Thunderstorm Rolls Over Grand Tetons - My Vision

My very first HDR image (click on image for a larger view).

Here's the normal (or middle) exposure for comparision.

This image is my first attempt at HDR imaging. Two weeks ago I went to Grand Tetons National Park to captures some images of the Tetons that would make great HDR photos (High Dynamic Range imaging). From previous attempts, I knew the effects of some lighting conditions could not be fully captured without the extended range offered by HDR.

I had only heard about HDR photography two months ago, even though I have used its principles for many years: taking elements from both an underexposed image and an overexposed image and combining them the normally exposed image so that I retained more of the highlight and shadow detail that I saw in the original scene.

Now, software programs like Photomatix allow you to easily (relatively, compared to the masks and layers that I had formerly done in Photoshop) take three or more auto bracketed exposures and combine them into one image.

Photomatix has made the process so simple, and with so many controls, that HDR has developed a huge following in just the past two years. Many of these images don't need the benefits of good HDR techniques, it's just a new gimmick they have to try out. Unfortunately, some of the images we are seeing are so over-controlled that they are garish and very unnatural, which in some cases IS intentional. This whole popularity of HDR sort of reminds me of the Cokin colored filter craze of the 1980's. (Professional videographers still use the Cokin graduated neutral density filters to compress the exposure range of a scene, much like HDR does in a digital way.)

Yesterday I bought the Photomatix online, spent about three hours learning the software and developing techniques to make my final images as natural as possible. And, that is my goal: I don't want my HDR images to draw attention to themselves; I only want them to record a rendition that was closer to what my eye saw. (Your eye sees more than a 12-stop range. Film was lucky to record 5-7 stops. Digital can record 6-8 stops. With HDR, one can capture a 10-12 stop range.)

For the majority of my photography, I like trying to fit the scene into the limited dynamic range of regular digital and film-based photography. I like the unnatural way it renders most scenes; and over the years this rendering has become my reality. HDR will be just another tool to render "My Vision" -- but, only when I think it is needed.
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Here's a view from the same spot, about 20 minutes earlier (my 2nd HDR image):

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Cow Moose Nurturing Calf - My Vision

(Click on image for a larger view.)

I just returned from four days of photography at the Grand Tetons National Park. My main focus was on the Teton mountains, but whenever the sun and the clouds didn't cooperate, I tried to make good use of my time by searching for wildlife to photograph.

The last morning I was there, I came across this cow and calf moose. The cow was feeding out of a tiny pond, so small you can't see it in this image. The brush around the couple was so dense I was having a difficult time seeing them clearly. This certainly wasn't the idyllic, open, lily pond setting that we dream of when hoping to photograph a moose!

I had to do several minutes of stalking to maneuver myself into a position that gave a clearer picture of both animals, and placed the mother and the calf into a fairly close proximity, just in case a relationship was able to develop between them.

During all of this, a crowd had begun to gather from the road behind me. Most tourists are content to take their photos from the road (about 300 feet away) with their point and shoot cameras. A few, with TTL cameras and telephoto lenses, will capture larger and more recognizable images; however, most don't realize (or want to take the time or effort) that some stalking and a lot of patience and persistence is required to position yourself for the best shots -- no matter how long your lens is.

After about a half hour of stalking, re-positioning and waiting, the cow lifted her head, and stretched her neck in the direction of the calf. I was ready and finally rewarded with the shot I wanted.

Equipment and exposure details: This image was taken from about 150 feet away with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens, zoomed to 280mm; exposure was set at F5.6 (aperture priority), and the camera set the shutter speed for 1/200th second; I set the exposure compensation at +1/3 and set my white balance at 6500 degrees Kelvin to compensate for a strong overcast on an early morning (7:30 am). I typically use a carbon fiber Bogen monopod with a ball head to steady my lens. With the monopod, I keep the IS (image stabilization) on, and shut it off when using a true tripod. I use my Canon EOS 5D Mark II more for landscape work, and my smaller, Canon EOS 40D for wildlife work. This is because the smaller image sensor on the 40D gives me a 1.6X magnification with my Canon telephoto lenses -- which means that my 10 megapixel 40D images are almost as large as a cropped image would be from my 21 megapixel 5D camera.

Stalking wildlife: The park service warns that extreme caution should be taken when approaching large animals like moose, elk and bison. GTNP's rule is to maintain a distance of at least 75 feet from these animals. You should never come between the mother and her young, and your approach should never cause them to change from their normal behavior. A few seconds after I took this shot, the calf laid down, and the cow continued her feeding. The "relationship" that I was trying to capture was now gone, so it was a good time to go meet my wife for breakfast!

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."