Photoshop Alternative

 

Symmetry Replicated
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/10, 1/50s, 100ISO, 11mm

Being an amateur photographer, my budget for gear and software is very limited. Everyone knows about Photoshop, made by Adobe, but used to be too expensive for someone like me. There is always the option to obtain a pirated copy, but being older now, I don't see pirated software as an option.Adaobe has since changed their pricing model, so now Photoshop is a subscription based program. The cheapest option is the Photographer's bundle, which is Lightroom and Photoshop for $10 a month.

When I first got my dSLR, I would use the included Canon software, the Digital Photo Professional. It was good software for simple editing of RAW files. But I was wanting more functionality. I ended up discovering Adobe Lightroom. It is a very powerful piece of software at a reasonable price, I believe I purchased it when it was on sale for less than $100.

Adobe Lightroom allows for editing of RAW files, settings such as white balance, contrast, tweaking shadows, highlights, whites, and blacks levels. You can adjust the Tone Curves, manipulate individual color channels (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance). Sharpening, noise reduction, lens correction as well. And cropping, simple cloning/healing, adding graduated filters, among other items.

Another great function of Lightroom is its catalog feature. I try to make sure I tag all of my photos soon after importing, using specific keywords. New York City pictures would get a tag NYC, New York City, the boro it was taken in, time of day, location if it is a landmark. I try to include keywords of the people in the photos as well, if it was a specific event, that becomes a keyword. 

But sometimes there are functions that Lightroom can't do, such as layers, complex cloning, among other things. I decided to give GIMP a try, an open source program. I had used other open source programs before, such as Open Office, Libre Office, Audacity, Thunderbird, Linux, Firefox, the browser I use to create these blog posts. Even my phone's OS, Android, comes from the Open Source movement. I found GIMP to be a little hard to get used to at first, but anyone trying Photoshop for the first time would think that was hard too. 

I have found GIMP to do exactly what I need. I'm not doing fashion shoots, or creating photographs for magazine covers, so my manipulation is mostly simple level tweaking, with the occasional cloning out of an object that got into the frame.

Would love to hear if anyone else has had experience with GIMP, or any other photography related open source software. Leave me a comment below!

Original Image before GIMP edit
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/10, 1/50s, 100ISO, 11mm

Emergency Vehicles

I was going to post something about always bringing your camera with you, but the three of the photos I had picked happened to be of emergency vehicles.

What's scarier, the dentist, or Homeland Security?
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/5, 1/80s, 1600ISO, 40mm

It was a cold, long winter this year, with lots of snow. Even Fedreal Protective Service didn't shovel out their car.

FDNY Zooming down Broadway
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/5, 1/160s, 640ISO, 40mm

 I captured the above image when walking to an event gig. Decided not to take the subway downtown since it was a beautiful autumn day. I took a lot of shots that day; some may end up here in the future.

Super Bowl Boulevard
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/1000s, 320ISO, 40mm

 I normally avoid Times Square, but Broadway between Herald Square and Times Square became Super Bowl Boulevard in the week leading up to the big game, so took a stroll after a meeting one day. This is looking downtown at 36th Street and Broadway, a video installation of columns to promote New York Tourism.

Shorty Forty

One of the things that every photographer suffers from at some point is gear lust. You want to buy every piece of gear available, more lenses, perhaps a better body, lots of accessories. I am no different. 
 

Underground
Canon EOS Rebel T3i, EF50mm f/1.8, f/1.8, 1/60s, 400ISO, 50mm

My first photography purchase was actually the Nifty Fifty, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. I used this lens with the company's Canon Rebel T2i, before I had purchased my first body, the Rebel T3i. It was great, I could shoot wide open (aperture at f/1.8) to get that oh so desirable bokeh. It is a cheap lens, I picked it for $109 before tax.
 

Fallen Wood
Canon EOS Rebel T3i, EF50mm f/1.8, f/2.8, 1/250s, 100ISO, 50mm

The Nifty Fifty, and the Shorty Forty, are both prime lenses, meaning that they have a fixed focal length. Prime lenses are great photographers of all skill levels. They usually have faster apertures than a zoom lens, lighter, and cheaper as well. One of the things that a fixed focal length also forces a new photographer to do is think about composition. Zoom lenses allow you to be lazy, all you have to do is zoom in or out from your same vantage point. A prime lens forces you to zoom with your feet. If you want to get more of the scene in the frame, you have to physically walk back, if you want to fill the frame with your subject, you have to get closer. Sometimes, you are not able to physically get closer or further, so you will have to change your framing to compensate, look at the scene in a new way. 
 

From the Hip
Canon EOS Rebel T3i, EF50mm f/1.8, f/1.8, 1/60s, 100ISO, 50mm

I believe on of my best investements was a prime lens. Of course, when I first obtained my Nifty Fifty, I was shooting everything wide open, which at f/1.8, allows more light in, allowing for faster shutter speeds, but will create a shallow depth of field, so the part of the image in focus was minimal. When you move from a kit lens that only opens to f/3.5, you can't help yourself.

When my Rebel T3i was stolen, I had the Nifty Fifty mounted. I was glad that it was the cheap lens, though I was still bummed about the whole camera gear being stolen, I tried to look at the bright side of things and realize it could have been worse. The Rebel was replaced by a Canon 60D, so my primary lens was the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens that was purchased with the now stolen Rebel. After Christmas about 8 months later, I had some gift cards, and decided I wanted a prime lens again.

Having owned the Nifty Fifty, I knew it was cheap, but there were somethings about it I didn't like. It felt cheap, the AF motor was noisy. My budget was low, as I only had a couple gift cards, so the EF 50mm f/1.4 was too expensive as were a few other primes.

Canon had released a pancake lens, called that because of how flat it was, and my interest was piqued.The pancake lens, the Shorty Forty, or EF 40mm f/2.8, was a little wider than the 50mm, but since I shoot on a crop body, I thought that would be fine. Many sites have said that 50mm on a full frame camera is about the equivalent of what your eye sees. On a Canon crop body, the 50mm is about 80mm, while the 40mm is about 64mm.

I ended up purchasing the Shorty Forty. Though the max aperture is f/2.8 as opposed to f/1.8, you end up stopping down the aperture anyways, so that wasn't too big of and issue. Reading reviews, time and time again they discussed how sharp it was for the price, even wide open. I decided to purchase it and am very happy I did.
 

Sunset over Manhattan from Queens
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/1000s, 100ISO, 40mm

One of the things I like most about the Shorty Forty is how small it is. I can leave it mounted to my 60D, and the camera isn't large or cumbersome to carry around when I go out with my family, or even if I just throw it in my bag on the way to work. I found myself wanting to take my camera more places. When shooting for work, I sometimes would just throw the Shorty Forty in my pocket while the camera body will have the wide angle attached, and it allows me to capture some details shots, as the minimum focusing distance is pretty close for a non-macro lens. 

Signs of Spring
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/125s, 160ISO, 40mm

There is one thing that I don't like about the lens. The lens focusing mechanics only work when the camera is on. This means that if you leave the lens protruding, though it doesn't that much, you can't manual focus it back when the camera is off. This also means that the lens can't focus when used with cheap macro extension tubes since those tubes don't have electrical contacts. Other than that though, this lens shines! 

Auburndale Snow
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/50s, 640ISO, 40mm

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for their first foray outside of the kit lens their camera came with when purchased. It probably is attached to my camera more than any other lens at this point.

Wide Angle Wednesday

Summertime has always meant visiting Coney Island ever since I moved to New York City. This year has been no exception. But this last trip, decided to take the wide angle lens with me.

New York Aquarium Boardwalk Entrance
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/16, 1/125s, 100ISO, 14mm

Unfortunately, the New York Aquarium was hit hard by super storm Sandy in the fall of 2012. They are still rebuilding, so it is a very quick trip, but still worth the admission as we are members!

Shore thing
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/16, 1/160s, 100ISO, 13mm

These restrooms popped up after Sandy as well.

A trip to Coney Island deserves a stroll down the boardwalk. Usually a trip to Nathan's as well, but at least some sort of unhealthy food option. My sister, one summer when she visited, ordered a corn on the cob from Nathan's Famous, and was disappointed. I had to point out that they are famous for their hot dogs, not their corn!

Boardwalking
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/16, 1/320s, 100ISO, 13mm

We used to frequent the Freak Show there, but haven't in a couple years, perhaps next year. I'm sure our daughter will enjoy it when she is 3 going on 4.

Boardwalk Vanishing Point
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/16, 1/100s, 100ISO, 11mm

Photo Contest

The Empire State Building is currently holding a contest for photos of their building on the ESB Facebook page. I submitted one of the first photos I took with the Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8 lens that was purchased through work for capturing events. I originally posted this photo on Instagram at the end of March. Since my office was across the street, it was a convenient target to shoot on my way back from B&H. Just had to fight off the people trying to sell tickets or bus ride tours to the tourists. They see a camera and automatically assume you are a tourist.

Pretty sure all of the readers of this blog are friends of mine on Facebook, but in case there are those of you who are not, I would appreciate it if you would take the time to vote for my photo at this link: http://bit.ly/1rENS6R

You will have to "Like" the ESB to be eligible to vote. 

And just so you see which one is mine, here it is in larger glory:

Empire Rising
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/200s, 100ISO, 11mm

 

Wide Angle Wednesday

Today's Wide Angle Wednesday are a couple of shots from Red Hook, Brooklyn of the New York Harbor during sunset, one evening was clear, one was overcast. Statue of Liberty is visible in both shots.

Jersey City, Downtown Manhattan
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/200s, 320ISO, 11mm

Cloudy Liberty
Canon 60D, Tokina Pro DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8, f/10, 1/160s, 200ISO, 13mm

Bayside Day Opening Reception

Little Bay Sunset
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/1250s, 320ISO, 40mm

As I stated in a previous post, my photograph of a local business owner was featured on the Bayside Historical Society's Website and would be on display in the Bayside Day exhibition. Friday was the opening reception for the exhibition, and I attended with my wife and daughter. Somehow, I got my times mixed up, so like a true New Yorker, we were fashionably late. 

Even though we were running late, I had to stop and grab a picture of the sunset. I was a little disappointed that the opening reception was on the 11th of July, as that was one of the last two days of Manhattanhenge, when the sun aligns with the east-west streets of Manhattan. I always seem to be working when it happens, or like last year, the weather was rainy. For the record, I was too drained on Saturday after a day at the beach to venture out for the second day.

2nd Floor
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/60s, 1600ISO, 40mm

We were greeted at the door by Executive Director. She gave my daughter a little tiara so she could be a princess in the Castle, the term for the old Officer's Club where the Historical Society now calls home. She also had the upstairs ballroom opened so that my daughter could dance around if she wanted, and I was interested in exploring the Castle myself. We will have to return to look more in depth as there is a third floor that we did not see on this trip.

My work on display
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/50s, 3200ISO, 40mm

It was very cool to see one of my photographs physically displayed outside my house in a size larger than 8"x10", and on canvas. Made me want to have more of my photos printed and displayed, at least within my home.

Camera House Flyer
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/60s, 3200ISO, 40mm

We took some time to look at some of the other displays, from the hats that were worn during the different eras of Fort Totten's existence, to the current exhibition on the construction of the Clearview Expressway and Throg's Neck Bridge. I didn't have the luxury of time that I wanted to fully explore all of the exhibits, but was impressed with what I did see. I cannot wait to return!

Little Bay Nightfall
Canon 60D, EF40mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/80s, 3200ISO, 40mm

As we left, I had to take one more picture of Little Bay with the Throg's Neck Bridge after sunset.