Monday Morning Coffee: Processing

Another quiet weekend here at the Today's Image world headquarters.  Cloudy and overcast much of the time.  Spent the indoors time catching up on processing images.

When using film, processing meant developing the film and then either making darkroom prints or scanning negatives.  Film development implied the use of chemicals.  Now most black and white film whether Agfa, Ilford or Kodak could for the most part be processed using the same chemicals.  Just pick your favorite developer and off you go.  All black and white films were treated in much the same way.

No matter the manufacturer, color negative films used one process C-41.  Life in the chemical darkroom was rather simple.

 If you didn't like the look of a certain film - tone, grain, etc. - you just changed film/developer until you found the "look" you liked. Simple and direct.

Along comes the digital world.  No darkroom. No chemicals. No changing films and/or developers.  The "film" and in the case of "jpeg's", is built into the chosen camera.  The Raw processing software often comes with the camera.  This means, among other things, that the Nikon raw software doesn't work with the Canon raw software with the Panasonic raw software with the Epson raw software.  Raw software that comes with the camera works only with that camera. 

Enter Adobe Photoshop with its Camera Raw.  Enter Capture One software.  Enter Bibble software.  There are others but these enough examples to get us started.  Adobe, Capture, Bibble are "one size fits all" kind of tools.  They are designed to process a variety of different digital film files.  They work with the Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and Epson files. 

If you have only one camera system - say Nikon - no problem.  Use the Nikon software or pick one of the one size fits all programs.   Choose and move on.  Life is once again simple - like the film days.

If you have several camera systems - say Nikon, Panasonic, and Epson - life may not be simple.   You are faced with the choice of the camera system program for that camera and/or a one fits all program.

 In the past have used the Adobe Camera Raw software along with the particular camera software.  This takes more time but seems to work.

This past weekend spent time using the Capture One software.  If the Capture One images are acceptable, then time can be saved- need only one program, no matter the system..

                                                      Carthage, Indiana.

                                                     Greensfork, Indiana.

These are files from a Panasonic G3 camera and processed in the Capture One software.  While they are acceptable, need to continue using the Capture One before making a final software choice.

Back Home in Indiana: Paramount Theatre

                                                                 Anderson, Indiana.

August 20,1929, was the grand opening of the Paramount Theatre in Anderson Indiana.  The theater was designed by the movie theatre architect, John Eberson. 

The Paramount is an atmospheric theater (an architectural style that gave the appearance of an open star-filled sky) and is one of twelve atmospheric theatres left standing in the United States and Canada. 

Back home in Indiana : Wall Writing

                                                       Anderson, Indiana.

Back Home in Indiana: Newson Block 1893

                                                             Anderson, Indiana.

Back Home in Indiana: Sorry

                                                         Anderson, Indiana

Lost in the Midwest: Purina Chows

                       Mt. Victory, Ohio

Along Rt. 31, next to the railroad tracks, in the middle of the village.  (click on image to enlarge)

Monday Morning Coffee: Beneath the Surface

Spent Sunday wandering around central Ohio.  Kenton and Mt. Victory were the main stops.  More on Kenton in a later post.  This entry is about Mt. Victory.

Now according to the village posting:

             "Mt. Victory is a historic village of 600 located on State Route 31 in Hardin County, Ohio amidst a rural landscape of the Old Order Amish Community. Mt. Victory is a friendly village."

Sounds like my "cup of tea".  And indeed it seemed to be:

                         Mt. Victory, Ohio

                                                            Mt. Victory, Ohio

However, all is not as it seems.
From the A.P. press on April 20, 2012 the folowing appears:

              KENTON, Ohio -- An Ohio man suspected of holding a gun and making a threat during a confrontation between  a Ku Klux Klan group and a black man has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge.  The suspect, is white.

Last month, the Hardin County Sheriff's Office received a report that a KKK group was walking in Mount Victory   Witnesses say the suspect  pointed a pistol at the ground and threatened a black man.

Sheriff's officials have said that the suspect had the weapon legally but was wrong to pull it out during the confrontation.

                        Mt. Victory, Ohio

What seems to be is not always what is.

Back Home in Indiana: Blue Moon

                        Losantville, Indiana.

Now closed and for sale.  Hard times are still with us here in the Midwest.  (click on image to enlarge.)

Back Home in Indiana: Caine's

                       Losantville, Indiana.

Lost in the Midwest: Old and New Alarms

                                                       De Graff, Ohio.

Good to see that the old and the new can work with each other.  So often the old is replaced and discarded in favor of the latest "thing".  As always: click on image to enlarge.

Lost in the Midwest: Rindler's

                                                      St. Henry, Ohio.

St. Henry is a village in Mercer County with a population of less than 2500.

Monday Morning Coffee: Adapting

                                                 Adapting: Make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify

                                        Nikon 45mm Pancake lens and Panasonic G3 with attached Nikon 20mm lens

Late Saturday afternoon, the Nikon lens to a four thirds camera body adapter was delivered to the "Today's Image" World Headquarters. This adapter will allow any Nikon lens to be used on a Panasonic G3 camera. No need to duplicate the fine zoom lenses on hand ( 9-18mm. 18-45mm, 45-200mm).   This adapter will allow the use of the faster (f2.8) prime Nikon lenses.  This includes the 20mm  shown.  Additionly, the special 45mm Pancake  and the Micro-Nikkor 55mm can be paired with the Panasonic G3 cameras. With the Micro-Nikkor close-up photography becomes easier to achieve.

                                                                     Panasonic G3 with Leica Dual Range 50mm lens.

Earlier in the week a Leica M mount lens to a four thirds camera adapter arrived.  This allows any

Leica/Voigtlander M lens to fit on the G3.  Once again this will give the option of using faster prime lenses.

The G3 with Leica DR 50mm lens photograph was taken with a G3 using the Micro-Nikkor 55mm lens.

  

While the Panasonic Zoom lens are quite good and cover a large range (9-200mm) focal lengths, the ability to add the Leica and Nikon lenses to the kit increase photographic options.  Will be busy the next few days and weeks checking out the various combinations of lenses and subject matter. 

Lost in the Midwest: Orphan Annie's

                                                      De Graff, Ohio.

The weather report for the "Today's Image" World Headquarters is rain followed by more rain.  Good time to recall the sunny warm Easter Sunday spent walking about De Graff. 

Indoors - today - will be spent at the computer - getting posts ready for next week- and checking out some Nikon F/G and Leica M mount lenses that are on hand.  While the three Panasonic zoom lenses are useful for composing, they are sometimes not up to the quality of prime - fixed mm - lenses.

If all goes according to plan, Monday Morning Coffee will have more about this, along with examples of prime lenses on the Panasonic G3 bodies. See you monday.

Lost in the Midwest:Tommy Lynn Inn

                                                                 De Graff, Ohio.

No matter the population, there always seems to be at least one place like the Tommy Lynn Inn where local folks gather.   Dark now, but active later in the day and on into the evening.  (click on image to enlarge) 

Lost in the midwest: Gangster's

                                                     De Graff, Ohio.

Today is Thursday-would be worth the drive to check out the menue item "All-U-Can Eat Spaghetti".

Lost in the Midwest: De Graff Annex

                                                         De Graff, Ohio.

De Graff, in Logan County Ohio, is a village of less than 1200.  Along the main street is the Library and Police Department, located in what appears to be a former movie theatre.  Interesting combination.

 (click on image to enlarge)

Monday Morning Coffee: Warmed over Coffee

I know that it is Tuesday and not Monday.  Been a busy time here at the Today's Image World Headquarters.  Spent much of Easter Sunday moving around Western Ohio. Several new locations as well as a couple of "old friends". 

This was the first field trip with the new Pansonic G3 kit madeup of  two bodies and three lenses (9-18mm, 12-45mm, 45-200mm) along with the extra batteries, and memory cards.  Sounds like a big load of stuff but turned out to be rather small, light and an easy carry. 

With coffee in hand, out the door and off on the road.  First stop New Carlisle, Ohio.

                                                                        New Carlisle, Ohio

Interesting community with many newly updated buildings.  Several "Art" type stores along with  a few suprises.

                        New Carlisle, Ohio

Once again, as in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, there are indications that the face of the Midwest is changing.  New people with different backgrounds cannot but add to the richness that is Middle America.  Good to have these folks here and becoming part of the area.

                         New Carlisle, Ohio.

Not everything has been renewed.  There are still structures that recall the past.  They may have changed uses but they remain and remind us of what once was.

Sunday was a good day.  The new equipment was easy and fun to use.  Monday was spent going thru the many files and selecting those to post process with the new software (Photoshop CS6 Beta).  In fact I lost track of the time, which is why Tuesday is the new Monday Morning. 

More results from the journey in coming posts.

Lost in the Midwest: Visit

                        Arcanum, Ohio.

Been returning to previous locations to discover what - if anything - has changed.  So far several retail operations have closed down and a few new ones have opened.  While the buildings/locations remain fixed, the interiors change.  Some  are now empty and others - depending on business - have new uses. 

As always: click on image to enlarge.

Lost in the Midwest: Masonic Temple

                         Eaton, Ohio

Lost in the Midwest: BDC RAGE

                        Eaton, Ohio.

Lost in the Midwest: The Best Hair Cut

                                                       Eaton, Ohio.

Monday Morning Coffee: Catching Up

Been a quiet weekend here at Today's Image main headquarters.  Spent a bit of time updating the photography software. 

Managed to get Photoshop CS6 Beta downloaded and installed on the two main photography computers.  Next - after some rather long moments - loaded several "plug-ins"  into the new Photoshop program. 

Now, CS6 comes in two styles- 32bit and 64 bit.  One computer can handle the 64 bit program.  However several of the plug-ins only work in 32bit!  Thus a choice needs to be made.  Work in 64 bit with reduced options or work in 32 bit with full choice of plug-ins, but at a reduced speed. 

The other computer only works in 32bit.  No choices here - just accept the reduced speed and have use of all the plug-ins.

Finally, after all the installing and loading, managed to edit some images using the new software. 

                      Anderson, Indiana.

                      Eaton, Ohio

These were taken with the Panasonic DMC G3 camera fitted with a 14-45mm lens.  The new software and camera equipment seem to be working well together.  Will be purchasing the released CS6 version when the CS6 Beta trial ends.