Icy North Point Sunrise

Icy North Point Sunrise, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Sometimes, you gotta go with your hunches and act quickly. I went down to the lakefront on Saturday. It was cold, windy and cloudy. I stayed hoping for a glimpse of the sun but it was not to be. I did get some images that look decent in black and white.

I woke this morning and really didn't plan to go out shooting. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the sky was getting lighter . . . there was blue sky and clouds. I quickly grabbed my gear and went to the lakefront and was greeted by a wonderful sunrise. The light on the iceflows along the lake was warming, even for winter. The contrast of the ice with it's blue tint and the orange glow of first light made it a colorful morning.

Chicago Pier

Chicago Pier, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I decided to take a more serious look at Capture One version 4.6 and it's raw conversion. My focus is on the quality of the conversion as I can always use other software like Lightroom and Photoshop to fine tune things.

This image was not the sharpest image to begin with but I do believe that Capture One did a nice job of processing the image. I used a high contrast B&W preset that the software came with. It works well for this image since it was low in contrast owing to the overcast/dusk lighting at the time. I am liking what this software can do. Still more checking and evaluation to do.

CaptureOne, DxO Optics and Lightroom

I've been doing a bit of playing with CaptureOne and DxO Optics RAW converters.  To date, I really like the resulting photos from Capture One.  I believe (from my very non-scientific approach) that CaptureOne's raw processing is superior to Adobe and it's the fastest of the three.  I've been focusing my research solely on basic white point, color, contrast correction and less on other aspects like sharpening and noise reduction.  While I like the results, here's my dilemma. 

I really like Lightroom, especially since version 2 came out.  The toolset is awesome as is the asset management.  I find myself using photoshop only for noise reduction and specific touch ups and perspective corrections. 

OK, now for the dilemma.  My workflow in Lightroom keeps my most of my images in RAW.  I can upload to flickr, my blog, my website, etc. directly from RAW or create an appropriately web-sized jpg as needed.  I can even print from raw.  I'll create jpgs if I used a print house but only convert the few images I plan to print.  This has cut down significantly on my files and disk space since I have far fewer jpgs or tiffs than when I converted everything from RAW to JPG!

So, now that I see what CaptureOne (and even DxO Optics) can do, I'm frustrated that I can't seem to export the RAW files with my develop settings from CaptureOne (or DxO) to Lightroom and retain those develop settings.  CaptureOne and DxO does allow a DNG export but I lose the edits.  At least till now, I haven't found a way to retain the settings as I output to DNG.  This would require Lightroom to manage JPGs instead of raw, or manage both and increase my disk space requirements (5D II raw files are ~25MB!).

CaptureOne:

I believe it's RAW converter is superior to Adobe as well.  What it has going for it is superiorI really like the raw converter.  I also find that choosing the auto white point and auto everything [command F] gives really awesome results as compared to the auto stuff in DxO, Lightroom and PS.  Using these auto functions on a whole shoot is a real time saver and it's the fastest to complete processing the images.

I'm still learning the software but I bet some presets can be built to do specific things but right now I'm concentrating on the best quality raw converter.  Importing from a card or camera is dead simple and automatic.  The file management in CaptureOne is also very intuitive including the directory structure for importing, sorting and processing files.  Manipulating images has all the usual tools for fine tuning including sharpening, noise reduction, curves, shadow/highlight and more.

DxO Optics Pro

 DxO Optics is also a product of interest.  

What I really like about DxO is the quality of its RAW noise reduction and is also calibrated to take into consideration specific camera and lens combinations.  It will also compensate for wide angle shots where perspectives get thrown out, stretched, etc., great for architectural shots.  While it can do all this automatically, it also has the ability to fine tune a large number of attributes as in CaptureOne and Adobe products.  However, it's processing speed is considerably slower than either CaptureOne or Lightroom.

DxO has made attempts to be better integrated into Lightroom and offers three different ways to manage your images based on using Lightroom as the asset management tool.  However, I believe in all cases this still requires doubling up on your images and managing both RAW and JPG files which I am trying to minimize.  DxO offers a small guide to the three ways of setting up relationships with Lightroom depending on how you want to use each tool.  

Summary to Date

I haven't made any final decisions to purchase either PhaseOne CaptureOne or DxO Optics Pro yet.  I'm going to continue looking at both.  Ultimately, I need to decide whether the gains of either are worth the cost versus Lightroom which I already own.  Even more, is whether the incremental improvement is worth the increase in storage needs and managing a library of RAW and JPG images.

Update (1/25/09):  Here's another blog that gives a more detailed comparison but it reviews Lightroom version 1.3 in the mix.  CaptureOne is now up to version 4.6 and DxO version 5.3.  It still provides some good detail:

http://blog.richnetapps.com/index.php/raw_lightroom_dxo_capture_one

 

The Monocolor of Money

Milwaukee 011709 41, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I recently moved from the burbs to downtown Milwaukee. I love it. I can actually walk from place to place. But even better, I can walk to places filled with photographic adventures. This bar, the famous Wolski's is a short distance from my new home. A perfect setting to immerse myself in black and white imagery. The whole area is filled with these opportunities. This will be fun.

Bradford Beach Iceberg

Bradford Beach and Iceberg, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I recently attended the New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge on Bradford Beach in Milwaukee. Plenty of crazy people, that's for sure. Out in the water were a few of these icebergs that aren't floating but anchored to the lake bottom. So, few days later, I returned at sunrise and was greeted by this awesome sunrise over Lake Michigan.

North Point Slide Show

Slideshow created with Animoto linking Flickr images. Slideshows are created automatically based on the number of slides and the style of your music. It's a great way to create easy quick slideshows that can be, among many other things, embedded in your blog. You can doownload and post as well.

I was able to get out to do some shooting yesterday and it's a good thing I did it then.  Yesterday morning was a "balmy" 15 F.  Today, it's a much different story at -4 F with wind chills in the -35 F range.  Definitely a day to stay indoors.  The scene here is a boat launch in the Third Ward of Milwaukee.  I find this boat launch somewhat curious as it is located in a very industrial area of the city but offers quick access to Milwaukee Harbor and Lake Michigan.

The skies warn of the coming snow which, in this case, was only a couple of inches but adds to the foot of snow we received on Friday.  And there's another storm brewing for Tuesday.  Ahhh, winter in Wisconsin . . .

South Point Pipes

South Point Pipes, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Long Exposure. I've been playing around with my Singh Ray vari-ND filter for some time now. I gives me a wide range of neutral density settings in a single fllter. I've seen others taking images like the one here but I've longed to put my own stamp on this technique. Exposure was 30 seconds which was long enough to give a dynamic sky and smooth water. I'd like to go further . . . maybe 2-3 minutes and show more movement in the sky.

In this case, I like the mix of industry and nature created by the pipes, the old pier and the stormy skies. The location here is the shore of Lake Michigan, south of Milwaukee. I plan to shoot more like this. Since I'm in Wisconsin, these winter months should offer plenty of similar stormy skies.

Brrrrrr

Brrrrrr, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Winter has arrived and for the second consecutive December, we seem to be getting snow storm after snow storm. Another is on it's way as we speak. This means it's cold outside which translates to ice along Lake Michigan.

So, I visited North Point (again) this past Sunday to find the old pier covered with ice. The four pillars resemble four gnomes marking into the icy waters of Lake Michigan. It was a frigid morning for sure with temperatures in the single digits but I had to continue to play with my Canon 5D Mark II. The detail this camera captures continues to amaze me.

Chicago

Chicago, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Well, I have had my new Canon 5D Mark II for about a week now. The more is shoot with it the more I'm amazed at the level of detail this camera can show. I was in Chicago this week at a conference and brought the gear with me. It was cold and windy but I couldn't pass up the chance to photograph Chicago at night. I ventured to Navy Pier and on the way back caught this scene looking back up the Chicago River.

North Point Sunrise 2

North Point Sunrise 2, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Now that I'm itchy to play with my new Canon 5D Mark II, what better place to put it to the test than sunrise at North Point on Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee. It's a favorite spot for many local photographers and I often see the same friends also checking out the sunrise. If it's a nice sunrise that morning, the chatter is minimal while we all set up and compose our images. If the sunrise is so, so, we spend the time talking about photography, the weather or whatever strikes us at the moment.

Canon 5D Mark II

IMG_0030nr, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Well, the wait and anticipation was long. I sold a lens or two and still have to sell my Canon 5D Mark I. But I am now the proud owner of a Canon 5D Mark II. All I can say is that the hype on this camera is for real. The image shown here was shot at ISO 6400. That's right, there's no missing decimal point here. I am simply, amazed.

The file sizes are also amazing. Raw images are between 25 and 30MB. I haven't even tried a layered photoshop file yet. The camera has so many features that I'm actually reading the manual cover to cover.

Then there's video! The camera can shoot in live mode and capture HD video. I had to try this out to so I shot my son playing a quick guitar riff in low light to see how it would do. Again, amazing

Check out some images and the video at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjiphotography.

First Snow

First Snow-3, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

There's hardly a sight more beautiful than the first snow of the season. Especially, one that coats everything. This was just enough of the white stuff . . . a couple of inches that will melt quickly but it coated the trees and made for a winter wonderland.

This image was taken at Johnson Park in Racine on my way to work.

North Point Tree

North Point 111708-23, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

It was a spur of the moment decision but I ventured down to the lakefront to visit North Point yet again. It was a cloudy but not really stormy day. I shot with my IR converted camera to capture this scene. While not you're traditional IR shot, I really like what IR can do with moody scenes such as this. When I first converted my camera to IR, I figured I would be shooting nothing but green foliage. My opinion has now changed . . . and I think I'll be using this all winter long.

Way of Life

Way of Life, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I've really come to appreciate Urban Exploration or 'URBEX'. There a sense of excitement entering a place for the first time. It certainly feels like discovery even if only personal. There's also anxiety, especially at first, with thoughts of getting caught. However, once inside, there's a lighting bonanza, aged textures and a history of stories waiting to be told. Urbex has become a "Way of Life".

Holy Hill Toyland

Holy Hill Toyland, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I've always been fascinated with the lens blur technique to create a toyland effect. Well, I finally gave it a try. It's not that hard but takes some practice to put the lens blur in the right place. Basically, in Photosphop, you create a quick mask and use a gradient filter and apply a lens blur to the mask. There's a little more involved in getting the settings just right. The other aspect is to find the right image. Since we're creating an image that looks like a toy model, it works best with images where you are looking down at the scene. You can read more on this at http://recedinghairline.co.uk/tutorials/fakemodel/

Here's my first attempt!

Infrared

Bench IR, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

A while back, I converted an old Canon 20D to an infrared only camera. It was done by Lifepixel. I love the fact that I don't need long exposures and I can handhold and compose my shots just like a normal slr.

Infrared opens up a whole new realm in photography. The usual white trees with black skies are the norm. In this image, it was the shadow in the green ( white)grass that caught my attention and I wondered how it would look with infrared. It almost looks like this was taken at night but it was around 5pm.

North Point Morning

North Point Morning-3, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

It didn't look like it was going to be a great sunrise this morning. It was gray, overcast and I didn't think we would see the sun. However, with a little patience, the clouds parted and the sun briefly peeked over Lake Michigan. North Point in Milwaukee is a popular photographer's location. There were five people who just randomly showed up this morning.

No question, autumn is here . . .

Holy Hill 101808-13
Originally uploaded by RJIPhotography

The leaves are falling fast and some trees are already bare. The weather is turning sharply cooler as well. Amazing but only two weeks ago, we were near 70 degrees, the trees were full and in their blazing glory. Now we are only left with falling trees and temperatures. The cold north wind will be bringing the first snow before too long.

It's autumn in SE Wisconsin and the colors have just been phenomenal this year.  This weekend I traveled with a group to Holy Hill.  Holy Hill is located on the highest elevation in this part of the state.  Situated on 435 acres of rural countryside, it provides visitors with the opportunity for spiritual enrichment.   The grounds are beautiful, serene and peaceful.

The main church is currently covered with scaffolding as part of a restoration project.  However, walking through the wooded grounds with the striking colors of autumn was wonderful.  The fact that the weather was equally wonderful certainly helped.  Posted here are some images from that walk.