6 Tips for great HDR images.
HDR is just cool. Amazingly there seems to be a relatively small amount of information on HDR as it relates to the people pictures. By most HDR is treated as a fun toy to use with nature photo’s, and not much more. One of the reasons for this could be that HDR portraits are a bit challenging, and unknown territory. It’s not rocket science, but it does take some time to get the hang of. Here’s a few tips that you can use for both landscapes and people shots.
1. Break out the tripod. Don’t think you’re going to take great HDR’s hand holding a camera. While some HDR rendering software will attempt to line them up, you really need clear, consistent images for great HDR’s. Stability is key!
2. Use a cable release. This is a good rule with portraits and stills alike. You want those images to be lined up as close as possible, so invest in the tools to keep your camera steady. Beside it looks cool to stand there majestically and press the button.
3. Auto Bracket. Most DSLR’s have an auto bracket function that allows you to have -2, 0 and +2 exposures in one quick burst. AB allows you to expose things fast without handling the gear as much, and I find that those 3 images are usually all you need.
Continue reading ‘6 tips for great HDR photography!’
It looks like Nikon’s prepping a new DSLR for the middle of their pro lineup. The D700 is rumored to be announced this August, and available later this year.
This little gem should go for a little over 3k USD, and is rumored to have the same sensor that graces the Nikon D3
This is spy shot of the supposed D700 as reported by Engadget. Head on over there for more gritty details, and stay tune for real facts in the future.
People often ask me how to clean the dust that causes image spots, off their digital camera sensors. There are many more dangerous and or expensive methods, but this usually works for me.
Rocket Air
is my recommendation of the week. It’s a hand blower that actually works. Really well! I mean it packs a punch.I just lock my mirror up, and give it some good blasts of air. Unlike canned air this does not run out, and there’s no propellant. Canned air is not recommended for senors, but this thing is great for them.
Aside from cleaning your senors you’ll soon be blowing all kinds of stuff, like the dust out of your keyboard. If your like me you’ll like it so much you’ll start blowing it in your kids face, and shooting air into your mouth to see what different sounds you can make.
It’s all over the net, but you can find Rocket Air here on Amazon for only about twelve bucks. This is one of my favorite handy dandy drawer gadgets.
Last year I wrote an article about using true HDR techniques with people. Yep, portraits, fashion, and wedding images can be utterly amazing using High Dynamic Range photography. HDR is not just reserved for nature and still life shooting. We’ve been using it at Seim Photography for over a year now! Here goes six nitty gritty tips and tricks to get you moving with HDR, and a few of my own HDR portraits to start things off.
1. What is HDR all about anyways?
First lets cover basics. If you’re already an HDR master you can skip this part. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It’s better seen that talked about, so other than the images I’ve included in this article, you can see some of my latest HDR portrait work on my HDR portraits set on Flickr. You can also check out my HDR nature work. Essentially however HDR is the combining of multiple images taken at varied exposure levels, and then blended using software like Photomatix, Photoshop, or another HDR program.
Basically this software blending allows the photographer to selectively choose how much lighting he wants in various parts of the image. You’ll have a light to dark range that’s much higher than that of a normal exposure, thus giving you a LOT more control over the finished image.
You can also check our two PPS episodes from last year, that talk all about HDR portraits in detail, and will also get you started on HDR in general… HDR Podcast Part1 & HDR Podcast Part2
Continue reading ‘HDR Portraits,Wedding & Fashion Photography 2nd Edition’
<<Click To Listen - PPS #46 with Kevin Kubota.
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Todays Panel…
Kevin Kubota ~ Kubota Image Tools, Kubota Photo, Kubota Blog
Gavin Seim ~ Seim Photography - Seim Effects & LR Presets
Todays Show…
A big thanks to Kevin for coming on the show. We start out talking about Kevin’s photo tools and how he got started, and then move in techniques, and photography tips. Kevin gives us some thoughts for lighting, marketing, and branding and plenty of other good nuggets inlucding using your personality to interact with your customers.
Comment here, or join the PPS #47 Forum Discussion. You can find out more about Kevin’s workshops by going to his website (above)
A few links to things mention on the show.
Podcast subscription feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/prophotoshow
Is Nikon about to drop another bomb. Engadgets reporting on rumors for a FULL FRAME mid range DSLR.
Not much more to say. This is totally a huge rumor, so don’t pull the c card just yet. Just feel free to give your thoughts. Would a full frame system on the lower end be great?
