No, we’re not having a “heat wave” here.  This morning it’s 57 degrees in Prescott.  We’ll probably see something near 90 today.  But without humidity you can stay comfortable in the shade, no problem.  Walking downtown yesterday I stayed in shady spots on the square, and I was pretty darned comfortable!

That’s not the same story for folks in New England.  They’re running from 60 to above 90, but there’s high humidity.  I remember those days.  Breaking a sweat no matter what you do.  Plus most every house in New England has no AC!  Eeek!

Last night I spoke with one of my sisters.  Her little ones were fussing big time.  They couldn’t sleep.  Fans fail to cool well with heat and humidity together.  While we talked I sat outside my Airstream in the shade.  A light breeze was blowing, and I was happily comfortable.  I wish they lived closer, they could come here for a few days and get comfortable.

I know, Arizona is HOT.  It sure is….in some areas.  Phoenix is looking to hit 109 degrees today.  Boy, that wouldn’t be fun, even though it’s a dry heat.

Fortunately I don’t live in Phoenix.  Less than 2 hours away Prescott sits at a much higher elevation.  That gives us cooler temperatures every day.  While Phoenix climbs to crazy temperatures, we climb to reasonable temperatures.

Last year we had a week here that broke 100 every day.  It was hot!  The AC struggled.  But sitting out under my awning I always found myself pretty comfortable.  I can handle a week of that again!  Glad it’s not humid here!

To everyone back on the East Coast…..sorry gang!  Pay a visit sometime.  Try the Fall, it’s cooler then and you can really explore the area!

Ah, days off.

Personally I’d like them to become more consistent.  By that I mean I’d like to pick 2 days in the week and have them off each week.

Actually, 3 days would be better than 2.  Just saying…… 

So, what to do with the day off?  How about some laundry?  Yup, the standard laundry day.  I sure wish the Airstream had the room for a washer and dryer.  But let’s face it, living in a 25 foot Six Sleeper doesn’t allow for much washer and dryer room.  I sure wish it did though!

Normally on my days off folks can find me between 8 and 10 in the Point of Rocks laundry room.  It’s a happening spot full of happening people.  Why just this morning I ran into……. uh ….. nobody.  Ok, not the most happening spot after all.  But it is located in a wonderful park!

After laundry wrapped up I visited with my neighbor Ed.  We talk politics, economics, photography, and anything else that interests us.  Ed is a pleasant guy.  Like me, he’s a full-timer.  He and his wife live in a Class A rig a few sites away from me.  He used to own a large door manufacturing company, finally retired, sold the home and hit the road.  Like me, Ed found Prescott and here he is!

Following Ed’s visit I had another friend pop over.  Adobe Lightroom questions.  And some new photos shared.  Tony went to Monument Valley and a few other super cool spots recently.  The photos made me want to hook the rig up right now and roll out.  Alas, work tomorrow. 

See, I didn’t even mention how gas prices factor into the travel decision!  How are people doing it now though?  There’s my question!

By noon I headed into town.  Sadira’s portable drive had been acting up, so I made a backup of it for her “just in case.”  I ran by her shop to drop it off, say howdy, and take a walk around town.  Today was a perfect day for a walk.  Really.  Blue skies, nice breeze, cool in the shade, no humidity.  Exactly the type of day I expect in Prescott!

While walking through town I stopped by “The Art Store” to pick up some covers for my latest prints.  Can’t have them getting coated in dust!  Of course while walking through the alley near the store I couldn’t resist taking a few photos of the mural on the wall.  I wanted to see what it would look like in HDR.  I’ve been wanting to try it out for quite some time.  And I’d say it turned out very interesting indeed!

Oh yeah, it also gave me the opportunity to toy around with my new wide angle lens some more too!  What can I say?  I’m hooked on the new lens!!!

I puttered around town for more than 1 hour and 45 minutes.  I would have stayed longer, but there’s 2 hour parking along the streets.  I don’t want a parking ticket.  So I headed back to the Titan and made my way home.  Late lunch, a few phone calls to friends and an e-mail to a Mac client of mine who is currently on the road.

The rest of the day has been spent just hanging out at the Airstream.  A little cleaning, a little re-organizing, and emptying out my Dyson vacuum cleaner.  A Dyson for a 25 foot trailer?  Of course, it’s for an Airstream folks!  :)  Plus it can get dusty here with the winds in the Spring you know.

I’m not sure how the day will end.  I think I’ll sit back and toy with a few more photos.  Maybe I’ll sit in the shade next to the Airstream for a while, enjoy the breeze and watch the crazy lizards hopping around on the rocks.  It’s all a possibility.

Just another good day in Arizona………….

Granny J’s curiosity about a favorite spot has caused me to weigh the pros and cons of sharing the location of the Promised Land climbing area.  I’ve given vague directions previously on this site.  The directions will continue to be vague, but they might help Granny J identify where the spot is.

Why be so vague?  Do I like big secrets?  Nope.  Bottom line, getting to the Promised Land takes some doing.  Repeat the last sentence and say, “How true it is.”

Last year, August 11th to be exact, Andy, Brooke, & I found the Promised Land.  It’s funny, we literally wandered the desert for a while looking for it.  We’d been out previously in search of it, and it wasn’t easy to find.  The one map that existed was no longer in print.  Instead, we headed out in the general direction and explored dirt double track after dirt double track.  We didn’t even know for certain that we’d found it at first…..

Today I know the way, and it’s easy to find.  Not easy to get into though, the roads are still rough.  You need a 4×4.  Without one you’ll find several tough spots.

Given the fact that Bill Cramer is doing a new guide for climbers, and including the Promised Land, I’m not too worried about giving the location.  It’s going to be out there soon anyway.

For those familiar with the area this won’t be too hard.  Head to Chino Valley.  Find Perkinsville Rd.  If you’re coming from Prescott Perkinsville Rd will be on your right after the Safeway.  Stop there and get a Gatorade or two.  Once you’ve found Perkinsvill Rd, take it.  You’ll drive to where the pavement ends and you hit a dirt road.  Continue onward past the gravel company.  Soon on your left you’ll see a dirt road to the Haystack development.  Take that road.

Now this is where things get sketchy.  Directions are now going to get vague!

Before reaching Haystack the road splits.  One into Haystack, one along the edge to the left.  Take the road to the left.  You’ll drive along with Haystack on your right, then you’ll be into open land.  Cross a HUGE wash (don’t do this during Monsoons) and stay to the right.  Now there’s a new landmark….the PIPELINE PROJECT has cut a huge swath through the desert.  It looks like a super highway made of dirt.  Immediately after crossing this new “road” hang a left onto a smaller track.  Follow this main “road” for well over a mile.

You’ll hit a major fork soon.  An open triangle shows signs of 4 wheelers off roading every weekend.  Stay left here.  You’ll approach the pipeline road.  Get on the pipeline road (go right) for 1/8th of a mile.  Then take a left onto an almost unseeable double track.  Follow this track (rough) to an old windmill that no longer works (Little Thumb Butte is the backdrop for this windmill).  At the junction near the windmill go left.  Follow this road (super rough) to a roughed out parking lot and you’re there.  You won’t know you’re there, as there’s nothing grand at the lot.  It’s time to hike.  Follow the path north into the dry river bed.  Walk toward the distant rock formations sticking to the river bed.

That’s the story.  Somewhere in Chino you may or may not find the Promised Land.  It’s a wonderful canyon.  Good climbing, fun hiking, great photo opportunities, and if you’re there at the right time you’ll see the swallows nesting throughout the canyon.  You’ll see the red tails looking for the next snack.  And if you forget to bring water you’ll see plenty of vultures waiting on you……

Best bet….drop me a line and sign up for a photo tour of the area.  I’ll take you to see things you might not otherwise on a visit to the area!

Which cause am I furthering exactly?  That’s a good question.  I’ll wrangle up a good answer.

I’m furthering plenty of causes today.  You can take your pick and apply it to today’s post. 

• Achieving total relaxation:  After two days of rest (Thursday & Friday) I find myself with another day off.  Nice!  And unplanned.  But I could definitely use a little more rest, so no complaints.
• Seeking new sites:  I’m always looking for new things to photograph.  So, with my extra day of rest I took a ride to Sedona & Flagstaff.  Sadira was kind enough to come along too!
• Improving photos:  After seeing a few shots from Bert’s new wide angle lens (acquired only weeks ago) I couldn’t resist.  The Sedona portion of the trip landed us at Rollies Camera where I picked up a new wide angle lens.
• Answering reader requests:  An HDR of the Airstream was requested.  And a little better view of my new site has been requested repeatedly.  So, with my new lens I was able to get a full view of only half of my site (the other half is where I shot from).  Through answering the requests I have found a new subject to shoot, had an opportunity to try out my new lens, and got to play with yet another HDR shot.  Guess this category covered all the causes……

Without any further delay, you now get a look at my new site, and my Airstream in HDR.  I went a little over the top with the HDR on this shot.  Just having a little fun with the medium!

Now I’m concerned questions will abound.  Not about the photo technique, but about the site.  What’s under the trailer, is that a step stool, etc, etc.  Those questions will be left for another time.  Gather them up, ask them in the comments, or speculate on the contents of the photo and site on any number of forums across the Internet…..

Ah, clearly a well rested Rich is a cheeky Rich to boot!

So, on to a rundown of today’s activities….

This morning Sadira and I headed North before 9 a.m.  First stop….a gas station.  I don’t even want to talk about it.  24 gallon tank you know. 

Once I’d topped off we headed straight for Sedona, AZ.  Truly a favorite place to go taking pictures.  Today though I took no Sedona photos.  The reason for the visit was strictly business.  A stop into Rollies Camera.  I knew they had some wide angle lenses in, and I’ve been pining for one since getting a look at Bert’s new lens.  I lay the blame with Bert, and Bert alone! 

I’m teasing you here Bert!  I know you’re reading along!

While at Rollies we had several pleasant surprises.  My favorite sales guy was in (of course) and we found the lens I was searching for.  Sadira also found something wonderful.  A unique version of a Crumpler Bag.  This bag had a custom design for wildlife watchers.  The Velcro had been dealt with……

It’s at this point Tombo has stopped reading my blog.  He’s opened two browser tabs and is searching Sadira’s site as well as Crumpler’s site.  A stealthy pack without velcro noise is a priority for Mr. Tombo……  Wow, a well rested Rich really is a cheeky so and so!

While Sadira wrestled with the concept of trading up on packs I checked out lenses and settled on my final choice.  I also shared my web site with the folks in the shop, and they took a look at my “photo only” site.  Lot’s of “Wow’s” which made me smile.

Sadira resolved her pack dilemma and made her way to the “Life is Good” shop.  I headed out of Rollies, and realized I forgot one item, so returned quickly.  While cashing out the owner asked me, “Are you aware of what we’ll be doing in the front of the store soon?”  I told him I wasn’t, and I got an extra pleasant surprise.  Rollies will be featuring a few local photographers soon, and they’re interested in my work being in the mix!

Other things are currently in the works.  So, this adds fuel to the fire.  And it helped me justify my shinny new lens!

After wrapping up in Sedona we headed to Flagstaff.  A visit to Bookman’s for Sadira (and some interesting books), and then a walk through the town.  We shot a unique church in town, and I’m not sure what to make of the photos.  See, the trimmings of the church were painted in an odd shade of “pink”.  Pretty stones mixed with pink.  Pink gargoyles too…..  I just don’t know.

While in Flagstaff we also stopped by the Life Is Good store.  They seem to be popping up everywhere!  But Life is Good after all, so I won’t complain about seeing their stores everywhere.  Also, I was wearing one of their shirts today, not to mention a hat from them as well!

We strolled around Flagstaff for quite a while.  Many trains rolled through, all blasting their horns letting people everywhere know they weren’t slowing down for anyone!  Neat to watch, hard to cross the tracks while waiting on train after train!

While wandering I took another “door” photo.  I think it’s written somewhere that in order to have your photography taken seriously you must shoot doors and make them look cool.  I don’t know if I made this door look cool or not, but I did like the door to begin with.  Actually, I think it was the building’s exterior that caught me!

I’m not sure if this shot will classify me as a serious photographer or not.  But it does mean I’m trying.  I haven’t moved into a post modern apartment with only black and white furniture yet, and I’m currently not wearing a turtle neck while drinking wine, so I think we’re still a ways off from “serious photography.”  Normally when I’m out shooting I’m wearing a T-Shirt, North Face A5 Shorts, Chacos (sandals), and a Nalgene water bottle is in tow somewhere.  As you can see, a far cry from a serious photographer’s attire.

Honestly, I’ve got a cool art deco home…..my Airstream.  I don’t know how much further I’d need to take it.  Maybe if I start taking detailed photos of rivet lines it will count for something and I can skip ahead to “serious.”

After all our fun in Flagstaff we finally headed home.  We went a different way though.  Off and on Route 66.  More unique photo ideas.  While I saw one potentially interesting item I decided to skip it.  The shot had already been done by Ben Wilmore.  Ah well, I’ll find that special shot along 66 at some point in time.  I’ve got a lot of other ideas too.  Many can be done right in my own back yard.

That’s it for tonight.  I need to go stare at my new lens for a while now……….

Well, what’s done is done.  I totally skipped a post yesterday.  Actually, it wasn’t skipped, it was forgotten.  Whoops.

The past few days have been nice, and I almost feel rested again.  That’s a good sign.  I just wish I had a few more days to nurture that rested and relaxed feeling.  Not to mention my hip is no longer sore, and I worry it might go right back to where it was without additional down time.  We’ll just have to see.

Yesterday my friend Josh popped by early in the a.m.  We decided to head out to the Promised Land and take a few more photographs.  Josh has never been to the Promised Land, and he’s enjoyed some of my photos from there.  I should start a photo tour company for obscure spots in Northern Arizona…. hmmmm…. almost sounds like a good idea!

As you may recall from prior climbing photos, and other photos from my visits to the Promised Land, many little nests can be seen on the canyon walls.  Since I’ve started visiting the spot I have never seen anything residing in the nests….until yesterday!

As we made our way into the canyon everything around us was alive.  Many lizards moved out of the way as we trodded along the canyon floor.  Doves popped out of bushes, and red tail hawks called out as we passed.  The most lively I’ve seen the Promised Land.

As we passed the first climbing area the canyon was a buzz with activity.  Tiny little birds popping down to the remaining pools of water in the canyon.  A quick trip to the water and mud, then right back to their cliff side homes.  There were so many birds in sections of the canyon you just couldn’t count them, you could only watch them “swarm”.  Pretty interesting.

Over the past year I’d wondered about all the nests.  When do they return, how long do they stay, and where do they go next?  What I know now is that they return….well, now.  They’re not here from August through at least April.  Why do I know that?  Because during all my visits from August to April nobody has resided in these cute little nests.  And now the nests are full.

As far as how long these little architects stay….who knows?  I’ll have to check back in and see when they leave.

The remainder of the morning will be spent sorting photos.  I went over the top yesterday and filled the card with the birds.  High speed shutter, crazed birds colliding mid-air….there have to be a few interesting shots in there.  So, it’s time to sort.  If I come across anything of interest I’ll pop it up here!

Last night I got home earlier than I have in a while.  After getting in I changed into a pair of shorts and a Life is Good T-Shirt, got dinner going and fell back on the couch.  Not long after arriving home dinner was ready and soon I was full.

Once I felt unwound I headed outside and saw colors in the sky changing.  Another amazing Arizona sunset was taking place.  I’ll tell you, I don’t think I’ll get tired of Arizona sunsets.

I’m lucky enough to have several interesting perches in the Granite Dells behind my Airstream.  Often I’ll head up into the rocks just to look around.  Last night I decided to take a look around once again.  This time I went up without the camera.  Sometimes you just want to go up and watch the pretty sunset.  Sorry I left the camera, I’m sure you would have enjoyed it.  But once in a while it’s nice to keep a sunset for yourself. 

Yesterday I took a quick trip over to Watson Lake in order to take a few photos of the Granite Dells from the shoreline. I couldn’t stay long, work was calling. Not literally of course, but you get my meaning.

Now that I’ve started playing around with some new techniques (7 Point System & HDR) it seems I can’t find the time to go out and shoot super interesting subjects. Sure, I’ve gotten a couple of neat photos lately, but I want to roam around more. Plus I’m not getting home from work until after 7 every day.

That means I’m missing sunsets, missing out on the crazy lizards running around here, and totally taking a pass on the gangs of Quail moving around the park. You’ve got to watch out for those quail gangs….they wear their colors you know!

Thursday will be a day of rest, but I don’t think it will be super restful. Groceries, laundry (I miss my own washer & dryer), cleaning, maybe a nap. I hope somewhere in there I find the time for a few photos. I’d love to get North of Paulden and do some larger expanse shots. Or maybe down to Skull Valley again, I have a few photo ideas there.

If I’m wrapped up all Thursday maybe Friday will be a fun day. At least there are 2 days back to back off. Haven’t had that in a little while!

Oh, and I haven’t forgotten adding other favorite links. Yesterday’s were a start. Next week I’ll include some more photo links and blogging links (plus a few more financials). But not today. I’m already running behind, and work starts earlier today.

Looks like I won’t go off for a few quick photos this morning…..bummer. Maybe I’ll find time this evening as I’ll be home before 7 tonight.

I haven’t gone out with the camera in a few days.  Not for lack of interest mind you! 

We’ve had quite the weather change in the last few days.  From sunny & 80 to overcast and 60.  Not complaining.  The heat coming up so quick was quite the shock.  That combined with my recent excursions to Phoenix left me wondering, “Will this be some super hot summer?”

Fortunately the cool off here reminds me that I’m at a high elevation.  Heat ups won’t last too long, and Prescott has an overall comfortable climate most of the year.

A site update

For those Windows users out there, I wanted to let you know I’ve repaired an issue that has been causing problems with the Internet Explorer browser.  Off and on I’ve heard that IE browsers get hung up on my site.  Well, I found the last issue.

Months ago I had been hacked, notified, and I corrected it.  Apparently other hacks exist out there.  Nothing malicious from my site, but a redirect away from my site to another.  Specifically, somebody inserted a little IFRAME tag into one of my links to another Airstream site.  I had to delete the link, and re-insert the link without this little tag.

So, you should now be able to happily browse the site again.

Nice to know the hackers find my site popular enough to screw with, eh?

I’ve gotten many questions privately regarding the HDR process. People really want to know how the process works. I can completely understand.

Months ago I found a web site talking about HDR. I was investigating the process after speaking with another photographer about how I shoot. He suggested I look into HDR, as it was a technique that he thought would work with some of my landscape shots in the Dells. Boy howdy, he was right!

So, today I thought I’d talk about the process, and about the 7 Point system as well.

The current photo to your left is an edited photo (not HDR) that I used the 7 Point System with. I only spent about 5 minutes on it. The shot was a little too dark, the white balance was off a bit as it was an extremely overcast day, and very little blue showed through in the sky. You’ll see the original photo next, and I think you’ll agree it was a touch washed out.

The 7 Point System is extremely helpful in knowing what to do in Photoshop. For this photo I worked in the Camera Raw editor. Nothing more. No masks, no layers, no painting with light. I could definitely improve this image some more, but I didn’t want to spend a long time on a quick shot for this post. Realistically I could have used Photoshop Lightroom’s Develop module and done the same quickly.

So, where did this edited photo come from? It was the 0EV exposure I shot as part of a series to create an HDR. When creating HDRs you want to take at least 3 photos at different exposure levels. With each exposure you get different levels of detail. A -2 EV will give you a lot of dark space, but the bright space making it through is usually not clipped. Your 0EV shot shows a bit of everything, but might not have the most extreme contrast. Finally, an over exposure will blow out your highlights (clouds and sky) but it provides a more accurate depiction of things like the foreground in a sunset photo.

Normally when you shoot a sunset the foreground is DARK. Or it’s a silhouette. Whatever the case, in order to get the detail of the foreground you need to over expose. When that happens the sky turns to junk. So, you need a few exposures.

The exposure to the left is the 0EV (on my light meter) shot. Pretty dark and ominous. Lacking a lot of color and detail. Did I take a bad photo? Nope, this is what the scene was due to lighting. Did it look like that to me? Nope, I definitely saw it different than the camera.

The first photo on this page was derived from this exact picture. Ah, the 7 Point System really can help with a “bland” photo. I’m so glad I’ve finally realized that using Photoshop isn’t some evil thing. Instead, used right it can really help you accurately recall a scene that your camera sensor just couldn’t bring in the whole way.

Our cameras always have a fixed aperture you know. You can select the amount of light and your exposure time when shooting a subject. Now, let me ask you, when you view a scene does your “aperture” in your eyes stay the same? No. Your pupils dilate, change the light coming in, and your eyes get to readjust for all sorts of light levels. It’s hard getting the whole scene with one fixed setting at a time. That’s where HDR comes in. Oh, and by the way, I’m not expert, but I get it, I finally get it, and it’s cool that someone realized blended exposures could show the viewer more!

Next I’m going to show you the -2 and +2 exposures side by side. Those two shots plus the one above went together in order to create the final HDR.

As you can see, the over and under exposures wouldn’t make for great photos alone. The under exposure (super dark one) shows you no details of the rocks at all. But take a look at the sky. Darker blues, darker elements to the clouds. The sky’s detail comes through a little more.

The over exposure on the other hand shows you all of the foreground. You really get to see the rocks of the Dells. But the sky’s detail is almost washed out. Not great. Maybe the 7 Point system could help with the brighter shot, but the dark one wouldn’t get too far……

The fun part is the fact that if you combine the 3 exposures (-2, 0, +2) you can get all the detail out of the 3. Take a look at the last image in this post and you’ll see…..

This image is the final HDR image. A shade different than any of the pictures you’ve seen so far, yet it’s just a Tone Mapped combination of the 3 images. It doesn’t look like any of the original shots, but it was derived from all the color and light information in the 3 photos.

In addition to combining the photos you also get to tone map the shot. You can increase the color strength of the image in order to get each color to really pop. You can reset the White and Black points to enhance bright areas and shadowed areas. And you can work on the contrast in the photo through a Micro Contrast and Micro Smoothing tool.

I currently use the Photomatix Program, and the Photomatix Plugin in my Adobe Photoshop CS3. There are other programs out there for HDR generation, and each has its own name for tone mapping, but all of them do the same thing.

So, not only are the photos blended, they are then worked on in the Tone Mapping within Photomatix. I can push the colors up or down, enhance light and shadow, and make my own attempt to really represent how my eyes saw the scene. And if I want I can also enhance what I saw. It was pretty drab out there when I shot this photo. Nice to take the drab out of it.

Since I arrived in Prescott I’ve been fascinated by the Granite Dells, Granite Mountain, and most of the national forest surrounding the area. I’ve been amazed by the scenes around me, and I’ve shot too many photos of the area. Many of those shots end up on the blog.

Over the year I’ve had many comments from readers about the area. Everyone gets that the rocks are amazing and the area is beautiful. Many people have commented on the neat photos coming out on the blog. And I’ve been glad to share the area.

The disappointment for me has always been the fact that none of the photos I’ve posted have truly captured how vast some scenes are. The Dells always seemed flat in my regular photos. While readers get to see the rocks I always thought they didn’t really see the rocks. With the HDR technique I think I’m finally showing you how dramatic the scenes are here.

Well, hope you enjoyed my longer explanation of HDR. If you’re interested in trying this out feel free to drop a comment with your questions. I’ve posted links to HDR tutorials before, but I’ve found every one lacking. I finally found a book that really helped me understand more about HDR. It’s not a “simplistic” book. A little technical actually, but if you can push through the technical I think you’ll find some great pieces of information. The book is, “The Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography,” by Ferrell McCollough.

By the way, if you’re a full-time RVer who is now interested in these photo techniques…….don’t blame me for filling your rig with books. It’s happened to me, and I’m finding ways to make space! And if you’re going to fill your rig with books, make sure my book is among them!

I was planning on holding off on more HDR shots today.  Instead I was going to write about my portable photo lab.  There’s so much I can do in the Airstream’s space, and the equipment takes almost no room.  Well, except those darned books….  

I’ll write about my portable photo lab later.  Instead we’ll talk a little more about the HDR shots.  I know, more strange photos, right?  Sure, if you want to call them strange.

Last night I walked into the Granite Dells once again (shocking).  Strange wispy clouds were covering the skies once again.   I thought I might find some interesting shots.  Once again I set out to create a few unique HDRs that really relay what the Dells are like.  See, I’ve never been satisfied with photos of the Dells.  I never feel like the depth and scale of the rock formations gets relayed with standard shots.

So, I set up to do my HDRs.  The first two photos that you’re seeing here today are shots that went into the first HDR on this page.  One over exposed photo, one under exposed photo, and the one missing with a centered exposure.  In the end, with 3 photos in hand I generated the next photo…..

As you can see, this HDR seems to be more than a sum of it’s parts.  That’s why HDRs interested me in the first place.  The fact you can really bring out the contrast and detail of a scene blows my mind!

What’s nice is that you can see so much more than you would with a standard snap shot.  Normally, a sunset photo will yield neat skies and dark shadowed mountains.  Not with the HDR technique.  You can show the foreground as well, really providing the detail of the scene.  Just plain exciting, don’t you think?

Creating my HDRs isn’t super time consuming.  But keep in mind.  I don’t consider any of these a final product yet.  Give me time.  These are just the first pass with little work.  The next step to really get great art prints out of these is to work with the histogram, ensure accurate color, and make sure the HDR isn’t over the top.

With HDR you can do really accurate photos.  Or you can create almost cartoonish images that go beyond the reality of the scene.  I’d like to fall closer to the accurate scene.  Maybe with a little extra “pop” that makes a viewer stop and say, “Wow!”  Personally I’ve been saying that a lot lately as I learn about this craft (and it is a craft for sure).

Well, that’s it for today.  Hope you enjoyed seeing the photos that go into an HDR.  For your viewing pleasure I’ve included a second HDR from last night.  Just plain fun!

Oh, and by the way……with these types of shots I have to ask you……….

Isn’t my back yard super cool?  :)  I think it is!