Processing Notes

Sand Fleas & Palapas

May 21, 2013 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

I can’t even begin to tell you the anguish I endured as a result of being attacked by sand fleas while shooting this image. After the initial attack, I probably had over 100 bites on my arms and legs. I asked everyone for remedies…grocery store owners, friends, Mayan mystics…you name it. They all offered preventive measures. However, it was too late. The damage had been done. Do you have any remedies for sand flea attacks?

Photographer’s Note – This is a single image shot with the legendary Nikon 14-24 2.8. The little light sparkles are a result of a dirty lens. Everything shows up on that bad boy. I wanted to clean it, but I was under attack. But I’m not really a stickler for that kind of stuff anyway. When you post as many photos as I do, and try to encourage others to make some magic of their own. A little lens flare just adds interest to the adventure. Right?

Filed Under: Belize, Lightroom 4, Nik Software, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, Processing Notes, Travel

The Ship’s Tavern

May 15, 2013 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

I haven’t posted much from Denver lately, so I decided to go waaaay back into the archive today. This is the famous Ship’s Tavern, which is the quaint little pub in the world famous Brown Palace. A must see while visiting Denver.

Photographer’s Note & Other Geeky Stuff – When I’m shooting at night, I try to overexpose my images. Partly because the camera will tend to underexpose them. Even if I lose some detail in the highlights, I can easily recover that information in Lightroom. What it does give me is an information rich file to work with. This allows me be creatively style my night scenes with Nik Filters. Hope that helps you on your own creative journey!

Filed Under: Colorado, Denver, Gitzo Traveler, Lightroom 4, Nik Software, Nikon D700, Processing Notes, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, Tips

Buffets & Mountains

May 6, 2013 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

Howdy! I hope you all had a great weekend. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I was a big cruise type of guy. However, when we took an Alaskan cruise to celebrate my folks 40th wedding anniversary, I was game. I had visions of spring breakers splashing around in a pool and 3000 people over-eating at the buffets. Boy was I wrong…well, the spring breakers part anyway. I saw quite a few folks get their grub on. But the Alaskan cruise is the way to go. This is the kind of scenery you just casually sail past. Crazy cool stuff! I’d go back in a heartbeat.

If you would like to see the before/after I posted it over in the Nik G+ Community (click here).

Filed Under: Alaska, Black & White, Landscape, Nik Software, Nikon 5100, Nikon 70-300 VR, Processing Notes, Software, Travel

Fun New Lightroom Presets

April 23, 2013 by Justin Balog 0 Comments

I’m always on the lookout for cool creative tools that are both inexpensive and easy to use. Recently I purchased Trey Ratcliff’s Lightroom Presets (you can get them by clicking here) and have used them for the last week or so. After experimenting with them I thought it was time to share my thoughts. In short, they easily meet my value equation…they are both easy to use and inexpensive. Only $17.97 when using this link. You can find them under ‘Tools’. Here are a few other reasons I dig them…

Customizable – They aren’t set in stone. You can easily tweak them to your liking.
Organized – You get 3 unique packs of presets that are clearly organized.
Inspirational – It is always fun to try another artist’s tools. With these preset you get a quick peek inside the artistic side of Trey’s brain. Hopefully they will inspire you to make something beautiful.

Here’s a quick before photo for you…if you were wondering where this photo is from, it’s the pool at the Coral Princess Hotel in Cozumel, MX. Feel free to check out my ‘Photographer’s Guide To Cozumel‘ for more info.

Trey Ratcliff's Presets

Filed Under: Cozumel, HDR, Mexico, Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, Nikon D700, Processing Notes, Software, Tips, Travel

Spaceship LA

April 18, 2013 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

This is LA as photographed from the Manhattan Beach pier. You can find it just north of Hermosa Beach. If you are interested, you can find out more information in my ‘Photographer’s Guide To Hermosa Beach‘. It’s a great place to visit for a long weekend.

Photographer’s Note – This is a single image processed in Lightroom 4. To achieve this effect I split-toned the image, desaturated it a bit, changed the white balance and boosted the noise reduction to soften it a touch.