Photography News Issue 45

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

DaysOut

Shoot HDR to tackle those tricky lighting situations 7. Deal with any light

Left HDR software like Photomatix Pro is easy to use and quickly combines images of different brightnesses (below) to give you the best possible result. Various style are available, but stick to the more photorealistic of them to avoid unnatural looking results.

Right When shooting interiors, such as museums or houses, your camera is unlikely to be able to deal with the varying brightness of the scene. To deal with it, take multiple shots at different shutter speed settings, and combine them in software later. Back home after the event, load the images into a program such as Photomatix Pro, which will align and blend them for you, balancing the light and dark of each, so you get the best of all the exposures. stationarybyplacingitonsomething in the scene, so that the shots are identically framed, but if you need to shoot handheld there are some ways to improve results. First, shooting in aperture-prioritymode, increase the ISO so that the shutter speed is kept high, and you avoid camera shake. Second, keep your shooting position as still as possible by tucking in your elbow and squeezing off your bracketed shots very gently. When bracketing handheld, it’s a good idea to shoot in the camera’s fastest drive mode, keeping your own or any subject movement to a minimum between shots.

Shooting historic buildings or museums can cause lots of problems, particularly as you can’t control the light or wait for it to improve. Shooting interiors with windows to a bright exterior can be especially tricky, as the range of tones in the image is simply too much for the camera to record in one go. This leads to areas in the image where all the detail is lost to highlight or shadow. The answer is to use your camera’s built-in HDR mode, or shoot bracketed exposures ready to blend later. In either case, the camera will record a series of images with different brightnesses, so can capture a full range of tones across the shots. The HDR or bracketing modes can often be found with the main drive modes, such as single or continuous shooting. They may also be in the shooting menu, or accessed via a dedicated button on the body. You’ll be able to choose the extent of bracketing involved, ie. how much the exposures will lighten or darken to deal with the highlights or shadows, and how many shots will be taken. in galleries,

When shooting this way, it’s best to lock off the camera’s position on a tripod, or keep it completely 8. Share your best day out pics

Create a lasting impression from your photo day out

If you’ve used these tips to get some great photos from your day out, don’t let them sit in a folder on your hard drive. There are loads of ways to put your best work on display, from digital to print. For instance, if you want to make a special enlargement of one

A photobook is another great way of collecting your memories of events or places you’ve visited, and presenting a themed array of images across its pages works beautifully. Check out LoxleyColour (loxleycolour.com), a company which produces a wide range of photobooks in a variety of sizes, finishes and cover designs. Of course the modern way is to air your images online, but rather than the slightly ramshackle approach of putting them on Facebook, why not use the opportunity to create a dedicated page on a proper website. Zenfolio sites (en.zenfolio.com), offer a brilliant package of features, including the ability to easily sort images into collections, blog about your latest work, and sell prints to visitors online. Images Don’t let your days out fade into a distant memory, or disappear into the bottom of your hard drive. Make prints, books or websites, and share your adventures with the world. Try a big enlargement from The Print Foundry, a classy website from Zenfolio, or a photobook from Loxley Colour; each is a great way to show off your best shots from the day.

of your shots, The Print Foundry (theprintfoundry.co.uk) has some superb print products, some of which are reviewed on page 40. Check out the luminous HD Acrylic blocks, large-scale fine- art prints and canvases for all the impact you need.