Step Into The Light

Step Into The Light, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

Went out and shot on Sunday morning with Neil Armstrong2 the weather was just hazed in so the outside shooting wasn't very lucrative. So we scouted some future locations when we came across this underground area that led up to a platform on the freeway for mass transit. The colors where real eye catching.
I am happy with the way this turned out with the dual tones. After my processing and getting it all dialed in i did take the edge off of and lowered the saturation. The highly saturated stairs and pylons just didn't belong.
Thanks for stopping by, comments are always welcomed good and bad!

The Shot:
>Standard 3 Shot HDR +2, 0, -2, ISO 100, F/9, Sigma 10-20mm @16mm, Tripod and Cable shutter release


Post Processing:
>ACR
>Removed All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration
>Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:
>Detail Enhancer
>Strength 100%
>Color Saturation 91%
>Smoothing (Medium)
>Luminosity 0.0
>White Point 2.457
>Black Point 1.429
>Microsmoothing 2.0 (Default)
>Saved as 16 Bit Tiff


Post Processing:
>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement
>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening
>Color efex Pro 3.0
>Pro Contrast
>Glamor Glow (Lowered Opacity to taste) (Masked and used where needed)
>Bleach Bypass (Masked and used in areas where needed)
>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Desaturation of cement
>Adjustment Layer-Curves-Enhanced Green and Red tiles
>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Partial Desaturation of Green and Red tiles
>Cropped image
>Sized and Framed for posting

The Shredder

The Shredder, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

I caught this in a neighbors yard when I came home from shooting yesterday morning. The flowers had really intrigued me. So instead of just going home and crashing after a morning shoot, I decided to roam the garden in the front of his house and do some extra shooting.

I am very pleased with the way this turned out.  The maroons and whites really give this a great contrast. I toyed with the idea of getting rid of the greens in the very middle but in the end I decided to keep it.  Once I print this I will then decide whether to get rid of the green.

The Shot:
Single Exposure, F/5, 1/500, ISO 400, 24-105L @90mm with a .25 Extention, Hand Held

Post Processing:
>Slight adjustments in Raw, Black and Exposure

CS-5:
>Topaz Adjust InFocus
>Adjustment Layer-Curves-Contrast
>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-enhance overall color
>Adjustment Layer-Levels-Enhance white
>Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0
  >Glamor Glow
  >Vignette Blur
>Cropped, Framed and Sized for posting

World of Disney

World of Disney, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.



I decided to get up early this morning and run down to Disney Walk and see what I see.  I did have a chance to shoot a few things before security came by and asked me politely not to shoot.
I guess I am going to have to look up some rules about shooting at Disney before venturing back.  I was going to check with guest services on the do's and don'ts but I had a pocket knife and they wouldn't let me in to that part of the park.
None the less, shooting was nice.

The Shot:

>Standard 3 Shot HDR +2, 0, -2, ISO 400, F/9, 24-105L @40mm, Tripod and Cable shutter release

Post Processing:

>ACR

  >Removed All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration

  >Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:

>Detail Enhancer

  >Strength 100%

  >Color Saturation 90%

  >Smoothing (Very High)

  >Luminosity 0.0

  >White Point 1.055

  >Black Point 1.055

  >Microsmoothing 2.0 (Default)

  >Saved as 16 Bit Tiff

Post Processing:

>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement

>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening

>Color efex Pro 3.0

  >Pro Contrast

  >Glamor Glow (Lowered Opacity to taste) (Masked and used where needed)

  >Bleach Bypass (Masked and used in areas where needed)

>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Adjusted separately Blues, Greens and Yellows to taste

>Cropped, Framed and sized for posting

Disney Concert Hall

Disney Concert Hall, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

Disney concert hall in the early morning sunlight.

Wikipedia:The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves (among other purposes) as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Lillian Disney made an initial gift in 1987 to build a performance venue as a gift to the people of Los Angeles and a tribute to Walt Disney's devotion to the arts and to the city. The Frank Gehry-designed building opened on October 23, 2003. Both the architecture by Frank Gehry and the acoustics of the concert hall (designed by Yasuhisa Toyota) were praised in contrast to its predecessor, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.[1]

The Shot:

>Standard 3 Shot HDR +2, 0, -2, ISO 400, F/9, 24-105L @60mm, Tripod and Cable shutter release

Post Processing:

>ACR

  >Remove Black, All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration

  >Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:

>Detail Enhancer

  >Strength 100%

  >Color Saturation 90%

  >Smoothing (High)

  >Luminosity 0.0

  >White Point 4.67

  >Black Point 1.19

  >Microsmoothing 2.0 (Default)

  >Saved as 16 Bit Tiff

Post Processing:

>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement

>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening

>Color efex Pro 3.0

  >Pro Contrast

  >Tonal Contrast (Lowered Opacity to taste)

 >Glamor Glow (Lowered Opacity to taste)

>Adjustment Layer-Levels-Fix Uneven Luminance from HDR Process

  > (Used HDR Cookbook – Fixing Uneven Luminance)  GREAT TUTORIAL!

>Adjustment Layer-Levels-Enhance sky blue's only

>Cropped, Framed and sized for posting

No U Turn

No U Turn, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

So this is my first trip into LA. I have been here before, but that was 20 years ago. I have semi-no idea where I am going accept how to get to downtown, (which you can't miss because of all the tall buildings). I get off the freeway at 3rd st, left here, right there, go straight and I end up by the Disney Concert Hall. (Of Course I got a picture of the concert hall as well) At this time of the morning all parking is available as well as parking structures are just open no attendants, no nothing. So I figure that is pretty cool. Circling the block, driving around aimlessly. Got followed by a few cops who must have thought I was some kind of nut. Anyway, I pulled into the parking structure across from the Disney Concert Hall. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. Drove to the top parking floor and after getting out of the car the first thing I saw was this view of the city being lit up by the morning sun. What a way to start the day.

The Shot:

>Standard 3 Shot HDR +2, 0, -2, ISO 400, F/9, 24-105L @24mm, Tripod and Cable shutter release

Post Processing:

>ACR

  >Remove Black, All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration

  >Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:

>Detail Enhancer

  >Strength 100%

  >Color Saturation 79%

  >Smoothing (High)

  >Luminosity 2.1

  >White Point 6.526

  >Black Point .5585

  >Microsmoothing 16.4 (Smooth out sky)

  >Saved as 16 Bit Tiff

Post Processing:

>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement

>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening

>Color efex Pro 3.0

  >Pro Contrast

 >Glamor Glow (Masked for Street, sidewalk and 2 front buildings

>Adjustment Layer-Levels-Fix Uneven Luminance from HDR Process

  > (Used HDR Cookbook – Fixing Uneven Luminance)  GREAT TUTORIAL!
>Adjustment Layer-Levels-Enhance sky blue's only
>Lens Correction-Correct Vertical Perspective
>Topaz Adjust-Denoise for sky only

>Cropped, Framed and sized for posting

LA Art

LA Art, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

What is a trip to LA without some Graffiti? This is the only shot I got of graffiti I wasn't really looking for any but this did catch my eye. The building is what caught my eye and the graffiti behind the fence ended up being my focus of a few shots.
This is one of those shots that is really fun to do. Because this was behind a fence and no way to get to it. I tried to use the fence as a tool for the shot.

The Shot:
>Standard 3 Shot HDR +2, 0, -2, ISO 400, F/4, 24-105L @45mm, Hand Held

Post Processing:

>ACR

  >Remove Black, All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration

  >Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:

>Detail Enhancer

  >Strength 100%

  >Color Saturation 92%

  >Smoothing (Medium)

  >White Point 2.09

  >Black Point 1.055

  >Saved as 16 Bit Tiff

Post Processing:

>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement

>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening

>Color efex Pro 3.0

  >Pro Contrast

  >Tonal Contrast

  >Glamor Glow

>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Overall increase saturation

>Cropped, Framed and sized for posting

House Arrest

House Arrest, a photo by Tony DeSantis Photography on Flickr.

First trip to LA this morning. It won't be my last. Yeah I know, I went to LA and I got a photo of a window how strange is that? I really didn't want to capture the usual LA buildings, freeway with streaming car lights. I was looking for something different. I am sure I really didn't need to go to LA to capture this, but none the less I did.
It is different when you go some place for the first time. It takes you a while to get your feet wet and find your way around. Sunday morning is a great morning to head on down. The streets are empty Parking and crowds are not an issue. I really look forward to going back many more times.

Thanks for taking checking this out. If you are here leave a comment!

The Shot:
Standard 3 shot HDR, ISO 800, F/8, 24-105L @32mm, Hand Held

Post Processing:
>ACR
  >Remove Black, All Sharpening, Added Noise Reduction, Removed Chromatic Abberration
  >Saved as Tiffs

Photomatix:
>Detail Enhancer
  >Strength 100%
  >Color Saturation 80%
  >Smoothing (High)
  >White Point 1.055
  >Black Point .808
  >Saved as 16 Bit Tiff

Post Processing:
>Topaz Adjust-Color and Detail Enhancement
>Topaz InFocus-Sharpening
>Color efex Pro 3.0
  >Pro Contrast
  >Tonal Contrast
  >Glamor Glow
>Adjustment Layer-Curves-Enhance Contrast
>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Decrease Reds in Building
>Adjustment Layer-Hue/Sat-Decrease Color in Window frame
>High Pass Sharpening
>Framed and Sized for posting