To say I’ve been a little inactive this week would be an understatement. I thought I’d use this blog update to fill you in on why I appear to have fallen from the face of the Earth.
Last weekend was exactly one month from when I first injured my wrist. I went back in to see my specialist earlier this week and, as feared, my injury hasn’t showed any significant signs of repair. After an MRI scan and a few other tests, I’ve been diagnosed as having a cartilage complex, which was not the news I was looking to hear. I’ll be undergoing a few months of physiotherapy to see if the problem can be resolved, and, if not, surgery will be the next step. Fingers crossed.
As I’ve been told to keep my shooting to a minimum, I’ve spent this week geeking out. I recently purchased an old Nikkor AF 35-70mm f/2.8, but hate to admit that I’m not entirely satisfied with the sharpness despite its glowing reviews. A buddy and I have invested in some lens calibration software from Reikan, and so I’ve spent the last couple of days fiddling around with that. I might update you on the fate of the lens in a future update.
On the recommendation of Pete De Marco from The Nomad Within, I also took the opportunity presented by my invalidism to get to grips with a new post-processing tool: Color Efex Pro 4 from Nik Software. At first I must admit that I was loathed to use it as an alternative to Photoshop CC, having not found it the most intuitive of experiences, but after reading an excellent how-to guide by Robin Whalley, I’m really enjoying the new possibilities the software opened up. I’d urge any of you who’ve not tried the software to give it a whirl, and Robin’s no-fuss, no-filler guide is a very cost-effective way to get results fast. The image you see here was created with Nik Color Efex Pro 4 before being converted to monochrome using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, and is part of a small black and white series shot on Somaemul Island; check out the rest of the project here.
