This wasn’t an easy shot to get.  Most of the photos are blurs.  Teddy (I think, my daughter has naming rights) and my other dog Walter are getting along wonderfully and they spend a lot of time playing.

I had  forgotten the pleasant sounds of children and puppies…

Instant Affection

I was sitting on a bench looking at this little flower,  I’ve forgotten what it is called, and it seemed alive in a most joyous way.  I had the impression that it was dancing on a bright, sunny, beautiful day.  The weather right now is the payoff for the sweltering heat of July and August.

Nikon D90 with Tamron 90.  1/125s at f/4, ISO200, Landscape Mode.  In Lightroom, adjusted White balance and light levels.  Decreased clarity and increased light tones to create a soft feel.  I used split toning to introduced blue-red to the light areas and sepia to the dark tones.

This is Clive.  He has hung around a lot lately and like any guest to my house, eventually he had to pose for photos.  He likes to perch on an old green and white umbrella.  This shot gives a pretty good idea about how narrow depth of field is with macro photography.

Clive the Grasshopper

Nikon D90 with Tamron 90.  1/160s at f/8, ISO160.  In Lightroom, cropped, adjust light levels, brought up the light on his eyes, increased contrast and decreased clarity, sharpened.

No reason for this photo, just a snapshot.  After a few minutes of pumpkin stabbing carving, the job was left to me.

Stabbing Away

Nikon D90 with Sigma 24-70.  1/100s at f/5.6, ISO200.

When I look at some of the grain-added photos on the big monitor, I am disappointed.  I have always worked so hard to remove noise and it seems I am simply adding it back.  With this photo, I decided to add the grain in an effort to give it a dreamier feel in the petals.

Inside White Cyclamen

Nikon D90 with Tamron 90.  2s at f/16, ISO160.  In Lightroom, desaturated, boosted light levels, removed clarity and increased contrast.  Added grain but made it finer.  Used split toning to introduce some sepia into the darker regions.

I’ve played with the Lightroom 3 beta release for about a week now.  Overall, I think LR3 is a good advance and I will purchase the release when it comes out.

One of the most intriguing things to me is the ability to add grain.  It is with things like grain that I realize how little I know about photography because I have no clue as to the importance of grain.  However, I remembered some of the great folks I’ve gotten to know online and off I went to re-explore their blogs.  This is my first photo processed with grain: cyclamen.

Morning Light

Nikon D90 with Tamron 90.  3s at f/22, ISO160.

In Lightroom 3, I worked hard on this one.  I changed the white balance to fluorescent to give it the blue glow.  I increased contrast but reduced clarity.  I increased brightness, especially in the dark and light tones.

Then I played with the grain.  There are three sliders to adjust: amount, size and roughness.  In the end, I added more grain, increased the size but brought the roughness way down.  I used split toning to add in more blue into the highlights.

I worked on this for quite a while more, adjusted tints, choosing camera profiles, etc.  I am happy with the result.

Not much time for sightseeing.  Its a shame because Minneapolis is a beautiful city.  Oh, and I did get to see that Mary Tyler Moore statue.  This photo shows how close I got to St. Paul.  This is a bridge across the Mississippi that leads to St. Paul (at least I think it does).  It was taken from the roof of a garage on a cold (for me), breezy, cloudy morning.  My next visit to Minneapolis should be a little longer with perhaps just a smidge of free time.  I want to see more.

Glimpsing St. Paul, October, 2009.

Nikon D90 with Tokina 12-24 at 24mm.  1/160s at f/8, ISO400.  In Lightroom, I had to do some work to bring out the color and detail.  The day was very drab, so I adjusted the light levels, increased contrast and added a little clarity.  I increased vibrance and then went to work on the colors themselves.  The trees in the center of the photo were washed out in the image, so I boosted red to make them pop.  I realized that they were the central piece of color, so I cropped the photo to feature them more.  I played with Lightroom’s new grain feature but I am uncomfortable with it and so removed grain.  I adjusted white balance and the camera profile (used Landscape mode with adjustments).  I added a vignette using the color priority option and I am enjoying the feature.

I am in Minneapolis.  Not much time to post or surf.  This is the lobby of US Bank Plaza.  I loved the lines in the central lobby between the complex’s twin towers.

Lobby of the US Bank Plaza, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nikon D90 with Tokina 12-24 at 12mm.  1/30s at f/11, ISO200.  In Lightroom, adjusted light level, increased contrast and clarity, converted to black and white.

I am intrigued with this flower.  These are my first shots but they will not be my last.  I love a flower that gives up its secrets slowly, making you work to know its personality.

White Cyclamen

Nikon D90 with Tamron 90.  4s at f/22, ISO160.  In Lightroom, adjusted white balance and light levels.  Increased contrast and clarity.  Desaturated and sharpened.