HDR Photography

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is a relatively new genre in photography. The idea behind HDR is to capture much more of the information in a picture that what one can achieve with a single frame. Therefore more comparable with what you can see with your eyes. In order to create a HDR image one typically captures 3,5 or 7 images with different exposures in order to have details in most parts of the photograph. Once the images are captured they are blended by using software. Software such as Adobe Photoshop and Photomatix are examples of such programs. A variety of Photoshop plug ins also exist that can be used

If you look at the "correct" exposure photo on the right then you will

Correct exposure

Over Exposed (+1)

notice that although there is detail in most parts, the engine has little detail, there could be more detail under neath and the background is too bright. So in order to rectify this we take two more photos , one that is 1 fstop over exposed and one that is 1 fstop under exposed. That is the next two images. Please bear in mind that the data in each photograph can be represented by four histograms, namely: Highlight and Shadow, Blue, Red and Green (seeing we are working in an RGB or sRGB color space). Therefore if we are able to capture a wider range of information in the highlights mid tones and shadows, we will have more details in these areas.

 And if we are able to capture more shades of Red and more shades of Green and Mores shades of blue we will end up with a photograph that is vivid and punchy in color and it has details in areas where there would normally just be shadows or over exposure. 

Under Exposed (-1)

In order to take these photographs one can use AV mode, TV Mode or Manual mode. In manual mode one would look at the exposure graph in the view finder and literally take a correctly exposed image, adjust the shutter speed to get an exposure that is fstop under exposed and then adjust the shutter speed again to have a 1 fstop over exposed image. One can also use AV/TV mode and adjust the exposure by using the ev (exposure value) setting of the camera. Or the best way is to use bracketing, where the camera adjusts according to the way you have setup the bracketing.

One last point to consider is whether to use AV mode or TV mode. In AV mode you keep the depth of field constant but you vary the shutter speed. However in TV you keep your shutter speed constant but you vary the depth of field. Be careful of this as you may now have a photo with f stop of f4 and another with f16. This might create problems between areas in your photo. I prefer to use AV and vary my shutter speed. Especially when I photograph static objects. So when you photograph something with movement like the sea, what then? Well one option would be to try TV. The other is to use one correctly exposed RAW file and create three JPGs from it that has different exposures. And then to do the HDR blend with these JPGs.

HDR Blended image of the above three exposures

The last comment to make on this post is a warning. Remember that you are blending images, and subsequently my find that images show artefacts of these actions. Look out for anomalies in the final picture as well as halo's. If these exist it is necessary to carefully clean then up afterwards in software such as Adobe Photoshop. Unless it it is the intention be careful that the HDR effect is not pushed to far. As this can spoil the image a take away the realism of the photo.

Recommended reading: The HDR Book - by Rafel "RC" Conception.

by Francois Venter APSSA
venterfa@ibi.co.za

Tips and tricks for a Project 365

In part 2 of the Project 365 blog, I want to give you some tips on when you want to attempt a project of this nature.

1. The most important rule or tip is take one (or more) photo everyday. Don't skip a day. It may seem obvious, but this is the biggest challenge. There will be days that life seem to get in the way, but make time for the project.
2. Take your camera everywhere! Don't feel self conscious. Don't get lazy. Don't take a break. The one time you don't have your camera with you is the one time you'll wish you never left it behind. I can guarantee this. 
3. Take a picture as early as possible. There is nothing worse than night time arriving and realising that you have not yet taken your picture of the day. 
4. Never say, "I'll take a photo of that later." or "I'll take a photo of that on my way back." Take the photo while the idea is in your head and the light is right. Moments of inspiration seldom come at convenient times and light conditions are seldom ever exactly the same twice in a day.
5. When running out of ideas a very good idea is the use of themes. You could have a daily theme such as "Green Sundays"or weekly themes like "Signposts"or even a monthly theme like "The things I love". There is whole list of weekly challenges that you can use at Ramblings and Photos. The possibilities are endless!!
6. Plan ahead and write down ideas, rather than just waiting for inspiration. This is great practice and will enforce creative thinking. And what is also great is that when spontaneous ideas are few and far between, you can always review previously documented photo ideas.
7. Break out of your comfort zone and risk a bad shot by learning something new. Taking photos over and over again because you're comfortable taking them will not improve your photography and it won't increase interest in your work.
8. Anything can be photograph, but only use this as a last resort.
9. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. We sometimes have to accept the fact that we're busy. Just don't quit!!!! 
10. In order to avoid backlogs edit and process your photos at least weekly if not daily. Getting into a rhythm on editing and post processing is key to completing your project. For many the taking of the photos is the easy part, but editing and processing photos is the challenge. For every photo you publish you're likely to have many others that don't make the cut. Getting into a rhythm to select your final photos and processing them in a timely fashion will make the difference between success and failure.
11. Post your photos online. Use social media such as Facebook, Flickr or Google Blog. A very good site for posting your work and linking up with other Project Participants is  http://365project.org/ . It is a free site with 1000's of people taking part in projects of this nature. Remember, get your work out there.
12. When posting your daily photos online add notes as to what you thought worked or didn't from your days photos. Post general photo shoot and camera setting info from your EXIF data, you'll look back on this later to refresh your memory or to see how far you've come. Anecdotal stories are also great information to look back on. Understanding how, why and when you photographed your subject provides insight to your creative thinking that you can't get from just EXIF data.
13. Link up with other 365'ers. Search the internet to find other people that are attempting the same project as you. This helps when you are loosing steam and want to give up, it may just be the encouragement you need to finish the project. A very good site to keep track of your project as mentioned before is  http://365project.org/.
14. If you are looking for encouragement from others you need to encourage others. People love to comment on others who have commented on their photos. You can also build some great relationships through just commenting on others work. It doesn't have to be a critique (unless they asked for one) it can be as simple as commenting on something they wrote about. Build relationships!
15. Lastly, make sure to have fun during your year long photo project. The moment it becomes work the more challenging completing the project will become. Getting into a rhythm can help a great deal in lowering the perceived level of effort to get your daily photos in. Whether you're heading out to explore during your lunch break, taking a 10 minute detour in your commute or even taking 365 self portraits, knowing that you have time dedicated to get your photo in takes a lot stress out of the process. If you're the more spontaneous type then build in an extra 10 - 20 minutes into your appointment schedule to stop and explore with your camera. As with life ones destination is often far less interesting than the journey.

Remember, we are doing this to learn something and to improve in photography. The best part is that you can start ANY day of the year. Don't make the mistake of associating this project with New Years. There is no rule as to when you have to start. SO START TODAY.

Nico Strydom

Why to start a 365 (+1) project!

If your new years resolution was to take better and or more photographs in 2012, a good idea may be to start a 365 (or 52) project. Project 365 is a self challenge to perform a particular task each day, throughout the year. This does not mean that you have to start the project on the 1st of January. Also, there is no need to publish it every day, just take the photo everyday. Participating in Project 365 can be great way to develop your photographic eye and make taking pictures a habit.

Why start a Project 365?

Taking a picture everyday for a year may seem like a difficult task and some days it can be, but when the year is over you'll be able to look back at the pictures you've taken and see your photographic eye slowly starting to develop. When you have to take a picture every day you start looking at the world a bit differently. You'll be more aware of light and shadow. You'll become hyper sensitive to how everyday events van be best captured in a photograph.

Getting out and using your camera everyday will help you feel more comfortable with it. You'll be more likely to use different settings and try a variety of techniques. You'll also feel less awkward taking pictures in public.

The more pictures you take the more you'll recognize what you do and don't like about your pictures. This will make it easier to develop your artistic style.

The more pictures you're processing the easier your work process will become and you will start to streamline your workflow. The simple act of having to edit everyday or once a week will force you to come up with a streamlined way to work.  When photography becomes a second nature to you you're more likely to get the great pictures.

In the next blog I will give you some "rules" and "tips" for starting and maintaining a 365 Project.
To start giving you some inspiration on starting your own 365 Project, here is some examples of projects on Flickr.

Nico Strydom