December, 2008

So my friend Danial has accused me of getting into HDRi (High Dynamic Range imaging). That is partially true, but not entirely. I have yet to actually post a picture here that uses HDR software. I have some HDR software but have yet to produce an image that I actually like. I use multiple exposures to increase my dynamic range but do everything manually. The above images are a good example. The top one is done manually while the second one is done automatically with Photomatix. As you can see they are very different.  I like the colors in mine better, but I will admit that Photomatix did a better job with the water.In mine the water seems a little overblown. Not sure if the overblown water is a big deal though because when I had subdued the water in the manual version I was left with a bland photo. 

The other issue that I had was the surreal colors that came out of the grasses…they are colored for sure, but my manual photo shows the more true colors of the grasses.

If anyone has the inside track on how to use HDR software and can produce great results feel free to contact me and give me an education. I could use it LOL. In the meantime, everything you see is me in “manual” mode.

I welcome comments on which version you like better and why…

Lastly, this photo was taken on a crazy and rainy weekend in Norway. Norway is wonderfully beautiful for those that have not been.

What I like about this picture is that to me it looks like a the perfect setting for a fairy tale. Where there is this evil and dark forest that one must navigate until they come upon the tranquility and peace only to be found in the light.

This is Oak Alley, a plantation in Louisiana that is not only famous for its great row of oaks but for being the location where they filmed a portion of the movie “Interview with a Vampire”. This location is also famous for being the reason I carry a mosquito net with me on EVERY shoot since. I lost three pints of blood shooting this.

Almost everywhere I go, I end up visiting the cemeteries to see how a place honors the dead. Overseas, the remembrance of loved ones past is a constant vigil that is seen everywhere in the form of fresh flowers, pictures, and letters. In America, the case for the dead is not strong. So is this crypt long forgotten and overgrown or being embraced by life?

A day at the Zoo is always fun. A day at the Zoo with a camera is hard. When I was first starting to learn how to shoot, a friend of mine said that we should go to the zoo and that it would be a good learning experience for me. He was more than right and still today I continue to go to the Zoo to try and overcome the poor lighting (inside), moving subjects, dirty windows, reflections, chained link fences, bars, people, etc.. it might be one of the hardest places I have ever had to shoot.

This picture is from the Washington D.C. Zoo. They have a great Cheetah enclosure and this Cheetah had her eye on a small child (prey)…I didn’t stick around to see what happened.

I have no formal training, no university degree in photography; just a few good friends, a cable connection to the internet, and a vehicle that gets me to the bookstore. Along the way I picked up an education, and while I can’t make friends for you, or do anything about your internet connection, I can give you the names of the books that made a difference in my growth as a photographer/photoshopper. I highly recommend that you buy any of these books as 1) they will help you grow and 2) mine are not available to be lent out. You can read about these books by clicking on the “Books for photographers” tab in the right column or by clicking here.