Webinar: Nature Photography & iHDR Workflow

Due to popular request, we are hosting our Nature Photography Webinar once again. We've broken up the lessons into four separate sessions: two on Sunday, Feb 21, 2010 - and two more on the Feb 28th, 2010.

Registration: Nature Photography & iHDR Workflow

As always, RECORDED Sessions will be available for review by registered students for at least 4 weeks after the Webinar. About one week before class begins, registered students will be invited to download notes, sample images, and instructional videos for via ftp.

Session 1 – Nature Photography, Equipment, and Research
SUNDAY, Feb 21, 12:00 (Noon) PM - 2:00 PM (EST)
Session one is for students of all skill levels, and will focus on the basics of Nature Photography. After a brief discussion of composition and light, we will move on to discuss the equipment we use and how we use it. We will also talk about what it takes to shoot landscapes, and the research that helps us choose our shooting locations.

Session 2 - RAW processing
SUNDAY, Feb 21, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EST)
During session two, we will teach students of all skill levels how to work with RAW files. We will explain the difference between file types and introduce the basics of Adobe Camera RAW, before walking students through the processing of sample images. Students will work together to make decisions about color balance, exposure, contrast, and more as they work together on images provided by the instructors.

Session 3 – Layers and Masks in Photoshop
SUNDAY, Feb 28, 12:00 (Noon) PM - 2:00 PM (EST)
The material presented in session three is critical to the understanding of our iHDR process. This session is recommended for intermediate and advanced students – and those who have completed sessions one and two. Students will learn the basics of layers and masks in Adobe Photoshop. Sample images will be provided, and students will work alongside the instructors as they learn to use layers, and create and refine masks. Students will learn simple and practical blending techniques, and will receive an introduction to manual High Dynamic Range blending.

Session 4 – iHDR
SUNDAY, Feb 28, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EST)
Session four is our most advanced session. Students who wish to attend should have completed sessions one, two, and three – or should have a solid understanding of layers and masks, and a basic understanding of Adobe Photoshop and how it works. We will focus on processing bracketed images using our Intelligent High Dynamic Range blending techniques. Students will use critical skills from sessions two and three to process bracketed RAW images, and blend them using layers and carefully refined masks.

We HIGHLY recommend completing sessions 2 & 3 before attending session 4. We won't have time to go back and cover the concepts covered in sessions 2 & 3.

We hope to see you online!

Webinar Weekend

We've finished up the first three sessions - one more to go this afternoon. Thanks to all of you who signed up! We always enjoy teaching, and we're really liking the online format.

Don't forget - recorded sessions are available to all registered students - so you can review the session at any time. And refer to the videos and notes we included in your course materials for a quick refresher if you need it.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Webinar Series - Next Weekend!

Our webinar series is one week away! If you'd like to attend, and you haven't yet signed up, use this link:

www.regonline.com/iHDRwebinar

For those who find the scheduling inconvenient - we plan to record all seminar sessions, and make them available to students for review. Recorded sessions will be available as streaming video through WebEx for a minimum of 2 weeks after the session has ended. Students will have access to the recordings from all sessions for which they are registered.

We've had quite a few questions about that - and we want to make it clear that students who can not attend real-time can still take the courses. You won't be able to ask questions during class, but you can send us an email afterward and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Of course, students who attend the real-time sessions can review the recorded sessions as well.

You'll need a high-speed internet connection and a computer with speakers. Students can connect via telephone or WebEx's VOIP service as well.

iHDR Webinar

All right, folks. Your wish is our command. We have received a whole lot of inquiries about online iHDR classes over the past few months. So many, in fact, that we've put together a series of webinars for all those who can't attend an on-the-ground seminar. You can get all the information you need by clicking here: iHDR webinar

Here are the dates and times - notice that we've broken up the lessons into four separate sessions. Two on Saturday, September 26th - and two more on the 27th.

Session 1: Sept 26, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)
Fundamentals of Nature Photography

Session 2: Sept 26, 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (EST)
Histograms & Raw Processing

Session 3: Sept 27, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM (EST)
Layers & Masks in Photoshop

Session 4: Sept 27, 2:00 PM - 4:30 AM (EST)
iHDR Workflow

We HIGHLY recommend completing sessions 2 & 3 before attending session 4. We won't have time to go back and cover the concepts covered in sessions 2 & 3.

We're not sure how fast these sessions are going to fill up - and we're not sure when we'll be offering another series - so if you want a spot, you'll need to sign up right away.

I hope these dates will work for all those who were unable to attend our seminars.

And for those who are wondering what the heck I'm talking about, click here for a short video explaining iHDR.

Reflecting on Jasper

When the right light and right location come together the results are nothing short of spectacular. While shooting at Beauty Creek we ran into cloud formations that produced some of the most brilliant light display of our trip to Canadian Rockies. I have to give credit to our host Darwin and Samantha for showing us this location. Be sure to check their website (DarwinWigget.com, Chrysalizzphotography) and their blog. Both Darwin and Samantha offer workshops in Canadian Rockies.



To capture this photograph I used a 0.9 Hard Edge GND filter. Because I was shooting looking directly into the sun, even with a 0.9 ND filter I had to bracket my shots. These bracketed shots were combined using our iHDR work flow to bring out the colors and details in both the sky and reflection.

I hope you like the photograph. Please feel free to comment and give me suggestion for improving the photo. Thanks you for stopping by.

-Jay

Green and Blue - Banff

Since I've had very little time for processing, I have chosen to process a few quick and easy shots. This first shot is just a simple dandelion seed head. Jay pointed this one out near Bow Lake. I shot with my 180mm macro. Notice I'm shooting in the shade - soft, even lighting works well for this subject. You can see the detail in the seeds, but the contrast isn't too extreme... which means the flower keeps its delicate softness.

This is Herbert Lake. We'd been shooting elsewhere, but high winds forced us away. I took only a few shots under this sky - and I threw all but this one away. Wide angle lens, f/11, and a long shutter speed (3.2 sec). A simple composition, a bit of texture in the clouds, and a bit of drama just for the fun of it.

This is an early morning shot from a pond near Graveyard Flats. We'd had a rough night - nearby campers partied late into the night, and loud thunderstorms kept us awake after that. The moodiness of the heavy morning fog had me smiling, though. :) This was an incredibly easy shot to process... no broad range of light to deal with, very low contrast overall, and it wanted to go blue... so I let it have its way.

What do you think?

We have an iHDR seminar in Ohio this weekend. There are just a few seats left, so if you are interested, don't put off registering any longer.

Thanks for your very kind words...

We've been getting some really fantastic comments about our recent seminar, and I want to thank all of you who attended the workshop and emailed or blogged about it. Positive comments from participants are more important to us than all the advertisements in the world.

Suprada Urval and Aaron Burdick wrote some really kind blog posts about the seminar, and some of our other students responded to our requests for comments:

Frank Damon - "I think the 2 day class on iHDR by Jay and Varina Patel is absolutely superb. I loved every minute of it as I was learning new techniques based on some information I had already dabbled with in the past, but had no knowledge how to utilize it to make such beautiful images. This class has inspired me to go out and learn more and really apply what I have learned to my everyday photography to make them more beautiful and unique without over-doing them, as some are prone to do. Jay and Varina are extremely knowledgeable and committed to make sure that each and every students learns about iHDR before leaving class. Their patience, intelligence and commitment to help students is their mantra, and it really paid off."

Jorge Rapadas -

"Worth every penny because:
1. Husband and wife team are both photographers and Photoshop experts.
2. Practically hands-on since we were only around 14 [students].
3. They are nature photographers and all their examples are right down our alley.
4. I consider them the Ansel Adams of color photography and both highly qualified to teach.

Their basic approach is teach basics of HDR photography and use the raw file as a negative."

Several other students left positive comments for us as well, and we are working to get them up on the references section of our websites. It was an absolute pleasure to teach this group of students in California. Everyone was very focused and I was pleased with how quickly our students picked up on the concepts. Thanks to ALL of you! We are looking forward to our next class in August!

And special thanks to Jorge for comparing us to Ansel Adams - we don't deserve it by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still awfully nice to hear. ;)

Travel Plans...

We have some exciting travel plans this year. We'll be in the Canadian Rockies at the beginning of August. I was born in Canada, and have made small trips into Canada a few times in the last several years... but never to shoot. We're both looking forward to that trip. In September, we'll head out to Montana to visit Glacier National Park again. And we've just booked flights to Hawaii in December. We weren't expecting to make it to Hawaii this year, so we're pleased to have been able to schedule this trip. With any luck, we'll get to stop in to see my Grandmother on Maui for a day or two during our stay.

Of course, in between travel, we'll be teaching another seminar in August and preparing for upcoming webinars. We have a workshop in November, too - in Utah... Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. So if we aren't busy enough with our six kids, we should be able to find plenty to do. ;)

And last but not least - I've updated my website once again. You'll find a new Details gallery... textures, macros, and small details. I've also added images to several other galleries. Check out the Newest Photographs gallery to see all the new photos in one place.

Sunny California

We flew into San Fransisco late last night. This morning, I checked in with the hotel where we'll be teaching our Intelligent HDR seminar and everything is ready to go. The weather is beautiful here - and I'm appreciating it, especially since I know that heavy storms are sweeping through the Cleveland area today. Jay and I spent a few hours working on the plane (before we both fell asleep.) We're working on a new endeavor that we're not quite ready to announce. ;)

We're looking forward to tomorrow's seminar. It will be great to meeting those of you who are attending.

Little Brother

We are just about ready for our June 20-21 iHDR seminar in San Jose next week. We have only a few spots left, so if anyone is still interested in signing up, you'll need to be quick about it. I'm really looking forward to meetings those of you who have signed up to join us!

Although we've been busy preparing for the seminar, I did take a few minutes to process this shot from Ruby Beach in Washington. I loved the moody feel to the image - and although I considered converting it to black and white, I felt that the subtle blue color worked best. The pretty rock in the foreground had been washed onto the shore behind me, but I moved it into the waves to I could capture the effect of the smooth water washing it's surface. The waves were strong enough to push it out of the way, so I had to take several shots before I got the one I wanted.

Although I love the dramatic lighting that we are always looking for on our photographic trips, sometimes these more subtle photos really make me smile. :)

And then there's the title for this one. I know it's a bit odd... but it's what keeps coming back to my mind when I look at this shot. That little stone may be the smaller of the two brothers... but its smooth surface and small size suggest that it has been around for a very long time. Humans grow up as they grow older, but stones grow smaller over time.

-Varina

iHDR Seminar - California

We have finally managed to get everything ready so that we can offer the iHDR seminar in CA. We have quite few request to run this seminar on West coast after we offered it in OH. You can register for the seminar at:

Registration: http://www.regonline.com/iHDR_ca

There is discount available for signing up before April 27th. We have posted a video showing the overview of iHDR workflow. You can view the video below:

We hope to see some of you there.

-Jay

Preparations...

We've just booked our tickets for our August trip to Canada. I am looking forward to spending some time in the Canadian Rockies with Darwin Wiggett and Samantha Chrysanthou! Both are excellent photographers - and there's nothing I like more than traveling to beautiful places with other photographers. Can't wait! We have a few trips planned before then, too - thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd start to get a little antsy! (A LOT antsy actually.) :)

We are also preparing for another Nature Photography and iHDR seminar in California. We're just about ready to go live with this one. We've had quite a lot of interest in this class, so make sure you sign up right away if you are interested. We can't promise a seat to anyone who waits too long.

After a few lovely weeks of Spring here in northern Ohio, we spent the day watching heavy snow cover our green grass. No suprise there, folks. That's how things are around here.

-Varina

iHDR Part 1: Workflow Overview

We've had a lot of questions about our upcoming Intelligent HDR(iHDR) Seminar. In response, we've created this short video, which gives a brief overview of the concepts we'll be teaching. Please feel free to forward this post to anyone who might be interested in attending.

The basic work-flow involves creating a simple luminosity mask, and then refining the mask to create "luminosity clusters". These "luminosity clusters" allow the user to control blending in different parts of the image.

In the next part, we will explain the concept of "luminosity clusters".

-Jay & Varina

Intelligent HDR Seminar!

We're live! Registration is now open for our Intelligent HDR Seminar! We've been busy planning this all month, and it's a real pleasure to be able to make this announcement! :) The workshop will be August 15th and 16th in Independence, Ohio (near Cleveland). We'll meet each day from 9am to 4:30 pm.

On the first day, we'll talk about equipment, composition, hyperfocal distance, and various techniques for landscape photography. We will also begin to talk about histograms, layers, and masks. Day two will take these concepts further - we'll teach techniques for capturing a broad range of light in-camera, and we'll talk in-depth about processing high-dynamic range images.

I hope that many of you will join us in August. We are really looking forward to doing this for the first time. You can get more details and register online at www.regonline.com/IntelligentHDR. Please tell your friends! :)