I'm going to try to talk myself into processing and posting at least one image per day for the next few weeks.
The photograph above was taken in Needles, CA just down the block from the 66 Motel on Route 66. I found the chair in an old boxcar that was sitting on the side of the road.
This is a three-shot HDR file that was processed twice using the techniques I describe in my new on-line HDR class. After processing the image, I opened it into Photoshop via Camera Raw and placed it as a Smart Object. I also ran my Soft Contrast and Vignette actions on it and added a few Hue/Saturation and Curves adjustment layers to fine-tune the image (as described in the class mentioned above). I also wanted the twigs int he foreground to stand out a little bit, so I painted on the mask attached to the Vignette layers to prevent those areas from being darkened.
I don't know if any of those notes make sense or are helpful to anyone sense they are so vague, but let me know if you'd like to me to continue providing them in the future (no promises since I'm pretty lazy at remembering what I did).
This is an elegant example of your HDR style, Ben.
The processing notes are useful in relating your course techniques to a given example and also as an insight into what elements in an image you creatively want to emphasise.
Moreover, these examples and notes will not only encourage people to take your HDR course, but likely inspire those who have, (like me), to get out and try more HDR ourselves!
Thank you. :)
Posted by: Balliolman | November 11, 2007 at 08:43 AM
Hello Ben,
I took your Xtrain course and the notes are very useful to me...so please include them with your images...thanks
Joel
Posted by: Joel Schilling | November 11, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Ben, at the Great Smokies workshop you mentioned that your HDR course would be available on DVD soon. Any update on that?
Posted by: Chris | November 11, 2007 at 01:52 PM
No update yet...
I talked to them about a week ago and they made up another excuse for a delay. If it's not available for X-mas, then I won't do any more content for that company. Let's hope it's out my turkey day.
-Ben
Posted by: Ben Willmore | November 11, 2007 at 05:12 PM
The notes are really helpful, with or without details. Not only to understand what you were emphasizing in your adjustment, but in seeing how you attained that.
Thanks.
Posted by: Gloria Wilson | November 12, 2007 at 05:44 AM
Ben,
Keep the comments coming ... it's great to read the process you use to get to these wonderful images.
Cheers,
Glyn
Posted by: Glyn Dewis | November 13, 2007 at 03:39 PM