There’s lots to cover in this issue of HDR News. In the area of new equipment there are two new lenses by a leading manufacturer that appear to push digital photography beyond expectations. There’s a color monitor that accommodates the most popular color space at a price we haven’t seen before. The ongoing discussion about the quality of phone cameras takes a turn when it goes up against a $20K camera. And, there is some great instruction on long exposures. Let’s get going.

 

Nikon Surprised At Demand for $8000 58mm f0.95 Manual Focus Lens

What’s the fastest lens you have in your bag? It’s probably your 50mm f1.4. It’s a go-to lens for getting the wonderful out-of-focus background that’s so much in style these days. The downside of your 50mm used at f1.4 is there is probably a fall off in sharpness. Nikon’s new 58mm f0.95 “Noct” lens appears to solve that sharpness problem in an incredibly powerful way. So much so that Nikon has stopped taking orders for the lens because of off-the-charts demand and a difficult manufacturing process. You need to see this video promoting the lens.

See why there’s no hesitation to dropping eight grand on a lens HERE.

 

The Perfect Every Day Camera? – Sony a6100 Review

You love photography but you’re not a pro. You want to create high-quality images but you don’t want to spend a fortune. You want a camera that’s light enough to have with you most of the time but you need it to be rugged. Sony appears to have broken the code for creating such a camera: the a6100. It’s got a great 24MP APS sensor, powerful auto-focus, an electronic viewfinder, Wi-FI image transfer and USB charging which comes in a take-anywhere form factor. You can read the full review and see sample images at dpReview. We love their reviews!.

Get a good look at the a6100 HERE.

 

New: Dell Ultra Sharp 27” Monitor with 100% Adobe RGB Coverage And Built-in Colorimiter

The portal into experiencing your work is your monitor and the more you work at your photography the more sensitive you become to color, sharpness and image size. Eventually, you’ll come to crave a nice big monitor with a super-wide color gamut and a crisp image. Up until now a 27 inch monitor has been a bit of a budget stretch for many of us. Now with Dell’s new Ultra Sharp monitor it appears you’ll get the Adobe RGB color space managed by an on-board colorimeter at that wonderful 27” size at a doable price. And, if you already have a colorimeter you can get the same monitor without he but-in colorimeter for $700 less.

Learn about the Dell 27 inch photo monitor HERE.

 

How To Take Really Long Exposures

Sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone. While most of us use a tripod for stabilization most of us probably haven’t made an image using a five minute exposure. The results of really long exposures are unique and very much worth trying. This is a deep, instructive article where photographer/author Elizabeth Gray covers all the bases in long exposure photography from scene selection to composition to filters to light contamination.

 

 

Get the valuable long exposure info by Elizabeth Gray HERE.

 

The Nikon Z 24-70 f2.8 May Be Enough To Get You Into The Z System

We don’t like to highlight more than one article about a single manufacturer’s products in an issue of HDR News. This month, however, we have the eye-opening high demand for the Nikon 58mm f0.95 and now this article in Photography Life claiming that Nikon’s Z 24-70 f2.8 is reason enough to switch to the mirrorless Z system. In fact, they called it “simply remarkable”.

You can learn about the lens HERE.

 

iPhone 11 Holds It’s Own Against a Leica

Discussions about the quality of phone cameras are all over the Internet where folks claim it won’t be long before phone cameras equal or outperform a “normal” camera. Well, we might be there already. Sawyer Hartman, who has more than 1.8 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, brings in four photographer friends for side-by-side comparisons to guess which photos came from the iPhone and the $20,000 Leica M10-P. The video is at the bottom of the page.

Make your own image choices HERE.

 

Comedy Wildlife Awards

This is an obscure photo competition but it serves the purpose of promoting conservation while giving you a good laugh at the same time. The website espouses “Conservation Though Competition” but little about the folks running it. Nevertheless, this year’s contest received over 4,000 entries from 68 different countries, which were whittled down to 40 finalists, and finally, one grand prize winner. These photos are funny. Enjoy.

Learn the drone gear basics HERE.

Welcome again to HDR News You Can Use! We hope you’re out there taking advantage of this fall foliage season. It’s the best time of year for getting luxurious color into your images. Being constantly in the outdoors you should go easy on yourself. That’s why in this issue we look at going with a light weight camera kit. Then we take a look at three new cameras on the market. For those of you dragging your feet on learning about drone photography we point you to a great dpReview series on the subject. And, there’s much more.

 

The Scared Marmot

This photograph is just too amazing. We’re sure Yongqing Bao knew he possibly had a rare image when he clicked the shutter but, you never know for sure until you download your images. Is it in focus? Did I capture what I think I saw in the viewfinder? Bao certainly did. We did a first look of the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year competition run by London’s Natural History Museum in last month’s HDR News. Since then the winning photos were announced and they are impressive. We just had to highlight this photo where an animal demonstrates a human reaction to an existential situation.

See the winning photographs HERE.

 

How To Go Light Weight

Hiking out to a favorite location for some good images is a joy for landscape photographers. We load up the backpack and strap the tripod on it and off we go. The smartest and most experienced photographers take a more critical view of the gear they’re going to be taking with them on their treks. Each additional pound you add to your pack is going to slow you down, reduce your stamina and possibly prevent you from reaching your shooting location when the light is optimal. Do you really need heavy zooms, a third camera battery or a 300mm lens for a particular shoot? Those are all items that many experienced shooters leave behind. This article will help you take a critical look at your landscape gear setup.

Learn how to reduce your load HERE.

 

Generate Passive Income From Your Photos – Stock Agency Compilation

There could be cash sitting on your hard drive in the form of sellable photography. While few photographers get rich selling stock photography many enjoy a monthly stream of income from their photos and, why not. Those photos are just sitting there on your drive doing much of nothing right now. There are quite a few stock agencies out there ready to sell your photographs. This article is a concise list of the terms of the top agencies out there.

See which agencies you should approach HERE.

 

Lens Lost In The Wilderness Found

It hurts to lose a cherished piece of equipment. There’s the loss of a component of your shooting capabilities which is annoying. There’s a bit of an emotional loss if you’ve lost a piece of equipment for a long time which has helped you make some of your proudest images. This is the story of photographer Steve Boykin who lost his 23mm f2 Fuji lens only to find it four months later. Read the article to see if the lens continued to work.

 

 

Read the story of the lost lens HERE.

 

Really Bad HDR

The Reddit page Sh$##y HDR rarely disappoints. It’s the place on the Internet where bad taste and zero creativity synergistically combine with HDR technology to create some of the most horrible examples of “art” you could possibly imagine. We return there from time to time for a look. Here we recently found one of the most universe bending examples os Sh$##y HDR we’ve encountered: enjoy!

See our pick HERE.

For more artistic excitement see the main bad HDR page HERE.

 

New Camera Reviews

Camera manufacturers simply do not sleep. It seems like every major camera company has a new model out now. Olympus and Canon appear to be targeting the advanced hobbyist while Sony gave birth to the motherlode a7R IV, 61mp camera for (just) $3500. Here are three review articles to help you sort through it all.

Learn about the Olympus E-M5 Mark III HERE.

Read about the Sony a7R IV HERE.

Get into the Canon EOS 90D HERE.

 

Been Dragging Your Feet Getting Started With Drones?

If you’re looking for a new perspective in your photography, getting up over the trees and buildings is a sure-fire way to get there. Shooting high with a drone brings in shapes, colors and perspectives that formerly were only possible by hanging out of helicopter. Drones change the game but there’s a bunch of information you need to digest in advance of purchasing one. From the number of propeller blades to the megapixels of the on-board camera, making the right choices is a daunting task. This set of articles in dpReview lays it all out for you from an overview of drones to the parameters for takeoff and landing.

 

Learn the drone gear basics HERE.

Learn how a drone can affect your photography HERE.

Learn more about the advantages of a drone and see some great photo examples HERE.

 

Welcome again to HDR News. Autumn is upon us with its colorful photo opportunities. Trees will be blazing red, orange and yellow. The skies will usually be a deep blue and the air will be crisp but, not always. That’s why we lead off with a set of tips on how to make great landscape images in not so perfect light. When it comes to processing your images for optimal color we point you a video showing you how to use the fantastic color tools in HDR Expose, HDR Express and 32Float. Also included in this issue is a look at the iPhone 11, advice on setting pricing for your images and shooting environmental portraits with minimal lighting gear. Let’s get going!

 

Landscape Photography Tips – Dealing With “Bad Light”

If you confine your shooting to Golden and Blue Hours you’re shooting for just about three hours a day. What if it’s overcast and you decide not to shoot at all? Well, you’ve wasted the use of God’s soft box: the clouds. What if the sun is strong and high in the sky? Do you give up and wait until Golden Hour? Not at all. You’re a talented photographer who can make wonderful photos anywhere. This article will help you get the most out of your valuable day of photography. The article includes a nice video that takes you into a harshly lit red rocks area and talks you through using shadows and shapes to make fine images.

Learn to shoot in bad light HERE.

 

iPhone 11, More Than Just Catching Up To Android

If you were following Apple’s iPhone 11 introduction you had to notice the three cameras lenses on the back of the phone. This was the telltale sign that Apple had made significant upgrades to the iPhone’s camera system which include a 13mm 35mm equivalent field-of-view (13mm!!!), powerful image processing, a new night mode, upgraded portrait mode, a wider color gamut and more.

 

Read about the iPhone 11 HERE.

Charge What You’re Worth – Bad Advice

Have you ever thought about going professional as a photographer? If so, pricing is the trickiest aspect of the business side of photography. So many “how-to” articles on starting your own photo business advise that you should price your product and services at “what they’re worth” thus tying your personal worth to a number that may have no relevance to the quality of your work or the market you’re working in. This is a tough love article you need to check out if you’ve considered going pro.

Learn about pricing HERE.

 

Getting Access And Working Minimally

If you’re a newspaper photographer you have access to most subjects you want to photograph. Not so for the rest of us. But, there is a way. Shoot for Google 360. This article takes you through the idea of getting access by shooting for Google and walks you through a nicely lit environmental image made in a dark shop in Hanoi Vietnam with the most minimal of lighting kits.
Learn why you don’t need a ton of equipment HERE.

 

 

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year – First Look

The Natural History Museum of London is an incredible institution. Famous for its dinosaur collections the Natural History Museum covers virtually everything in the natural world like birds, mammals, marine invertebrates, fishes, amphibians and even humans. What better institution than to run the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year competition. Here you can check out this year’s Exhibition Images with each image
fully explained. It’s a really nice group of photographs.

 

 

 

See the wildlife images HERE.

 

The Power Of Color In Landscape Photography

In autumn photography you want to have optimal control over your post processing. Did you know that Pinnacle’s powerful color editing tools work independently of luminance. That means if you change the exposure level (luminance) of your image you will not change your colors as would happen in most other editing apps. Also, editing your color will not affect your luminance.

Want to learn more?  Check out the instructional video Adjusting The Color Settings In HDR Expose 3 and 32 Float 3 on page two of our video tutorials HERE.

For an even deeper dive into the art of color, Nigel Danson is back with an excellent discussion and video on the affects of color in your landscape images. In the article’s text is a discussion on the use of both analogous (similar) colors and complimentary (opposite) colors to add subtlety or punch to your images.

Take an artistic dive into color HERE.

Welcome again to HDR News. Labor Day weekend is here and the beautiful foliage of autumn is soon to follow. This is when you can make your most awesome photographs. In this issue we focus on the photographic fundamentals; focus, depth of field and composition. We also alert you to a great photo collection that is updated daily and will inspire you to push your creativity. In the area of new gear we must check out the EISA awards where you’ll be surprised at some of the winners. Let’s get going!

 

Exactly Where Do You Focus For That Landscape Shot?

Listen all landscape photographers. Do you know where in the frame to focus for best results? For a great landscape image this is arguably the most critical decision you have to make after you compose the shot. If you don’t know where to focus or even if your’e just not quite 100% sure, you’re going into the field unprepared. Here is a great explanation on where to focus to make sure your landscapes are as sharp as they can be throughout the image. There is one mention of “hyperlocal focusing” but it’s easily and cleanly explained.

 

Learn where to focus HERE.

 

Photos Of The Week

Viewing and analyzing great photos is probably the best way to improve your own photo skills. In the quest for finding great photos to study theInternet is our best friend. There are daily compilations of current photos everywhere. There’s so many to choose from that you have to decide which ones are best for you based on the type of photography you do. We have one for you to inspect at the PhotoDesk of the Flipboard website titled “Photos Of The Week”. Each weekly collection is by journalists from around the world and if you devote a little extra attention to the images you’ll see how good photographers make beautiful compositions out of daily occurrences. You’ll see great examples of The Rule Of Thirds, leading lines, interesting backgrounds and just about every composition technique out there.

Dial in to Photos Of The Week HERE.

 

The Best Cameras and Lenses Of 2019 According to the EISA Awards

The European Imaging And Sound Association has been bestowing “best of” awards yearly since 1982. The association is a group of 55 special interest magazines from 29 different countries. They bestow awards in 22 categories and winning one of their awards is a big deal in the industry. We photographers are always looking at new gear we can add to our bags. Knowing about the winning EISA products can greatly inform our choices. Before you check out the article take a guess at the winner in the first category “Advanced Camera” before you read the article. You may be surprised.

See which products won an EISA award HERE.

 

How To Use Aperture Mode – Correctly

Your camera most likely has M, A, S and P modes: Manual, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and Program. Aperture priority is most valuable when you want to control your aperture setting to ensure the depth of field for the scene you’re shooting. A low aperture like f2.8 is great for people shots because it will blur out your background. A high aperture like f11 is great for landscapes because it helps ensure the foreground and background will be in focus (see the Exactly Where Do You Focus For That Landscape Shot? article above). However, Aperture priority can really ruin your photos because of related camera settings like ISO. This article will explain those settings.

Get up to speed on aperture mode HERE.

 

The Composition Cheat Sheet

There are so many composition rules out there that this little cheat sheet in Photography Life resonated with us. One look at this handy item and you’ll tap your forehead and say “Oh yeah, I forgot about that rule”. Trying to implement a rule you may have forgotten can light a spark while you’re in the field and help you come back with a few more good images than you planned.

 

See the composition cheat sheet HERE.

You can more deeply explore each rule in the tutorial HERE.

 

Great Ideas For Your Holiday Beach Photography

The Labor Day weekend is upon us, marking the end of the summer beach season. If you’ve been shooting away at the beach on the weekends this year you may be looking for some new perspectives to spice up your images. We found this piece on the Light Stalking website which goes beyond just telling you about photo ideas; it has great image samples.

 

Get beach photography info HERE.

 

 

 

Meet The Photographer Who Captured Woodstock

The Woodstock event marked its 50th anniversary this August. It’s a nostalgic marking for aging hippies and a shining example of peace for those that follow. Only one photographer had an All-Access pass at the generation-defining music event: Henry Diltz. He arrived at the festival two weeks before the event and started shooting. He rarely put his camera down and captured sweeping and individual moments of the entertainers and the attendees. Here is a recent video interview of Diltz where he recalls the experience. It’s a piece of history.

See the interview with Henry Diltz HERE.

 

 

July 2019 – Welcome again to HDR News. If you haven’t already, make sure you you get your free v3.5 upgrade of HDR Expose, HDR Express and 32 Float. The upgrade has increased OS and camera RAW compatibility, native support for Apple Retina displays and more. Best of all it’s a FREE upgrade. You can download them here by clicking on the Trial/SW Update button. In HDR News this month we have nice image collections featuring wildlife and man’s/woman’s best friend. There’s a look at camera intros, memory cards, a feature on a new and affordable landscape lens and some inside rumors on the future of DSLRs. Let’s dive in!

 

Brilliant Nature Photos – 2019 Audubon Awards

The Audubon Society received over 8,000 entries for the 10th Annual Audubon Photography Awards. So many photo competitions these days can be merely a business that runs on competitor’s entry fees. The Audubon Photography contest is all about nature and fine photographs. The winning images are presented large and are nicely described by the photographer. Best of all, these images are really good.

 

See the fantastic images HERE.

 

Is An f1.4 Lens A Better Choice Than An f1.8

Depth of field? Bokeh? Well, when talking about fast lenses shallow depth of field and bokeh (quality of out of focus areas) are the topics that are thrown about. Usually those pontificating about fast lenses would be hard pressed to identify an image produced by an f1.8 lens or an f1.4 lens. Here at Pinnacle we think that observation extends to f2 lenses as well but that’s just our issue. The price differential for jumping to a faster lens can be astronomical. For example, a Nikon 85mm f1.8, an excellent lens, is priced at about $425. The Nikon 85mm f1.4 is priced at about $1,445: over a thousand dollars more! If you want to dive deeper into the controversy check out this article.

Make your own decision HERE.

 

The “Best” Memory Cards For Photographers

When we were all shooting film our choice of film stock was a serious artistic matter. Our decision points were the film’s grain structure, color bias, saturation and contrast. For memory cards in today’s digital world you could narrow down the criteria to just two non-artistic criteria, reliability and speed. Some would argue that reliability is the only factor that matters. Photographers equate brand with reliability. If you’ve been using a SanDisk, Lexar or other card for years without a lost image, you’ll be buying that brand continually until… you lose an image. Check out this article to see what Popular Photography thinks are the “best” memory cards.

 

Get up to speed on memory cards HERE.

 

Nikon Set To Drop 1/3 Of DSLR Lineup In Shift To Mirrorless

It’s tough to turn a profit in the camera business. Margins are thin and new products must constantly be introduced to meet the competition’s relentless pursuit of your customer base. Now that mirrorless cameras are the bright lights of the industry the choices in DSLRs will be reduced. This rumor article may not be completely correct but it surely will pique you if you’re a DSLR advocate.

 

 

Catch up on the rumors HERE.

 

Kennel Club Dog Photographer Of The Year Contest Winners

74 percent of people like dogs according to a 2010 Associated Press poll. Today’s political environment probably has you second guessing any poll. But, let’s just say a lot of people like dogs. So, you may be interested in the photos created for the Kennel Club’s Dog Photographer Of The Year competition. This year’s competition drew over 7,000 images from over 70 different countries to compete in ten categories. You may be asking yourself “why would I be interested in dog photos?” The answer is; the photos are good! They’re good enough that you may want to see if you can recreating one or two of the winners. You probably have a dog lying around to give you a hand!

Check out the winning photos HERE.

 

Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 Di OSD Samples

For all, but especially landscape photographers the Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 lens is a big, BIG deal. It’s got everything a pro photographer requires in a lens. It’s very sharp, well built and affordable. Plus, distortion is nicely controlled. The Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 sells for around $600 while the equivalent Nikon 17-35 f2.8D IF ED sells for over $1,300 more. dpReview has posted a gallery update for the Tamron lens which you should check out if you’re in the market for a great landscape lens.

See the samples HERE.

 

Preview Of New Sony a7R IV

Sony’s flagship mirrorless camera, The a7R IV, was recently announced in Japan. It’s specs will get your attention. It sports a 61mp sensor and produces near-flawless images at very high ISOs; like in the ISO 12,800 range. Really? A 61 megapixel sensor? That’s a lot of pixels. And, let’s not forget Sony’s incredible autofocus with real time tracking and near flawless eye tracking. I could go into the video specs here but it’s best you jump right into the video with dpReview’s Jordan of Chris and Jordan (Chris was fishing while Jordan went to the NYC intro).

Get a first look HERE.

 

Photographer Shoots Grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary

Shooting a wedding may be your dream job or most avoidable chore but the idea of shooting your own grandparent’s wedding has to be compelling. Pro photographer Abigail Lydick revived the wedding day of her grandparents to celebrate their 60th anniversary. George and Ginger Brown were married in June 1959 a year after a chance meeting in a restaurant. This story is about the captured emotions, not the photographic technique. Seeing the heart-generated smiles on the couple captured by Lydick will lift you. There is one particular image that is bursting with happiness.

Read the heart-warming account of the shoot HERE.

We’ve been working hard on keeping our HDR applications compatible with current OSs and camera files. The result is the v3.5 update to HDR Expose, HDR Express and 32Float which are available now. See below for details.

In this issue of HDR News we highlight a new take on tripods and then we argue against tripods in a great landscape photography tips article.  We take a look at an impressive new 100MP medium format camera and Apple’s new Retina display. And, we try to help you develop some criteria for updating your equipment. Let’s get going!

 

Download Your HDR Application Update

Your favorite HDR applications have just been updated for increased compatibility with the latest operating systems and camera RAW files.</p>

To update your applications just go to our product page and click on the “Trial/SW Update” button to download your copy. You can install the updates on your system with just a few familiar clicks. This update is available to licensed users of HDR Expose 3.x, HDR Express 3.x and 32 Float v3.

Here’s what’s improved:
– Now supports RAW files from the latest cameras
– Features updated User Interface with native support to Apple Retina Displays
– Now supports Mac OS 10.14 Mojave
– Now supports Windows OS 7/8/10 x64>
– Various bug fixes

 

The Travel Tripod Reimagined

We take a lot of landscape photos here at Pinnacle. A tripod is an essential piece of equipment that needs to be in our pack to take advantage of the beautiful scenes and light we seek. In low-light and time exposure situations the most important piece of equipment beyond our camera is a tripod. The word “tripod” conjures up different feelings, not the least of which is, “I hate lugging this thing around”. Camera manufacturers are shedding the bulk and weight of their cameras buy going mirrorless but what about the tripod? Well there may be a superior solution to the bulky tripod arriving later this year.

Read about the innovative product HERE.

 

Unexpected Tips For Better Landscape Photography

No Rule Of Thirds or Leading LIne recommendations are found in this concise set of tips for the landscape photographer. Read this one and you’ll be inspired to break compositional rules, return to your favorite locations frequently and, dare we say, ditch your tripod. (yes, that’s contrary to the previous article but we’re open to different shooting strategies)

Get the tips HERE.

 

A New Medium Format Camera You May Be Able To Afford

Most of us use a half-frame APS or a full-frame, 35mm format camera for our photography. These cameras make great images and displaying those images on social media and other Internet venues results in work that will do you proud. But, do you get the same feeling of quality when you print those images large?  If you frequent photo galleries or flip though well produced glossy magazines you will come across photographs that just look better, look sharper, look more “open”. It’s a higher level of quality that jumps out at you. Those images are very often the product of a medium format camera. Medium format cameras with their larger image sensors and big pixels really do take you up a full notch in image quality. Fujifilm’s new one hundred megapixel GFX-100 joins it’s relatively affordable GFX-50 in it’s medium format lineup. It’s PhaseOne quality without the $40K price tag. You need to take a look.

Read the preliminary revew HERE.

 

Apple’s $5000 Retina Display

It’s billed as the ultimate editing display by Apple. It sports “6016×3384 Retina 6K resolution (that) contains over 20 million pixels, providing nearly 40% more screen real estate than a Retina 5K display.” We want it! Or, do we? If we’re using the most brilliant, high definition display available to edit our photos will the 99% of the people who view our work on a less capable display be cheated? Even worse, will we be cheated by thinking that others see what we’re seeing on our screens. At five thousand dollars you need to read about the display and come to your own conclusion.

Get more info on the display HERE.

 

Knowing When You Need To Upgrade Your Gear

Do you really need that 14-24mm f2.8 super wide angle zoom selling for $1,900 or will the 20mm fixed lens in your bag handle 90% of your super wide angle situations? You can travel a lot for $1900 but, there does come a time when you -do- need to upgrade your gear. This article gives you a nice set of criteria to use as a benchmark when making the decision to go for new gear.

Start thinking about your equipment upgrades HERE.

May 2019 – It’s time to plan your summer photo travel and we’re here to help. Where to shoot is the logical first decision and there are probably no better photo locations in the U.S. than one of our national parks. We start off with an overview of the most scenic national parks which, includes fantastic images from each location. If you’re headed toward Europe this summer we point you to a Scottish isle that couldn’t be more picturesque. We help expand your photo knowledge and capabilities with a collection of long exposure tutorials and there’s much more. Let’s get going!

 

The Best National Parks For Photographers

The snow is off the roads and the weather is forecast to be fine. It’s time! It’s time to visit one of our national treasures, a national park. All the national parks are photogenic but some truly stand out as majestic marvels. It’s at these special parks that you’ll be able to replicate that landscape image that you’ve come across before and stuck in your mind. This article ran in 2018 but remains one of the best overviews of the parks. And, it includes an iconic image from each park.

Start your national park photo trip planning HERE.

 

World’s Oldest Trees By Starlight – The Photo Controversy

National Geographic’s image standards mimic the standards in used in photojournalism. In photojournalism you don’t create objects or perspectives that were never in the image when the shutter was clicked. You can adjust brightness and contrast. You can burn down or dodge areas. You can even crop. But, you can’t add content that wasn’t originally in the image. If you do add content and run the image you must label the image a photo illustration or alert the viewer in some way. So, what was a wonderful collection of some of the world’s oldest trees lit by starlight may have been reduced to a fraud by some very observant readers.

Read the details of the controversy HERE.

See National Geographic’s response to the accusations HERE.

 

3 Long Exposure Tutorials

Leaving your camera’s shutter open for seconds or even minutes will put you into an area of photography that delivers impressive and unique images. Of course you’ll capture ubiquitous blurry waterfalls but you’ll also see colors and glows created by the light of the moon and stars. You’ll see moody swirls on water surfaces and city scapes will surprise you. But, there’s more to long exposure photography than just placing your camera atop a tripod and tripping the shutter. These wonderful tutorials will give you the information you need to try long exposures with confidence.

Get the tutorials HERE.

 

Capturing Moonbows In Yosemite

Yes, a moonbow is what you would expect: a rainbow-like band of colors that is created by moonlight reflecting off misty water. This type of photography is beyond “long exposure” photography in that it requires ISO settings that produce images that border on un-useable. Nevertheless, astro-photographer Shreenivasan Manievannan created incredible moonbow photos in Yosemite National Park at the famous Yosemite Falls. Pretty cool.

See the moonbows HERE.

 

Bald Eagle – A Very Cool Photo

This is a story about Steve and Bruce. Steve is an amateur photographer based in Ontario Canada. Bruce is a bald eagle that was brought out for a fly by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy while Steve happened to be shooting. The story culminates with a rarer than rare image of the eagle soaring straight at the camera with its eye fixed on the shooter. That alone is a story but the symmetrical reflection created by the low-flying bird puts this one over the top.

Experience this cool photo HERE.

 

Life On A Scottish Island Owned By It’s Residents

“Getting away from it all” takes on a whole new meaning on the Isle of Eigg. It’s a tiny island sitting off the west coast of Scotland that is owned by its 107 residents. Like much of the Scottish coasts and islands the archipelago is a visual masterpiece. This collection of photos will really put you in the shooting mood.</p>

Visit the island HERE.

 

Dynamic Range: Film vs. Digital

Here at Pinnacle we’re all about high dynamic range. That’s why this video caught our attention. While our products handle the entire dynamic range of human sight, are there any imaging devices that can produce anywhere near that range. This test of film vs. digital may not put the question to rest.

Get the test results HERE.

 

Eye AF Coming To Nikon z6 and z7: It’s Already In The Sony a 6400

Photographers who tend to shoot people need to focus on their subject’s eyes. There’s no way around it. To that end Sony’s A0, A7R III and A7 III have had the feature for a while now. So, what about Nikon’s new Z7 and Z6? Nikon has hinted that eye focusing was coming for those cameras and last week Nikon announced a new firmware update that will add the functionality to those cameras. We’ll wait and see how the new feature performs.

Learn about the firmware update HERE.

April 2019 – There’s a lot of “2019 best-of” info in this month’s HDR News. We’ll be showing you the highest rated photo gear of 2019. We’ll also feature the winners of the Pulitzer Prize in photography and the World Press Photo Contest. We hope to inspire you natural light photographers to gain a little knowledge about using a single flash unit. We also give a nod to some insightful photography of a planet on the edge and, more!

 

Best Photo Gear Of 2019

TIPA, the Technical Image Press Association, has released its 2019 World Awards for new equipment. If you’re in the market for new gear you need to take some time exploring TIPA’s choices and, hopefully, be guided to a great purchase. If you’re a camera gear-head (we all are to some degree) then this will be very entertaining viewing and reading.

Learn about the best gear HERE

 

Fire Ravages Notre Dame de Paris – The Photos

The United States has been a formalized country for 243 years. The Spanish first arrived on North America’s shores 527 years ago. Construction on the church of Notre Dame (Nortre Dame de Paris) began 856 years ago in 1163 AD. It’s construction, all done without modern machines that could lift massive stones a couple of hundred feet into the air, was awe inspiring. Over the centuries the building became the soul of Paris and, indeed, the soul of France. The conflagration that consumed its wood constructed roof and many historic artifacts left the French and the rest of the world in a silent stupor. These stunning images capture the scene and those feelings.

Experience the photos HERE

 

Pulitzer Prize Photography 2019

The Pulitzers have been awarded since 1917 with the first Pulitzer for photography being awarded in 1942.The Pulitzer Prize in photography bestows huge honor on the winning photographers. It also places huge responsibility on the images’ viewers to understand the issues behind the photographs and judge for themselves whether the image before them tells the story in an exemplary way. The Pulitzer Prize celebrates the recording of history. Arthur Schlesinger said upon winning his second Pulitzer in 1966, “A nation informed by a vivid understanding of the ironies of history is, I believe, best equipped to live with the temptations and tragedy of power…” It’s ironic how this point applies today.

Take in the Pulitzer photographs HERE

 

An Image You Can’t Ignore

The non-profit World Press Photo Foundation has been awarding prizes for the best photojournalism and story telling since 1955. Based in Amsterdam the foundation’s yearly contest draws images by the world’s best working photojournalists: over 78,000 images this year. The top prize for 2019 was won by Getty Images’ John Moore for his photograph, “Crying Girl On The Border” of a two year old Honduran toddler Yanela Sanchez in tears as her mother is arrested by U.S. border patrol. It’s an image that forces you to take notice of what you have and what you could lose.

See the winning photo HERE

 

50 Photos Of Life On Earth

It’s clear thatour environment is changing. Mother Nature is on the run regardless of your beliefs on the reasons why. This collectionby National Geographic to highlight last Monday’s Earth Day shows abundant life forms and life forms that are in danger. Bonus: the photography is fabulously beautiful. </p>

 

Get into the earth HERE

 

It’s Time To Learn How To Create Great Images With Your Single Flash

At some point in your photographic development you need to get familiar with strobes (flash). Even as a dedicated landscape photographeryou will be asked to create a great portrait or product shot from time to time becuase you are, ideed, a photographer!This video shows you exactly what you can do with a single strobe and, it’s a lot! Beauty lighting, mood lighting andeven mixed daylight outdoor images are all possible. Use the video as inspiration. For detailed single strobe instructionthe best place to get started is by taking The Strobist’s Lighting 101 course for free online.

Get inspired to use flash HERE

Visit the Strobist’s 101 class HERE

 

New Sony a7R III and a7 II firmware improves AF and adds Interval Exposures

Sony’s latest update to its a7R and a7II mirrorless cameras firmware adds a new eye detection system that is based on AI and machine learning technologies. It can track an eye even if the eye closes or the subject turns around. This feature works on animals as well. Also, added to the firmware is interval shooting allowing for the creation of time-lapse videos.

Learn about the firmware update HERE

 

These Photos Were Taken With A 10mm Full-Frame Lens

What lens makes foreground objects enormous and points things like clouds toward your image’s center? A 10mm full frame lens is the answer. Using such an ultra-wide lens takes a while to master and it’s resulting look is not for everyone. Photographer Albert Dros took a 10mm lens out for a spin and came up with some memorable images.

See the super wide-angle images HERE

Welcome again to HDR News. Mother Earth is rubbing her eyes and looking for a cup of coffee. It just officially turned spring on the 20th which means there’s going to be lots of color and beautiful light for us to capture out there. In this issue we help you in your spring shooting preparations with location shooting tips for waterfalls and wildflowers. We have a nice primer on how to read your camera’s histogram and we end with software and camera new product information on some world class products. Let’s get going.

Have You Read Your Histogram Lately? – Here’s How

 

Have you ever needed to check your LCD screen but the light around you kept you from getting a good look? While your LCD screen may have a tenuous relationship with the truth when it comes to evaluating exposure, your image’s histogram does not. This piece is the perfect primer for getting a handle on histograms so you’ll never have to wonder about your exposure again. You’ll be equipped with a foolproof way to make sure your spring shooting is as productive as possible.

Learn to read your histogram HERE.

 

Most Beautiful Day Hikes In America

You can make beautiful nature photos in your neighborhood. You can make spectacular images if you research your locations and have the stamina to handle them. This is an article about locations that are less traveled and provide the zen-like visuals and solitude many of us savor. These hikes are not for couch potatoes but you can work up to them, especially if you’re motivated to shed those winter lbs. Once you’re there the images will almost make themselves.

 

 

 

Discover where to hike for photos HERE.

28 Inspiring Waterfall Photos

Spring is the season when the winter snow in the high elevations transforms to water and streams down the hills to create dramatic waterfalls. We see waterfall images everywhere but we seldom tire of looking at moving water. Now is the season for you to get out there and make some of your own. This collection of waterfall images will have you thinking creatively and appreciating your purchase of a variable neutral density filter.

 

 

See the images HERE.

Tips For Creatively Shooting Waterfalls

It takes more than a tripod and a slow shutter speed to creatively capture a waterfall image. The key word here is creatively beacause there are other factors that enter the picture like light levels, surroundings, skys, multiple exposures and more. This article will send your thinking down a slightly different path.

 

 

 

Get the tips HERE.

 

Best Places To See Wildflowers Around the U.S.

Spring brings more than waterfalls to photographers. Spring also brings flowers. Our gardens and landscaping come alive in spring and with it: color. Lots of color. Not much compares with seeing fields and rolling hills carpeted with color in every shade possible. This article reveals the best locations for seeing spring come alive so, bring your camera bag.

 

Discover the wildflower locations HERE.

 

A New Version Of Photo Mechanic Is On The Way

Photo Mechanic has been the gold-standard image browser for high volume shooters for over a decade. Why? It’s -blazing- fast. News and wedding shooters can do a first pass edit of a 1,000 image take literally in minutes. And, Photo Mechanic sits on top of your computer’s file system so all annotations, ratings and more reside in the image’s file. That means your images are not held hostage in a browser application’s guts never to return. Now Photo Mechanic 6 software will be even faster and features an improved UI.

 

Learn about the new version of Photo Mechanic HERE

Visit the Camera Bits website HERE.

 

Leica Q2 – First Look

There’s always lot’s of hype whenever Leica delivers a new product. But, unless you’re doing quite well financially you probably need to gather lots of product information before shelling out somewhere in the range of $5K for a camera with a fixed 28mm lens. DpReview’s crazy Chris and Jordan do a nice job taking the Q2 through its paces out in Canada’s frozen landscape. Even if you’re not thinking of buying the Q2 you should at least marvel at the image samples.

Check out Chris and Jordan’s review HERE.

Greetings. We’ve got a wide ranging set of information for you this issue. We point you toward a great set of images that has taken NASA’s primary photographer over thirty years to compile. We alert you to the warning signs of when; exactly you’re over processing your landscapes. That’s followed by some inspiration from landscape luminary photographer Marc Muench and an inside look at 14 Instagram influencer’s most popular images.

Best Photos From NASA’s Official Photographer

Just think back to all the explosive images that resulted from the last decades of NASA space shots. Now imagine you were NASA’s “guy”. The guy who had unfettered access to the source of one of photography’s most visually powerful environments. That guy is the talented yet humble Bill Ingalls. Ingalls fell into good fortune with a college internship and he’s still working for NASA and loving the photographic life.

See the images HERE.

Discover The Magic Of Long Exposure Photography

Magic is the perfect word to describe the look in photographer Sharon Tennenbaum’s serene yet surreal images. She shoots classic landscape and cityscape compositions and employs long shutter times that create smooth, syrupy surfaces. She alternates between black and white and color but, either way, the resulting images put you in a calm, relaxed state of mind.

Experience Tennebaum’s images HERE

5 Signs You’re Over Processing Your Landscape Photos

If you over-saturate your landscape photos you may be brought before the House Oversight Committee On Ugly Photographs. Of course, we’re joking here but sometimes you see photographs so egregiously unnatural that even a non-photographer would call out of bounds. If you think you’re not guilty of any of the over-processing sins in this article you’re probably fooling yourself. That’s a long way of saying, you need to be aware of these indicators of relying too much on your post-processing skills.

Check out the video HERE

The Approach To Better Landscape Photos – Marc Muench

There’s no Rule Of Thirds in his article. There’s no Golden Rectangle or Leading Lines. Now it’s time to approach landscape composition from a different perspective. Celebrated photographer Marc Muench, son of legendary photographer David Muench suggests two ways to approach landscape photography that don’t rely on diagrams. Muench will have you embracing “pre-visualization” and “discovery” approaches both of which revolve around new and revisited locations.

Let Marc Muench advise you HERE

A Person And Photographs You Can’t Ignore

Some people resemble forces of nature. One such person is psychoanalyst Dr. Anni Bergman. Bergman escaped the Holocaust and made her way to America, earned a PhD and went on to perform seminal research in autism and child/adult relationships. She has a wide ranging set of relationships herself which contributes to her longevity. Bergman turned 100 years old this year and she can’t stop moving. At age 97 she hopped on a jet by herself, met a friend in Switzerland and spent the trip hiking through the Alps. Photographer Ann Steiner, a PhD herself had taken a post doctoral class with Bergman and they became friends. In 2014 Steiner was taking a photography course and needed a subject. What subject could be better than Dr. Anni Bergman.

Read about this remarkable woman and Steiner’s photographs HERE

14 Influencers Talk About Their Popular Instagram Image

What defines “popular” when referring to an image on Instagram? Is there any way to predict that what you believe is a game changing image will be lauded by the online community? The answers are, there are no answers. Reading this article where really good photographers are baffled by their own image’s popularity we discover that our perceptions of our own work may be completely out of sync with reality and scream ideas that are surprises to ourselves.

See what the influencers are thinking HERE

New Color Calibration Tool For Monitors Hits The Market

If you’re serious about photography it’s time for you to calibrate and profile your monitor. If there isn’t a monitor profile sitting in your computer’s operating system there is no way you will accurately be able to predict what your photos will look like on another person’s monitor (as in client!) nor will you be able to accurately predict what a print produced by your printer will look like. Here’s a new tool on the market that will reduce creating a monitor calibration and profile to minutes. And, it costs less than $200. You don’t have any more excuses!

Read about the new product HERE