Movement in HDR Images Can Be Bad - or Good

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"How do you deal with subject movement in HDR images?" That's one of the most frequently asked questions I receive in my HDR seminars and on my Exploring the Light Workshops.

Well, there are two answers to that good question - because paying attention to subject movement (as well as camera movement) is very important in HDR photography.

1 - Subject movement can be good - when you are creating HDR images of fast-moving water and clouds.

Even exposures of several seconds can help to create beautiful images, as illustrated here by my HDR image of the New Croton Dam.

2 - Subject movement can be bad - when photographing people. For example, check out the close-up of the man's hand in the top set of illustrations (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico). Even though I asked him to stand perfectly still, he still moved his hand ever so slightly in a few sets of images.

When photographing people, my advice to HDR photographers to take several sets of pictures - with the goal of getting at least one set with no subject movement. Plus, of course, asking the subject to stand perfectly still.

You'll find more info on HDR imaging in the next update (late March) of my 24/7 Photo Buffet app and in my next book (due out in late April), HDR Photography Secrets.

Explore the Light,
Rick






A Photo Fake, Of Course

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Of course, yesterday's "Elephant Attacks Pro Photographer" image was a photo fake - which is why I used the quotation marks. The shot was taken in the American Museum of Natural History in NYC - and then enhanced in Photoshop.

Sure, I could have done a better job in Photoshop. However, demonstrating my Photoshop skills was not the point.

I posted the photograph to bring you back here – so I could stress the importance of honesty in wildlife photography.

No one says that better than Ted Williams in his article in the current issue (March-April) of Audubon magazine: Picture Perfect - Phony wildlife photography in magazines, books, calendars and posters is giving a warped view of nature.

Check it out. It's important read.

The article is not posted on the web at this time, but here is another article by Ted.

Explore the light - and remember that honesty is the best policy.
Rick

"Elephant Attacks Pro Photographer"

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Hey Gang,

I have photographed my fair share of elephants in Africa. The sunset shot here, taken in Botswana, is one of my favorites.

Over the years, I have had a few close encounters with elephants and other African animals - during the day and at night.

Tune in tomorrow for the story behind the top picture.

Explore the light - and be careful when on safari!
Rick

Make Your Presos Entertaining and Educational

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Tomorrow, I am giving a three-hour talk on social media marketing to the students at the Hallmark Institute of Photography.

In preparing my talk, I followed my presentation philosophy: make it educational and entertaining.

Sure, I could have chosen to show tons of graphs and charts: google analytics, appviz (great for tracking global app sales), twitter & quitter (yes, there is a quitter), google buzz, twitter counter, etc.

I have these charts, and I do show a few. However, I thought it would be fun to illustrate my marketing points with photographs from my travels around the world.

Here are two slides from the show. The pictures (taken in the hot-as-hell Gobi in Mongolia) help to make the points - which are easier to remember with related photographs.

There is something else I keep in mind during my presentations: The more fun I have, the more fun the audience enjoys the show.

I am giving the same preso at the Palm Springs Photo Festival later this month. Hope to see you there.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. Hey, first and foremost, I am photographer. Even though I spend a good amount of time on social media marketing, I still travel the world (via my workshops) in search of good photographs for my books and apps: off to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Japan later this year. On that note, here's another tip I give in my talk:

You have to do what you don't want to do
to do the things you want to do.