Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for Digital Photographers

Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for Digital Photographers
by Rick Sammon

Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for Digital Photographers
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Book Summary Information

Author: Rick Sammon
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-04-26
ISBN: 0470612754
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Wiley

Book Reviews of Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for Digital Photographers

Book Review: Superb book about HDR and a lot more
Summary: 5 Stars

Rick Sammon is the cheerleader of all time for photography. I just got his new book on HDR Photography Secrets and it is wonderful. Rick's approach goes way beyond the computer geek approach that so much HDR info is based on. Rick's book is about PHOTOGRAPHY and using HDR. He has terrific examples and is very inspiring. He got me excited to try some new things with HDR. You can't help it when you spend time with Rick's writing and photography -- he makes you want to get out and do it yourself!

I think what really resonates for me are the terrific examples. So often photo book authors try to look good with elaborate text, but they don't put the effort into the photos. Rick does. And he tells you how he did it. One thing about HDR photography is that you have to do it. Reading books goes only so far, no matter what they say. I think that seeing what is possible with clear and well-written information about the photos is so important to encourage one to get out and take HDR pictures yourself. Rick covers what you need to know in order to take great shots with HDR. There are so many folks who have not even tried HDR, so a book like this is great because it treats them with respect and also gives great inspiration from the tips and techniques for advanced shooters. I am a pretty advanced shooter, and I got some ideas and tips from this book.

Summary of Rick Sammon's HDR Photography Secrets for Digital Photographers

Top photographer Rick Sammon shares his greatest HDR tips and tricks

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is a process in which a photographer shoots multiple shots of the same subject at varying exposure settings and then "stitches" the images together with photo-editing software into a single photo that presents sharper color and focus than a single image. World-renowned digital photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon reveals his most amazing HDR tips, tricks, and techniques for creating the best possible HDR images.

Packed with more than 150 of Sammon's stunning full-color photos and more than 200 techniques, this invaluable guide inspires and motivates you to capture and edit your own unique still-life images.

  • World-renowned digital photographer and Canon Explore of Light Rick Sammon reveals a wealth of unparalleled High Dynamic Range (HDR) tips, tricks, and techniques
  • Inspires both amateur and experienced photographers to boost their creativity, and improve the quality of their images in the digital darkroom
  • Features more than 150 beautiful images from Sammon's own portfolio as well as more than 200 tips and tricks for shooting and editing HDR images

HDR Secrets for Digital Photographers unveils an abundance of tips and tricks that will help you make your good HDR photos great.

Top Ten HDR Photography Tips
Amazon-exclusive content from author Rick Sammon

If you?re new to HDR, here are my top ten tips for capturing the best HDR photographs.

1) When capturing an HDR image, you should shoot at least 3 exposures. My suggestion is to shoot: 0 EV, +2 EV and -2EV

2) Keep the aperture constant between all captures.

3) Use a cable release or self-timer.

4) Use Photomatix to process your images.

5) In Photomatix, adjust the White Point slider first - to preserve the highlights.

6) When processing in Photomatix, make sure the highlights are not washed out and the shadows are not blocked up.

7) After Photomatix, increase sharpness and contrast in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

8) Try a touch of Topaz Adjust on your HDR images to add an artistic touch.

9) If you have an old JPEG file that you?d like to transform into an HDR-style image, try Topaz Adjust to create a pseudo HDR image.

10) And in my opinion the most important tip is to be creative and have fun with HDR.

HDR Photos from Author Rick Sammon (Click to enlarge)

Add Contrast
HDR really rocks when it comes to scenes with a lot of contrast. Here, you see show the HDR (top image) is greatly improved over the bottom image (standard exposure). Yes, HDR is very cool, but never underestimate the power of an interesting subject, such as one of the buildings in the Summer Palace of Beijing, China. Also remember the basic rules of composition ? framing the subject with a foreground element in this case.


Think Photoshop + Photomatix
When processing a set of images in Photomatix, the final image can tend to look a bit flat. In Photoshop (or Elements, Lightroom or Aperture), increase the contrast and sharpness of your image to really make the final image ?pop? with color and detail. By increasing the contrast, you will lose a bit of detail in the shadow areas, but remember: light illuminates and shadows define.


Envision the End Result
When processing a set of images in Photomatix, the final image can tend to look a bit flat. In Photoshop (or Elements, Lightroom or Aperture), increase the contrast and sharpness of your image to really make the final image ?pop? with color and detail. By increasing the contrast, you will lose a bit of detail in the shadow areas, but remember: light illuminates and shadows define.

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