On April 30th that firmware update arrived.  I’ve installed it and tested it and it’s great to finally have these features.  The cross-type AF support has been long overdue and I had practically stopped using my teleconverters because of this restriction.  Also, editing video should be better too since this update provides more flexibiltiy.

For more information:  Canon 5DM3 Firmware Update.

Prothonotary Warbler

I prefer spring when the trees are getting their new leaves and the water level in the forest tends to be higher.  The 1.75 mile boardwalk makes for an easy hike with camera gear and you can spend all day or just a few hours but you’re guaranteed to see and hear something wild!  A long telephoto lens is recommended and your wide angle too in order to capture all that the forest has to offer.

You can see my example here of this Great Blue Heron, the before and after. I kept this one subtle but you can have a lot of fun with this filter with photos that have a lot more detail.

Before the Filter

After the Filter

To get started, you just open your chosen photo.  Something with lots of details are best.  Go to Filter>Oil Paint and a big dialog opens with the default settings applied to your image.  You might want to zoom in to about 50 or 60% to really see the effects.  Then you start to adjust the settings which are on the right side of the dialog with all the sliders we love so much.

Make adjustments as you desire; the more you play around with this stuff the better you’ll be at determining what works and what doesn’t.

Stylization increases the texture effects while cleanliness, when at a higher setting, creates a smearing effect like dragging a brush.   Scale just increases the stroke size and then bristle detail makes the strokes look sharper.  Now a really nifty part of this is the Angular Direction at the bottom.  If you have a painterly background, this is where your skills will shine because you can make the strokes go different ways to give the photo depth or at least that’s how it seems to me.  I often use the default myself (What does that tell you about my painting skills?!).  Then the shine setting is well almost too much so I keep this one at a low setting or else I end up with something that looks like patent leather.

After all that, you click OK to apply your settings and Shazam! A masterpiece is born!

Enjoy!

We were able to capture polar bears with cubs, big males on the hunt, and even a never before seen act of a female bear tracking and hunting down a seal for herself and 2 cubs.  It was unbelievable and we got it all on video.  On shore excursions, we hiked to view walrus and to get up close and personal with a tremendous glacier and to photograph a group of arctic foxes at their denning site. The landscapes were like something you dream about.

The photograph below was so fun that I’ve turned it into a Christmas card.  The cub really did wave at us, twice, so that part is real!!  Plans are in the works to create a new book that will encompass my adventures to the polar regions of the world, both north and south; so stay tuned.

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful winter season!

HDR stands for high dynamic range.  In the past, to get an all around good exposure of a scene where the lighting was quite uneven (bright sky with a dark foreground), one had to pull out the neutral density filters that went in front of the lens in a very specific location to even out the tonal range.  Then, we started merging 2 photographs together in Photoshop; one exposed for the bright sky and one for the dark foreground.  Well, now with HDR, three or more images are combined to accomplish this task.  The exposures are typically 2 stops apart (0, -2, +2) but that can vary based on the situation.  In most cases, combining the three exposures will take care of those tough light scenarios. However, when processing the images, care should be taken to not “overdo” the enhancements as things can look pretty precarious very quickly.  That is, if you are working to create a photographic or “realistic” final image.

For some, including myself, HDR is a fun and creative tool where we throw “real” to the wind.  I find it a great way to add a new twist to images of old cars or old buildings.  With third party tools like Photomatix or onOne software, one can take HDR to the extreme using the tone mapping presets they provide or just to create something completely unique as in my photo below.

So, check it out and give it a test drive.  Photoshop tools have HDR capabilities that will get you started.  The other tools I mention all have a trial version that’s great to play around with to see what HDR is all about.  I do recommend using a tripod to ensure your 3 exposures have the best chance of lining up correctly.  Otherwise, your results just might make you a bit sea-sick.  Ha!

If you would like a special signed copy, you will need to email me and make arrangements directly.  I have already sold quite a few so be sure to get your copy soon.

 

Kenya: A Sanct…

By Pam W. Barbour

Book Preview

I can personally support this data as I am spending more time marketing my work than ever.  It’s really tough sometimes, but, it’s required if you plan to stay in business.

My snow adventures this year lead me to experiment with HDR and snow scenes and the results were intriguing as you can see in the attached photo.

A Frosty Morning at the Ranch

HDR (high dynamic range) is a relatively new concept in photography and you either love it or hate it.  It is a technique that requires practice and in many cases discipline as you can easily get carried away with some of the settings that are available.  Here in my photo, I just let things go a bit wild and removed the notion of reality.  I wanted saturated colors and an almost animated look so the photo may seem strange but that was the plan.

HDR is something that you can achieve using Photoshop or other 3rd party products like Photomatix which I prefer.  Some recent cameras are offering it was a built in feature as well so you might want to give it a try.  I’ll do another post later to describe more about what’s required for HDR.