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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Hydrangea: Exploring Olympus OM-D E-M10 Picture Modes with the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 PRO


Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode 1 - iEnhance
Renee brought home some nice Hydrangeas from work, so I thought they might make a colorful subject for exploring the numerous picture modes on the Olympus OM-D E-M10.


Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode 2 - Vivid
While not something I would likely use on a regular basis, some of the effects yielded some interesting results.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode 3 - Natural
These were all shot in "P" mode using spot metering so the camera is making all the exposure decisions here except for ISO which was set to LOW (ISO 100).

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode 4 -Muted
These are all straight out of camera jpgs (OOC) with no manipulation.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode 5 -Portrait
I set-up the E-M10 on a tripod to keep the framing of the shots consistent, but I didn't notice the edge of the neighboring plant peeking into the shots.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode - Monotone
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode - ePortrait
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 1 - Pop Art
Normally I would've applied a slight crop in Lightroom to remove the bit of the neighboring plant, but I wanted to show these straight OOC with NO manipulation at all.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 2 - Soft Focus
To my own surprise, I actually liked some of the Art modes.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 3 - Pale&Light Color
The Art 1 - Pop Art has a nice punch to the colors.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 4 - Light Tone
Most of these could be fairly easily replicated in Photoshop, but the convenience of having the setting available in the Olympus OM-D E-M10 makes things quick if you have the desire to use such an effect.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 5 - Grainy Film
Obviously some of the modes are more suitable for different type subjects, but at least you get the idea of what kind of effect they offer.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 6 - Pinhole
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 7 - Diorama
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 8 - Cross Process
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 9 - Gentle Sepia
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 10 - Dramatic Tone
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 11 - Key Line
Olympus OM-D E-M10 - Picture Mode Art 12 - Water Color  
I probably wouldn't use any of these, at least not on a regular basis.  I usually shoot the E-M10 in Natural mode, although I might use Monotone, Vivid, or Portrait if the situation called for it.  The rest would only be something that might get used once in a blue moon if I had a particular whim that called for it, or if I was just playing around.

Since I usually shoot in RAW+jpg, I have no concern with using any of the picture modes and potentially botching an image since RAW doesn't have these effects applied.  That said, if you're a jpg shooter, I would caution against using these modes in camera and look at applying similar effects in Photoshop later.

All of the above photos were shot with the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 PRO on the E-M10, and I have to tell you, I LOVE this lens!

Over-all, I'm enjoying the Olympus OM-D E-M10.  It's a wonderful little camera.  Focus is fast and accurate.  Color reproduction is wonderful, and the Olympus jpgs are excellent. 

Check out the user reviews and LOWEST price on Amazon:
Olympus OM-D E-M10
Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 PRO


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