Viveza

Hi All!

I was over on David Ziser blog today at digitalprotalk.blogspot.com and watched his video about using Lightroom 2 versus Viveza. As a user of Aperture for the Mac, I have a slightly differing view on this and thought I would share my experiences with the Viveza software from the Aperture standpoint.

Viveza is an amazing product that works on a very intuitative level. The ability to create complex masks and to edit pieces of a photo make it a necessary addition to my work flow. I like the fact that when I create an edited image within Aperature by using the Viveza plug-in I am able to retain the original NEF file as well as create a 16-bit TIFF that has all the Viveza adjustments. Now, some might argue that the TIFF file reduces the flexibility in the editing processes but I have not seen this affect my processes. The 16-bit TIFF is a very flexible and forgiving file, and if need be I can work on the original NEF in Aperture. From there, I export out another version of the image and put both of these images into the same file, on two separate layers. By using masks in photoshop I can selectively work on each image and create the perfect scene with great tones and mood.

Again, I like the fact that when I open up Aperture I can see the original NEF file and right beside it the adjusted Viveza file. This flexibility works for me. However, I can understand how the workflow of others may not have the Apple computer angle and from that perspective I can see how the Lightroom 2 option can add to the Viveza discussion. Before you say anything, I am aware of the Lightroom 2 option for the Mac, but to this point I have been very happy with Aperture. Some say I should step out of the dark ages on this one, but my workflow is consistent and my outputs are great. Until I see a big reason to switch I think I will remain an Aperture user who likes to use the Viveza plug-in.

All my best!

Family shot

www.LanceBurnsPhotography.com

This weekend I was out shooting a family. Now, I had picked out a nice little spot by some water that was rather serene and tranquile. A spot that I thought the family would like. Well, when we got chatting, the mom indicated that she had a great spot all picked out and the colour of the trees were full of autumn. I asked where it was and she told me it was on the side of a road in the city. No big deal, but this is one of the busiest roads in our city and the traffic was loud and constant and the ability to communicate was almost nil. I took this challenge and luckily had my wife, er, assistant with me. As we set about getting ready to shoot the scene, I noticed that we did have great autumn colours but we couldn't communicate over the noise. I actually had to have my assistant stand halfway between me and the family so we could rely information! 

All in all, we captured some fantastic images of this beautiful family. It is worth noting that it is very, very difficult to get a 2 year old to smile on command. The girl was NOT willing to smile this way so I had the kids run around for a bit and captured a candid image of her smiling and plopped that head into this family shot. Not to bad eh? I also started to use the Viveza plug-in for Aperture. What a great plug-in. This allowed me to spark-up the image before I did any work in photoshop. VERY Impressed!

Specs: Nikon D200, 70-200mm @ 200 mm, F/5.0 @ 1/90

Enjoy!

Wedding shoot.

LanceBurnsPhotography.com

Hi All.  I know that I haven't updated my site in a few weeks.  Things have been extra busy for me.  Anyhow, I have something to share that I think is pretty cool.  I wanted to talk about the Mac program Aperture, and the plug-in Viveza.  I am pretty pumped up about how well the two programs work together.  Let's start by saying that when you bring your RAW image into Aperture you are able to tweak the colour, the density, and shadow/highlight features of the image - there are more features, but these are the basics.  Once you have your image(s) properly balanced you can then right click on your image and edit with your program of choice.  My default choice is Capture NX due to the UPoint technology, but there are other options I have, such as photoshop, dodge and burn, and now Viveza. By looking at the before and after image, I wanted to point out that this image has yet to hit photoshop.  The intuitive control points that allow you to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and hue, as well as the RGB colours independently, AND a warmth control which functions like the photoshop filter, photo filter.

The third image has some post production work in Photoshop.  notice the lack of flag poles in the background, and the colour of the hand bag.

Take a look at the before and after image.  I think Aperture is starting to look like a professional program. By allowing use of third party plug-ins we are starting to actually work with images within one environment.  How original! In a future post we will look at the very, very useful program called Noise Ninja.  Why you don't own this program yet is beyond me..... 

Specs: Nikon D200, SB-800 off camera left, SU-800 on camera, ISO 400, F/4 @ 1/1600 s. Exposure Bias = +1.0, 10.5 mm fisheye lens.