Photos by Phil

A correction to my previous article.  When composing your HDR image series in camera, the f-stop should remain constant through all the photos in the series.  Only the shutter speed should change to give you the 1 stop increments.  If you change the f-stop the focal point will change and could cause an out of focus section within the final photo.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography has come into its own as a way to bring out detail in high contrast scenes.  I use HDR photography in my landscape shots as an attempt to bring to the photo the best representation as how the scene looked while I was there.

I find high contrast scenes, such as those with bright sunlit areas with deep shadows, are the best candidates for shooting with HDR in mind.  Other types of photography suitable for HDR processing includes, Architecture, street scenes, and indoor, or outdoor, low light shooting.  A composition with moving subjects is not suitable for HDR unless you shoot in bracketed mode on your camera, and your camera is capable of shooting 3 to 5 frames per second to avoid blurring subjects.

When I go on a shoot, I keep my mind open to HDR possibilities.  The technique I prefer for separating the shots specific to an HDR image is really quite simple.  I take a photo of the scene with my finger in the frame.  I then take five bracketed exposures, each being 1 f-stop apart.  I start with a centered metered shot, then move 1 stop over, 2 stops over, then 1 stop under and 2 stops under.  After the last shot in the series I take another shot with my finger in it, signaling an end to the series.

When I shoot sunrises or sunsets I may take several series of shots due to the ever changing light.  This enables me to be able to chose from several processed HDR images for the right mix of colors and light.

Once I’ve uploaded the images to from the camera to the computer I have a couple of options for processing HDR images.  The first is Photoshop CS5.  Photoshop CS5 has a Merge to HDR function which combines a series of photos into a single HDR image.  The process is fairly simple and produces a decent image.

My favorite HDR program is Photomatix 4.0.  Version 4 is a big improvement over version 3, which I thought produced HDR images that were too overprocessed.  Version 4 includes some presets, but also allows for finetuning the image.  It produces a very smooth, color balanced image that has none of the pinkish tones found in similar programs.

Processing the image using Photomatix is pretty straight forward.  Load your series of photos and the program merges the images, giving you a preview of the final untouched image.  You have the choice of selecting a preset, or tone mapping your image using the sliders to make your adjustments.

Photomatix can create both color and black and white HDR images.  For more information go to the Photomatix webpage: http://www.hdrsoft.com/.

I am fortunate to have 8 of my photos in two different gallery exhibitions. The first is at the Vacaville Art Gallery, 718 East Monte Vista Ave, Vacaville, Ca. This is a mixed media exhibit and runs until March 5, 2011.

The second is at Studio II, 570 Soscal Ave, Napa, and is a juried show, running until March 18, 2011. Gallery hours are 11-5, Thurs-Mon.

I hope those of you in the Vacaville and Napa areas will come out and see the show. Support your local photographers.

ʻIMAGESʼ
Vacaville Art Gallery
February 5 – March 5
featuring photographs and
art derived from or inspired by photos
Tues, Thur, Sat: Noon to 4 pm
Wed, Fri: Noon to 7 pm
Sun, Mon: Closed
Web www.vacavilleartgallery.com
email: vacavilleartgallery@castles.com