When HDR is a Good Thing – and When It Isn't – For Landscape Photogrpahy

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I think HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is one of the coolest developments in photography in recent years. I shoot HDR almost everywhere I go. However, there is a time and place for HDR imaging.

When HDR is Not a Good Thing

In the top example (Monument Valley, AZ), the image on the left is the HDR image. Sure, the dynamic range of the scene is captured, but the image lacks drama.

The pictures on the right are my available light shots of the same scene. The top right shot is a natural light shot. The bottom right shot shows the tree in the foreground illuminated by the headlights from our guide's jeep. I much prefer these photographs over the HDR image.

When HDR is a Good Thing

Here is an HDR image (Slot Canyons, AZ) that I like. Without HDR, I would not have been able to capture the dynamic range of the scene. Here, HDR was ideal. To capture the entire dynamic range of the scene, I had to take four exposures: at, over and under the recommended setting. See images below.

The next time you are out shooting, think about the end-result, and whether HDR is a good or a bad thing.

For detailed how-to information on HDR, illustrated with both good and bad examples, see my new HDR book, HDR Secrets.

Explore the Light,
Rick

New E-Book Project – A work in progress

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Fear an ignorant man more than a lion. – Turkish Proverb

Always try to anticipate the action. To capture fast moving action, set your camera on rapid frame advance and focus tracking. To freeze the action, use a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second.

Lions Mating, Botswana
Canon 1D Mark II
Shutter Priority Mode
Canon 100-400mm IS lens @ 400mm
ISO 800
1/250th sec. @ f/8
• • •

I am working on a new e-book project - and could use your help.

It's an inspirational e-book that includes (per page):
• Photograph;
• Inspirational quote that matches the photograph;
• Subject name;
• Camera/exposure information.

What you see here is a sample page. The idea is to offer some inspiration/motivation and a very quick photography tip – info that you can have on your iPhone or iPad.

Basically, it's a feel-good e-book that helps you with your photography.

Whatta ya think of the idea? Please let me know here. Any ideas? For example, would you like to see a Photoshop tip, such as (in this case):

In Photoshop: Sharpen selectively. Here, sharpening only the lions made them stand out more in the scene. Sharpening the soft background would have detracted from the subjects and increased the noise.

Explore the light,
Rick

Fun Shots From Nik's Fun Event

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By now, I am sure that you have heard about the Nik Summit in San Diego last weekend. A ton of fun. To keep the fun going, I thought I'd post some fun shot with short captions. Here ya go.

Finally! A group of workshop photographers following my instructions.

The reason why the camera strap was invented.

Thanks Tony for working us so hard. We felt like this panda at the end of the day!

I love (and hug) my lenses!

Nik's Silver Efex rocks.

Explore the light,
Rick

Try Topaz Adjust Times Two - Twice the Fun!

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When you are working and playing with Topaz Adjust, try this: apply the Spicify effect to the foreground, and the Simplify effect to the sky. The result: detail in the foreground and a soft and pleasing sky.

Topaz Adjust turned my dull photo of the "Bird's Nest" in Beijing into a sci-fi type photo that pops with color and detail.

The spot in the top right of the frame is not a dust spot. It's the sun trying to poke through the pollution!

Explore the light,
Rick

Always Envision the End Result

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Images © Rick Sammon. All rights reserved.

When you are composing a picture, always try to envision the end result - the image that you will create in the digital darkroom. Think about how you can control the color, contrast, sharpness and brightness of a scene. Also think about all-important cropping.

Here is a before-and-after example that illustrates this point. I took the original shot in Guizhou, China on my recent photography workshop.

Here are steps I took to create the opening image for this post:

• Opened the image in Adobe Camera Raw and made some basic enhancements.

• Changed the image to a pano in Photoshop by going to Image Size, unchecking Constrain Proportions, and then typing in a longer width.

• Converted the image to a B&W in Photoshop using the B&W adjustment.

• Used the Midnight filter in Nik Color Efex Pro.

• I did something else. Can you see?

Like the Midnight filter effect? You can get a discount on all Nik products (as well as some other plug-ins) by clicking here.

Explore the light - and explore your creativity,
Rick

P.S. All my workshops are listed here.