| Unleashing the Power
of High Dynamic Range (HDR) Images |
|
| Instructor: David
Nightingale Duration: 4
Weeks Cost: US$195 |
One of the first things you learn as a photographer is that our cameras have a limited dynamic range. For example, you learn that if you wish to take an interior shot of a building, any detail you might see through the windows will be blown out if you set your exposure to capture the interior of the room. Likewise, if you attempt to photograph a person against the backdrop of a sunset, you know that your subject will appear as little more than a silhouette if you expose for the sky.
In short, you learn that your camera has limitations and that it often can't
capture the scene as you see it. So, you stop trying to take shots with a wide
dynamic range, and concentrate instead on doing the best job you can with equipment
whose limitations you have learnt to accommodate.
In this course though you will learn how to create High Dynamic Range images from a bracketed sequence of exposures that will allow you to capture these scenes; i.e. you will be able to photograph scenes where the dynamic range is massively larger than can normally be recorded in a single image. In addition, you will also learn how to use HDR techniques to i) enhance scenes with a normal dynamic range, and ii) create an HDR-style image from a single RAW file.
Course Outline:
- Understanding tonal range and dynamic range.
- How to shoot a bracketed exposure sequence for HDR.
- Using Photoshop's Merge to HDR function.
- Using Photoshop's Local Adaptation method to convert an HDR image.
- Using Photomatix Pro's Exposure Blending function.
- Creating a photo-realistic effect.
- Understanding tone mapping.
- Using the Tone Compressor method in Photomatix Pro.
- Using the Details Enhancer method in Photomatix Pro.
- Creating the 'illustrative' look.
- Using Photomatix to enhance a low-contrast scene.
- Creating a pseudo-HDR image from a single RAW file.
Course Requirement:
A digital DSLR and a thorough knowledge of aperture, shutter speed and exposure.
Students will require Photoshop CS2 or above to take part in the first week's
assignment. Assignments two through four require Photomatix Pro and another image
editing program (e.g. Earlier versions of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and
so on).
Photomatix Pro, available from hdrsoft.com. Please note that a 15% discount is available on Photomatix Pro to all students who sign up for this course.
Instructor: David Nightingale
 David Nightingale lives in both Blackpool, a seaside town in the North West of England, and Ganchovets, a village near to Veliko Tarnovo in central Bulgaria, with his wife Libby and seven children. He was formerly a university lecturer, but is now the full-time Creative Director of Chromasia Limited - a fine arts and commercial photography company specialising in commercial and private commissions; image licensing; and print sales (www.chromasia.com). He is also the director of Chromasia Training Limited – a photographic and post-production training company, specialising in online tutorials and one-to-one training (www.chromasia-training.com).
His blog, from which he developed both companies, has received numerous nominations and awards including Winner of the Most Popular Photoblog category in the 2008 Photoblog Awards and Best European Photoblog in the 2007 Photoblog Awards.
He has also authored three books: Baby Photography Now (2007), published by ILEX Press in the UK and Lark Books in the US; Practical HDR (2009), published by ILEX Press in the UK and Focal Press in the US; and Extreme Exposure, scheduled for publication in 2010.
David believes in the intelligent application of photo enhancing techniques and brings to his students, not only the technical skills to create stunning images, but also the discerning eye and critical judgement of what is needed to improve an image.
What students are saying about David Nightingale
and his course?
Click here to see what is in David's camera bag. |
