HDR News You Can Use – March 2016

April 17, 2016 – Welcome again to HDR News!  

Spring is in the air. Temperatures are moderating and blooms are carpeting many areas right now.  This is the time when you can make close-ups of lovely blossoms or vast panoramas of flower covered fields and hillsides. Any way you go, shoot bracketed exposures for HDR processing to open up the detail in your shadows and obtain nuanced highlights.

To get started with HDR processing you can always download a free, 30-day trial of the most powerful HDR software available, HDR Expose, HDR Express and 32 Float here:

– HDR Expose 3: http://pinnacleimagingsystems.com/download-hdr-expose-3

– HDR Express 3: http://pinnacleimagingsystems.com/download-hdr-express-3

– 32 Float v3: http://pinnacleimagingsystems.com/download-32-float-3


AN INSPIRATIONAL EXAMPLE OF PHOTOJOURNALISM

CubaWe’re fortunate here at Pinnacle to see a ton of great photography. It ranges from the obvious HDR subject areas like landscapes and interiors of aged buildings to high-key sports. Our endless search for visual inspiration brought us to, what we believe, is a photo story that is extraordinary in composition and technical excellence.  Photographed by multiple New York Times photographers it tells a romantic story of a Cuba whose culture has been trapped in amber since the 1960’s and will soon disappear as tourists flood the tiny island. 

Photographically the processing of the images really caught our eyes.  There is richness evident in the colors of each image that at the same time seem almost colorized.  The result makes you recall the results from the color film stock of four decades ago. Click on the link and spend a few minutes with this wonderful story. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/19/world/americas/cuba-on-the-edge-of-change-photo-essay.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=nytmm_FadingSlideShow_item&module=b-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0


IS THERE ANY ADVANTAGE TO MANUAL FOCUS?

Manual-FocusThere sure is. There is a way to set the focal length and focus of your prime lens so that everything between predetermined distance ranges will be in focus. Many photographers who learned their craft in the days of manual everything cameras know this technique as “hyper-focal focusing”.  The technique works for all forms of photography and it’s especially useful in situations where the subjects are quickly changing as in event and street photography.  The technique is simple and really works.  Check out this feature by Tokyo-based photographer Lukasz Polka on how to do it.

http://petapixel.com/2016/03/15/guide-mastering-manual-focus/


TED

TED ON PHOTOGRAPHY

If you’ve never experienced a TED talk, or even if you have, you need to hear what TED has to say about photography. According to Wikipedia, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of conferences run by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation under the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading”. This collection of memorable TED talks on and around the subject of photography take you beyond just photographs but reveal the underlying social effects and the joy of the craft. These eleven talks on photography are pure gold. Visit the page if for no other reason than to experience the inspiring presentation by Sebastiao Salgado.

http://petapixel.com/2016/01/04/11-ted-talks-on-photography-worth-watching/


CANON 80D – THE DP REVIEW

80DHave you been diligently working at your photography with a Canon Rebel and your gut is telling you you need more dynamic range?  At the same time are you saying to yourself I just can’t afford a $3,000 camera to get the quality I need?  The Canon 80D may just be the answer to your dilemma. The oracle of camera reviewers, DP Review had this to say about the 80D; “For Canon system users, specifically enthusiasts considering an upgrade from either a Rebel or an older camera, there is an awful lot to like about the 80D.  (With) an easy-to-use interface….and a familiar design (and) toss in the fact that it offers maybe the best dynamic range of any Canon DSLR to date…the 80D has even more appeal.”  Check out the review and samples:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/9204499001/canon-eos-80d-shooting-experience?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=generic&ref_=pe_1822230_188351550_dpr_nl_196_6