by Gavin Seim: I just hosted the first “Incredible HDR” (high dynamic range) photo workshop in Central Washington. It was an intimate three day class of six, with attendees from as far as London, so we had plenty of one on one time. The images they made were amazing. I’m really proud of the students and the creative results they produced during the workshop. We covered everything from how to capture HDR portraits, to final edits, controlling light and presentation.
I believe one of the most important parts of good HDR is knowing how to edit it. There’s a lot of really ugly HDR because photographers don’t understand what their dealing with and how to make something magical from it. Going further however I want to remind those playing with HDR that the rules of photography do not go away because a photo is HDR. Interesting subject matter, composition and attention to detail are all very important factors in a great image. The students at this workshop were from varied experience levels but I think every one of them got it and took home something valuable.
I’ll post a few images from students below as well as a few of my own I took during excursions. It seems every time I teach something, I learn something new myself. If you’re interested in learning more about my HDR workshops you can find info here on Seim Effects.
by Gavin Seim: It’s amazing how much information is in files coming from today’s cameras. I do a lot of HDR photography, but I’ve also been working to bring out dynamic range on single files. I can actually pull out more tones using LR than I can in Photoshop.
Today I recorded a quick video to look at brushes masking and Luminance tools to control tones. There’s an HQ download version on Seim Effects. I’ll also be speaking on LR at the PPW Fall Conference so if you’re in the region stop by. Why am I still typing? The video explains it all.
On Todays Show:Gavin Seim – Trey Ratcliff.This week I talk about attending workshops, the new Pocket Wizards and join HDR legend Trey Ratcliff for a great talk about the world of photography and HDR.
Gavin Seim: I write a lot about HDR photography here on Pro Photo Show. It’s an often misunderstood animal, that when used correctly is incredibly powerful.
This has been in the works for some time, but it’s finally official. My 3 day HDR workshop will be held in Fall of 2009 in Central WA, we’re going to cover everything from basic HDR landscapes to using HDR for amazing people pictures.
This is a small workshop limited to about 15 participants. Seats are first come first serve. You can learn more over on KungFu Photo.
by Gavin Seim: A problem people often have with HDR pictures, is getting a bold but balanced look. Often their images end up too flat, too fake, or too fancy and the entire goal (which is a vivid High Dynamic Range image) is lost. Here’s a few tips that apply to HDR nature as well as HDR portrait images on how I get a bold but not overkill look.
Below I’ve combined two – three image sets as HDR’s in Photomatix, but I’m just getting started. To bring it out, I need to mold them a bit and coax out the details I need.
Those of you who follow my work, know that I love HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. I’m especially fond of pushing the limits, with HDR portrait, wedding and other non standard uses. I started experimenting with HDR people shots in 2007. I also use it for nearly all of my nature work.
I have a bunch of favorites, and have finally compiled them onto one page on the Seim Photography site. If you’re intersted in HDR stop by and maybe you’ll get some ideas. I know I’m not the only one shooting HDR however. If you know of other great HDR, share them in the comments... Gavin Seim
