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Day 2: Cyrus
Day 2: Cyrus
cgino


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D
Location: Polvadera, New Mexico
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Animals, Black and White
Date Uploaded: Feb 2, 2008

Viewed: 324
Comments: 12
Favorites: 0

 I promise not to post only cats, but I was home working all day so cats were my only option! I really love my new 50mm lens because I can finally take pictures inside. I don't have any kind of studio or fancy flash setup (nor do I desire such things), and I don't at all like the on camera flash unless I use it as a fill outside. So having some fast glass is great, can't imagine how I lived without it for a year! But...I'm not used to the incredibly shallow depth of field at f/1.4 (and this shot is actually at f/2.8). Normally I'd have the whole cat face in focus in a shot like this. So is this half face in focus ok??

For processing:
Crop
LucisArt whyeth filter
Imagenomic portraiture filter
Channel mixer to convert to B&W
Convert to grayscale, then convert to duotone using PANTONE Yellow 0131 C
Make duplicate copy of eyes with screen blending mode to brighten them up a bit
Paint black on layer in soft light mode to darken background
A bit of sharpening on the focused eye
Resize, save for web

Original

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AuthorThread
 02/16/2008 04:22:50 PM
Absolutely stunning lighting. This is jaw-droppingly good.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2008 11:17:14 PM
What a beauty. I like the DOF here. Nice conversion to B&W.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2008 02:30:58 AM
Looks hypnotized. The detail of the stillness of concentration of the cat is incredible.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2008 11:02:32 PM
The shallow DOF takes me straight to the in-focus eye. I like how you've processed this to make the kitty stand out.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2008 04:00:59 PM
Beautiful shot!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2008 02:55:18 PM
Yeah, well, as you stated, you can't have both. Either you get to take pictures in the dark indoors or you get depth of field with flash or expensive setups that most of us can't afford, or take outdoor photos. I, personally, don't mind the shallow focus that comes with the faster f stops. I think it can add a lot to the interest of a photograph. There is a time for both. You've used a shallow dof here in the best possible way - we get to see the kitty's beautiful eye and fur very sharply in natural light without the glare of the flash. I'll take that every day. Great conversion to B&W.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/04/2008 10:23:12 PM
Very cool DOF. You really got nice detail around his eyes.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/04/2008 10:20:41 PM
I like the DOF. Your cat is a wonderful model. The eyes and markings are very pretty.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 03:08:57 PM
Really great lens and a nice capture of Cyrus to boot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 01:48:24 PM
I have the same problem with my Canon 50 mm f1.8 - I just sort of put it aside for now because I got frustrated.

However - this is a gorgeous cat portrait - and please - post ALL the cat photos you want! You're the goddess of cat photos!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 10:29:10 AM
Excellent picture. And as we all know, not every speck has to be in focus to create a compelling image. Your submission left me with the impression the cat was definitely thinking. What a wonderful job you have done oh and the color was equally good.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 08:02:57 AM
I adore this image of Cyrus, Colleen- you are spot on w/focus & looks wonderful in B&W !
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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