This beautiful instrument is always a draw for me when doing my HDR macro work because of the fine details and artistic beauty. Being a musician, I can appreciate not only the artistry that goes into creating an instrument like this but also the beauty that is produced with it.

Processing: I loaded three images, shot from -2 to +2 ev, into Nik HDR Efex Pro and just did tone mapping for realism. Then in Adobe Photoshop CS6, I balanced the image using Shadows/Highlights and worked the colors back to their realistic tones with Hue/Saturation.  Since my lighting was pretty contrasty to start with, I subdued the highlights a bit using Curves. And because this image was taken with my Nikkor 105mm lens, there was absolutely no need for extra sharpening . . . fantastic lens.

I posted a series on this instrument last December. Since I’ve learned a lot about using my High Dynamic Range imaging software, I decided to do this review for a slightly brighter and more dynamic expression.

And, since this is an old violin, what better way to present its beauty than with a warm monochrome complements of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Equipment used: Nikon D100 with Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D Micro lens at f/38, ISO 800. Manfrotto tripod and ball head.