Unified Color releases new HDR Tools

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For me personally, the new batch processing of HDR Expose 2 is excellent.  And to be able to process multiple versions in batch mode (presets) makes it all the more useful.

The localized dodge and burn is also a much welcomed addition.  Some images do fine with macro tonemapping, but many images benefit by being able to localize exposure tweaks and the dodge and burn tool is a great addition.

I think John Omvik does a great job touching on the major features of both Expose 2 and in this youtube video (link below):
http://youtu.be/dEwFCIPRrFk

HDR for Real Estate and Architecture

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I know I keep beating this HDR drum, but it’s a good beat.

After 2 months of dealing with health crud, I recently had to shoot in wicked harsh lighting conditions.  These days were not perfectly sunny blue sky days, but rather what I refer to as “White Haze”.  I say that because it is almost like a white sky with a hint of cyan.  Bad air, atmosphere issues, whatever you want to blame it on, the air quality has been terrible during this severe drought along the Emerald Coast of florida.

HDR to the rescue.  Many times I’m fighting the over saturation that can occur when merging brackets, but in this case I didn’t pull back at all and needed those under exposed frames desperately to pull some color that did not appear in the middle/normal exposures.

The first gallery was for a client that I first shot for in 2006 and delivered some pretty over tonemapped work.  Well guess what.  They liked that “look”.  Go figure.  So I let the first set be plenty colorful and saturated and the windows will look less blown out and more like paintings than I care to deliver these days, but what the client wants (and pays for)… the client gets.

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/resorts/2669/index.html

The second gallery was for a home that is owner occupied and the shoot could not be rescheduled. This day was probably the worst air quality I’ve seen in years. The sky was bright as can be but lacking a pure blue.  A very nasty “White Haze” persisted for the 2 hour shoot.  I had to work through cats, dogs and family running around preparing for the 4th of July weekend otherwise I’d have been in and out in under an hour.

Again, HDR to the rescue.  And even with HDR, the one living room shot I posted at the top of this blog post with windows in frame I could just not make look like most of my other work.  The sky at that point was completely WHITE to the eye.  Not cloudy, just so hazy and yet bright that you’d squint fiercely as you look out the window.  A circular polarizer didn’t help at all.  Only HDR and the under exposed frames allowed a hint of blue/cyan to come through.  And this is not some joke of a bracket like 3aeb that HDR newbies thinks can work for real estate.  This was an 11 aeb +/-1EV steps.

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/resorts/4097/index.html

Sigma SD1 Pricing Announced

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Sigma SD1 pricing announced today and they took many folks by surprise. Why?

Because many months ago a Sigma executive when asked about SD1 pricing indicated it would be in the “Canon 7D” price range.  So many Sigma enthusiasts were counting on $1600-$1800 for the SD1.

Today sigma announced the SD1 is priced at $9700.  (that’s not a typo)

$9700 dollars for a crop sensor that only takes sigma SA mount lenses.  Hmmmm…

Now I am a huge sigma fan.  An X3F lover and I’ve yapped about it many times.  I’m disappointed that Sigma priced the SD1 so high, especially after they indicated it would be in line with the cost of a Canon 7D.

Seems Sigma is trying to pitch the SD1 as a viable medium format competitor.  What I don’t know is if the medium format folks will dig the following:

  • 460K LCD screen.  That’s right.  Low resolution LCD to review your shots
  • Tiny viewfinder to frame your shots (compared to Full Frame or MF)
  • Sigma lens quality control

Those three issues are the biggest downsides to the SD1 as a medium format competitor.  Several sigma SA mount lenses have shipped to me with massive back focus issues and despite being sent to sigma repair in NY several times, they still can only be used as manual focus lenses (sigma quality control is notoriously worse than Canon/Nikon).

There are other gotchas like amazingly crappy battery life (200 shots per charge), etc…, but I’ll stop here given Sigma priced it far enough out of my range to consider the SD1 as a purchase.  Had they priced it around $2000 to $2500 I’d have probably have bought two and then start shooting real estate with it over my current Nikon D3.  Steady as she goes for now given this pricing.

Camera + Lens + Tripod

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Many of my clients request what most of you would call a “Run and Gun“.

Camera, Lens, Tripod …. and very limited time to shoot right at high noon (high contrast).

Click to View Larger Version

It’s what I first began shooting myself and later got used to coping with.  Basically,…

  • No formal knowledge of the property
  • No prior prep time or staging time alotted
  • No time to bring in external lighting
  • No time to waste…  basically… HDR to the rescue

Here’s some typical “Camera + Lens + Tripod” shoots.  Some new, some relatively recent…

VRBO Listing for new client wanting to stand out above the rest

Sandestin Burnt Pine MLS Listing

VRBO Shoot for existing client that values (through bookings) high end photos

MLS Shoot for Existing Client (has sold 90% of listings I shot in 60 days or less)

HDR Training Seminars

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I’ve been running a video training program (in Beta) for using a HDRI Pipeline for Architectural Photography and Real Estate Photography, since August of 2010.  It’s been slowly building videos to the archive since then.  In fact I recorded more sessions this week to release in mid May, but that is not what this blog post is really about.

What this blog post is targeting, are those who would like to either attend an all day seminar or get one on one training from me covering my real estate shooting workflow.  My HDR Pipeline if  you will.

So if you’ve been following my blog and have been wondering how I achieve these final images without using elaborate lighting setups, then email me.  Message me through the email linked at the bottom of my home page:  http://www.digitalcoastimage.com

This way I can actually plan on any such seminars or visits to various cities depending on demand in that region.

I’ve had a handful of students recently request one on one training despite having access to all the videos.  I get it.  Each person has their own camera and lots of specific questions.  So email me and let me know where you live so that I can plan accordingly.

Because of health issues I’ve been considering shooting far less than I have been and spending more time leveraging my time with others in the process.  Hence this blog post.

Nearly confirmed locations for one-on-one training are in the following regions:

  • South Florida
  • Philly
  • Hollywood / L.A.
  • Houston
  • Conneticut

None are fully confirmed as of today, but bookings are in play for a few of them. When and if they do book, it would mean that routes to and from would be and could be potential candidates for either a group seminar or one-on-one training.  So email me your location if you’d be interested in being added to a mailing list that would ONLY receive emails about training information relating to my HDRI pipeline.

Also, I recently started a Flickr account.  Mostly to show how high end work can be done with very affordable entry level equipment when you employ my workflows. Here is a fraction of what I’ve shot with a Canon T3 and Canon 60D with a Sigma 8-16 f/4.5-5.6 lens.

Michael James

Canon G12 HDR Settings

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I’ve gotten this question via email almost  a dozen times.  So I’m going to cut and paste the response I send to folks.

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The Question they ask? All are along the lines as the following one… (and asked because Canon’s manual doesn’t cover it well).

“”"Can you help me out as I have not been able to find anything in the manual on how to increase the EV spacing between frames when in bracketing mode (for HDR Capture) with my Canon G12.”"”

ANSWER:

When I’m in AV mode, I press the center button “Func.Set” to bring up the menu.  White balance is the top choice and I scroll down one to the bracketing so that it now shows the three options.  When you select bracketing to be turned on you can immediately press the “DISP.” button to bring up the AEB options.  The scroll wheel on the back of the camera is what you turn to change the settings for the +/- for AEB.

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The pain in the ___ for me is when.. lets say I have bracketing currently set to do +/- 2EV between shots and I want to go back to +/- 1 between frames…

… you again press the Func.Set button and if I had turned the camera off at some point it defaults to selecting WB and I have to scroll down one to get to the bracketing.  Once there in the bracketing as long as the camera is in bracketing mode, you can then hit the DISP. button to bring up AEB and then use the scroll wheel to change it to whatever is needed for that scene.

I mostly just leave it in +/-2 because I’m usually using the G12 for landscapes, but when I do want a less aggressive bracket for a mild scene, that is a lot of button pressing to do just to get to the AEB options… but for a point and shoot, I guess I should just be pleased I have that control at all  :)

(complaining over)

 

Canon T3 / 1100D HDR Capture Via Promote Control

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A quick video showing a 7aeb with the Canon T3/1100D using the promote control.

This is just a quick video clip to show that the T3 is working properly with the Promote Control when adding the extra shutter release cable.  It works at a slower capture speed (FPS) when using USB only.

For some reason this was not working with the T2i/550D (the extra shutter release cable).

KEY POINT: The T3 is shooting RAW and the T3 can only shoot 2 Frames Per Second in RAW capture and a buffer of 5 images shooting RAW.  So the slight delay you hear after the first 5 RAWs captured is in fact due to the buffer being hit in the 7aeb.


Canon T3 HDR

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Click image to view LARGER version

Canon T3 / 1100D sample image.  Created with the trusty Promote Control to bracket much larger than a Canon can do natively.  Shot with the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (at 8mm). (O.K. so I forgot to move the hand soap directly ahead which fills the doorway…. sue me!)

Once again the promote control turns an entry level DSLR into a HDRI capture device.  Brilliant.

I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything on the blog or on Twitter.  I’ve been dealing with terrible health challenges.  I’ve spent more time getting treatments, tests, blood work, chelation therapy, detox programs and on and on.  It has consumed my time the last couple of months.  Hope to be back soon, but the docs can’t pin point the exact issue aside from high levels of toxins and metals in my blood (hence detox and chelation therapy).  I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.  I have about 4-6 hours of energy a day… sometimes less.  Dizzy spells keep me off the computer too.  Geez.  When your grandmom tells you that you’ve got nothing if you don’t have your health.  She ain’t jokin’.

The only reason I have the T3 is a real estate photographer wanted into my HDR Training for Real Estate Photography beta even though it is still not finished.  So I told her if she drop shipped a new T3 kit so I could test it, I’d let her in.  I didn’t actually expect her to do it!!!  So here’s my first use with it and a few comments.

This is NOT a full Canon T3 review, just my quick take.

  • Dynamic Range seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
  • Image Quality seems to be no better than XS / 1000D
  • Video and higher ISO abilities make it a great upgrade to the XS / 1000D
  • Body is made of a smooth plastic and reminds me of a child’s toy (hate it)

HDR for Realtors and Real Estate

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I’ve had quite a few photographers ask me about shooting for realtors.  Yes I do.  I’m not sure what they are looking to hear for details, but yes I do market to and shoot for realtors.  Here are some MLS shoots specifically.  These were shot in the last couple of months to keep food on the table.

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/DBTS/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/403/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/egroup/niceville/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/77_Siesta_Bluff/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/DBTS_4647/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/egroup/ssands114/index.html

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/egroup/waters_edge/index.html

I’ve also shot for custom home builders, etc, etc, … but this is just a peek at MLS specific shoots.  You’ll notice nearly every shot is full wide angle view and no tight crops. The reason is Realtors can easily get tight crops with their point and shoots, but they lean on me to get WIDE.

Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM Samples

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I’m very excited about this lens.  Moreso to use on the coming Sigma SD1, but I have been very pleased with the results on my Canon 60D.  A few samples here on this link:

http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/sigma/8-16mm/index.html

The new FD glass sigma implemented deals with glare quite well.  Perfect for bracketing for HDR in difficult lighting environments.

Previously I had discussed using the 60D with the new 8-16mm:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma7TUysv7l8[/youtube]