"It's not HDR...get over it" by Jason Lanier

This is a production behind the scenes shot from my wedding yesterday for Sako and Alvina.  So many times people accuse me of shooting HDR.  There's nothing wrong with HDR, but I DON'T shoot it.  Not because I don't like it, but because I've developed my Signature Collection Style and I don't need HDR.  Simply put, if you know how to shoot without using HDR, why in the world would you use HDR?  It's just more work...

This shot is illustrative of how I shoot.  One of the reasons I get accused of shooting HDR (High Dynamic Range) is because people can't figure out how I expose for multiple different exposure levels within the same shot.  Well, this is one way I do it.  For this image I set my camera exposure for the bride (Alvina) who was outside, and then I used my off camera flash to expose for my groom (Sako) inside.

If you want your images to look great....do something different.  Stop relying on Photoshop or Bracketing to get the results you're seeking.  I posted this image and an explanation of how I get some of my results to put to rest the discussion over me using HDR.  If you still don't believe me, then there's nothing more I can do to show you...

Thanks to my assistant Joyce for grabbing these shots of me shooting...I really appreciate it!

Bracketing for Portraits using HDR

Even though I have a studio...I still prefer to do most of my portrait and photography work outside the studio....I prefer making a backdrop like the one you see below rather than taking a boring backdrop on paper....and those don't look real anyways.  So there are a couple of things to consider when shooting portraits outside.

1. Lighting- do you expose for the person or the landscape?  Use HDR and bracket the picture using a tripod.  So find the backdrop you want and take two or three shots using the bracketing function on your camera to expose all the points on the picture that you want to expose.  So in other words...take a beautiful landscape shot and then take it into photoshop and merge the layers using masks.  Add some dodging and burning and you have your backdrop.

2.  Put your subject in the picture and take the shot worrying only about the exposure for the subject, exposing particularly on their skin.  The key focal point for the portrait should be on their eyes.  So now you have some terrific focal points for your picture because you expose for the entire frame on your landscape shot while you expose for the eyes on the landscape....so now both are exposed...fixing another chronic problem for photographers.

3.  Using photoshop merge the backdrop shot and the subject image into one.  Put the subject image over the backdrop in photoshop, and using a mask wipe away all the boring areas of the subject image except for the subject (person)..in this case my son Michael.  Dodge and burn a little to make sure the person looks like they match the exposure of the backdrop and now you have created a beautiful portrait.

The result: you get a picture perfectly exposed and in focus.  The sky, clouds, everything in this image is natural even though you may look at it and think I photoshopped the heck out of this....I didn't.  I didn't add or take away anything...the only thing I did was underexpose the landscape shot for the sky and then using dodging to brighten up the plants and mountains, and a little burning where necessary to darken.  This was especially important in this shot because the forest was pretty dark while the sky and ocean in the background was very bright, so the only way to get it all exposed was using HDR bracketing.  

If you have any questions let me know!!

Vasquez Rocks

Have you ever been to Vasquez Rocks?  It's north of Los Angeles and is beautiful.  Right now California is so beautiful because of the amount of rain we've received....it's the perfect time to shoot.  We have a shoot scheduled for Vasquez Rocks with a famous band from Mexico called El Nono that we'll be shooting at Vasquez Rocks.....I'll make sure to post once we have a great shoot!

Hollywood- treasures in your own backyard

Sometimes we forget the amazing things we have in our own backyard.  I must pass the famous El Capitan Theater once a week but have never stopped to photograph it.  No matter where you live there is something amazing for you to shoot.  True some areas have more than others but you can find something unique no matter where you are.  

That's why I love traveling so much. Even if I'm on a business trip not scheduled to shoot I love shooting the areas I'm in because there's something different everywhere.  If you think you've shot it all...challenge yourself to try and find something new...I guarantee you will. 

HDR- Noticing a trend????

I know I've been posting a lot about HDR this week but it truly is the new age of photography.  You either set or follow a trend...and real success lies in setting, not following.  I'm not saying I'm the quintessential trend setter...but I love exploring the new avenues of our industry and try to make decisions that will set us apart.  Can you imagine a bride and groom in front of this shot???  That would be cool.  This shot is another one from Indianapolis.  More to come soon!

Indianapolis-a great place for photography

I had never been to Indianapolis before and I just loved what I found.  The city is pretty small by LA, NY, or other area standards....and once you get outside the city it turns into open space pretty quickly.  But inside the city it's like a mix between Pittsburgh and Europe.  It has some great old  buildings and some wonderful manufacturing complexes.  If you love this kind of photography you won't be disappointed visiting Indy.  It was also cool because the NFL combine was going on and I got to see some players.  

I got this shot below of the theater in downtown Indianapolis.  I wish I had more time there because it was all so cool...and cold.  I now need to find a bride and groom to shoot here because I would love to take advantage of the great architecture of this place!

HDR- High Dynamic Range

If you haven't tired HDR, you should.  With today's technology capabilities we now have the ability to increase the dynamic range on our photographs to capture everything we can see through our eyes and more.  The first picture below is a combination of the 5 shots below it.  The image below has no photoshopping for special effects...I simply controlled the amount of each picture of all 5 images to create 1 master image.  From the colors...to the shadows, etc...no photoshopping...pretty cool huh?  

I'm going to be messing around a lot more with HDR and start using it at my weddings.  The shot below is of the Scottish Rite building in Indianapolis.  Driving around tonight I saw the building and had to try to get some cool HDR shots from it.  If you have more questions on HDR let me know...but you will start to see a great deal of HDR from me over the next few months as I explore the possibilities of this new medium....give it a try!!!