I’m traveling this week and have preposted a few posts. This is one of my favorite minimalist images. From a Fujichrome transparency.
Note: I’m traveling for a few days and won’t have much access to my technology. I’ll try to respond to comments.
While walking around my backyard for some High Dynamic Range(HDR) imaging, I decided to get up close and personal with some of my Nandina bushes, aka, Heavenly Bamboo. Since we have at least thirty of these prolific plants (they grow like weeds), I chose this macro shot where the color of the berries is just about half way to full red.
Processing: Five images were loaded into Nik HDR Efex Pro where I modified the structure for additional depth. I used a Control Point on the berries to enhance the color and contrast. With Adobe Photoshop CS6, I worked with Shadows/Highlights to further balance the tonality, Hue/Saturation to get realistic colors and then Curves to add more depth to the total scene. I finally used High Pass filter for a small amount of sharpening. With the Nikkor 105mm Micro lens being so sharp, I didn’t need much help with crispness.
For the monochrome version below, I popped the image into Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 and brought the overall exposure down a bit. Then, with a Control Point on the berries, I added more detail and lighter exposure to help them stand out.
Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 105mm f/2.8 AF Nikkor lens. f/32, ISO 800, Bogen/Manfrotto 3221 tripod with Manfrotto MH054M0-Q2 ball head.
Aw, just kidding! Actually, this is one of the most beautiful blooming plants that we’ve ever had. But, I’ve always thought that those tan things look like teeth.
I shot this Lipstick plant a few years ago when I first started using a digital camera. It was my new Nikon D100 (basically first edition) with my old 105mm Nikkor Micro lens. That made it a 157mm macro lens. . .great for getting close at a distance but not for deep depth of field in low light. But, notice that incredibly creamy bokeh. Love that lens!
Processing: These images were processed exclusively in Adobe Photoshop. Before HDR imaging became popular, many of us would process raw images in photoshop and get just about the same results. As you can see in the second image below, the tonal range is beautiful for pseudo-HDR.
Equipment: Nikon D100 with 105mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor set to f/8.0 (top) and f/11 (bottom) with ISO 200. Bogen/Manfrotto 3221 tripod with 3028 Manfrotto head
I really enjoy using my Macro (Nikon micro) lens for just about any subject. Here, I’ve created an HDR image of the tuners on my nylon string guitar. Though I don’t get much of a chance to play anymore, I still enjoy the beauty of all my instruments. But, my acoustic guitars have become more of a pleasure to play. I’ve still got my good ol Fender standbys when I’m in the mood for some electric blues or headbanging stuff. 
Never too old, right!
Processing: Five shots from -2 to +2 ev loaded into Nik HDR Efex Pro from Adobe Bridge and processed to balance the highlights with shadows for a little more contrast. I exaggerated those plastic, pearloid tuners just a little by adding structure using Control Points for each one. In Photoshop, I did my usually Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Curves and High Pass filter routine to “polish and sharpen” the final image.
Equipment used: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 Micro lens set to f/8, ISO 1250. Manfrotto 190XPROB with 486RC2 ball head. Taylor NS44-CE.
Since this day, February 29th, won’t come around for another four years, I chose this Lemon Meringue pie for something special; a study in macro abstract. Delicious!
I got close with my Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8.