I have become a big fan of plugins!
Lately I have watched some big shifts in my style and what I want to be able to do with my images. Actually, when I use my 20:20 hindsight, I realise it is a natural progression that has been taking place over the last 2-3 years, as I get out of my own way, particularly the prejudice that says I should stick to the medium’s mores and traditions.

If all of our photographs are autobiographical (and I believe every single image we make is autobiographical), then what is it we are sending to the world (and ourselves)? There is the real lesson: what we can learn about ourselves from our images (as well as pleasing our clients!)? For me, the joy in making an image for a paying client is in creating one that pleases them on the one hand and offers me a new view of my own journey, in other words that has something to say to me as well. I invite your comments.

Last Saturday I had the honour to photograph Jennifer and Gino (their English names) who are getting part-married in New Zealand and part-married back in Taiwan…(don’t ask: it is complicated!). A long time ago I taught Jennifer English and I was humbled that she would track me down from Taipei after all these years to photograph her wedding . She is a Buddhist and one of those brides who are beautiful inside and out.

Because they both love New Brighton, the local beach, we agreed to do a shoot in the morning before dawn (I don’t often get that opportunity) at 0430 and work through the first light. As/before I left home, I said a small karakia (prayer), asking that I be worthy of the opportunity and produce work which would honour them and such talents as the Creator has given me. I do this whenever I go out to shoot a job and it works.
The tide was going out and we had a silky film of water on the sand which provided a wonderful reflection…

Near the end of the shoot, I had one of those moments of recognition that can trigger a new approach, if my ego is down, and I am listening. Gino happened to walk around Jennifer and I saw a moment and arrangement that spoke beyond the obvious. I got him to move back and than asked Jennifer to look back at him. By angling her across the light the beauty of the folds in her dress was revealed and by turning her head into the light the line of her chin is revealed. Standing Gino against the light threw him into shadow.

The story is about the two of them. It is also about the story of marriage. They are young and setting out on a journey together, thinking they know each other, but actually still strangers. Only time and attentiveness will reveal them to each other. That was the moment I recognised, the wisdom I sensed and which I wanted to embed in the image.
I made the shots then the weather changed and we went home to warm up. (I shot the other sequence yesterday).
Still entranced by this idea of 2 people on a journey, I opened up the computer and downloaded the files. I catalogue in Lightroom 2.1, then send the files of to CS4 for serious work. I find the develop functions in LR a little crude..
A basic edit to ensure the histogram is on range and not clipping, then off to PhotoTools..I used a number of the presets, then output out the image to PhotoFrame. I wanted to loosen the frame edge, to suggest the dawn of a world of infinite possibility in their relationship.
Two variations (for the moment!).
I could have done it with the Complete Collection of Actions Vol 243x…but there are only 24 hours in a day and selfishly I like to spend 5-6 asleep. That is where plugins come in.
I use three:

1. PictureCode Noise Ninja
2. Nik ColorEfex, Silver Efex and Viveza. Not cheap but unbelievably good.
3. OnOne Software’s products. Their PhotoSuite 4 contains 6 products ( which you can buy separately):
1. Genuine Fractals for upsizing;
2. PhotoFrame, which has hundreds of frames you can add to your images;
3. Skintune, which is obvious:
4. FocalPoint which is sort of a software answer to the lensbaby. You can selectively defocus areas of the picture using expandable control points
5. Colourtune, for colour correction
6. MaskPro, which does a really good job of clear cutting.

Both 2 and 3 are heavy duty products and premium-priced. The way I figure it, however, if they enable me to stay ahead of the game (and the opposition), and move my work into a premium-price range, they are worth the investment.

The good news:
I have negotiated a deal with onOne to supply the products to my community at a a discount .
If you are interested, you can try a demo download, and then if you want to buy,
enter the coupon code
tonybridge
for a 20% discount.
On the RRP of $US449 for PhotoSuite, that means a final price of $US359, or a saving of $US89.