Study Group 27 Member 2

Study Group 27
Brad Ashbrook

Marie Altenburg

Brad Ashbrook

Louis Duncan

Linda Sharp

Vicki DeVico

Jan van Leijenhorstd

Carol McCreary

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January

River Raccoon

How I did it - This little critter was shot from my kayak on a river on the west coast of Florida. The original color image was only tweaked a little bit for contrast, recovery and the biggest adjustment was the color temperature. It seemed to jump a little more when it was warmed up a bit. I really like the color but I thought it would be a natural conversion to black & white via Nik Silver Efex 2. Minor adjustments to contrast and structure were made. Which do you like better ?

COMMENTS:

Marie Altenburg      Great shot! Cute critter! I like both images, Brad, but the monochrome really pops! By the way, have you considered Nik’s Silver Efex Antique Plate II filter for this one? It might give you a third choice !

Louis Duncan       Brad, I definitely prefer the monochrome. The raccoon seems to be looking right through you, and the reflection adds interest. Very nice shot in my book.

Linda Sharp      This is a super image in so many ways. You have however started off with a fantastic image at the point of capture so you gave yourself few challenges in terms of bringing out the best in the image itself. Your attention is drawn straight to the eyes and the catchlight is strong enough to keep your attention. B&W works well too. All round, I love it.

Vicki DeVico       I think the monochrome image is the stronger one. For me, the color gets in the way of the raccoon's expression and the reflection in its eyes. The mono is the winner, hands down, Brad !

Jan van Leijenhorst

Carol McCreary       I love your little critter especially the monochrome version. The mono really draws you to his face - wonderful whiskers. The reflection is a nice touch too. Your cropping is very good. Very good contrast and clean blacks and whites in your mono.

Member Bio

Brad Ashbrook - Biography

My father, Stan Ashbrook, got me started at a young age and have been shooting for over 30 years. I shot the newspaper and yearbook all through middle and high school. I attended Rochester Institute of Technology and received my bachelors in Imaging and Photographic Technology in 1987. The first couple of jobs were photography related including a sales manager with Sinar Bron. After that, I worked in the computer industry for several years and finally landed in the audio visual industry for the past 14 years.

I started out with Minolta film cameras and purchased my first 1.3mp camera in 1999. I then upgraded to a 3.1, and finally bought my first DSLR, the Nikon D70. I have since upgraded to a D300 and absolutely love the camera. I have a few lenses, Nikon 16-85, 70-300VR (having troubles, I think I got a lemon), Sigma 10-20 and a Tamron 200-500 (which works fine around F8 only). When I am going to a good race (Sebring or Road Atlanta), I usually rent a 70-200 f2.8 VR and 1.4x from LensProToGo.

I really enjoy shooting sports photography, such as my kids playing football or soccer and motor racing. I also shoot nature and travel. Recently, I have been experimenting/playing with HDR and panoramic. I love a good challenge and I have really enjoyed these two techniques. I have been a member of PSA a couple of different times and at one time participated in Stereo Exhibitions.

I using primarily Lightroom2 and a little bit of Photoshop CS3. I am still learning CS3 (not sure there is an end to this..) and hopefully will get much better over time. I use PhotoMatix Pro for HDR’s and AutoPano Pro for the panoramic landscapes.

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