Post-Processing:  Kelly & Tony

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ND3_18162

Camera:  NIKON D800E
Exposure:  1/60sec at f 3.2 ISO 1600
Exposure Mode:  Manual
Lens:  Lens:  AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G

This was shot in a cobble-stoned courtyard, well after dark.  The main light is a constant video LED, commonly used for video.

The image was converted to TIFF using Nikon's Capture NX-D.  After all is said and done, I still feel that the colour, sharpness and contrast are better using the Nikon converter.

The black-and-white was created using Power Retouche Black and White Studio.  I almost always use the Kodak Tri-X preset, with a red filter to lighten the skin tones.  A second black-and-white layer was overexposed to bring out some of the detail in the shadows.

Here are the key layers; from the top down:

* Curve Adjustment Layer, with mask, set to Luminosity blend to darken the blown-out whites of the lights and the gob hat
* Over-exposed B&W layer, masked so that the dark areas have more detail
* B&W layer
* Slightly cleaned up image layer.

I almost never introduce a sharpening layer with D800E images.  The sharpening layer just does not seem to make any difference.

Posted March 26, 2016 at 2:19 am.