My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane. From a David Sipress cartoon

It's all snowy outside, an appropriate time to read a Russian novel, and I just finished one, the Brothers Karamazov. Even though it was first published in 1879 it's modern. It is also long and takes a little dedication at times. Several times I listened ahead then resumed reading where I'd left off. It's got richly-developed characters, a tale that could fill a Netflix series, and endless discussions centered on the existence of god (this is where the dedication comes in). The only other challenge is the myriad of confusingly-named characters.

Since Dostoyevsky wrote in Russian and I read only in English I had to select a translation. I selected the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation because I happened to have read their Tolstoys. But I supplemented it with Audible's Constance Garnet translation (spoken by Constantine Gregory) and while I picked out differences I can't say one is better. The audio book is especially useful for getting a head start into the slow-going parts.

The challenge with interiors is small spaces, uneven lighting, and windows. Since these scenes are static the answer, of course, is to use HDR. You can do hand held HDR but a tripod allows the slow shutter speeds necessary include things that are dark or poorly illuminated.

Take:

• Dark clothing to minimize reflections
• Wide-angle lens, the wider the better
• Remote control, the camera's timer will work in a pinch
• Tripod + L-bracket
• Circular polarizer

Set up the camera:

• Aperture priority
• AE bracketing on, typically 5-shot brackets in intervals of 1
• Auto ISO off. You're using a tripod, you aren't shooting movement, so you don't need auto iso which otherwise I totally depend on.
• Set white balance
• Attach polarizer
• Aperture set for maximum depth of focus and sharpness, f/8 is good
• File type depends on processor. Photomatix can process Nikon raw but cannot process Fuji nef.

Check the rooms:

• Turn on all the lights
• Look for reflections in mirrors, windows, cabinets
• Look for anything out of place such as:
• Clothes
• Towels
• Papers
• Pillows
• Wires, dishes, etc.

Back at the computer:

1. Copy images to file-type-specific folder.
2. Batch process with Photomatix after setting bracket number and output folder
3. Bring results into Lightroom then develop as follows:
• Fix verticals and horizontals
• Sharpen
• Adjust contrast, clarity, shadows, etc.
• Crop

Photomatix processing speed depends on the computer, the files, and output type chosen. I tend to generate several outputs but usually I only keep those marked Enhanced. On this day I shot 34 scenes, each with a 5-shot bracket, which produced 170 files and Photomatix took 3 1/3 hours.

The last step for each HDR photo is a trip through Lightroom for sharpening, color adjustment, and to fix the verticals and horizontals. While you don't always have horizontal lines to fix vertical lines are really common, fixing them makes a big visual impact, and ot's ridiculously easy with a tool such as Lightroom.

This is also when I process the exterior shots, like stitching together several shots to create a panorama. Lightroom does well with panoramas.

The full set will appear in the next post.

And while I'm waiting I'm listening to Vasen's Mitt I Livet (In the middle of life).

Here are the rest of the shots of the Harbourside residence for sale.