It has been a while since my last post of an Eiffel Tower pic…so I decided to bust one out today! A fisheye view of the tower. Its holiday weekend here in the US. Have a great long weekend!!!
Peter Talke Photography Settings:
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 10.5 mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: HDR 5 Exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/2.8
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS6, HDR Efex Pro 2, OnOne Software Photo Tools 2.6
Not many strolls around a city can top one in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in your view. This day I had taken tons of Tower shots and wanted to try a different view and went walking around town trying to get the Tower showing above the tops of buildings. This area was lovely…and I can imagine very very expensive! Bakeries and small shops on every corner…must be wonderful to live there! Crepe time…Oui Oui!
Just a little photoshop fun from Paris, France. The Eiffel Tower in infrared with an extra added effect. The frame around the photo was from onOne’s Software Photo Frame 4.6. Enjoy!
From my favorite city in the world…Paris, France. When I visited last I had made it a goal to photograph Moulin Rouge. I arrived at 5 PM and made my way up to this section of Paris. Not the most beautiful location. Odd folks all around and specialized “shops” are all over. I kept my tripod in hand as I walked the streets. I did not get a chance to see the show inside…maybe one day. I am sure it is interesting! I stayed until 11 PM and the nite life around here is very interesting. I was happy to head back to the safe part of town after grabbing the shots I wanted. Wish I had a crepe right now! Viva Le France! ..the effect on the pic was done in Photo Tools 2.6!
Just a quick photo as I walked by of my favorite spot in the world..below the Eiffel Tower! After this I walked over and had a crepe with chocolate, whipped cream and bananas! Oui Oui!
Paris…my favorite city in the world. Its been a long while since my last visit. Hope to be back soon. I had an old shot before my HDR days and did a single raw conversion…then added a few textures. I love the textured effect. I have many people ask how to add a texture….there are a few ways depending on what software you have. I have CS5. Here is a quick method…
1. Open your picture in Photoshop
2. Drag your textured file on top of the photo to place the picture.
3. Transform the texture to equal the photo size
4. Click your desired Layered method from the drop down menu…I use “Overlay” 98% of the time…then may modify the fill amount (pic below is just ref)
And that is it! A textured photo! The shot above I added three textures and masked certain areas. But the quick method will get you started! Hopefully!! have fun!
One of the world’s most beautiful places…..overlooking the Eiffel Tower. This shot is a fisheye with a Sepia Tone added to the HDR. I tried to make this shot a bit different. Happy Friday!!
Talke Photography Settings:
From my favorite city in the world…Paris, France…the Louvre in HDR. Not only is this place an art lovers dream, it is fantastic for photographers as well!! Any time of the day! The pyramids out front draw you you into the courtyard. Here is some info on these pyramids from the web:
The Louvre Palace is an almost rectangular structure, composed of the square Cour Carrée and two wings which wrap the Cour Napoléon to the north and south. In the heart of the complex is the Louvre Pyramid, above the visitor’s center. The museum is divided into three wings: the Sully Wing to the east, which contains the Cour Carrée and the oldest parts of the Louvre; the Richelieu Wing to the north; and the Denon Wing, which borders the Seine to the south.
In 1983, French President François Mitterrand proposed the Grand Louvre plan to renovate the building and relocate the Finance Ministry, allowing displays throughout the building. Architect I. M. Pei was awarded the project and proposed a glass pyramid for the central courtyard. The pyramid and its underground lobby were inaugurated on 15 October 1988. The second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, La Pyramide Inversée (The Inverted Pyramid), was completed in 1993. As of 2002, attendance had doubled since completion
Talke Photography Settings:
NIK HDR Efex Pro version
Photomatix 4.0 version
OK, after 2 rounds NIK is up 2-0. This is the last and final round. I found a tough sky/halo shot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Please note, again I used basically the same steps for each processed shot. Yes, the Photomatix shot can be improved, but I wanted to compare apples to apples.
NIK is amazing! It kinda makes Photomatix looks like a piece of old junk. Check out the overall light/shadow difference….
a) NIK handled the sky nicely…while Photomatix looks messy!
b) The Eiffel Tower’s upper section on the NIK looks nice…the Photomatix struggles to even the light flow and is dark and lifeless.
c) The light on the main big tree in the NIK version is fluid and eye pleasing…while Photomatix struggles with the top section light in that tree
d) The green tones above are softer in NIK. Photomatix must always be desaturated.
Of course NIK is not perfect. I see a slight halo on the lower left side of the tower. Any photo can be broken down in many many pcs…but in a quick overall visual decision….it is an easy victory for NIK. Looks like my Photomatix will be collecting dust until they improve it. This is great news for us HDR artists! Competition fuels quality and it can only help us!
I have been asked what settings I use for my NIK HDR Efex Pro….I’ll go into that next week! Let me get some more play with the software and then I can give you some firm scoops! Have fun!
