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Black bullock, finely speckled by some flies, standing on white grass in a field at the bottom of East Water Lane; 7 Aug 2014.
When I’m out taking photographs I find that I often forget things, including any ideas that I had beforehand as to the sort of pictures that I’m going out to hopefully capture. It all just goes, and I either get caught up in the moment, photographywise or otherwise – just enjoying the moment – or I’m drifting off into daydreams and other wonders.
But SEPs’s infrared presets have been getting to me, and I took some shots up on Mendip recently, with the possibility of IR glimmering, at least dimly, in the back of my mind. I’m not yet going as far as a blogging friend of mine, Lisa Kimmorley, who has had a DSLR modified for IR photography, but I have had thoughts in that direction.
Anyway, here is an example of using SEP2 for something like IR effects – a black bullock standing on green grass while chewing something. I had thoughts about trying to clone out the spiky white grass around its hooves, but I’ll never be able to restore the full structure of the hooves and, in any case, I think leaving it as it is adds to the unreality of the scene.
D800 with 70-300 Nikkor at 250mm; 200 ISO; Silver Efex Pro 2, starting at the Infrared Film Soft preset.
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FATman Photos 
doesn’t he look scary!
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Absolutely! Glad he was the other side of a wall! 🙂
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Whatever else you may do, don’t clone out the white grassy bits at the end of his legs–they really provide the dot of the i on this whimsical and striking creation!
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Gary, thanks for that input – the white grass stays put, around his foot – >>> its 3-nil in favour of that now! And I’m glad I didn’t attempt anything silly! A 🙂
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What? You? Attempt something silly? Who–with any degree of insight into your innately cautious and conservative artistic tendencies–could possibly even begin to imagine such a thing?
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Its no good, despite my avowed intent to stay in the West Country, I may just have to romp over to The States and give you a big hug!!! 😀 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Any time!
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I don’t understand all that PhotoSpeak but I just laughed like crazy over the cow. Very cool shot and effects (?) and it was definitely a good idea to leave the white grass at his hooves.
Hope your well and enjoying your week. xxx ❤️
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Haha, glad you like it, ATP – and thanks for endorsing not cloning out the white grass around his hooves! Yes, things are going ok, thanks! ATP xxx
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Wonderful Adrian but this is really spooky! On the weekend and the first outing of said converted camera I actually said to my husband that I wondered what a herd of black cows would look like in a field of very green grass!! Good move not to clone out the grass 🙂 Thanks for the link.
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Spooky! Maybe all the alcohol you have at the vineyard (and in those gin and limes you slurp!) is subliminally communicating with all of the Duvel inside me …
I have another shot, which I may post soon, of Friesian cattle, where their whites almost merge with those of the grass.
Thanks for the opinion re the cloning, that’s useful to know. And the link is my pleasure – always glad to link to good stuff! A 🙂
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I’m going further down the line of spookiness – how’s this? I read a while ago that u went to Swansea Uni. – it’s where I was born and brought up! My parents still live in Morriston 🙂
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OMG – have you got 666 on your palms or have I??? We can’t go on being spooky like this!!!
Yes, I was in Swansea Uni for 6 years, 3 for a degree then 3 more for a PhD. I lived in Norton, near Mumbles, and then Uplands. I enjoyed it, tho I don’t think I made as much of uni as I might have – I emerged with good academic honours ok, but, in retrospect – and maybe this is the wisdom that age brings – I think I might have made more of it in the “broadening the mind” department!
Also I’m a great Dylan Thomas fan, especially Under Milk Wood, tho I realised little of Swansea’s association with him while I was there – tho that was where I first bought the book – and where I first saw the film. Decades later, I was visiting old Kenyan friends in Wilts when, in our cups, the wife suddenly came out with “To begin at the beginning” – I said “That’s Dylan Thomas!” >>> and she had been on the production team for the film of Under Milk Wood!
Even tho you are in the Anti-Podes, what a small world!!! A
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Looks fantastic! I may be stupid, but what is SEP?
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Thank you very much, Hans-Jurgen, glad it gets to you! SEP = Silver Efex Pro 2, a software program that I simply would never be without, for processing black and white images. Its part of the Nik Software collection, which is now sold by Google. Any further questions about it, let me know! I can’t recommend it too highly. Adrian
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Ah! Thank you, Adrian. I heard about that already.
Have a nice day 🙂
Juergen
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