Found while wandering northwest Portland on the Google+ photowalk yesterday afternoon.
Bag ‘er & Tag ‘er
April 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
Grand Old Station
February 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Looking towards the front of Cincinnati’s old art deco Union Terminal structure. Photographed a couple weeks ago while I was in the area for PhotoPro Expo.
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
A Lesson in Shapes
February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Interior of the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
Learning HDR Photography: Resources
January 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Over the past year or so, I’ve started creating a lot more photographs using HDR (high dynamic range) technology. The human eye can see a wider range of tones (from bright white to absolute blackness) than can currently be captured by camera technology; HDR processing and tone mapping allows a photographer to merge multiple exposures to create an image with a different look that can more accurately represent the range of tones seen by our eyes. HDR can also be used to create surrealistic images that often have a painterly look to them.
In the time I’ve been experimenting with HDR I’ve received numerous inquries about the best way to get started. Here are a few HDR resources that I’ve discovered and found useful:
- Trey Ratcliff’s book A World in HDR
offers both a collection of his beautiful images along with his thoughts about the work and his process of creating them. For those of you who appreciate photos in the physical form, this book would be a great addition to your library.
- RC Conception wrote The HDR Book
, which not only covers the process of capture and tone mapping but goes into great deal about the post-processing that follows the HDR merge process. Most HDR tutorials and techniques only get as far as the tone mapping; RC takes it further with some great tips on what adjustments can be made to the resulting images for the desired effects.
- My friend Doug Kaye has recently been writing articles about hands-on experimentation with a variety of HDR tools and techniques as he searches for the best image and workflow. Check out:
- Trey Ratcliff offers several HDR Photography Tutorials as ebooks, DVDs, and on his website. Hit that link to check out his Stuck in Customs products.
Doug’s blog posts are free, Trey has some free material on his website, and the two books recommended are both under $30. The DVD tutorials are a bit more expensive but they’re really good and if you’re one who learns better from a multimedia experience I highly recommend it.
Let me know if you come across any other great resources I should be recommending!
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
Interesting Links Roundup: January 11th
January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
As I wander the web I find interesting things. I share:
- This Photograph Is Not Free
A look at the true costs of creating a photograph, and why smart photographers won't offer their work for free in exchange for "exposure" - Why I Hate Android
In which MG Siegler explains that his disdain for Android isn't just (or isn't mainly) about crappy software - Are You Wasting Dynamic Range?
Doug Kaye does some analysis of various HDR processing options and the fact that many photographers are inadvertantly losing some of their dynamic range with default conversion options - How Doctors Die
Like everyone else, doctors die. They often do it in a very different fashion than the patients they treat. - 6 New Year’s Resolutions Every Photographer Should Make in 2012
Lisa Bettany's list of must-do missions
What have you seen lately that’s interesting?
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
Empty Governance
December 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment
One of the hallways inside San Francisco City Hall.
If you’re on 500px, I’d love to have you comment or rate this photo.
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
No Corridor Beyond
November 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In a corner of Fort Point, brickwork and a grungy window. I want to come back to this place with a model.
If you’re on 500px, I’d love to have you comment or rate this photo.
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
Salvaging Shitty Light at the Crooked River Bridge
September 29, 2011 by 1 Comment
A few weeks ago I was invited to speak about photography at a real estate conference in Central Oregon. My return trip from Bend brought me to the Crooked River bridges including the railroad bridge which sits about 320 feet above the water below. Given the opportunity to photograph an interesting structure, I pulled into the rest area adjacent to the highway and river.
The Problem: Midday Light
Photographers know that midday light is bad. There’s a reason that photographers get up early and stay up late… that’s when the best light occurs naturally. The high sun angle in the middle of the day results in blown highlights and harsh shadows. Given that I arrived at the bridge around 12:30pm with bright sun and an air temperature around 95 degrees, things couldn’t have been much worse. I present to you a program-mode image:
Ugh.
Making Something Out of Nothing
I knew in the field that a “regular” photo wouldn’t cut it if I wanted anything presentable from this little stop. While there, I decided I’d see what I could do in the digital darkroom to create something that wouldn’t be purely a photograph but rather a bit of digital art based on a photograph. I made several images in the field; a few days ago I spent about 45 minutes creating the following image. Is it a photograph? Is it digital art? Does it matter what we call it?
How’d I do? (Yeah, I know the image is missing a train…)
If you found this interesting, share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
