There is a new look coming to HDR Insider
Tomorrow morning HDR Insider is going to go under some Scheduled Maintenance from 8 am – 10 am. When it comes out of its slumber it is going to have a fresh new look and a bunch of new features that will be added over time. Even though it has been around since November of 2013, I still receive several questions as to what HDR Insider is all about. So let’s tackle some of those questions now.
What the heck is HDR Insider and how does it really differ from EverydayHDR?
HDR Insider was developed in late 2013. The main reason, I received a lot of feedback asking me for full tutorials with my HDR Workflow. The problem came with EverydayHDR being my hobby, not my job. I didn’t have the time or resources to create content without having some kind of monetary gain to offset the days I would take off of work to produce it. When I created HDR Insider it was only going to be for high end Workflow Tutorials, but then the idea started to evolve and grow legs. Before I knew it, it was running away from me.
There is a big difference… a HUGE difference… between EverydayHDR and HDR Insider. EverydayHDR is a free resource full of free tutorials, well over 200 on the YouTube channel, but it does not touch on full length workflow tutorials. These tutorials take hours to produce and sometimes the result is over an hour of solid content.
The full length tutorials are based on the Project of the month. This month the members were given a room from a recent Real Estate shoot to make MLS quality using HDR techniques. It was a blast seeing what came through in the community. Here is a glimpse at what one of those Workflow Tutorials looks like:
Furthermore, there are many other useful features on HDR Insider that are not included on EverydayHDR:
- Anonymous Photo Critiques: Every month I critique 10 images in this segment. I look at what works, what doesn’t work and how to fix the image in Photoshop. By far the most valuable resource on the site among members.
- The Monthly Project: The members are given an assignment to work on throughout the month. At the end of the month I pick a winner that receives a special prize that is discussed at the beginning of the month with its announcement (usually one of my photo tutorial courses).
- The Facebook Page: We have our own Facebook page where we continue the conversation and share images daily. The images in this group are absolutely incredible. Seeing them in your feed is a benefit in and of itself, but the group is so eager to help one another it is very refreshing to see on social networks.
- Discounts! Currently, every tutorial series I create is discounted for the members of HDR Insider. We are adopting new discounts for companies in the industry to include Topaz Labs, and many more to come!
- Zone System Workflow Tutorials: This is a new feature that is going to be added to the HDR Insider site after August 1st. These will be Zone System specific tutorials to help you get more acquainted with there unlimited uses!
- Photoshop Actions: Every month there is a new set of Photoshop Actions created for the HDR Insider Members. Sometimes these are workflow related and other times they are effect related. Either way, they add a little element to the site that makes every month like Christmas.
- The Community: Last, but certainly not least, the Community. This group of individuals continually inspire me to make better images. I say this group is “Dangerously Inspiring” for a reason. Your passion will come out here, if not this group will beat it out of you 🙂
What is the community like on HDR Insider?
The community can be found in one of two ways. The first way is within the site. There are comments sections throughout each post or page where members keep the conversation alive about a particular project or post.
The second way is through the Facebook Page. We have a closed group for Insider Members only. The connections that are made here are awesome! I gladly call everyone of them my friends and to see them all interact as friends is truly awesome. The constructive criticism is professional and courteous and is usually backed by years of experience. Let’s not forget how gorgeous the images are that will be flooding your feed.
Here is a screenshot of the most recent images in the Facebook group:
Do I need to have Photoshop to join HDR Insider?
This is tricky. I would say yes to get the most out of every aspect of the site. However, the critique sessions more or less cover how to make better photos. I once had a member tell me, “I just signed up to HDR Insider. I watched my first Critique video and it paid for my entire year’s tuition… I can’t believe I get 11 more for this price. What an investment.”
Now with the inclusion of new discounts, you may be able to take advantage of much more.
Will HDR Insider really benefit me?
I can say yes, 100%. I run the site, so I am pretty biased. However, I know first hand that I am a better photographer because of the group dynamic on HDR Insider. I have learned more from them than anywhere on the web. But take some advice from these individuals:
When I started with HDR Insider I did not know what to expect. Then all of a sudden there were free actions, The Digital Zone System, and The Color Zone System. My photo editing started to make sense. Before these systems and actions, I would guess and most of the time I guessed wrong. Now, with these systems and actions, my photo editing make sense. I am able to keep my HDR images as natural as possible, which is what I strive for in my HDR work. I am certainly glad I joined this site because it has helped my achieve the results I have been looking for in my photo processing. – Don
What I like most about HDR Insider is connecting with people from all over the world who share a similar passion. Most of us are not professional photographers and never will be. Yet, we’re all serious about our photography and strive to be better at it. I love seeing pictures from Australia, England, Iceland, and on and on and learning from what I see. I have met some of the nicest people I know through HDR Insider and consider many of them friends. – Dan
Just become a member and have started to go through all the previous tutorials and critiques. What a gold mine here for learning! Great job from Blake Rudis and thank you very much for bringing this site to us! – Finn
No better time to join.
For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
