digital darkroom

Photoshop CS6 beta; are you plugged in or out?

Photoshop CS6 beta; are you plugged in or out?

In the olden days of Adobe Photoshop upgrades, all we had to worry about was if our actions and brushes still worked. Now though, we fret more about our precious plug-ins whenever Adobe decides to upgrade either Lightroom or Photoshop.  I currently own three plug-in bundles and I’m about to purchase the fourth and final package [...]


Writer’s Block: try some oil

Writer's Block: try some oil

If you’re following my blog then you’ve probably noticed that I’ve taken the last 3 months off.  I do apologize to my readers.  The delay has not been due to a lack of shooting; it’s because I’ve been working so hard at my day job that I just haven’t had much to say. Recently though, [...]


Philadelphia – UrbEx Underground

Philadelphia - UrbEx Underground

Normally this time of year, members of the DC/MD/VA NikonCafe.com photography group travel to the Eastern Shore for a long weekend of spring migration shooting. Well, this year we decided to go north to Philadelphia and shoot some lesser-known but just as memorable city scenes. Yes, we did the Cherry Blossom trees in Fairmount Park’s [...]


Featured Monthly Photo – October 2010 – Amtrak train (infrared)

Featured Monthly Photo – October 2010 – Amtrak train (infrared)

Amtrak passenger train pulls into Fredericksburg, Virginia railway station – infrared Image above made with a Nikon D200 IR-converted camera and Nikon 18-200 VR lens The above photo was taken towards the end of Scott Kelby’s 2009 Worldwide Photowalk in Fredericksburg, VA.  Our walk leader, Rachel, had chosen a route filled with fantastic photo opportunities [...]


Invisible light = Visual beauty

Invisible light = Visual beauty

Infrared photography is often described as “invisible light” or light that we humans cannot see.  So, how do we take a picture of what we can’t see?  Easy.  We see everything in Technicolor brilliance but some scenes and subjects, in our mind’s eye, look better in black-and-white. Infrared is very similar to black-and-white photography, so [...]


My infrared cravings – foray #1

My infrared cravings – foray #1

While I’m very pleased with my very first DSLR (a Nikon D300) camera, I am absolutely in love with my infrared camera (a Nikon D200). Infrared blocks visible light and therefore subjects such as foliage (grass and trees) show up as white instead of green in photographs, skies are darker, and clouds are bold and more defined. To put it mildly, infrared is otherworldly!