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I know a lot of photographers that use HDR processing in their photography and I think that HDR software is adding a new layer to professional photography. It is all a matter of personal taste and the right situations. I find that some HDR images look awful and way over processed. I am a fan of the more natural feel HDR processing in the right situations with the right pictures. I started experimenting a little with HDR photography a little while ago and have learned through online tutorials how to create effects that I like. One of the most common and popular software choices for HDR blending is Photomatix, this software is quite powerful, it can enhance images or totally ruin them, treat with care. I recently came across a video tutorial on HDR by Trey Ratcliff that I thought beginners would find interesting and informative. Trey runs a photoblog called stuck in customs and features a lot of awesome travel shots, many of which are HDR processed, I am a traveler at heart and am naturally drawn to travel photography, have a look at Trey’s portfolio for some travel inspiration!
From the sounds of things, the new Nikon D4 is going to be a great camera. Improved ISO and noise performance on the already world famous D3s, improved focusing in low light conditions. Higher MP count, up to 16 now. A revolutionary new card slot, the XQD which is said to have read/write speeds of up to 1gb/sec. 1080 compressed video recording at 30fps is ok, but I still think if you want to go for video then better try for the RED Scarlet. If you are focusing on stills then the Nikon is a good bet. Nikon D4 is said to retail at about $6000 in the USA which usually relates to about $8500 in South Africa. Have a look at the promo video below to get a bigger picture.
We recently did a cool shoot of breakdancing in or cape town studio. one of the most important things to factor into a dance shoot is flash duration. We shot this with Elinchrom RX600 lights which have a short flash duration at full power as you will see in the BTS video. In the video we take you through a few lighting setups as well as some post production through lightroom, adobe photoshop and capture one. Below you will see some lighting diagrams and finished images to show you
I recently came across a video of what Adobe have been up to lately and it looks good! Special Algorithms and some other technical jargon that I dont think I will ever understand combine together to help take blurry images and make them sharp! so images with motion blur or camera shake can be fixed, salvaged and made whole. It is great with blurry text and dodgy cell phone photos. You know in a movie when the special FBI agent asks for the technician to zoom in and enhance/sharpen a completely blurry and unusable image? Looks like the movies are making their way into the real world. Very early stages at the moment, but it does look like some groundbreaking software. Originally seen on Fstoppers, one of my daily photography blogs.
A cyclorama or infinity wall is quite common in a lot of photography studios. The curved wall creates a seamless background and makes for a perfect studio shooting environment. That is why I decided to build one in my new Cape Town Photographic Studio. I have documented our progress and below you can see how we went about it and what we used to build with.
