Join me April 13th for a hands-on HDR workshop in Denver, CO.
Join me for a day of hands-on HDR photography at the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, April 13th. I’ve teamed up with the good folks at Front Range Photography to arrange this class, limited to 20 photographers. We’ll have special tripod access before the museum opens to the public, so we can photograph the antique cars, motorcycles, and trains with the intent of capturing HDR images. After the shoot, we have a classroom set up where you’ll be able to download your images. I’ll then show you how to create stunning HDR tone-maps using Nik Software’s HDR Efex Pro 2.0 plug-in. I’ll also demonstrate finishing effects for HDR images with other plug-ins, like Color Efex Pro 4 and Silver Efex Pro 2.
With HDR Efex Pro 2, you can produce fine-art high dynamic range images. The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2 will teach you every trick and tip for maximizing your HDR experience.
I’ve been getting lots of feedback on my latest digital photography book, The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2. I’m flattered by the comments and blog reviews. Thanks to everyone for your comments and reviews!
Feedback and Reviews of The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2, by Jason P. Odell
Nikon Pro Deborah Sandidge had this to say in her blog review: “Whether you want to create surrealist, illustrative, or realistic photos, Dr. Odell will walk you through the steps for attaining beautiful HDR imagery.”
Dave writes: “Nik HDR Efex Pro 2 is my first venture into HDR software. I was looking for some help in understanding and using the software and I turned to “The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2″ e-book. Every function is thoroughly explained with suggestions as to how to apply them. I found the step by step techniques for tone-mapping to be extremely helpful. A very good source for reducing the learning curve of HDR Efex Pro 2. I would rate this book as highly recommended.”
Linda writes: “Wonderful job on your Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2; I’m really enjoying it. Prior to your ebook and the 40 presets, I wasn’t that satisfied with the software as my images, while looking realistic, seemed flat. Thanks to your 40 presets I’m now loving the program and it has become my go-to HDR software for landscapes. The presets are most helpful in getting me to a good starting point from which I can then tweak a bit for my individual image. The presets alone are well worth the price of the ebook. They let me see better the interaction of the different sliders. Thanks again for the great ebook and presets.”
Introducing The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2, a complete reference for Nik Software’s HDR Efex Pro 2.0 plug-in for Lightroom, Photoshop, and Aperture.
I’m pleased to announce the immediate release of my latest book, The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2. I have completely re-written my original guide to cover the latest version of Nik Software’s amazing HDR tone-mapping plug-in. In this printable PDF guide, I’ll cover everything inside HDR Efex Pro 2 so that you’ll learn how to create amazing HDR images quickly and easily. You also get 40 custom HDR tone-mapping presets that are compatible with HDR Efex Pro 2.0. This book is over 200 pages of reference material and fine-art creative instruction that will set you on your way to making unique HDR images.
Topics include:
Camera settings for perfect HDR exposure sequences
Post-processing RAW files for HDR
How to launch HDR Efex Pro 2 from Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop, and as a stand-alone program
Alignment and ghost-reduction tools
HDR Method controls and image adjustment tools
Control Points and selective adjustments
Finishing effects and the new Graduated Neutral Density tool
Working with presets
Realistic HDR Settings
Hyper-Realistic HDR Settings
Artistic HDR Settings including grunge, bleach color, and old film styles
Monochrome HDR Settings, including selective black & white
Advanced creative techniques with Photoshop
Over 20 step by-step examples of HDR tone-mapping
I walk you through over 20 different examples of HDR tone-mapping with full color screen-shots.
In this book, I’ll walk you through the creation of more than 20 examples of HDR image processing, covering a wide range of natural and artistic styles. Each example includes step by-step screenshots to show you the exact settings I used to make each image. I’ll also show you advanced techniques with Photoshop layers for creating even more interesting creative images. Along with my examples, I give you 40 of my custom preset files that you can load into your copy of HDR Efex Pro 2 to get you started making HDR images.
Ordering Information
The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2 is available here.
Ebook viewing System Requirements
Mac or PC with Adobe Reader 7.0 or later
iPad with iBooks or GoodReader*
eReader or tablet with PDF reader software*
The Photographer’s Guide to HDR Efex Pro 2 is delivered via download in ZIP archive format. Because this product includes supplemental files, it is not possible to download the book directly to a tablet. Download the ZIP archive to your computer, and then transfer the book PDF file to your iPad or reader tablet via the sync utility (iPad users can use iTunes).
Some of you may have noticed that I’ve recently been posting a lot of HDR photographs here and on my G+ page lately. Part of the reason is because I enjoy being creative, and HDR is one of my creative outlets. The other reason is that I’ve had the opportunity to test the latest version of Nik Software’s HDR tone-mapping software, HDR Efex Pro 2.0, which was formally announced today and is available now.
At first glance, version 2.0 might seem like a minor revision, with subtle improvements to the interface and control sliders. However, I can honestly say that after testing HDR Efex Pro 2.0 for the last few months, I will not be going back to version 1. My HDR images are consistently better across the board with version 2.0; they have better color, better sharpness, and superior tone-mapping effects.
I just wrapped up a four-day workshop here in Colorado, where we explored creative outdoor photography. We started out by doing traditional landscape photography in Garden of the Gods, then we moved on to several unique locations for interesting compositions and shots. We had a great photo walk in Manitou Springs, and we were able to shoot inside the Miramont Castle, a unique Victorian building. After each morning’s shooting session, we held classroom sessions where we explored the creative aspect of post-processing, including HDR, Monochrome, and Color Efex Pro. We also learned how to use Photoshop layers to maximize our creativity and enhance our workflow with Nik Software plug-ins and Flypaper Textures. Continue reading Creative Outdoor Photography Workshop Wrap-Up→
