Making High Dynamic Range Images

The current edition of the excellent Canon EOS magazine carries my tutorial on the production of HDR (High Dynamic Range) images.

Firstly, let me just say that if you’re a Canon user and don’t subscribe to EOS then it’s well worth considering. I’ve been a reader of the magazine since before I started working as a professional photographer and the content is always excellent. Especially this edition

There’s always a good spread of features that will appeal to people across all levels of photographic ability and if you have a thirst for the technical then there are plenty of gear-related articles. I learned how best to operate my Speedlite flash-guns (strobes, if you’re American) from EOS articles and discovered custom functions on my 1Ds MKII that would otherwise have remained hidden.

For those of you who raise a quizzical eyebrow at the term “High Dynamic Range”, hopefully the article will explain what it means but in simple terms it’s just this: some scenes contain areas of high contrast, bright sunlight and deep shadows, for example. A camera is pretty much incapable of capturing all of the brightness levels that the human eye can see. A High Dynamic Range image is typically a series of photos taken at different exposures and then merged so that all the available brightness levels can be reproduced.

My January desktop wallpaper is an example of a High Dynamic Range image.

You can read the article online or download it as a PDF from the link below.

High Dynamic Range Images Tutorial

From Basingstoke to Bangkok: a photographer’s journey

The latest edition of the Bureau of Freelance Photographers newsletter carries a two-page profile of yours truly.

It’s a brief summary of how I got started as a travel photographer and includes some hints about how to approach making stock image sales.

One of things I mention in the article is the fact that joining a trade association can be really beneficial. Indeed, the BFP is a good source of leads for anyone looking to sell their own work to UK print outlets and the annual BFP Market Handbook, which gives details of UK magazine and publishing outlets, is now in it’s 25th year of publication. BFP membership is relatively inexpensive and the regular newsletter, as well as including articles about ruggedly handsome international photographers, is a terrific source of news and information.

Also recommended is the UK’s Association of Photographers. It’s a bit more high-brow than the BFP and where the BFP newsletter is likely to tell you who the current editor of Steam Railway Monthly is (Danny Hopkins), the AOP newsletter is more likely to carry an in-depth profile of some ethereal advertising photographer. However, the AOP has a host of terrific resources for working snappers, including their “Beyond the Lens” book, which gives guidance and advice on many of the most important aspects and business practices that will benefit a pro photographer.

Finally, the Stock Artists’ Alliance is a group that promotes and defends the rights of photographers who sell stock images. If you can forgive their contribution to the death of the apostrophe, you’ll find them to be a friendly bunch with a lively forum. In all seriousness, the SAA are staunch defenders of intellectual property rights and have become an important voice in the sphere of stock photography. Check out their complimentary [Key]words magazine.

You can download a scan of the BFP Profile article below, courtesy of my good friend and wildly talented Natural History photographer, Nic.

If you read to the end you will no doubt find entertainment in the fact that I exhibit perfect timing and uncanny foresight when I describe Bangkok as being “a great transport hub”. I know, spooky isn’t it.

Download: BFP Profile Feature

Photographer’s Location Guide: Budapest

My photographer’s guide to Budapest hits the shops this week in the current edition of the ever-popular Digital Photographer magazine.

The article includes tips on photographing Budapest from Castle Hill and also from the Citadella, which is surely one of the most photogenic spots in any European capital.

One of the interesting things I’ve noticed about writing these location guides is how it’s like an extended memory exercise. Although I’m currently working in Thailand, I’m thinking back and trying to remember things about Budapest: place names, the name of a bridge or a church, the route a tram took. It’s funny how much comes back when prompted and I guess a lot of that information would gradually fade away if I wasn’t forced to recall it.

One of the best locations for photography in Budapest is the Citadella, a hill perched right beside the Danube that affords views up and down the river. As well as the great views, the Citadella is home to a series of very powerful statues. They were originally made to celebrate the might of the Soviet empire so it’s not surprising that they are powerful and imposing works of art. The inscriptions praising the Soviet Union have long since been replaced with something a little less awkward but the statues remain, dramatic examples of an irresisistible force.

The statue in the first picture is especially compelling. The figure’s powerful stance and the long ‘S’-shape formed by his raised arm and extended leg is, I think, unlike any other statue I’ve seen. The fact that it stands a good 20-25 feet above the ground so that visitors are forced to look up into its terrifying face only increase the sense of power. However, as you can see, if you climb onto the plinth of a nearby statue and stand on tip-toe it is possible to get almost level with the figure to include a few of the city’s rooftops in the bottom of the frame.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the small lookout point another statue is heading off in the direction of the rising sun, providing a good opportunity for a striking silhouette. Can anyone tell me which mythical figures these statues represent? Is the first one Hercules and the second one Apollo?

There is a Statue Park outside Budapest which, sadly, I’ve not had the opportunity to visit. It contains acres of old Soviet statues, removed by the Hungarians and turned, somewhat enterprisingly, into a theme park. It’s definitely on my list for next time.

Photographer’s location guide: New York City

My photographer’s location guide to New York City appears in the current edition of the excellent UK Digital Photographer magazine, available at all discerning newsagents.

Download the location guide to New York City as a PDF: Location Guide: New York (108)

Next month: Budapest.

Photographer’s location guide: Bangkok

My location guide to photographing in Bangkok appears in the current edition of Digital Photographer magazine.

I’ve enjoyed writing a location guide to Bangkok. It’s a great city for photography and we’re blessed with such a great variety of subject matter that it caters for all tastes and styles of photography.

I’ve also written a photographer’s guide to New York City, which will appear in the next edition of Digital Photographer and am currently finishing up a similar guide to Budapest which will appear in the edition after that I expect.

Photo Plus Magazine Travel Feature

The July edition of the Canon user magazine, Photo Plus, includes an informative Travel article, featuring 2006 Travel Photographer of the Year, Julian Love. Julian is shown holding a one-to-one expert masterclass with a Photo Plus reader in Venice and if you buy the magazine then the accompanying DVD contains a video showing the gear that Julian carries with him.

Another reason to buy Photo Plus this month is that my photograph of a woman’s hands decorated with henna tattoos covers a double-page spread introducing the “Photo Plus Inspirations” pages which are dedicated to “amazing travel photography” this month.

Photobox - Fresh out of the Box

I’m delighted to be the pin-up boy for July, appearing as the featured photographer in this month’s Photobox “Fresh out of the Box” news page.

Welcome to all Photobox users. Please don’t forget to sign-up for my free quarterly newsletter whilst you’re here and you’re just in time to catch July’s free desktop wallpaper too.