IS3 - HDR photography

This year I would really like to learn more about a technique called high dynamic range (HDR). Its a technique used to show tremendous detail in a pictures highlights, midtones and shadows. This is used in situations where you have a very bright area and a very dark area in the same image. Because the camera can only expose properly for one of the areas HDR is the perfect solution to get the detail back in all areas of the photo. This is a technique achieved by bracketing different exposures and combining them in Photoshop. This is very difficult to do because when taking the pictures nothing in the frame can move, the camera can't move at all and the photographer also has to have an understanding of a program like Photoshop CS2 or CS3. The final result is a picture that looks like the human eye would see the world. The whole HDR process seems like a hard one to achieve but eventually I would like to take the challenge on and learn how to produce amazing HDR images.

A few websites that I found that had pretty good information on this technique are ;
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm
http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

Another good site that also gives a history on the technique and explanations is ;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging


The first photo I chose to demonstrate this technique can be found at this link;
http://flickr.com/photos/seim/474840647/in/set-72157600174238421/

The reason I chose this picture is because it demonstrates that HDR, which is usually seen in landscape shot, can be used in portraiture, wedding and fashion images. It's a lot harder of a process this way though because the people in the image can't move at all. I would like to eventually master this to be used in my own images as I prefer to shoot people and find that this technique with people photography has quite an interesting look.


I really like the next photo which can be found at this link;
http://flickr.com/photos/seim/2145985264/in/set-72157600174238421/

I really like it because normaly in a shot like this you wouldn't see all the detail in the sky. Obviously some burning was also used but now with the HDR technique you can see the detail in everything.


I chose this photo because of the unbelievable detail in both the sky and the land. It is a very good example of HDR imaging

Here is the link;
http://flickr.com/photos/m_o_f/2855654367/in/pool-hdr

Link to a site

This is a link to a guy I know's flickr album and website. He does all kinds of people photography from kids to the elderly, pinups, weddings etc... I just like his style of photography.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/latsch/
http://www.latschstudios.com/

IS2 - Lines

This assignment was alot of fun for me. I got out of class and right away went downstairs in our locker room to look for lines. Because of the big window lighting wasn't an issue and there were many lines there to shoot. I did find it a challenge though to shoot the last few pictures since I was in a low light situation and had to get a tripod. It took me a few tries to get it right but in the end I got the shots even though a few have a slightly yellow cast to them. The part I enjoyed the most about this assignment was that it forced me to take pictures of things I would have never thought of photographing.

AT1 B&W Film Shooting Assignment

DT1 Shooting Assignment Slideshow

IS1 Group A Blog Assignment

I was thinking about this the other day and I used to be really into videography. I took extra-curicular courses in high school (with Productions Rivard) and helped film and produce an award winning film (people's choice). Really photography isn't that different from that I'm still getting to tell a story. I guess what changed the video to photo was when I had my first child and was constantly at the photo studio's to get his pictures updated. I always came out of there hating my pictures so I decided that I could do better and got my first DSLR. Last fall I decided to take an evening photo 1 class at PrairieView and thats when I knew for sure that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was and am hooked.

By the end of this course I hope to know everything there is to know about photography ( I know thats ambitious but thats my goal). I am also really looking forward to working in the darkroom (something i've never done before).

Here's my little secret... I like to dance when no one's watching and I love to sing when no one's listening.

Photography I enjoy...

My passion is to take pictures of people. I love taking pictures at weddings and of children and babies. I enjoy it because it's a challenge and it keeps my adrenaline pumping. I also really enjoy taking environmental portraits of people from all walks of life. My cat and my children are my most frequent models and have all started to either pose or hide (depending on the mood they're in) when they see me approaching with my camera.


Photo by: Duncan McNairnay