Luca Cesari (luca_eos)'s photostream  

I can't believe it's more than a month from my last upload!

A break from my main project; I can't wait to start shooting Architecture again.

This images comes from a shooting session in Rotterdam, the day after my meeting with Joel Tjintjelaar and Kees Smans !!!

I'm definitely happy with my vision on this one.

Hope you're all doing great, sorry about my poor activity here on Flickr

PLEASE Large On Black

Dear Friends,

This is an image I took last December while out with Joel Tjintjelaar and Kees Smans in Rotterdam.

I don't think my photographic life will ever be the same; Joel introducted me to architecture and I have been extremely impressed by how beautiful is shooting buldings.

After finishing the project I'm working on now, I will devote myself to architecture: many ideas about that!

By the way, this is my first ever attempt at architecture.

Details
- CANON 5d Mark II ir, TS-E 24, f/7.1, 183 s, ISO 100
- Mirror Lockup, Remote Shutter
- Lee Big Stopper (10 stops ND filter)
- Tripod

The shot
Rotterdam, Netherlands

The Processing

Photoshop:

- Added many soft light layers to adjust light;
- Added a few curves to improve contrasts;
- Applied Noise Reduction
- Resized for the Web (1200px);
- Applied an Unsharp Mask to slightly improve contrast;
- Smart Sharpen + More accurate (On luminosity 'blending mode', at low opacity, building only);
- Framing and Signature.

Take a look at it, LARGE on Black :

@ You all
Comments and faves are always welcome!

Hope your 2012 started great!!!

My dear friends, welcome to my last upload of 2011; tomorrow I will be leaving for 5 days in the mountains with Alice and a couple of friends.

I'm sorry I just couldn't keep up with your new works, but I had to focus on many important things happening in my life.

Like I did in 2010, I have just read my resolutions for this year and I'm pretty satisfied.

I have shot hundreds of long exposures (even if not many during night time), I have finally printed some of my works and I'm planning to build a small high-quality printing system.
I didn't give up training, I've experimented a lot with infrared (I even modified a 5d2 to be infrared only sensitive) and, even if I didn't go to Norway, I attended a Michael Levin workshop and went shooting in Holland with LE master Joel Tjintjelaar; moreover sunrise sessions have become a weekly 'habit'!
I am still working on #7 "Think about what I really want to do in my life", since I now know better who I want to become on the long run, and I am struggling to get it.

Now it's time to set up my 2012 Resolutions (random order):

1) Set-up an high quality printing system and become proficient in printing;
2) Concentrate on monothematic projects;
3) Travel a lot;
4) Join important Photographic contests;
5) Keep up with my training program;
6) Keep up attending many exhibitions and museum, and read a lot;
7) Seriously Approach Architecture Photography;
8) Get proficient in multiple lights setups.

Back to the shot; this was created two months ago, at the beginning of a photo session on my main project (which I started last September).
I will be working on this for the upcoming 4-5 months and then move to architecture and other themes. I am sure you will see some further improvements and will not be disappointed.

As you probably have realized, I am not shooting color anymore and you will not see colour images from me in 2012.

Now, since you've been really kind to read all these lines above, I have a little surprise for you: can you see the knight riding the unicorn?

Anyway, I wish you and your families a splendid 2012!

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Come l'anno scorso, per l'ultimo scatto dell'anno aggiungo la descrizione in italiano.

Domani partirò in direzione Alto Adige per passare qualche giorno con Alice ed una coppia di amici.

Vi chiedo scusa se non sono riuscito a seguire attentamente i vostri ultimi lavori, ma il tempo libero in questa fine di anno è stato veramente pochissimo!

Riguardando i propositi per il 2011 non posso che dirmi soddisfatto.

Ho scattato centinaia di lunghe esposizioni (anche se pochissime in notturna), ho finalmente stampato alcuni dei miei lavori e mi sto documentando per creare un piccolo laboratorio per stampare.
Sto proseguendo l'allenamento, gli esperimenti con l'infrarosso (a Settembre ho modificato una 5d2 a tale scopo) e anche se, contrariamente a quanto avevo pianificato, non sono andato in Norvegia, ho partecipato ad un seminario di Michael Levin (lo scorso Settembre, a Brighton) e questo Dicembre mi sono incontrato con il 'maestro' delle lunghe esposizioni Joel Tjintjelaar. Le albe del sabato mattina sono diventate un'abitudine!
Sto ancora lavorando al proposito #7 "Pensare seriamente a cosa voglio fare 'da grande' ", anche se ora ho finalmente definito gli obiettivi di lungo periodo e mi sto muovendo in quella direzione.

I propositi per il 2012 sono questi:

1) Creare un piccolo laboratorio con le stampe ed affinare la tecnica di stampatore;
2) Concentrarmi su progetti monotematici;
3) Viaggiare molto;
4) Partecipare a concorsi internazionali;
5) Continuare con l'allenamento;
6) Visitare mostre, musei, e leggere moltissimo (come in questo 2011);
7) Specializzarmi nella fotografia di architettura;
8) Imparare a gestire configurazioni di luci esterne multiple.

Tornando all'immagine, essa risale a circa due mesi fa, all'inizio di una sessione del mio progetto principale (che ho avviato lo scorso Settembre).
Lavorerò a questo progetto per i prossimi 4-5 mesi, in seguito mi concentrerò sull'architettura e su altre tematiche.
Aspettatevi moltissime creazioni nel 2012, sono certo non rimarrete delusi.

Come vi sarete resi conto, sono ormai migrato definitivamente al bianco e nero; non aspettatevi immagini a colori nel 2012!

Dal momento che siete stati estremamente gentili ad arrivare a questo punto senza abbandonare la lettura, vi offro una piccola 'sorpresa': riuscite a distinguere il cavaliere in sella all'unicorno?

Vi auguro uno splendido 2012.

Details
- CANON 5d Mark II IR, EF 17-40 @ 25 mm, f/8, 17 s, ISO 100
- Mirror Lockup, Remote Shutter
- Lee Big Stopper (10 stops ND)
- Tripod

The shot
Shot about 50 km from my home.

The Processing

Photoshop:

- Black and white conversion using Silver EFEX Pro 2;
- Added many Soft Light layers to adjust light;
- Added two curve layers to adjust contrast;
- Added a Level layer to improve contast;
- Resized for the Web (1200px);
- Applied an Unsharp Mask to slightly improve contrast;
- Applied a Noise Ninja filter to smoothen things up;
- Smart Sharpen + More accurate (On luminosity 'blending mode' with the sky masked off);
- Framing and Signature.

Take a look at it, LARGE on Black :
PLEASE SEE IT Flowing of Time #2, on Black

Thank you, I will be visiting your streams tonight

Dear Friends,

I can't believe how time flies these days!

I'm still working on a photographic project you'll see in mid 2012; this image comes from a small 'break' from that.

I think I will be working on a parallel 'Road to Nowhere' project, too; this is actually #2: see the first one in the series Road To Nowhere #1 .

By the way, in two weeks I'll be in Holland to finally meet Joel Tjintjelaar: I can't wait!!!

Anyway, hope you're all doing great; I will try to catch up with your streams in the next days: tomorrow I will be attending this exhibition: Ansel Adams - La natura è il mio regno

Since Ansel Adams is one of my photographic idols, I'm really excited to see some of his original prints.

Details
- CANON 5d Mark II ir, EF 17-40 @ 27, f/9, 15 s, ISO 100
- Live view, Remote Shutter
- B+W ND110 (10 stops ND filter)
- Tripod

The shot
Shot on my way towards Asiago (VI) Italy.

The Processing

Photoshop:

- Converted to black and white using NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin;
- Added many Soft Light layers to dodge/burn selectively;
- Applied a Noise Ninja layer;
- Applied an Unsharp Mask to slightly improve contrast;
- Added an Exposure layer to adjust exposure on the trees;
- Added a Curve layer to improve the contasts;
- Resized for the Web (1200px);
- Added a level layer to improve contrast;
- Smart Sharpen + More accurate (On luminosity 'blending mode' with the sky masked off);
- Framing and Signature.

Take a look at it, LARGE on Black :

@ You all
Comments, faves and critiques are always welcomed!

I wish you a splendid weekend, my dear Friends!

SEE THIS LARGE ON BLACK

Dear Friends,

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last upload.

Life has been extremely busy and it's hard for me to keep up with everything.

I have been shooting many sunrises in these last weeks: I am concentrating on new projects which need a lot of dedication.

This is an image from my four days in Brighton in September: the Michael Levin workshop has been a fantastic experience, meeting him was inspiring and everything even exceeded my high expectations!!!

I am now trying to bring my photography to a new level; I will concentrate just on my 'perfect' images: expect very few uploads!

By the way, I have tried an Intuos tablet and I think I will never come back to the mouse for the accurate processings; I couldn't believe the difference it makes!

Hope you all are doing great and I really apologize for being that absent lately. I missed you all!!!

Details
- CANON 5d Mark II ir, EF 70-200 f/4 IS @ 111 mm, f/9, 61 s, ISO 100
- Mirror Lockup, Phottix TC-501 Remote Shutter
- Lee Big Stopper (10 stops ND filter)
- Tripod

The shot
Brighton Beach, UK.

The Processing

Photoshop:

- Added many soft light layers to adjust light;
- Applied Noise Reduction
- Resized for the Web (1200px);
- Applied an Unsharp Mask to slightly improve contrast;
- Smart Sharpen + More accurate (On luminosity 'blending mode', at low opacity, foreground and wall only);
- Framing and Signature.

Take a look at it, LARGE on Black :

@ You all
Comments, faves and critiques are always welcomed!

I wish you all a fantastic weekend; I will try to catch up with your works in the next hours