. A number of clone layers were used to remove minor distractions and some bright reflections on the train doors, as well as to make adjustments to the red on the girl’s rucksack, and to the doors to give them a feeling of motion. Finally, the image was sharpened using a High-Pass Filter.

The image has had 22 International acceptances including a Highly Commended in the Welsh International Projected Image Salon 2010

Nikon Coolpix P1500, 7.5mm: 35mm equivalent of 35.0 mm, ISO 200, f/2.7, 1/15 sec

 

 

 

 

This image was taken in 2010 at Lacock Abbey, the home of William Henry Fox Talbot. The original (below) was shot in raw. I first made an HDR image by converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw at 0ev, +2ev and -2ev and using Photomatix Pro to create the image. This gave more detail, especially in the bright areas on the floor. I then worked on it in Photoshop CS3. I reduced the noise, made adjustments to get even more detail in the light on the floor using Nik Viveza. Next I used Nik ‘Darken/ lighten center’ to shift the emphasis to the figure and then the ‘Glamour Glow’ filter to create the slightly dreamy effect. A layer mask was used to reduce the effect on the figure. I cloned out some slight distractions in the stonework and adjusted the colours on the light on the floor to even them out, and I used a curves adjustment to produce the effect I wanted.

This image has had 9 international acceptances including a Highly Commended in the Welsh International Projected Image Salon 2010

Nikon D700, 70-300mm lens at 85mm, ISO 450, f/14, 1/80 sec

 

 

 

 

 

This image was taken in Havana. The man is part of a group of street artists who were dancing on stilts (see the original image below).

Its post-capture development in Photoshop was experimental, with my choosing filters to see how they looked and modifying the image as I went along until it looked the way I wanted it to.

In essence, the development was firstly to crop to the square format I now use a lot. Then application of the Topaz Detail Lithography filter was followed by a texture layer of an old wall I had taken. A layer mask was used to remove the texture from the man’s face.

Then followed a series of curves, Nik Viveza, clone and selective colour layers – all with partial removal of the effect with layer masks. Nik Pro-contrast and Glamour Glow filters  were then used and the man’s eyes were sharpened using High pass filter and a layer mask.

Because of the experimental nature of its development, the image has 20 layers – probably far more that there need be, and would be if I used the technique again, using the experience I gained in the development of this one.

This image has had 13 International acceptances including a Ribbon in the Royal Photographic Society International Projected Image Exhibition 2011.

Nikon D700, 28-300mm lens at 200mm, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/250sec

 

 

 

 

This was taken on our trip to Rome in July 2012. It was in a lovely old narrow street and I thought that it would make a great background for some shots of people going about their business, walking down the street. So, I crouched down at one side of the street and waited. I took a number of shots but this one, with the contrast between the woman and the clergyman, appealed to me (see the original image below).

The main problem was that the woman was in bright pink dress, which was very distracting so I decide to try a ‘monochrome’ image – just bringing out the clergyman by adding a bit of colour.

Firstly, I used Transform to straighten up the verticals. The image was then cropped to a square format. This was followed by Nik Glamour Glow to add an air of unreality. Viveza and White Neutraliser were then use to get the lighting and tones the way I wanted them. The overall slight brown appearance was achieved using the Nik Paper Toner filter, using a layer mask to bring back the colour in the man. There followed a series of Viveza, clone and paint layers to make the detailed adjustments I felt the mage needed. Finally, it was sharpened using High Pass Filter.

This image has had 7 International acceptances including the Sydney International Exhibition of Photography 2012.

Nikon D700, 28-300mm lens at 28mm, ISO 560, f/3.5, 1/250sec