JACK LARSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Juniper Berries
Posted by john4jack (Corvallis, Oregon, United States) on 6 November 2009 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.
The fossil cliffs are in the background. This was taken on the trail up to the amphitheater.
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MY WORKFLOW - I download my memory card to Bridge CS4 (everything goes to an external HD). The reason for this is that I can easily go through my images at full screen mode; this helps greatly for the initial edit. Then I import the files that reman into Lightroom. Most of my editing is done in LR, a truly photographer-centric program. I do almost all of my editing on Virtual Copies. Sometimes I will have 2 or 3 or more Virtual Copies of the same dng file. One may have color work; another B&W; different crops, etc. If I want to make certain that I don't lose the work done on a particular Virtual Copy, I will synchronize that work to the original dng file. Whatever is on the dng file is automatically on my External HD where my files are stored. What is on a Virtual Copy is nothing but information and is in the LR catalog, but if that catalog gets screwed up, it is gone forever. If the catalog gets screwed up, what is on the dng file is still there on the External HD. Next, some files are sent with the LR edits over to Photoshop. Even though LR houses most of my 3rd party plug-ins, if I use those plug-ins in PS, I can change the opacity, apply blend modes and use masks (none of which can be done in LR). My spot healing and cloning is done in PS for two reasons; PS has far superior zooming in addition to doing those functions better than does LR. On a rare occasion, I use PS's Adjustment Panels. I almost never use PS to do things such as replace skies, add textures, etc. That is not my style of photography. If I am in PS, I will do my final sharpening there with Nik's Sharperner. When finished, I save my work back to LR. Almost all of my printing is done in LR. I realize that it doesn't have softproofing, but I don't care. Rarely is a perfect match between the computer screen and the print important to me.
Tracy from La Selva Beach, United States
I love the DoF here- but the golden light is what really makes this wonderful! This is a great series!
6 Nov 2009 5:10am
@Tracy: Thanks, Tracy.
@Yvon: Merci.
@Sof: Merci.
@Seraphine: Thanks. Yes, they do smell good.
Dulcie from Danville, CA, United States
Gorgeous..love the excellent DOF. Those berries in their tones of blues are perfection against all the green and gold foliage and background.
6 Nov 2009 6:53am
@Dulcie: Thanks, Dulcie.
@rem_la: Merci.
@Irene: Merci.
zOOm from Paris, France
A very hollywoodian set in fact, looks like it has been shot in a studio with this amazing DOF of yours.
6 Nov 2009 7:58am
@zOOm: This entire area is movie shooting country.
Anina from Auckland, New Zealand
Magnificent!!! The lighting and golden tones are simply beautiful. Perfect dof! Very well captured.
6 Nov 2009 8:26am
@Anina: Thanks.
@Nicholas: Thank you.
Nazzareno from Rome, Italy
Beautiful tones, very interesting subject and composition.
6 Nov 2009 8:52am
@Nazzareno: Thank you.
Sarito from Basingstoke, United Kingdom
This is terrific shot, Jack. Like the DOF and the perfect focus.. nicely done.
6 Nov 2009 9:15am
@Sarito: Thank you.
@PATRICK: Merci.
k@ from Paris, France
I feel as if I could pick up one with 2 fingers ! Love the sensation or proxomity, and the tones of course*
6 Nov 2009 11:52am
@k@: Merci.
MrsAmber from West Wickham, United Kingdom
Another great shot with the DOF. Love it! I especially like shots that I say to myself 'Oh I'd never have thought of that' ..you see I'd be too interested in the rocks at this place to leave them out of focus..but this really works!
6 Nov 2009 11:53am
@MrsAmber: If I had your background, the rocks would have been in focus and the berries would have been fuzzy.
Alivia from Saint-Etienne, France
Fruits so clear and the background in the light a vegatative to look prehistoric, juniper berries on the bottom blond mountains, a spectacular image .. Bravo Jack.
6 Nov 2009 12:03pm
@Alivia: Merci, dear Dane.
bekkah from Pennsylvania, United States
excellent shot, such a beautiful composition with lovely colors :)
6 Nov 2009 12:36pm
@bekkah: Thanks, bekkah.
@Veronelle: Merci.
Craig from Vacaville, California, United States
Captured in a fine light! Well done! Love the hint of a rugged background as well!
6 Nov 2009 1:00pm
@Craig: Thanks, Craig.
@Shailaja: Thank you.
Steven from Chicagoland, United States
A crisp capture with beautiful detail seen in the juniper and its berries. A great composition with a DoF that still allows identification of the fossil cliffs. What a workflow that you describe!
6 Nov 2009 1:41pm
@Steven: Thanks, Steven. My workflow actually is very fast. I don't waste any time on shots that I consider to be losers (i.e., most of them). Most of the keepers get maybe 5 min.; very few more than 10 minutes. I figure that if the processing is going to take a long time, I screwed up the capture.
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
Ah, I can remember the delicious fragrance, and I love the berries' soft gray-blue color.
A wonderful, tack-sharp image, Jack!
6 Nov 2009 1:43pm
@Judy: Thanks, Judy.
@Luca Bobbiesi: Thank you.
@Betty: Thanks, Betty.
MARIANA from Waterloo, Canada
Seems you have a lot of sun over there . This is such a sunny delight !
6 Nov 2009 2:31pm
@MARIANA: Way more sun on the east side of the Cascades than the west side. In Corvallis, we are getting wave after wave of rain.
Michael Rawluk ht from Williams Lake, BC, Canada
That is wonderfully done. Very sharp with the blurry browns to really set the shot travelling.
6 Nov 2009 3:39pm
@Michael Rawluk ht: Thanks, Michael.
don from spokane, United States
A fine close up of these berries. An interesting work flow description. Thanks.
6 Nov 2009 3:44pm
@don: Thanks, Don. In operation, a very fast workflow.
@Yvonne Simons: Oui!
Anthony Morgan Lambert from Bielefeld, Germany
lots of work for one shot !! I tend to "mostly" shoot and present as it comes !!!
This shot is realy great.
6 Nov 2009 4:46pm
@Anthony Morgan Lambert: Actually it's about a 5-10 min. process unless I run into an unusual problem with a photograph that I really like. This photograph was processed very quickly.
mo.langel from Courtelary, Switzerland
Superbe image! Les couleurs sont très belles!
6 Nov 2009 4:46pm
@mo.langel: Merci.
dj.tigersprout from New York City, United States
i grew up with juniper berries, so this takes me back to childhood! excellent processing!
6 Nov 2009 4:48pm
@dj.tigersprout: Thanks, dj.
Lyl and Roll from Besançon, France
Nice details... If I'm right, we use those fruits to perfume the sauerkraut (with meat and potatoes)...
6 Nov 2009 5:24pm
@Lyl and Roll: Merci.
@Bishop: Thank you.
JamesC from portland, United States
So pleasent to behold, enjoyed it. We'll bookmark your workflow for later... thanks.
6 Nov 2009 6:50pm
@JamesC: Thanks, James.
Twinklestamper from Oklahoma, United States
Love the cliffs in the background.... I have some juniper berries in my blogroll, but will definitely take another look at them before they publish! Your image is so lovely!
6 Nov 2009 7:00pm
@Twinklestamper: Thank you for your kind comment.
marc battault from clermont ferrand, France
beautiful berries in autumn, jack!
friendships!
6 Nov 2009 7:31pm
@marc battault: Merci, Marc.
@Marion: Thank you. It's nice when the DOF was intentional.
alex centrella from California, United States
well caught Jack..beautiful ..........
6 Nov 2009 8:22pm
@alex centrella: Thanks, Alex.
Macrobaby from Vancouver, Canada
Just lovely. The dof is wonderful and the rich tones just make this great.
6 Nov 2009 9:33pm
@Macrobaby: Thank you.
akarui from Kagoshima, Japan
I like your focus on the berries with the blur wild landscape behind.
6 Nov 2009 11:30pm
@akarui: Thank you.
Michael from Shell village, United Kingdom
Exceptionally sharp and crisp making the berries really stand out against the shallow DOF. The contrast and color is supreme !
6 Nov 2009 11:42pm
@Michael: Thank you.
Steve Rice from Olympia, United States
Love the focus and the great composition with the berries.
7 Nov 2009 12:56am
@Steve Rice: Thanks, Steve.
Susan from Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
Subject, light, color, clarity.....Perfection!!!
7 Nov 2009 1:04am
@Susan: Thanks, Susan.
@Mirza Ahmad: Thank you.
Ajay from Pune, India
WOW!!! You sound like an IT guy to me now, Jack. :-) Proper workflow, good backup strategy, and now you have documented your process too.
7 Nov 2009 2:11am
@B. Thomas: Thanks, Barb.
daniela scharnowski from Berlin, Germany
Great coloured picture - and thanks for sharing your workflow - it´s very interesting to me how others work ;)
After a big big software crash in february where lots of work was lost :(
I now store all my images, the rough & the different processed copies externally - the ones I´m working on are also on the internal drive.
But - not working with LR but PS - I don´t like using bridge - it is so slow und unhandy - even if my computer is very fast, a monstrum to me - I rather use irfanview´s thumbnail for a quick full screen inspection ;)
8 Nov 2009 12:11pm
@daniela scharnowski: Thanks, Daniela. The only part that I do in Bridge is the first run through; it is very fast. In reality, all of my work in the digital darkroom is fast; I don't spend much time there. All of my files are on two external harddrives.
Anna.C from LA ROCHELLE, France
fine details, beautiful light and colors and perfect DOF !
8 Nov 2009 9:30pm
starCosmosBleu from bedford.Qc, Canada
Nice shot...like the focus on the Juniper bush but also those tones in the background.
9 Nov 2009 9:42am
Tammy Warren-Cricket from United States
Love the colors in this image! I was reading your script above. I have a confession. I still own NO photo altering software. I would not even know how to add a sky. It is comforting to know your images are real. I still use a online software when I process my images, but it is only to layer images.
9 Nov 2009 4:21pm
@Isidro: Gracias.
Bill from Pacific Northwest, United States
Wonderful capture. Thanks for sharing you workflow with us--it's very helpful.
10 Nov 2009 7:14pm
@Bill: Thanks, Bill. My workflow sounds more elaborate than it is. Actually it is quite fast.
Hilde Morin from Portland, United States
Thank you for sharing your process! still totally lost but I'll study line by line.
15 Dec 2009 1:56am
Nikon D700
1/160 second
F/10.0
ISO 200
80 mm (35mm equiv.)