HDR--Just Because You Can?

My wife and one of her friends just returned from the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach. Although I’ve never been there, I understand it’s an extremely popular annual arts and crafts event that features among other things a photographic exhibit. When my wife came come, she reported that she had seen quite a number of “HDRs”. That comment struck a chord with me that I wanted to share with you.

 

First of all, can you imagine a friend coming back from an art exhibit and telling you that they saw a bunch of watercolors? Or a bunch of pen-and-inks? Or how about a bunch of frescos? To all three of these questions, I think the answer would be “yes”.  The friend has only told you about the art’s medium, not the art itself. So because my wife and her friend said they saw a bunch of HDRs, what does that mean?

 

HDR is a medium for photographic expression, just as is B&W--it's another medium, or technique. In fact, like painting, photography has a myriad of different techniques and mediums through which photographers express their emotion and point of view. And depending on whether the photographer is working in the realm of photojournalism, or documentary, or landscape, or portraiture, or macro, or sports, etc…the techniques used can involve elaborate capture setups and/or elaborate post-production efforts. HDR is simply a tool, or technique, or medium that can be utilized in some or all those various realms.

 

Now let's look at when someone might or might not want to use HDR as part of their image creation process. Just as saying “watercolor” describes a broad range of end-result styles, HDR is a term that describes a broad range of results, from the radically process extremes sometimes referred to as “grunge”, to the more sedentary balancing and evening out of wide tonal ranges in a scene (like my HDR image in this posting). Unfortunately, HDR has come to carry with it a connotation that many photographers associate with unpleasing results, when in fact, some of the most awe inspiring images are HDRs—and were created in the darkroom years before there were computers and software designed to deal with high dynamic range…ah yes, the days of dodging and burning…you remember them, right? That was “HDR”.

 

I heard a good friend once say “that’s a hammer looking for a nail”, and another friend told me that "if your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail"… Both statement conveying the same singular mindset.  In photography, if you’re starting out with intent to create an HDR, then you are a bit like that hammer. Keep the hammer in your toolbox until you’ve decided what story you’re trying to tell with your imagery. What did you see, how did you decide to compose it, what camera settings were most appropriate to capture the essence of motion, color, depth, contrast, and finally, what post-processing techniques will help you complete the story telling--maybe HDR is the tool/technique you need, maybe not.  Don't use HDR just because you can...

(photo metadata:  1/60 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 1000, focal length 18mm)

Visualizing the Post-Processed Result

Twice in the last week, I took photographs that in and of themselves were not creative or inspiring captures. Instead, they were shots where I saw potential only through post processing. I felt a little guilty because this approach is counter to most things you read about photography, particularly the emphasis (which I agree with) to capture as much of your desired end result “in camera” instead of in the digital darkroom.
Let me describe both situations.

I was walking through my neighborhood to complete an errand and came upon an old-model Ford pickup truck. Because I also agree with the advice that you should try to have a camera with you at all times, I was carrying my point-and-shoot camera for that “just in case” opportunity. The problem was that the truck was parked such that I couldn't get a clean shot without a lot of clutter behind it. I could have uses my f/1.8 lens to throw the background out of focus, however, like I indicated, I didn’t have my Nikon with me, and second, putting the background out of focus would have also meant having some of the truck also out of focus.

 

Therefore, I opted to take my shot, knowing that I’d deal with the background in post-production. I didn’t labor hours, but rather did a simple selection and applied a Gaussian blur as well as a slight de-saturation coupled with a decrease in exposure. These adjustments made the truck the star of the image, in spite of a background I had no control over.  (email me if you'd like to see how this came out)

 
The other situation where post production was part of my image capture strategy was during my visit to the Getty Center this weekend with some of my family, including one of my sons and his girlfriend. There was a point where they were walking ahead of me, hand-in-hand, and the way they were holding hands caught my attention.  As you can imagine, with them walking, and me walking, it would not have been possible to accomplish “in camera” the end result I was visualizing (refer to the photograph to see my final result).
 
My plan quite simply was to kick up the shutter speed and make a sharp capture in shutter priority mode, and then deal with completing the concept in post production. A tight crop and a bit of vignetting gave me the final result I was after.

So next time you’re out with your camera, open your own “aperture” a bit more and consider captures where post-production is central to your photographic visioning and story telling.

(photo metadata:  1/750 sec @ f/6.7, ISO 200, focal length 62mm)

Victoria--warm up after that great Alaskan Cruise!

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and was named after Queen Victoria.  Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1841. The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings (finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia) and the Empress hotel (opened in 1908).

Staying at the Empress Hotel (see photo of dining room), facing the inner harbor and the Parliament Building was a real treat.  I found the history of the Empress Hotel quite interesting.

In addition, the city's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco's and was within short walking distance. Nicknamed the "City of Gardens," Victoria is an attractive city and a popular tourism destination—it was easy to see why!  The weather was sunny and warm, with an occasional need for a light jacket when walking around in the evening or early morning.

Have you been there?  Would love to hear about it... CostaMesaPhotography@gmail.com

(photo metadata:  1/60 sec @ f2/.8, ISO 1600, focal length 11mm)

Alaska's Glacial Wonderland

According to the USGS, Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier on the North American continent. It has been thickening and advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska since it was first mapped by the International Boundary Commission in 1895 (Davidson, 1903). 

This is in stark contrast with most glaciers, which have thinned and retreated during the last century. This atypical behavior is an important example of the calving glacier cycle. If Hubbard Glacier continues to advance, it will close the seaward entrance of Russell Fjord and create the largest glacier-dammed lake on the North American continent in Historic times.

This was our first official stop after leaving port at Seward.  After entering the initial ice flow, our speed slowed to an imperceptible crawl as it took another couple of hours to actually get to the closest point the captain was willing to approach.  From this vantage point, we were able to see some calving, but more than that, we were able to see the drama of scale, colors, textures, and experience first hand the marvel and wonder of glacial flow.  The crowds on the upper ship decks were initially full, but after the two hours approach, many went below deck where it was warm (and where all the food was no doubt!!).  

This was when the real magic started for me.  There were only a handful of us remaining, and it was completely quite and it seemed as if the air couldn’t have been cleaner and the water couldn’t have been colder (it actually had a surface that was a crystaline sheen of icy water).  This was an inhospitable place, yet there were birds, sea lions, and greenery on the steep hills…and of course the several thousand of us visitors on the Celebrity Millennium.

Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you thing...  CostaMesaPhotography@gmail.com

(photo metadata:  1/750 sec @ f/5.3, ISO 200, focal length 200mm)

Colors Gone Wild!

If you've been keeping up with the newest editions to my gallery at http://costamesaphotography.com/ you’ve seen my collections of the Navajo Bridge, Hanging Gardens, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, Horseshoe Bend, and Paria Rimrocks/Toadstools.  You’re probably thinking (and I wouldn’t blame you), you mean there’s MORE?!  I know, I find it hard to believe myself.  I mean, this was Page, Arizona.  Half of the people I talk to never heard of it.  The other half are vaguely familiar with it…some guess and think it’s near Hoover Dam (nice try).

The visual diversity of this place is hard to describe without pictures—I simply wouldn’t have the vocabulary to even try.  I’ve attempted to explain the Antelope Canyons by starting with “Have you seen 127 Hours?”.  If they have, I say, they’re slot canyons sort of like in that movie, but only psychedelic.  (If they haven’t seen the move, the next conversation devolves into a brief overview of the struggle for survival depicted in that film).  I guess that’s why I’m a photographer and not a book writer—I’ll let my images show you what this place was like…superlatives seem inadequate.

This image is from the LOWER Antelope Canyon (yep, there’s an UPPER too…check out my galler to see those--truly amazing).  The Lower Antelope Canyon experience was fantastic.  It was quiet, cool (figuratively and literally), very narrow, and colorful beyond belief.  The colors in the images below are all natural…no lights, no grotesque post-processing.  The yellows, reds, browns, blues, magentas were all there.  Some of this is due to actual variations of color in the geological formations, but the other is due to the physics of the reflected light spectrum—a bit like what a prism does. 

About half of these images are HDRs. Since many on my distribution are photographers, no explanation needed, but for the other half… HDR stands for high dynamic range.   Digital cameras (and films cameras to a lesser extent) have a difficulty capturing the wide range of light intensity that the eye and brain simply deals with automatically.  In these canyons, the lighting conditions go from the darkest of shadows to the very bright blinding intensity of the sun—all in the same composition.  What “HDR” is, is a technique where three pictures are taken of the same composition, with each exposure adjusted differently—overexposed to capture shadow detail, underexposed to capture detail in the sun-drenched rock.  Special software (I use Photomatix) then allows these images to be combined into a single picture that allows you to see the complete tonal range of the image--the same way as if you were standing there.  Because standing there the eye and brain work together to allow you to see this shadow detail when you look there, and the brightest area details when you look there….make sense?

Your comments and feedback are always welcomed.

(photo metadata:  1/20 sec @ f/9.5, ISO 200, focal length 16mm)

Going in Circles

I was reminded today of the importance, and power of considering perspective, that is multiple perspectives, when framing your subject.  On a short walk around my neighborhood, I was following a familiar path and noticed a tree that caught my attention as having potential for great image.  

The problem was that when I framed the image, it wasn’t giving me that magical look.  Since I wasn’t in any hurry, I started walking around the tree like I was stalking it, and came upon an angle that had all the right stuff—lighting, shadows, glint of the sun, along with the backdrop of a deep blue sky.  When I got back to the digital darkroom, I was really pleased with what I had.  By going in circles, literally, I found my picture.

I often tell my friends when we’re out on photo shoots, to periodically stop and look over their shoulders because that perspective is the one that most people miss.  I have to remind myself of the same thing, and today I learned a corollary…look at your subject from more than one angle and you might just be surprised, and rewarded with what you find.  It takes time, and it takes practice.  And it's because I know that it takes practice that I will grab my camera and just go out on walk-abouts...that way I'll be better prepared when going on destination-specific shoots.

(photo metadata:  1/180 sec @ f/6.7, ISO 200, focal length 11mm)

Seeing the Big Picture

I don't know about you, but I sometimes find myself in information overload.  When it comes to photography, I watch videos, read blogs, follow forum posts, research and experiment with tutorials, and spend countless hours practicing photography on outdoor photoshoots, or editing images in the digital darkroom.  Who has the time?

Funny thing though, I'm loving every minute of it.  It was after returning from my recent trip to Colorado Springs with another couple hundred photos that needed viewing, culling, processing, and sharing that I was able to catch a glimpse of the "big picture".  Instead of that overwhelmed feeling, I had an excited feeling...similar to a child at Christmas.  I was looking forward to seeing what I caught, and how I'd be able to improve the good images--all the while knowing the joy of sharing them was to follow.  The "big picture" was simply realizing that I just love photography, and more than that, I love taking pictures, editing pictures, and sharing pictures...almost equally.  The big picture became a little clearer--I'm simply having a blast with my photography, and my photography friends!

It's easy to lose sight of the big picture.  Who hasn't been swallowed up in the debate of JPG vs RAW. Or how about the discussion of full-frame sensors vs smaller fractionally-sized sensors.  There are endless decisions, trade-offs, evaluations, and in the end compromises that one makes throughout the photographic process--but if you can keep YOUR big picture in focus, you won't get lost along the way.

Here's to finding your big picture!  (my big photo above happens to be a panorama with the Garden of the Gods in the foreground, and Pikes Peak in the background).  See more of Colorado Springs on my website at:  http://costamesaphotography.com/

(photo metadata:  1/350 sec @ f/9.5, ISO 200, focal length 24mm)