While doing some post-processing on a shoot that I did recently, I noticed something interesting that I thought I should share. Depending on the program of choice for post-processing, the images changed in their quality, some quite significantly.

I had to do a doubletake since I didn’t believe the difference can be so dramatic, but even after doing it twice over, the results were still the same. I’m wondering if it had to do with certain settings in the program that I was not aware of.

I decided to see how the following programs differed in their ability to edit a RAW file coming from a Nikon D3: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Lightroom 2, Apple Aperture 2, Phase One Capture One.

Procedure:

1. I took one NEF (Nikon’s RAW format) file, imported it into each program, and simply exported the resulting file as a 16-bit uncompressed TIF. No other editing was done to the image.
2. I then took this TIF and imported it into Photoshop CS4, and made the collage as seen on the left.
3. The resulting collage was exported as a PNG.

By looking at the two examples shown here, you can see the difference from one program to the next.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Lightroom 2
These two programs yielded identical results. Examining the photos in CS4 side by side and layered over each other, there was no telling which image came from which program. The treatment in color, detail, saturation, and sharpness were all very similar – if not identical – to each other. Perhaps this is the result from the programs coming from the same manufacturer: they may more than likely use the same processing engine.

Apple Aperture 2
This image was the least impressive with its flat look (little depth), and noticeable lack of detail and sharpness. I actually wondered if I was doing something wrong with Aperture since the results were so different with this program. While the color treatment was similar to that of CS4 and Lightroom, it was still overall a little more neutral yielding in a flatter look.

Phase One Capture One
Capture One’s image was by far the most satisfying of the bunch. The color treatment was drastically different in that it resulted in a much more saturated and contrasty look to the image without even altering any settings, which in turn gave the image much more depth. Edges were much sharper, crisper, and the level of detail seen in the photo was astronomically different than what was seen with Aperture 2. Perhaps my only complaint with this image was the sharpness and/or saturation of the image. I felt it was a little too strong off the bat. But no worries here as these settings can be changed to your liking manually.

Overall, I would put CS4 and Lightroom 2 right in between Capture One and Aperture. The Adobe products yield an image with lower contrast and detail than Capture One, but more than Aperture 2. Up until now, I have always been a prominent user of Apple’s Aperture 2 because I was so comfortable with its ease of use, its smooth integration in my workflow, and its simple user interface. However, I’ll have to double check from now on to see exactly how it affects my other images.

While this testing is by no means concrete evidence of how any of these programs operate, it has opened my eyes in seeing how each program treats the same image differently. Perhaps if you can, you should test out one of your images to see if it changes as well.

For now, I will see if Aperture handles other images in similar ways and assess each case on a picture-by-picture basis.

It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day today as the sun was shining brightly, the blue sky was everywhere, and a brisk wind was apparent. My brother and fiancé decided to wed today at Markham’s Civic Centre in order to get logistics straightened out before having a ceremonial wedding in Thailand next month.

It was a small ceremony with family, and a friend (and their significant other) for each of the bride and groom. It was a first civil ceremony for me so I really didn’t know what to expect. It was actually a little surprising that a Civic Centre would have a chapel just for this occasion. The chapel was within a dark, metal structure that almost looked like a shelter of some sort rather than anything else. It was surrounded by water all around that it gave off some reflections within the chapel itself. The officiant came a little late with a cup of Tim Horton’s in his hand. A relaxed gentleman, he was a fun guy to have as an officiant. You can tell he enjoyed his job.

The ceremony itself took no longer than about 20 min., and included everything from exchanging vows, a little speech from the officiant before and after the marriage, and signing of the witness papers. Of the many things that he mentioned during the ceremony, one of the things that stuck in my mind was to “never go to bed angry [at your spouse.]” What is probably a truly wise thing to say, I have yet to personally experience this. I do remember certain situations, however, where even HN mentioned something similar to this.

Another note of being able to tell your spouse, “I love you” is always something to be cherished. And to be able to say this unconditionally is what truly counts. Don’t hear it enough from your significant other? Try saying it to him/her yourself first.

After taking some photos within the civic centre, we all went to Casa Imperial Chinese restaurant on Steeles and Warden. My second time there, it was yet another fantastic meal had by all.

Now the only question remains: when will it be time for me?

Bistro Camina
2750 Danforth Ave. (near Main St.)
Toronto, ON, M4C 1L7
TEL: 416-698-0283

One sunny Sunday afternoon, my family and I decided to drop by a restaurant that I had known about, but had completely forgotten about, for the longest time.

More than a year ago, my dad found an article in the Japanese newspaper, Nikka Times, about a new Japanese-French fusion styled restaurant opening up on the Danforth. Mildly interested, I took note of it but never followed up on whether it ever opened or for that matter, where it would open.

Throughout the year the name Camino, Camina, or whatever, came up as I had always recommended it whenever we were interested in trying a new restaurant out.

Alas, fast forward to today, and while I had initially completely forgotten about this restaurant, my brother reminded me about it. And we were definitely glad he did.

Making the latest possible reservation for the lunch crowd, at 2:30pm (they close at 3pm for lunch service on Sundays), we made it right on time. The restaurant, with a non-descript, and rather boring exterior, is located in what you may think would be the last place you would find a nice, Japanese restaurant.

Located far east on the Danforth, in the Danforth Village, you would hardly think this is a Japanese restaurant from the outside. With no indication of the word “Japanese,” and with the interior looking a little Italian, with its green and red décor, we had to wonder what to expect from a place like this.

The waitress came to our table and kindly asked if all of us spoke/read Japanese. Bringing out the lunch menu, she was quick and attentive to each of our needs.

What we ordered:
Soup of the Day:
Shrimp-based soup with sweet and spicy chili

Dessert of the Day:
Creme caramel with fruit accompaniment

$8.50: 1 Beef stew lunch set – comes with soup of the day, salad, and rice/bread.
$11.00: 1 Salmon Steak with dill butter sauce lunch – comes with soup of the day, salad, potatoes, and rice.
$16.00: 1 Salmon steak with lemon butter sauce lunch set – comes with soup of the day, salad, potatoes, rice, dessert of the day, and tea/coffee.
$16.00: 1 Pork cutlet set – Using only the leanest cuts of pork – comes with soup of the day, salad, potatoes, rice, dessert of the day, and tea/coffee.
$15.00: 1 Beef curry set – comes with soup of the day, salad, potatoes, dessert of the day, and tea/coffee.
$2.00: 1 regular bottomless coffee.

Choice of salad dressing: oil & vinegar, Japanese soy sauce-based dressing, or orange cream dressing.

Once the food had been ordered, it wasn’t long before the dishes came rolling out.

The soup, with its subtle yet flavourful shrimp-base was ever so good with just the right amount of kick of spiciness. With sliced lettuce, carrots, celery and mini shrimps, it was refreshing. It was a little too much on the sweet side, but apart from this, it was great.

The main dishes came shortly thereafter. With our varied order, it was quite surprising to see all of our dishes come out all at once this quickly.

At first glance, each of our plates were so beautifully presented with smart, elegant, and pure white tableware, it just looked right.

The salmon steak was done just right: still retaining the moisture on the inside, full of flavour on the outside, and just the right amount of dill butter sauce so as not to overwhelm you with its taste.

The potatoes? Oh they’re just great as well. Small – but not too small – bite-sized portions were crispy on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside.

The salad? Another great taste. The orange cream dressing was the one to get with its mandarin-like orange flavour, and not too creamy mixture, I loved this one a lot. This made all the difference in making a simple garden salad taste so much more elegant.

The rice? It’s plain, white, Japanese rice, elegantly presented in a cylindrical form with a single (sesame?) seed on top.

The pork cutlet was so tender with its exterior so crispy. While I mainly prefer my cutlets to be thick and juicy, this was still a great alternative.

The beef curry dish was unique, and probably one of the most unusual tasting curries that I have tasted in a while. Still retaining that signature Japanese curry flavour, it had a slight skew in added spices yielding a dish that is a Bsitro Camino original. Not a bad change nonetheless.

The beef stew was magically flavourful too. Much like a hayashi rice based sauce, this stew was chalk full with chunks of soft beef briskets. It was so hot when it first came out that I actually burned the roof of my mouth a little.

I never actually tried the salmon steak with lemon-butter sauce, but I was told that was one of the best dishes on the table with its non over-bearing flavour and moist cut.

And finally, the creme caramel dessert was a beautiful way to end off your dinner. With rabbit-shaped kiwi slices to accompany strawberry and pineapple slices, the dense creme caramel had just the right amount of caramel flavouring in it. The non-peaking whipped cream was a little sad, but otherwise served its purpose.

As a bonus, even the coffee at the end of the meal was so smooth, creamy, and not so bitter. We asked what bean this was and the waitress responded, a blend of Columbia beans.

Overall perception:
At first glance from the decor, I really didn’t know what to expect from this place. But just by looking at the menu, it was evident that there were a myriad of choices, including a fine selection of wine in its separate wine menu. The specials of the day were written on the chalk board next to our table, and the waitress was knowledgeable, very attentive (coming to refill my glass of water as soon as I had finished it), and always friendly.

I have to say, the flavouring of each of our dishes more than likely had a large Japanese influence to them, making them so delicious and matching our palettes well. With this, I would say that even though there are French classics like coque-au-vin, and Italian favourites like veal milanese, these are more likely to be catered to the Japanese palette.

I will definitely come back for another meal, whether it be for lunch or dinner. The lunch prices were a bargain for what you get, and the dinner prices didn’t stray by much more.

The presentation with its clean, white, uniquely-shaped dishes was pleasant to look at, as it showcased the food well.

The service was great – although we were the only table in the restaurant at that time.

Rating: 4.5 / 5
Highly Recommended; expect French styled cuisine catered to the Japanese palette.