Currently On display

Corner Lot, Beacon, NY

Shadow And Cloud, Hudson, NY

Two works currently on display at the Mystic Arts Center which is located in Mystic Connecticut. They are part of the Connecticut Academy Of Fine Arts www.ctacademy.org 101st Annual Exhibition. The show was juried by Patricia Hickson and Jerry Weiss. "Shadow And Cloud, Hudson, NY" was given the PhotoSynthesis, LLC Award. The show contains many fine works in multi mediums. It runs from May 25th 2012 through July 14th 2012. Come enjoy the show, the Seaport Museum, and the New England coast.

Respectfully, K.F.W. 06/13/12

From First To Reject

Secret Project

Dawn Near Pittsburgh

Tank Farm

Recently I received first place for two entries in a juried exhibition at the Hygienic Gallery.www.hygienic.org So, shortly thereafter, I entered the three pieces shown above in another juried show. Not one was accepted! From fame to shame in a moment! It could only have been the jurist's blindness to genius. Yes, yes the life of an artist.

Respectfully, K.F.W. 06/13/12

D800 Nikon Do I Want One?

Montpelier VT Late Autumn

Well, oh of course! Who would not?

Well there are some who would not. And, they would have their reasons.

Anyway I have less than no doubts that the D800 in either 800 or 800E form will be a truly great camera.

Being of the male gene structure I allways get those insecure unrelenting urges to have the best and biggest. It dosn't matter why, if it is the best and the biggest I want it. Of course now being somewhat over 60 these drives may have become less sharp. However, the process of thinking has gained much clarity.

1. Nothing is ever the best or the biggest. Once one has the D800 in hand one will see such things as medium format. Pentax 645, Phase one, Leaf and on and on. What stop along the way home do you get off at?

2.The best and the biggest may not be the correct or best tool for the job at hand. A 36 mega-pixel monster with a 70-200mm zoom could well blunt street photagraphy. In some situations that combination could wind up in a police report for theft and or assault. Trying to travel by trains planes and walking for hours in strange wonderful cities with one's partner while toting big heavy gear coud be a deal breaker. You don't make resonably large prints or don't print at all. 36 million pixels to share one's shots on flicker or face book? Your work is for web site display. You say you don't really know how to edit images and you have a 200 dollar printer and fax combo. Don't laugh. In 09 a friend bought a Canon 5dll. He had used all of his money on it and had only one 50mm lens, a water damaged desk top, ancient crt monitor, pirated virus ridden CS4 and a cheap printer. You have limited income. You need money for transportation and places to stay inorder to be in a place to get the shot. You want whatever combination of elements and tools in your life to allow you to be fullfilled, to create your photo graphic work, be recognized for it, and enjoy the balance of the rest of your life. Well, the D800 or some other set of tools may be your answer.

3.I want to make 3ft by 4 1/2 ft prints. There are allways those 20 to 70 thousand dollar medim format systems. However, I have no doubts that the Nikon D800 FX system will do a fine job of this as long as you have invested in the best, and with few exceptions expensive, FX lenses. Also, better be on your best behavior with technique. No sloppy hand held stuff, unless you're a big name who can get away with mediocre,because 36 mega pixels at 3ft by 4 1/2ft will also show every flaw in glorious obviousness. I really would like to make prints this large. I am aware of galleries that demand this. I am not and most of you are not part of the one percent. I  can not afford to make 3ft by 4 1/2ft prints. Those galleries are not going to pay me to produce them. Perhaps with the right grant and or patron/client then fine. But surely we all dream. Even if I could pay to have them made where would I store them? Where would you store them? How many gallories want or need them? How many juried shows will allow them?

4.I want as much in focus from front to back as possible. Larger sensors are not your friend here. Landscape, table top product and or still life shots, etc.,you're better off with DX crop sensor or even better Micro 4/3rds sensors. With the larger FX sensor one would need to be shooting at f/11-f/16 to obtain what in DX would be had at f/7.1 to f/10. Or in Micro 4/3ds at f/4.5-f/6.3. Diffraction characteristics aside, it's allways nicer when you can get the job done at a more open f- stop with a correspondingly faster shutter speed. Well unless you want to blurr for effect. And speaking of diffraction, with 36 mp on an FX sensor f/11-f/16 would allways be bumping well into diffraction losses.

5.I want very shallow depth of what's in focus. Only the eyes at f/1.4. FX is your bet for this. But don't the majority of these shooters do portraits? FX yes, hum? Need or want 36 mega pixels on a 40ish client? Going to use soft focus techniques and software in post processing. I do not do this kind of shooting. I'm the guy who wants all the deph of focus which I can possibly get. Blurred forgrounds are a real killer. However, it leaves the question in my mind for the potrait shooters of the world. Is 36 mega pixels the right tool?

6.I want to be there and I want to come home with the shot! I spent a number of years hauling around a Pentax 6x7 system and Gitzo metal tripod. I got a few shots and many sore backs. To repeat, I very much believe that superb results can be had with a device such as the new Nikon D800. I am not trying to place the D800 in the range of cumbersome that the Pentax 6x7 fitted in. But, think about the mobility one would gain using a new Olympus OM series or one of the panasonic 16 mp Micro 4/3rds systems. If Sony or some third party manufacturers begin to produce a resonable collection dedicated autofocus lenses for the APS-C 24mp sensor Nex 7 then wow!  I'm not going to get deep here, just trying to provoke thought over emotion. Would one see, in a 14inch by 21inch or 16 inch by 20 inch print, a difference if the image were taken with a really good lens and a 36mp D800 or a 24mp Nex 7 ? If they could who else would? How signiicant would that difference be? Who would be more likely to have captured the image in the first place? I do not know the answer to all of these questions, but I believe they should be asked.

7.I want to shoot high speed action in all kinds of light and under all sorts of conditions in any weather or environment . D3s, D4 or Canon equivalent for you. Nothing else would begin to qualify.

8.my goal is the creation of high quality fine art exhibition prints in the 14 inch by 21 inch or 16 inch 20 inch range. The D800 will undoubtedly do a superb job here. That is if you have used good technique and skillful clean edits. However, I currently use a D7000 DX and with good technique and skillful clean edits it accomplishes this goal in a superb fashion. I can carry wide and reasonably long glass without breaking my back or the bank. I just want to provoke some actual analysis of reality here. We are not even going to get into computer storage or processing issues in this conversation. However, keep in mind that they will become a factor should you come to the conclusion that your needs truly require a 36mp D800 in order to get the job done .

Which brings up another point. In the era of film capture and anolog reproduction. Whatever camera system a photographer worked with they still had to choose a film type.What I am trying to say is that some photgraphic artists worked with gritty grainy higher speed films and others worked with slower fine grained more detail rendering films. It is not allways a question of absolute resolution. That is but one factor in an overal presentation.  The great exhibition spaces are filled with work produced on TriX, PlusX, HP5, T-Max 3200 as well as Panotomic X and Agfa 25 or 100. Just a few examples. I understand that all things are not equal in comparing digital with film I just want us all to think before being sucked into the forum driven consumer juggernaut. Some artists will use Micro 4/3rds, others DX, a pro core will use FX and a few will use medium format. In film some used 35mm, others medium format and some large format.There was and is room for truly talented artists working in any of these formats.  

9.just remember, 24mp DX sensor DSLR and mirrorless cameras are here and I believe more are coming. This is not say that FX with 36mp is not for you. It well may be. 3000 dollars for a D800 is a very fair price. But, it is only the beginning of many considerations and costs. Weigh the cost benefits. Make a good choice and above all enjoy your creativity and this short gift of life to the fullest.

10.Everything becomes obsolete and  in a big hurry. It is not just camera bodies but even whole processes. Technology moves at an exponential rate. It not only gives us things, and among these some very nice things indeed, it also takes away things.

Technology moves like this due to its core nature. As we know more we do more and all of this multiplies and multiplies. However, corporate greed and the desperation for imediate profit gratification and unending growth growth growth cause contrived obsolesence. And with this contrived obsolesence is the intention to remove your choices and force your moves. As concerns you and I and the world of photographic artists and proffessionals, keep your eyes open. A revolution is taking place. Cell phone photagraphy and cinema, mirrorless and smaller cameras and most important method of capture ie all motion al la Red cinema devises edit to still image from a stream later upon review. We all need to think before we spend too much.

For me it is about the art not the tool.

Respectfully, KFW 03/01/12

A First

Gull's Delight

Saga Of Toil

The two works, "Gull's Delight" and "Saga Of Toil", which have been accepted for the Feb 25 openning of the Hygienic Galleries www.hygienic.org 2nd annual show have been awarded 1st place overall. I am humbled and grateful.

Respectfully, KFW 02/23/2012

Which Two Got In?

Gull's Delight

Deep Sea Fisher

Saga of Toil

I entered three. The show is the 2nd annual "f-Stops here" at Hygienic Galleries 79-83 Bank Street, New London, CT  www.hygienic.org. The jurors are Keith Johnson and Ted Hendrickson. Opens Saturday Febuary 25, 2012 and runs through March 17, 2012. Come see and enjoy!

Respectully, KFW 02/21/2012

Nikon and Nic A Promise Lost?

DEEP SEA FISHER

Let's get a couple of things out of the way:

  1) The Adobe Photoshop layers and and layer masking system is excellent.

  2) Adobe Lightroom, Phase One Capture and others provide fine Digital Asset Management systems.

  3) The subject of this post is aimed at one at a time artistic manipulation of RAW NEF nikon files.

I can think of no easier more effective or intuitive way to raw convert and edit a Nikon NEF than by working in Nikon Capture NX2.3.0 with Nic Color Efex 3 Complete. The raw conversion is excellent. I have complete control over white balance, picture control settings, D-light settings etc. All done non destructively. All with a detailed history of every adjustment each of which can be changed any time I might want to make a change. I have all of the basic raw converter controls. No, I do not have Clarity or Vibrance and I do not need them. Because, when I move on from the Capture NX2.3.0 "Develop" or raw editor section to the "Adjust" or main editor section  I will find far better controls for those functions. As far as pre sharpening is concerned the use of some high pass and or some high radius low strength low threshhold USM works fine and can be selectively applied using Control points, brushes, gradiants etc. can even be applied as luminance, normal ,lighten,overlay etc. All non destructive and all on the detailed history changeable at any time.

In the Capture NX2.3.0 "Ajust" section I can apply all adjustments globally or as selections using the incredible U-Point technology developed by Nik. The uninhibited intuitive workflow of using Color Contol Points and Control Points to make precise selections is out of this world and fast,fast,fast. Once again all of this is maintained in a step by step clearly visible and detailed edit history list. All is applied non destructively and can be gone back to and altered at any time. Try that in a pixel editor. Yes there is some history, but in pixel editors, it is not as useful and anything applied in flattened layers or any adjustment applied to the background layer is permanent.

I do not have to leave my main Capture NX2.3.0  edit program and screen in order to utilize the Nic Color Efex 3 Complete filters. They are just another non destructive seemless step all detailed on my history list. All can be gone back to and altered at any time. These fine Nic filters provide incredible ability to create whatever look one might want to achieve. Oh, speaking of Adobe's Clarity and Vibrance sliders, try Nic's Tonal Contrast filter or the Color Boost adjustment. The Tonal Contrast filter is like a surgeon's knife when compared to the blunt singular possibilities of the Clarity slider. For my taste the Nikon Color Boost is more subtle than the effects of the Vibrance slider. Not to say that there is anything wrong with Adobe's Clarity or Vibrance, but IMHO I prefer the options provided by Nikon and Nik. And speaking of color adjustment try the LCH color editor functions Nikon provides in Capture NX2.3.0. We do not have time to address this tool today, but try it it is really cool. Subject for another day.

Now speaking of the Adobe Photoshop style layer and masking systems. It is the best solution for some things. When one needs to work with composit images it  Corel, The Gimp, or On One's Perfect layers are the way to go. Actually the only photo editing software that can do "Everything" is Photoshop CS5 or whatever upgrade or cloud rental they are trying push this month. I know that there are times I will want to utilize  layers and layer masking capabilities. However, they are not the majority of times. I could continue to produce and exhibit forever without ever using CS5. I do not do graphic design or commercial work. So for me 90% of the $800 plus investment would be wasted and more complex than I want or need. It is frustrating that Adobe really has no happy medium from an editting point of view. From an editing point of view Adobe's Lightroom offers the same, but no more than, the edit controls  contained in CS5's raw editor. Adobe's Elements 10 or 11 or whatever the latest momentary version is offers layers and layer masking BUT ONLY IN 8 BIT COLOR DEPTH. Deal breaker! Also,the raw editor is much restricted from what is available in the CS5 raw editor. So perhaps one day I will have to give On One's Perfect Layers another try as their products can now be used as stand alones. Also,note, that in order to execute my instructions to apply edits steps Capture NX2.3.0 is performing many layer and layer mask fuctions. It is doing that automatically. Kind of like the automatic automobile transmission that shifts the gears for you.

User interface. According to the almighty "THEY"Capture NX2.3.0 has a terrible interface. Well, if one chooses to use it as an all in one browser and editor I would agree. The design of that mess would drive anyone a little crazy. However, just use Nikon's free View NX 2.2.5 to download, browse and organize your image files. This works great if one like myself uses a file folder system and stays mostly in Nikon software. If one wishes more file format compatability and image asset management there are other solutions. Many NX2.3.0 users prefer Photo Mechanic. ACDSee, DXO, Phase One and many others offer image management software at various levels of cost and complexity. I am fine with the free Nikon View NX2.The user interface when using Nikon Cpture NX2.3.0 as an editor could not be simpler or more strait forward and intuitive. It makes me sad to hear people make such insulting comments about Nikon Capture NX2.3.0. When I ask them if they have ever used Capture NX2.3.0 I invariably get one of two answers. The first is no they have not. Duh. The second is that they tried a very early version of Nikon Capture, prior to the introduction of NX2 and found it buggy etc. I'm sure they are correct,but that was then and this is now. The new 64 bit Capture NX2.3.0 with Nic Color Efex Pro 3 Complete works fast and clean and is easy to use. One can accomplish complex selection edit tasks simply and quickly. Things that could well be done in CS5 but at much more effort and a more complex process that is not  non destructive.

So what is the problem? Well there is still much room for improvement. It appears that both Nikon and Nik are asleep at the wheel. With some additional file format compatability, upload options, plugin compatability, text and watermark capability Nikon and Nik could have a game changing piece of photo editing software. They could increase shareholder profits, gain brand loyalty for Nikon and Nic,and even attract users of other camera manufacturers to Nikon's product world through this software.With Adobe's new nasty and increasingly unpopular pricing strategies people are looking for alternatives. If Nikon and Nik could embrace the relationship they began the world could be their oyster. They need to stop treating it as some on again off again affair and commit to a marriage of their capabilities. The step up to the current 64 bit version is a great improvement, but it is too little. What I and many want is NIKON CAPTURE NX 3 with full compatability with the entire spectrum if Nic plug ins as well as other products. You know, you can develop and sell tons of software even when the factory is under water durring flood season.

Respectfully, KFW 02/03/12

Happy Holiday To All

Secret Caribbean Get Away

I and, as seen by the lens, my lovely wife wish everyone a happy holiday season and a healthy happy new year from our secret Caribbean get away spot. Respectfully, KFW 12/24/11