Daily Inspiration #356 by Bob Callway

Daily Inspiration #356 by Bob Callway

First..a “big-up” to Steve and his web-site. Truly amazing what you have done here. Not only on the interesting reviews but the community that you have built.

I also have to thank Steve, personally, on helping me decide on a lens purchase for my Leica M9….the Summilux 35mm ASPH (vIV). I have not been disappointed since. Thanks Steve.

Since there are so many varied Inspiration Posts on Steve’s web-site I wanted to put up something a little different. Not just camera/lens but what a world of possibilities opens up when you use the combo with Photoshop/Lightroom.

I am a new-ish member of the Windsor Photography Society since moving to the town over a year ago and one of the challenges they set their members was to take a photo that should be Silhouette/Shadow themed. I knew, immediately, what I wanted to achieve and that was to, somehow, take a capture of the silhouette of the sun. But the sun creates silhouettes…right?

Recently, I had visited the idyllic Savill Garden in the Great Windsor Park and had come across a rather odd monument called the Cumberland Monument…and at the top is a South American-inspired sun. I am still not sure why it’s there but it would be perfect for my needs.

Well, I shot a number of pictures and thought that maybe the lens was too wide for the job but as soon as I started to play with my chosen image I was amazed to see how the lens/camera combo worked to hold so much detail and hold sharpness when I started cropping the photo in Lightroom to get the right size for the final print. I, then, ramped up the brightness and contrast and the blacks before transferring it to Photoshop. The picture finished off the shot by getting rid of the column as well cloning one of the sun’s rays to complete the effect.

About the time I moved to Windsor I bought myself the Leica M9…my first digital camera!. The combination of this camera, my lenses and various software packages have, undoubtedly, changed the way I shoot and what is possible.

Having directed/shot a number of video promo and television shows I think the most important thing I have learned is know and inspire your readers is know what you are want to achieve before you go out and shoot. Sure, there will always be curve-balls but the best thing is to stay focussed on a result then everything else is an added bonus.

 You can visit Bob’s websites HERE and HERE

 

 

19 Comments

  1. Good creative thinking! I always felt uncomfortable removing objects from images. Somehow, I feel like the reality is lost. For instance, one could bring the sun (or any other object for that matter) from any other image taken anywhere else. Maybe its just me.

    But on the creative side, your original image is excellent. I probably would have never thought of it. Thanks for sharing.

    • tried it with the sun directly behind the star but not nearly half as interesting. I hate removing things from images but really doesn’t matter if what you are going to photograph is abstract anyway. cheers for comment

  2. Great creative thinking, and nifty looking result. Still I can’t help but mention that a 90mm prime (or even kit lens, zoomed) and decent slr or mirrorless body can be yours for less than one tenth of the price of an M9+35 Lux combo and get you exactly the same picture, minus the need to crop. Shows how expensive not following your own advice to “know what you want to achieve before you go out and shoot” can be.

    This is the second post in two weeks which basically says: “the m9 is great because it’s lenses + sensor combination allows me to crop and make large reprints out of sections of pictures that, as it turns out, make way better picture than what I originally shot.” Am I alone in thinking that this kind of belittles the importance of composition and focuses attention too much on an aspect of the Leica system that most of us should try to never have to revere?

    • Thanks for you comment.

      Yes of course you could get better composed shots with a dslr and bigger lens for this kind of shot but just want to show what is achievable with a (wide) 35mm and rangefinder and shouldn’t feel restricted by the lens size whether it is e.g. m9/35mm combo, x100 or 35mm canon 5d.

      I don’t usually take shots like this but wanted to get an abstract image so long as I got the shot to turn it into something quite different and, hopefully, a little bit inspirational.

  3. Really like your creative thinking. I don’t have a 35mm Summilux but have one on order. I think it’s probably the hottest going lens right now.

    • I am using the older one..with the supposed focus shift. But haven’t really come across it. The new ‘lux sorts this out but i think isn’t as characterful. But then I haven’t tried it out..

  4. Interesting work, really goes to show the diversity of techniques and styles of this sites readers.

    • Cheers….I like tinkering with all sorts of styles/techniques. Just approached this a little differently and shows what is still possible with a wide lens.

  5. First of all i do understand your feeling about the M9 35 ASPH combo.I too use this combo and i too bought this lense as a result of Steve’s advice which turned out to be a very wise one.
    The 35 lux ASPH 2 on a M9 is a winner !!
    I loved your second shot which leads us to believe in UFO 🙂

    • Cheers.Would love to try 35mm Lux ASPH 2 but from what I have seen doesn’t have same magical qualities.I guess in the search for perfection soul can be lost.

      When I first unveiled the final picture some people thought it was some sort of bug… .

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