29/05/2009

27/05/2009

Tilt-Shift ...a blaggers guide

Santorini Tilt Shift

I've been a fan of Tilt-Shift ever since I saw this video , it really messed with my mind and I still don't quite understand how it works ( which I actually like ).

Anyway, with the new D90 filling me with happy happy joy joy I thought I would look at how I could replicate these images, particularly mimiking the 'minature' effect you can acheive by playing with the depth of field.

Then I had a look at the cost of a Nikon Fit lens...

Now I may think it looks cool, but at £1400 I accepted that I won't be able to re-create these images in my lifetime.

But then good old Geoff Waugh found Tiltshiftmaker!

Simply upload an image, play with the settings and et voila you have a pretty good Tilt-Shift rip-off for free ( and what better cost than that ).


Santorini Tilt Shift

Only problem I have is that you actually have to have images that will 'work'. Close-cropped shots just don't cut it, so you have to think about more landscapey type images ( which to date I haven't really taken ).

I'll be taking more shots just so I can play with this softwear. However in the meantime you can check out my first attempts here.

Am I getting to geeky? ( just don't ask me about the problems of opening D90 RAW images on CS2... )

10/05/2009

05/05/2009

The Elusive Red Squirrel

Knowing that Vicky grew up with plenty of Red Squirrels running around the Lake District has always made me a little jealous. So when she suggested we drive up to Formby Nature Reserve ( owned by the National Trust ) over the Bank Holiday weekend to see if we could track down one of these rare little forest dwellers I was rather ethusiastic!

To cut a long story short, we did find one little fella, which considering the local population has been desimated by disease ( carried by the non-native grey squirrels ).


As I had Immy on my back it was her first Red Squirrel too!

I hope it is not the last...

Click here or either of the images above for more images from the May Bank Holiday.