book

Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for digital photographers

by Rick Sammon

May 2010

Intermediate to advanced

224 pages

3h 59m

English

Wiley

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Make PhotographsTell a StoryConsider the BackgroundThe Name of the Game is to Fill the FrameCheck Your Camera SettingsChoose Your Lens WiselyInteresting Subjects Make Interesting PhotographsSee the LightCreate a Sense of DepthMove ItTake a WalkCompose CarefullyBefore HDRExtreme HDR
About the LayoutA New Way of SeeingDon't Overdo ItAbout the Pictures in the BookThe Impact of SubjectIt's PhotographyAdventure Awaits
Bracketing is the Starting Point of HDRCreating an Effective and Impressive HDR ImageSeeing Into the ShadowsTry HDR Even When You Don't Think You Need ItHigh Depth Range ImagesHighly Do-It-Yourself Rockin' ImagesPseudo HDR Images and HDR-like ImagesRealistic or ArtisticEnvision the End ResultComposing in a New WayLife After HDR in Photoshop
I.1. No Substitute for Good LightI.2. RAW Files are Packed with DataI.3. When HDR RulesI.4. More Exposures Mean More DataI.5. HDR is Not a Magic FixI.6. The Right Light for the SituationI.7. Strong Light Might Be the Right LightI.8. Soft Light is Sometimes Right, TooI.9. Always Be Prepared for HDR Photography
II.1. See the Light & Determine BracketingII.2. Too Few and Too Many ShotsII.3. Spot Metering Can HelpII.4. What Your Eyes See vs. What Your Camera SeesII.5. Check Your LCD MonitorII.6. Auto vs. Manual BracketingII.7. Look for Highlights and ShadowsII.8. Careful Bracketing Pays OffII.9. Movement Can Be OkayII.10. Two-Image HDR ImagesII.11. Pseudo HDR ImagesII.12. Aperture Must Remain ConstantII.13. Carefully Focus; Manually FocusII.14. Reduce Digital NoiseII.15. Check for Chromatic AberrationsII.16. Steady Your Camera and Try Not to TouchII.17. Hand-Held Images Can WorkII.18. Basics are EssentialII.19. dSLR vs Compact CameraII.20. Sharpen Your HDR ImagesII.21. HDR vs. RAW File ProcessingII.22. Faster with PhotomatixII.23. HDR File Management SuggestionII.24. Separate Your Shots
III.1. Getting StartedIII.2. Generate HDR: RAW vs. JPEGIII.3. Don't Panic!III.4. Taking Control of Your ImageIII.5. Tone Compressor for Realistic ImagesIII.6. Tone Compressor AdjustmentsIII.7. Details Enhancer for Artistic ImagesIII.8. Detail Enhancer AdjustmentsIII.9. Watch the White Point and Light Mode/SmoothingIII.10. Suitable for FramingIII.11. The Subject Often Dictates the Effect

IV.1. Contrast is the Determining FactorIV.2. Starting PointIV.3. Different OptionsIV.4. Better Safe than SorryIV.5. JPEG to HDR?
V.1. Launching Exposure FusionV.2. Adjusting Your Images: Highlights & Shadows AdjustV.3. Adjusting Your Image Part IIV.4. Exposure Fusion with Help from PhotoshopV.5. True HDR with Help from PhotoshopV.6. Look Closely and Carefully
VI.1. Topaz Command CenterVI.2. Improving an ImageVI.3. Dramatic DifferencesVI.4. Subtle DifferencesVI.5. Add Drama to a LandscapeVI.6. With a Little Help from PhotoshopVI.7. The Beauty is in the DetailsVI.8. Awaken the Artist WithinVI.9. Highly Dramatic ColorVI.10. Creating ColorVI.11. Apply Topaz Adjust SelectivelyVI.12. The Softer Side of Topaz AdjustVI.13. Expect Surprises
VIII.1. Adjustment Layers are the LawVIII.2. Basic Adjustments, Big ImprovementVIII.3. Photoshop vs. Photomatix Pseudo HDR vs. Topaz Adjust
IX.1. Exposing for the HighlightsIX.2. ACR Preview Window and Basic TabIX.3. ACR vs. PhotomatixIX.4. Recovery and Fill Light to the RescueIX.5. Avoid Photo Washouts
X.1. First Look: Lucis Pro Adjustment WindowX.2. Split the Channels and Work in Black and WhiteX.3. Check Before You ClickX.4. Lucis Pro Meets Lucis ArtX.5. Lucis Pro vs. Photomaix Pseudo HDR
XII.1. Basic HDR Process MultipliedXII.2. Standard Photomatix HDR ProcessingXII.3. Let the Pano Fun BeginXII.4. Photomerge MagicXII.5. HDR Pano vs. Traditional HDRXII.6. Manual Exposure vs. Automatic ExposureXII.7. The Fun and Creativity Continue
XIII.1. Silver Efex Pro Overview
XIV.1. Cameras, Lenses and TripodsXIV.2. In-the-Field GearXIV.3. HDR Rocks!
XV.1. True HDR Plug-in SitesXV.2. Favorite Plug-in SitesXV.3. My Web SiteXV.4. Rick's Digital Learning CenterXV.5. Digital Photo ExperienceXV.6. Plug-In ExperienceXV.7. Stuck in Customs
More Before HDR ImagesPicture Processing InfoLook Ma! No Details Lost

Content preview from Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for digital photographers

Chapter XIV. My HDR Gear: The Stuff of Magical Imagery

This is an HDR, fish-eye view of my workspace, where I use Photomatix, Topaz Adjust and Photoshop to create my HDR images. When I work, I pull down the shades so that the room light is constant, allowing me to take full advantage of my Apple 30-inch Cinema Display, calibrated with ColorMunki.

My Apple Quad-Core has 12GB of Ram and 500GB of hard drive space. For backup, I have one internal hard drive (Time Machine) and two accessory hard drives: G-Tech. For added backup and security, I have a Drobo (with four Seagate 1.5 GB hard drives) on my desktop.

I use a Wacom Intuos 3 table for precise control over image enhancement.

My photo printers: Canon Pro 9000 Mark II and Canon IPF 6100.

Cameras, Lenses and Tripods

For most of the pictures in this book, I used my Canon 5D Mark II and set the image quality to RAW. More than 90 percent of the images were taken with my Canon 17–40mm lens. The others were taken with my 24–105mm IS zoom and my Canon 15mm full-frame fisheye lens.

I used Induro tripods and ball heads; my CT 014 and BHD 1 are shown here. I like the tripods because they are rock steady. Plus, the ball heads feature a level and offer quick rotation for vertical and horizontal shooting.

The ball heads also features a quick-release mount, ...