We are having a strange year in regard to the weather here in Montreal. After an uninspiring summer, we had a very hot fall with unusual temperatures between 20°C (70°F) and 30°C (86°F) through September and October.
After only one month of true fall-like weather, we are now having a solid winter with steady temperatures in the double digits below freezing and plenty of snow at the beginning of December.
The strong wind in combination with the low temperatures has created some fantastic ice formations by the Saint Lawrence River.
Loc: 45.42919, -73.68833
And the photo below I took from the exactly the same spot only a few days earlier.
Shooting
The featured photo is the first image I am publishing on PhotoTraces that I took with my new Fujifilm XT-2. I have not yet decided if I want to switch from Sony to Fujifilm entirely, so I still have all my Sony gear as I continue working with the Fujifilm in testing mode.
At this point, I only have the Fujinon 18-135mm lens, but I am hoping to get a wide angle Fujinon 10-24mm very soon.
In the future, I will publish my experience using both the Sony and Fuji systems side by side.
Camera: Fujifilm XT-2
Lens: Fujinon 18-135mm
Focal Length: 38mm
Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority (A)
ISO: 200
Aperture: F/8
Shutter Speed: 1/420s
Tripod: hand-held
Editing & Processing
It was single RAW processing workflow.
Lightroom (85%)
First, I used the Crop Overlay tool to improve the composition, making it a bit tighter.
Next, I used the Autumn preset from my Winter Colors Collection as the base for Lightroom Rapid Editing. Then I used TOOLKIT to open up the shadows in the foreground and boost the Contrast.
The Lightroom Preset Editing Formula: Crisp Morning (9, 16, 22, 31, 39)
Photoshop (15%)
First, I used the Spot Healing Brush to clean up the graffiti on the asphalt and then I boost the details and reduced noise.
Plugins: DeNoise (noise reduction), Topaz Detail (local contrast boost).
Total Time: 12min
Before & After Transformation
Archiving: I save all my photos as JPEG (quality: 100%) at full resolution and with the help of the Lightroom plugin, I synchronized them with my portfolio on SmugMug for safekeeping, sharing, image hosting and online sales.
Do not forget that my FREE Lightroom Preset Collection is always free for all subscribers to my newsletter.
