A couple more from Foggy New Orleans yesterday

[theantiquetiger]

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8641/16717032325_09faf8dd7a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rteaig)foggy st louis (https://flic.kr/p/rteaig) by Theantiquetiger (https://www.flickr.com/people/68094784@N03/), on Flickr

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8683/16691331656_531c70ab65_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rqXroh)plaza d armas (https://flic.kr/p/rqXroh) by Theantiquetiger (https://www.flickr.com/people/68094784@N03/), on Flickr

[Runmonty]

You have really created a mood with this set (and others from your recent photo walk). The processing really works for these too.:thumbup:

I tend to to recall a little while ago you that you were disappointed by some fog photos. You seem to have nailed it this time. I think it possibly helps that their are lights that are reflecting off the fog.

[theantiquetiger]

I went down there for two reasons yesterday. One, was to grab some foggy scenes around this cathedral, and two, work on my HDR post processing. I use Promatrix for my HDR images, but I find that the program tends to make the final image a little cartoonish, so I export the image to Lightroom afterwards to tone down the effects of Promatrix. The top one above is a single exposure image and the second one is a three exposure HDR image from Promatrix. I did take three exposures of the first one, but because of all the light coming from the left side of the image, there was a lot of halos around the tree and building.

[Runmonty]

I use Promatrix for my HDR images, but I find that the program tends to make the final image a little cartoonish, so I export the image to Lightroom afterwards to tone down the effects of Promatrix.

I normally use HDR Efex Pro which has some quite good natural looking presets.

I think the approach of processing again in Lightroom is a good one. I will often bring the HDR (or otherwise heavily processed) image into PS and overlay that on the original image and simply adjust the layer opacity, to tone down the effect a bit.

[Marko]

really cool mood supported by the processing.
They look great together and might make for some cool framers.

[theantiquetiger]

Went and got the first one framed 20x30. I lightened the whites and highlights a little (after the edit above)

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r198/theantiquetiger/8EE36A76-2C91-42D8-9BCF-B3741615697A.jpg

[Marko]

I envy the Americans on this board sometimes. Shipping costs on many affordable products are only reasonable in the USA if you live in the USA.... Half the time shipping is even free.
Not that I'm a big consumer, I'm not...but I'd try so many more products if I could get them into Canada reasonably. Because Canada has a small population, and thus a small demand, the actual selection of products (in Canada proper) is a joke. Montreal is one of the largest cities in Canada..... but trying to find any new product that you've heard about in Montreal is a waste of time. Trying to get it into Montreal often costs 5-10x the shipping price. Canada is so small in many ways (some of those ways are good though).

LOL rant over - Nice framing AT - Looks great and I really dig this image.

[theantiquetiger]

I go cheap when I frame my stuff. The 20x30 print only cost me $9 at Costco and it's ready in about 2 hours. The framing is done at Hobby Lobby and cost me about $40 and they do it while I wait (20 mins). This is not a art gallery caliber print, so I im not worried about super quality framing. Plus, to the layman's eyes, it is a high quality print and framing.

I'm a purest (or simplistic) person. I don't understand spending $100's of dollars on framing. I like simple black frames with white matt. I don't want the framing to distract from the image.

Even the 100 year old pano image I own of the first game in Tiger Stadium, worth a few thousand dollars is framed in this matter. A professional acid treatment and frame/matt was only $300. The guy tried to talk me into some fancy frame, ugly matt, and gallery glass. The total would have been over $1000, mostly because of the glass. Ok, I know you can see the image better through the gallery glass, but the cheaper UV glass protects it just the same.

[Runmonty]

It really is a nice photo AT and looks great on the wall



I envy the Americans on this board sometimes. Shipping costs on many affordable products are only reasonable in the USA if you live in the USA.... Half the time shipping is even free.
Not that I'm a big consumer, I'm not...but I'd try so many more products if I could get them into Canada reasonably. Because Canada has a small population, and thus a small demand, the actual selection of products (in Canada proper) is a joke. Montreal is one of the largest cities in Canada..... but trying to find any new product that you've heard about in Montreal is a waste of time. Trying to get it into Montreal often costs 5-10x the shipping price. Canada is so small in many ways (some of those ways are good though). .

I hear ya Marko. Try living on a southern hemisphere island with even an even smaller population. Here is isn't only shipping costs. Because international companies can control import and licensing, the prices are often gouged (we cant drive across a border to get a product). Songs on itunes, phones, electronic equipment are more expensive and (using an example close to a photographers heart) only a couple of years ago Photoshop was approx $2000 for the full suite. Photography equipment is more expensive and "grey imports" are a big thing here. As a businessman myself, I totally get it where costs are higher or infrastructure is an issue, but often it is just price gouging in a market that is easily manipulated

The classic one here is running shoes. The prices here are approx double those in North America and Europe (even though they are made next door in South East Asia). OK you say - so buy online from those markets, even with ridiculously high shipping costs you will be in front. I've bought approx a dozen pairs of shoes from US & UK over the years. The trouble is as soon as the shoe companies learn of it they withdraw supply from exporting company. There are actually intermediary companies set up so that you can ship to a US address and then they will send it on fro you. Don't even get me started on movies and entertainment distribution.

Sorry AT - didn't mean to hijack your thread, but Markos comment struck a nerve with me. [relax... deep breath... OK now :))

[theantiquetiger]

Run, y'all don't have any type of price savers club down there like Sam's or Costco, and/or hobby shops like Hobby Lobby or Michael's? The frame above is a pre-made 24x36, and cost me $30. It is not a cheap plastic frame, it is wood with UV glass. Hobby Lobby has acid free matt that they cut for you while you wait (various prices, depends on size). This matt was $15. They frame it for you while you wait, and for $2, they add the paper back and hangers. This is free but I always tip the guy that does it because he is better then anyone else that works there. The 20x30 print is $9, ready in about 2 hours (order on line).

So, for about $50, I got what you see above. ($65 Austrailian dollars, or what ever y'all use, $55 Canadian dollars)

[Runmonty]

Thanks AT.

Costco have just opened up here last year. Actually printing and framing aren't too badly priced, and I am happy to do it myself to some extent. To be honest, the actual cost isn't a major issue for me. Mine was more of a generic whinge about Marko's point about cost differentials.

Back in the day I used art glue to attach prints to acid free boards and paint or use texta (I think you call them sharpies) on the edges. It actually worked quite well, although I mainly did it as I liked the creative aspect of it.

In these days when everyone has a camera and printing is so accessible, I think post processing and display presentation is where you will be able to stand out from the crowd. It is something I would like to experiment with more, and am inspired by some aluminum & stainless steel medium I have seen. I also like MBragers post http://www.photography.ca/Forums/alternative-photography/23011-washi-suncatchers.html. My current idea is to mount photos in non traditional shapes (other than traditional rectangular). Say round, elliptical or even free-form shapes

[asnow]

The high value of the US Dollar isn't helping either. With the current exchange rate at 1 USD = approx 0.80 CDN (and I think the AUS dollar similar) it makes a bad situation even worse.
I'm planning on retiring this year and would like to go on some photography workshops, however it seems that almost all are in the US or priced in US dollars. I'm just not going to pay that extra premium. By the way why aren't there many any Canadian workshops. If there are, I'm not seeing them.

Sorry AT, I got carried away like Runmonty. - Just love these two pics. especially the first one. You have really captured the mood. Well done.