Kevin Kline and Sandrine Bonnaire at the premier of Queen To Play last spring at Tribeca Film Festival.

Last spring I had the good fortune to have a quiet afternoon in Central Park with a good friend and a camera, which led to this shot being created.  So through the magic of Nik I have made different visual scenarios from each image.  Choose one image and write a quick thought or story that the image inspires.  If you are inclined to choose more than one shot, please feel free.   Impress us with your wit, or dazzle us with alliteration…create a fantastical creature to live in the park.  Have fun…the more creative the better.  In your comment let us know which picture your story is about.

Central Park 1

Central Park Autumn

Central Park Lithograph

Through Central Park

In the Park of Central

Just another example of how Nik Software blows my mind…I liked this shot of my niece.

SOOC

But I always thought the shadows and highlights seemed too drastic and cast the wrong attitude over the fun carefree subject.  With the Viviza plugin I could just pull back the shadows a hint and lighten the mood.

Nik Plugin modified.

OOH…Scott just posted his challenge at his website…check it out here! http://stphoto.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/assignment-4-november/

Karma and I play the happy color no color war on here.  All with respect and love mind you…right, Karma?  It got me thinking about,  despite preference,  how a certain process on a photo can change the meaning of the photo.  So a little experiment…in the comments I would love it if everyone could make up a very short story about each picture here.  No more than a few sentences needed…but I would love it is each of your stories reflect how the different treatments of the image below makes you feel.

Story 1

Story 2

Have fun with this.

Have I mentioned how much I love Nik Software Plugins?

Great work everyone!  So many interpretations, so many great shots.

First up Jen.

Her Jen gets under the last hydrangeas of the season.  The backlight of the sun and the close proximity of the blossoms gives this image a wistful quality that may not have been there if Jen had shot the bloom straight on.

I just love this shot!  What a great moment between owner and pet.

Next, Scott.  Scott took the assignment to push his approach to capturing one of his expert subjects, waterfalls.  I think both images are exciting and very fresh.

This next image has such drama.

Fabulous stuff.

KD is next with her unique perspective on Halloween.

Seriously…this is the order in which I think of Halloween…chocolate, sugar, jack-o-lanterns.  This is a great example of storytelling…everything you need is right in the image. Stunning shot!

Oh…so that is what it’s like to be a fallen leaf. Such a stunning use of selective focus.  Beautiful work.

Now we turn to Karma’s offering. Karma mentioned in her email that muses have left for the cold weather, so she decided to look in her catalogue of summer pics for something that would fit.

I think a see a familial preference for flowers.

I can see why you like this Karma…it puts the viewer right there on the beach.

MusicMave said she struggled with this challenge.  I disagree.  I love the perspective she brought to this.

From the grand to the small.

to the intimate… all great shots.

Finally, here is a Beagle’s perspective on his morning walk.

Halloween can be really creepy when you are just two feet off the ground.

Well done!  So glad to be back and have everyone contributing!  Thank you all.

Next Challenge! – Due December 1st.

The Story of Family

Interpret as needed.  I ask only images taken between now and Dec 1st be submitted.  Good luck and have fun with this challenge.

I just purchased Nik Software plugins for Aperture.  Why?

Witness…

A pretty spectacular photo SOOC of Frenchman Bay from the apex of Cadillac Mountain  this past spring…

Now, this was the Photoshop processing I did last spring utilizing the Kelby method.

I love the way this looks…but it is super saturated and takes quite a bit of ka-noodle-ing (technical term there) to get this.

Now…in Aperture ONLY, I applied the Nik Software plug ins…and WOW!

This is what I have been dying to achieve.  When I see, Joe McNally’s work there is a quality of color and light that I never could quite capture; not heavily processed just spectacularly real and awe inspiring.  Now, I don’t claim to even come close to McNally’s work…but man, it is closer than I have been able to get.  I haven’t opened Photoshop since downloading the free trials from Nik Software. I am sure I will still need Photoshop for cloning and dust spot removal…but for everyday processing it will be NIK software!

Better results in less time.  WIN WIN!

Sometimes you drive along and you just have to stop and take a picture. Tonight there was an amazing sunset by a little lake I pass.  The colors, the texture and the amazing light.

All take with the camera I had with me…my iPhone.