Category: Uncategorized

Google Acquires Nik Software & Snapseed.

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Google Acquires Nik Software & Snapseed. Good or Bad for Photography? tutorial.

If you are a regular reader here at SpeedDemon2 then you know I am a big fan of NIK software. I hope that the acquisition of NIK by Google doesn’t radically change the way that NIK develops and updates it’s software. NIK has been very good about keeping it’s users up to date with the software and offering updates as they improved their products.

The statement from the NIK Software Team is encouraging and leaves the door open for future products from them. I hope that Snapseed remains in the lineup and keeps pace with the Apple IOS. It would be a shame to lose this app or to have it become outdated due to the Google vs Apple dynamic.

I suppose that the resources of Google will allow even greater development in the tradition that NIK have been known for over the past 17 years. Only time will tell whether this acquisition will help or hinder the NIK Software Team. I’m keeping an open mind as well as keeping my fingers crossed that the acquisition is just the beginnings of ever more awesome NIK products for photographers.

Fourth of July Fireworks

Posted on by Nick Roberts
July 4, 2011

Today is the Fourth of July, here in the USA we celebrate our birth as a nation on this day and one of our traditions is to shoot off fireworks. I am posting a shot from last year’s  Fourth of July celebration here in Louisville at Waterfront Park as my tribute to that great tradition.

I don’t have much to say about this image or for that matter anything else today. I’m discovering how difficult choosing an image and writing about it on a daily basis truly is. I’m assessing what I’ve written over the past couple of months and looking for a common thread that will inspire me to share more images with those of you who take the time to visit my blog.

Last night I thought about how I go about choosing the processing of a given image and how I can better share my knowledge about photography with my readers. I have some ideas that I hope will be received well and will be rolling them out over the next few days. Until then I just want to thank each and every person that has viewed and/or commented on my work.

See you tomorrow…

 

REO Speedwagon

Posted on by Nick Roberts

This REO Speedwagon was at the NSRA Streetrod Nationals last year. It was powered by the Buick Fireball Eight Engine I featured a few days ago. I’m sharing this because I think the way I chose to shoot it really worked out well. I was using my 18mm-200mm Nikkor VR lens and I got down on my belly to frame the shot. I shot at f8 with the lens set to 18mm. I wanted to accent the wheel and tire in the frame while including the Cadillac “Lady” hood ornament. I really dig the way she is soaring into the clouds while the wheel heads straight at the viewer.

I processed this in NIK HDR Efex Pro from a single frame image. I first did some minor cropping in Aperture 3 then adjusted the exposure and vibrance before finally sharpening the photo slightly. After doing this I saved a virtual copy with my Aperture 3 adjustments which I then took into NIK Hdr Efex Pro for the final version you see here.

One additional note: as with all the images I post here; if you click on the image it will open in another window at a larger size.