Author Archives: GAR

Photo of the Week – Christopher Pratt

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High Dynamic Range – As Good As It Gets

Christopher Pratt - Belk Library - ASU Campus

Christopher Pratt - Belk Library - ASU Campus

Recent member Christopher Pratt gets the credit for this great floor-to-ceiling capture of the entrance foyer of the Belk Library on the ASU campus. He initially intended to shoot only the circular balconies, walls and ceiling but wisely decided to include the bronze statue in the foreground which adds depth to the scene and a very definite focal point. It was this decision that took the shot out of the ordinary.
To achieve the lovely lighting and control the dynamic range, Christopher used a tripod and remote cable release to take five consecutive bracketed shots at 1 f/stop intervals, then loaded all five RAW images into the software program Photomatix to combine all the exposures. He then applied what is called “Tone Mapping” in Photomatix to produce this final image. The result is an excellent HDR capture that doesn’t go over the top but provides a realistic photographic image. The great depth and sharp focus is the result of using a very wide angle 10mm lens.

Photo of the Week – May Weller

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Sunset at Venice FL – and More

May Weller - Florida Sunset

May Weller - Florida Sunset

Every photographer at one time or another will attempt to capture a spectacular sunset. It may be the most photographed of all of nature’s glorious natural paintings. But therein lies a problem-how to stand out from the crowd.  Perhaps this capture provides a good example.  May was at the scene and noticed a couple of surfers trying to ride the apparently calm waves.  With her camera ready, she waited until one walked into the scene and snapped the shutter.  An otherwise empty space now had a focal point in the lower left to balance the sun and pier on the right.  Here also is a perfect example of proper and effective use of the Rule of Thirds.  The rose/orange reflection in the wet sand provides an additional resting area for the eye in the lower right and the pale color dancing on the waves rounds out the completed scene.  One other point to consider.  Think about how much less effective the shot would have been had the surfer been walking out of rather than into the frame.  Click here to view a quickly Photoshopped version showing exactly that.  Does this reversal lessen the impact?