Images from my HDR study

Tripod, a sturdy one and ideally a wireless/or wired remote, no getting around it if you don't want to regret messing up an opportunity that presented itself. That is what I like about photography, every scene is unique and mother nature has a say in it. (Except in the case of a set up still life studio shot which to some extent can be repeated if you can figure out the light placement).

The Christmas scene below is a tone-mapped HDR (High Dynamic Range) image from three bracketed shots taken on a tripod during a foggy winter night. It was the lawn of the Capital building in Olympia. Without a tripod, one would not have three matching images to merge seamlessly. This one I was prepared. I had a decent tripod with me and it was worth bracing the cold night for it.

shot with tripod, long exposure, bracketed exposure

The second HDR image, that of a hillside pasture with a hint of spring was taken last weekend in San Jose. I was doing a small unplanned hike off a mountain range on a detour and did not have a tripod with me. It was 30 minutes before sunset and the hill slope just glowed with light. I set my camera to take three consecutive shots with a single shutter click and bracketed the shots (-2, 0, +2). Then I used Photomatix HDR software to map image details and shapes and merge the tonal properties. However the imperfect lines are visible if viewed at 100%.

No tripod, three consecutive shots, bracketed exposure

Then there is this last shot taken this past Fall at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle when on a spur of the moment, I decided to experiment with HDR. Without giving much thought to what I needed to do, I proceeded to bracket the three shots handheld (one of those stupid things I did) and thought to myself, yes, now I am going to merge them. Well, that is that, totally painfully obvious unmatched image tone mapped from three shots obviously from slightly different spot - It is sort of interesting and shows what it could have been if I had just used the tripod.

Disastrous HDR result - handheld, bracketed exposure - silly me

I remember a popular saying in the photography world:
"Beginner photographers debate over whether Nikon or Canon is a better camera, the real pros debate over which is the sturdiest tripod to have." Once lugging a good tripod with you becomes a second nature, the world you see through the lens will become that much sharper.



To see another tone mapped HDR image - of a city park shrouded in heavy fog, check out my first article on HDR Click Here

Support these places....bring out your film camera and have a blast again

Kaufmann's Cameras Inc
154 W 25th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 574-3429
Open Weekdays 9am-6pm; Sat 10am-4pm
My review:
Very good selection of negative and slide films, b&w/color, friendly, helpful, sells camera and lenses (new and used) darkroom chemicals (including Acufine), fiber papers, trays and everything you need for wet processing. Reasonable prices. Offers in house wet processing for b&w, sends color negative films and chromes out to third party, short turntime. I would rather frequent their stores than K&S in Palo Alto for my photography supplies.

Foto Express
304 E Santa Clara St # C
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 971-3977
The only place in South Bay (San Jose vicinity that is, CA) that process 120 films and slides in house (and 35mm of course). Friendly, helpful, good turntime. Comparable pricing (to A&I or BelAir). Sells a small selection of negative and chrome films. If you want your 120 films processed on site, this is the place to go.

Just Films (a smallish corner store that has seen its fair share of industry consolidation, it is currently operating at the following location)
130 Russ St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-864-0665
Sad but true, this seems to be the only place in SF where you can find a small but decent selection of films. Because it is a one man show, the owner, Volker may not be there all the time, call ahead before you show up so your trip is not in vain.

A great companion book for every digital photographer

If you are looking for a good companion book for digital photography and Photoshop, Scott Kelby's The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)definitely fits the bill. It is my only Photoshop reference book and has been instrumental in helping me master a couple of the Photoshop tools I use frequently. An excellent "How To" book, it is written for both Mac and PC users.



This book covers in detail many new and exciting Adobe Photoshop CS2 techniques for digital photographers:

• The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there's an entire chapter on, just this!)

• The pros tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!

• The step-by-step set-up for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you saw on screen

• The retouching secrets of how the pros retouch portraits

• How to process raw digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features of CS2!)

• How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how easy it is–once you know the secret) and more.

Indoor Event Photography-Always a Challenge

Just wanted to get this link posted first as I have gotten a lot of questions on it:
If you have a limited budget and want to take better photoggraphy, where do you start?

Ok, now on Event Photography. Someone from LinkedIn who had trouble getting good shots at event photography asked me if I would recommend a few camera lens that would be more suitable and what I would do differently-a tip or two. She was using her 50mm and her 70-200mm lens handheld, and her shots had all come out "trail-marked" as she puts it.

Event photography is always challenging for photographers because one has to deal with insufficient light, distance if one can't get close to podium, any motion on stage of the subject and if there is light, the type of lighting and if so making sure the white balance is set correctly. In most cases, flash is not allowed once the event has commenced.

If one could get close to the podium, within a 6-10ft, and assuming the podium/stage is sufficiently lit then a 50mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.4 or a 100mm f/2 (depending on what you are shooting) on a monopod or tripod should do the job. Another thing I would do is set the camera to take at least 3 frames in succession so you don't miss any shot.

If you can't get close to the podium, and the podium is sufficiently lit, then the most suitable lens in my opinion is the Canon 100mm f/2. It is lighter than the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS (it is heavy and you would stil need a tripod collar for the white lens which would add further to the weight). Definitely still use a tripod otherwise there is no chance of getting a decent shot in an indoor event. I know of music event photographers who are extremely happy with their 100mm f/2. It is fast lens, it is not heavy, it is inconspicious as compared to the signature white lens

"Trailmarked" or "light streaks" are a result of slow shutter speed (not enough light, or camera shake, or a combination of the two). The shutter speed is not fast enough to freeze any slight motion of the subject. As a rule of thumb, you want to be shooting at shutter speed no less than the focal length of your camera lens if you don't have a tripod: so no less than 1/60 with a 50mm f/1.8 and no less than 1/125 on a 100mm f/2 lens.

If the above still doesn't give you a decent shot, then the only solution is to get upfront, where you have light and ask the subject to pose for a shot beforehand :) or ask for permission to use flash.



Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Get it at Bhphotovideo or at or Amazon

The 100mm f/2 lens is also available for Nikon SLR. I have always preferred prime lens over my zoom lens whenever possible for the simple reason that what you give up in flexibility you get back plenty back in image quality not mentioning that prime lens are so much less expensive than comparable zoom. Using prime lens forces me to think more, compose with my feet and do photography in the ways of the Grand Masters when all they had were the old pancake lens and a 35mm or 50mm in the case of Pentax and look at those wonderful timeless photos from the Great Depression!!.

HDR Photography

High contrast scenes present great challenges to photographers and cameras sensors (and film media). The meter in our digital camera can only meter what it sees which is the "average" tone in terms of light/tone and colors. Without a good understanding of exposure and a clever use of filters (ND filters specifically), the resulting image will often be over or underexposed and flat leaving the average photographer exasperated.

Aspiring photographers have all been teased by the vibrant imagery we see on Calendars and Photography Books, we yearn to be able to also create these beautiful images. That day has finally arrived (well, sort of) with the advent of HDR High Dynamic Range photography - the new kid on the block, the latest obcession if you will. A new genre in digital photography is indeed here. In simple terms, HDR technique combines tonal properties at each end of the spectrum to produce a very rich and vibrant imagery. For a start, one has to take three identical images of the same scene/object: one at the set exposure, one overexposed and one underexposed. The easiest way to accomplish this is to set the camera on AEB (Automatic Exposure Bracketing) so the camera would take three shots: one at 0 on your meter scale, and the second shot at -2.0 and the third at +2.0. Because you need the three images to be taken from the same spot, a sturdy tripod and a wireless remote are essential to reduce camera shake.

Once you have the three bracketed images, you will need the help of a HDR software to put that tonal details together seamlessly. One such software is Photomatix. A trial version can be downloaded here at Photomatix. There is a PC and Mac version. It is a standalone software but a plug in is available for Photoshop. The trial version does not expire so long as you can put up with the watermark across your finished image. The price for the license is $99 and in my opinion it is well worth the investment if you plan to do a lot of landscape and high contrast scenes. Good way to test the software and see the end result and decide if this is your kind of art.


My first go at HDR tone-mapping - Evening at a city park shrouded in thick fog, shot at ISO 400

The software is extremely easy to use and accepts RAW files from my Canon 10D. Just drag the three image files and if you select the default settings, the software will do the rest. I would have preferred to shoot at ISO 100 but the thick fog meant I had to keep my shutter open for over 20 sec which would be really pushing it. Nevertheless, I was happy with the result. HDR works best with bright imagery but that is not a hard and fast rule, it is always good to experiment and find your own style.

I found a collection of beautiful HDR images at 17 beautiful HDR images online-photoshoptutorials.com

Did a search on Amazon for books on HDR Photography and found a handful of books written about HDR photography. One with high marks is:




Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography
by Ferrell McCollough (Author)

"It’s the latest and hottest technique, made possible only through digital. High Dynamic Range photography is the process of taking several pictures of a scene at various exposures, then merging them into one file. So the entire photo can look crisp and detailed, from highlights to midtones to shadows—and photographers needn’t sacrifice any part of their image. And the best way to master this exciting technology is with this thorough, easy-to-follow, and visually spectacular guide. No other title does justice to these cutting-edge techniques, which actually take the viewer into worlds far beyond normal photography—sometimes even beyond normal human perception. Ferrell McCollough, a widely respected photographer, pushes the boundaries and inspires others to pursue their artistic vision, too. The amazing results simply can’t be achieved any other way."