In this issue we begin our architectural theme with the article Building on Success by professional photographer Andrew Lee.

We also link to a Capture One podcast review published at www.Nikonians.org produced by The Image Doctors: Jason Odell and Rick Walker.

Read about Lens Cast Calibration Workflow for H 20, H 25 and P series digital backs.

Last chance to take advantage of our promotion with ACDsee Pro Photo Manager, the promotion ends June 30, 2006. 

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By professional photographer Andrew Lee, owner of Andrew Lee Photographer, Glasgow, Scotland.

As subjects, buildings often present very high contrast ranges, either because they are partly in shade and partly in direct sunlight, or because the construction materials themselves differ so greatly in reflectivity, from dark slate to shiny metallic surfaces. Interiors, especially when windows are included in the shot, present an enormous range of exposure values that are impossible to record on film.

Shooting with the H 25, not only do I enjoy a greater dynamic range to begin with, but when I do require the extra shadow or highlight exposure, it is simply another press of the shutter release and the resultant exposures are perfectly aligned when layered in Photoshop. So, typically, my photographs of high-contrast subjects will have a minimum of three layers: a best average exposure, an exposure that records at least a minimum of detail in the shadows, and an exposure that does the same with the highlights. I do not even need to concern myself with evaluating exposures based on how they appear on the laptop screen; Capture One’s levels histogram is a much more reliable indicator of how much information has been recorded.

At least half of the photographs I shoot are interiors and I have not had to use any supplementary lighting since I switched to the H 25. This saves hours of work on location, and means I no longer have to worry about unwanted hot spots, reflections and flare. The results also tend to look more natural.

The Bottom Line
The shift from film to digital capture can be a daunting one, not only technically, but also financially. Fortunately, the technical transition was not too traumatic for me because I was already familiar with the post-production end of a digital workflow. All I had to grasp was the capture part, and that proved remarkably easy with Capture One’s elegantly designed software that can be learned in a couple of days. The financial side is also proving to be painless. I have calculated that in less than three years the amount I save on film and processing will easily have paid for the new camera and digital back, and the extra productivity I am experiencing translates directly into increased profit. 

Read the full article.

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