Sorry, I have not been around in a long time, if you have any questions on anything please feel free to contact me here:


admin@duvallgear.com


Have a Happy Holiday Everyone!!!

I must get away from this mac, and go take some shots !!! I am Really missing DA lately... I digress....

Lately, I have been overwhelmed with life and its many enduring and fascinating challenges. Currently I have changed my Masters major to Enterprise Software Architecture, which has taken the majority of my greatest asset, time.

Just wanted to let you all know that I am "popping in" from time to time to view your exceptional art work, excellent feedback and great comments.


You guys and gals are the best, thank you all,
Michael

In a recent article from Cnet's News.com, DeviantArt has been dubbed the "YouTube for Artists"...

Read full Article here: [link]









In other news I will be starting my Masters Degree in System Design and Development soon. I am hoping to learn a little more about programming, myself and life in general.
Posting soon,
Mike

I am not sure but it seems like someone else is taken credit for some my images

link here:

[link]


I would advise others to take a look at photobucket and see if your images are posted there as well.

Lately, I have been working on some outside projects that have taken the majority of my time, (gotta pay the bills). I just wanted to let everyone know that while I cannot respond everyone's comments, I do log in from to time to view all of your great artworks.
I have some many new photo ideas and I can't wait to execute and post them soon.

Thank you all for your time and I hope you all have a Happy Holiday Season.

It's been a while since my last journal entry hope you all are doing well. As for me I am busy as usual. I have been given the challenging task of learning JAVA in just a few weeks. In addition I am currently finishing up a photo album for the 1st wedding I shot on August 17th and counting the days until graduation.   
Hope to post soon



How to get larger images from your camera.

I was surfing the web looking for the pros and cons of why I should convert my existing camera raw files to DNG (Digital Negative files). While browsing, I stumbled upon this nice little application written by Thomas Knoll, called DNG Recover Edges.
Using two 30D cameras, for most of my work, I thought that it would not work well in my instance. Much to my surprise I was able to get a few extra pixels out of my images and even saved part of a nose that was cropped out of a very important wedding photo.

How many more pixels did you get from your DNG files?

On a 30D camera:
Original Size: 3504x2336
After DNG Recover Edges: 3522 x 2348


How do I use DNG Recover Edges ?

1. Download the zipped program here: [link]
2. Exact the program to your desktop or equivalent
3. Drag a DNG file onto the program
4. View your newly enlarged image via your DNG viewer


How do I convert a camera raw file into a DNG file?
To learn more about the DNG conversion process click here:
[link]

Additional information:
[link]
[link]

In response to many requests, I would like to spend a few moments of your time and answer some of the most popular questions I receive about ND Filters. While I am not an expert in this particular area, I feel it is my duty to share what little knowledge I have.

->What is a Neutral Density filter and what does it do?

A Neutral Density filter, basically, reduces the amount of available light entering the lens of your camera. By using a ND filter you can accomplish different tasks such as slowing down your shutter speeds, preventing highlight blowouts and make your photos (edit) "appear" darker" .

->What types of ND filters /setup do you use?

I personally use HiTech  ND filters with a Cokin Z pro filter kit, which allows you to stack up to three different and or similar filters at once. [link]
I use this setup mainly because it allows you to quickly remove filters and mix and match different types of filters for added creativity.
I also use a few different styles of the ND filters; some have a soft graduation [link] on them while others are completely dark to reduce light distribution consistently that enters the lens.

->Dude what the heck does .9 mean? (Yes, I have received this exact question many times)

.9 basically represents how many light stops the filter will reduce. i.e. .3 will reduce the light entering the lens by one light stop, .6 by 2 light stops, .9 by three stops, etc.

->How do I meter a landscape scene with the intent of using a Neutral Density Graduated Filter?

The most basic way to meter a landscape scene is to take a meter reading from the land and then the sky. Next subtract the 2 readings, the difference in the meter readings will determine which filter to use for a balanced exposure. i.e. if the difference is 2 stops then a .6 graduated ND filter would most likely be the best choice to use.

->How do you position a soft graduated ND filter anyway?

With the Cokin Z filter system you can slide the filter into the filter holder then raise and lower the filter and or rotate the filter system to the left and or right e.g. [link].

->Where can I find more intel on ND filters?

Below are a couple of links to sites that will fill you in. If you decide to purchase a ND filter and or Filter holder kit, please be sure to do your research to find a filter and or filter system that works well with your particular needs.
[link]
[link]
[link]

If you have any further questions please send me a note.

Thank you So Much           

Thank you to all who have purchased my prints, it means a great deal to me.

Coming Soon!

My apologies for my recent absence:

Well it's that time again; I have started back to school and have found myself caught up with many other activities. Anyway... I will try my best to submit a deviation or 2 here and there and stay true to those who have supported me.

Thank you So Much           

I also want to send out a special thanks to those of you that have recently purchased prints from my gallery, this means a great deal to me and keeps me motivated to continue on with my art photography.

Avoid Direct Flash

Bounce and or diffuse that flash, if you decide to take a photo that requires a touch of flash due to poor lighting conditions -and or other factors- bouncing and or diffusing the light source will greatly improve the look of your photos and save you a lot of post processing time- later on down the road.

Why avoid Direct Flash?

In many instances the results of a direct flash in low light situations will cause your photos to look harsh and unappealing. By harsh I mean you will end up with very dark, dense, shadows around your subject. If you are shooting people, many times you will end up with the- ever time consuming- red eye look.

Using an External Speedlight

If you are using an external speedlight try bouncing the flash off the ceiling or a wall behind you. This will not only diffuse the light it will also make the output of your light source much larger.

If the ceiling is too high, an off color or there is no wall behind you to bounce light off, try using a bouncing modifier such as lumiQuest’s pocket bouncer. This product is inexpensive comes in many different styles and fits easily into your pocket when you don’t need it.

On Camera flash

For those of you that use the camera’s built in flash you can diffuse the light source by securing a small piece of tissue -or equivalent- over the flash screen.

If you have a pop up flash on your camera LumiQuest also makes a great little product called the Soft Screen which easily fits onto many different brands cameras.

-> Support

Thank you all for your support, comments and favorites!!!

I will try my best to answer any and all questions you my have, to the best of my abilities. If you have any requests or need a faster response to a "burning" question you my have- just send me a note.

-> Phototips Great Deviations and more

If you have the time, check out ~mmmrobin's recent news article. It is jam packed with great photography tips, advice for beginners and various deviations from some of DA's best Photographers/ Artists.

Link here [link]

-> Featured Artists

:thumb48470405:

-> Quick Photo Tip

Some photo gear is quite expensive- to say the least. Before deciding to purchase your gear online, take the extra time to research the web site vendor before sending your hard earned cash into cyber space. (A good tool:  [link] )

I have seen so many "too good to be true" prices for photo gear advertised on the internet and after a little research I have found that these websites are not even a real business at all.

Some shady dealers found here: [link]

Some trusted vendors:
BH Photo [link]
Adorama [link]
17th Street Photo [link]

So be careful, shop wisely and if the price is "too good to be true", then it probably is.

I attempted to make this tutorial as simple as possible without getting too involved into the massive details of the HDR and HDRI. If you are the type of person that prefers a more technical approach, please refer to the reference links below. Also note that you are not limited to using 3 images for creating HDR’s.

->What is HDR/ HDRI?

Basically HDR refers to high dynamic range/ High dynamic range imaging; most commercial cameras can only capture images in a low dynamic range (LDR). By creating an HDR (in photography) we are combing several LDR images to create an image that expands the tonal range and detail of an image that a most cameras do not normally record.

By using a program like PhotoMatix we can create an HDR image by combining 3 or more LDR images with different exposure values.

->What is Exposure Value (EV)?

Exposure value is the value created between the lens aperture and the camera's shutter speed. It can also be used to measure the difference between multiple exposures i.e. if I shoot an object with an aperture value of 8 (f/8) and a shutter speed of 1/125. I can refer to this exposure as EV 0 (if properly exposed of course). To increase the EV of the next image to EV +1, I can change my camera settings to something like f/8 with a shutter speed of 1/60. By decreasing the shutter speed by one stop I am doubling the light coming into the camera and therefore increasing the EV from EV 0 to EV +1.
Typically when creating an HDR with 3 images, you want one of your images to be underexposed, one to be normally exposed and one to be over exposed based on the given scene and or object.
So if I decided to shoot 3 images with a one stop difference the EV's would be -1, 0, +1.
If I shot 3 images at one half a stop apart my EV's would be -1/2, 0, +1/2 and so on.

->Okay I have my 3 images how do I create the HDR?

To create an HDR image you have to use a program like PhotoMatix Pro or Photoshop CS2. I prefer to use PhotoMatix because it is very easy to use, requires only 3 images to create an HDR and does an excellent job of aligning your images together.

->To create an image in PhotoMatix Pro

1. Open all three of your images into PhotoMatix, you can do this by pressing ctrl+O, use the file menu or simply by dragging your images into the programs content window.
click here to see image

2. Next press ctrl+G or navigate to the generate HDR from the HDRI menu.
click here to see image

3. Next you should see a "Step One" menu confirming that the 3 images you have opened in PhotoMatix are going to create your HDR. Press OK
click here to see image

4. After pressing ok the Exposure Value's menu will pop up and ask you to input your EV values for the images. Most of the time this will already be filled out correctly, if it is not simply type in the correct values from the three images into the input boxes next to the corresponding images. Press OK. (So if I had three images and they were exposed one stop apart I would give the first-overexposed- image a +1 the second image a 0 and the third -underexposed-image a -1)
Please note in this example the images I am using have EV's of 0, -1, -2
click here to see image

5. Next the "Step two" dialog box will pop up Make sure that the standard response curve radio box is checked. Also be sure to check the "Align LDR images before generating HDR Image" , this will ensure that the three images will be lined up as correctly as possible.
click here to see image

6. Poof, you now have HDR image being displayed on the screen (as best as it can). Now we want to tone map this image so that it can be viewed and printed normally using standard equipment. From the HDRI menu select Tone Mapping. On this menu you will be able to adjust the saturation, white clip, black clip, etc. Adjust these settings based on your own subjective needs. Press Okay, then ctrl + S to save you HDR image.
click here to see image
click here to see image

Your viewable HDR image is now created and can be opened in your favorite photo editor program to make any final corrections needed.

>>>Tips for successful HDR Images<<<        

->Use steady support

This is imperative to create an HDR image that is aligned properly. It will not only save you time but it will also create a sharper HDR image for you. Use a good quality tripod or other support such as a red pod or a solid bean bag.

->Set your camera's AEB

If your camera has this ability (Auto Exposure Bracketing), this will save you a great deal of time in calculating your EV's manually.

->Use a remote Shutter Release

By using a remote shutter release you greatly reduce the chances of getting blurry images from camera shake. To take this one step further use the mirror lockup function on your camera -if available.  

->Stay away from long Exposures

Long exposures definitely have there place in Photography but not so much in creating HDR's. Having tried this before I can definitely say that the images are very difficult to line up and any digital noise that you have in the photos will be greatly amplified from the increased contrast added during the tone mapping process. This does not mean it is impossible, just difficult.

->Use Fast shutter Speeds for movement-

It is not recommended to create an HDR image where there is a lot of movement involved. Although is some instances you can achieve this, you may have to line your images up in a program like Photoshop before combining them into your final HDR.

->Shoot in the RAW

To achieve the best results shoot your images in Camera Raw format and then convert them into 16 bit tiffs.

References:

[link]

[link]

[link]

[link]

> A tutorial for Photoshop Users

[link]