High Dynamic Range or HDR has become a standard and often used tool when I’m in the field.  For example, a few weeks ago when I was shooting sunrises in Bryce Canyon we would arrive well before sunrise.  Generally I would start shooting when it was light enough to get a good exposure at 30 second, ISO 100 and f/16.  That’s a good 20 to 30 minutes before the sun peeks over the horizon.  In that wonderful pre-sunrise light the dynamic range is very low, maybe a total of four or five stops.  There is no need for HDR because under those circumstances I can get a good 8 and if I want 9 stops of dynamic range from my sensor.

But as soon as the sun is above the horizon all that changes.  The dynamic range jumps to at least 8 stops, probably more.  (I don’t take the time to scintifically measure the dynamic range because things happen so fast in those first few minutes.)  I don’t want to take any chances with that incredible light so I switch to HDR, just for insurance if nothing else.

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The 2nd Annual Joshua Tree Gathering is announced for the weekend of February 27, 2009.

Click here for more details – 2009 Joshua Tree Gathering.

The trip to Southern Utah is starting to yield some results.  And while this is still preliminary (that is to say, it hasn’t been proofed yet), this one is a favorite.  And, it was just about the first shot I took.

Sunrise at Sunrise Point

There are no comments to add at this point, just the soft glow of a beautiful morning.

Like many photographers, I use a remote release when shooting landscape photography.  Why?  So that I don’t jiggle the camera when I push the shutter button.  (The camera is on a sturdy tripod of course.)  However, I found a better way to keep the camera steady.

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It was a week ago today that I arrived home from a week of shooting in Southern Utah.  As wonderful as California is with its beaches, mountains and deserts, Utah has to be one of the most exciting places on earth.  The air is clear and the vistas, breathtaking.  I remember the first experience with the Grand Staircase part of Utah when I was much younger thinking this was the real West, the likes of which you saw in early Westerns.  And for good reason as a lot of early Westerns were shot in Utah.

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The first image I’m working on from last week’s Death Valley workshop is from the final day.  The shoot was at Zabriskie Point, one of my favorite sunrise locations.  The image is of Manley Beacon.  Here’s how it’s shaping up.  More images to follow.

The election is over and history has been made, more so than any other election in my lifetime.  I am excited by Obama’s victory. 

But I just read McCain’s concession speech.  And while I lost some respect for him in the final weeks and days of the campaign because of his tactics, it has been fully regained and more so.  His dignity and passionate commitment to our country is extraordinary.  Obama has already reached out to him and I’m hoping that Obama’s vision and inspiration and McCain’s reform and dedication will combine to strengthen our country in the next four years.