A entire new world is opening up to me ... HDR Photogaphy! Early this Summer I purchased a new camera (Canon Powershot SX30 IS), and I'm finally learning how to use all its features ... including image bracketing while I either give preference to Aperture Size or Shutter Speed (takes 3 images while adjusting the exposure up and down from my settings). My instructor is Leo Melamud whose life in itself is an interesting book. He started out at a top college in Russia, and ended up in Minnesota.
Given a vacation day w/o much planned, and a beautiful, albeit cold sunrise (25F), I decided today was the day to head out and take advantage of the favorable light conditions, and beautiful scenery. I live across the street from Amity Falls (the Deeps), which is just upstream from Lake Superior.
After taking a few images, I returned home and loaded some new (and free) HDR software from Source Forge (Luminance HDR). I'm still learning ... which means I'm dangerous, but here is my first result (a compilation of three images). Click to view at full size.
Now off to take a 40 mile bike ride near Jay Cooke Park.
Rich, I appreciated your posts about my Photography class enabling your easier learning of the new camera, and HDR.
HDR has been a dream for years to many. Photographers used all possible techniques to even up contrast and widen dynamic range in film and print. Many books have been written on this topic, chemical recipes for film development and printing... And I used manual HDR layering in Photoshop for some years.
Nowadays you may enjoy a built-in engine that does this instantly. Beyond Photoshop, I'm wondering if Gimp has HDR feature, or maybe Lightroom and Aperture do. Any of these are less expensive that Photoshop, (Gimp is free).
Keep in touch and I hope you'll get many interesting pictures.
Rich says: Thanks for a great class, Leo!
Posted by: Leo Melamud | November 17, 2011 at 02:31 PM