Newport Beach, Australia

To many this is simply another featured artist, to me this is a featured inspiration.  I routinely ask every artist I interview if there was an image or artist that inspired them to start shooting HDR images.  Philip Johnson is the reason for my interest in HDR, he is the reason for my first post processed photograph, and the reason Everyday HDR exists.  I cannot thank you enough Philip!  The image that started it all for me:

Sailors Warning -Sydney – Moods Of A City – The HDR Experience

What equipment do you use for your HDR process?

Nikon D300
Nikon 18-200mm lens
Nikon 18-70 mm lens
Sigma 10-20mm
Manfrotto 190CXPRO Tripod
HP ee PC (Backup Device))

Custom built PC, running 8gigabytes RAM and a Terabyte HDD
Photoshop Elements
Noise Ninja
Photomatix 4.1
Capture NX 2

I see you use Photomatix for processing your bracketed images, have you tried using Photoshop’s HDR tool (either past or present CS5)?

I have yet to upgrade to CS5, i have seen the HDR features recently demonstrated at PMA in Melbourne they seem to be interesting but have not used it myself, the content awareness feature of CS5 is very attractive in my HDR Panoramic work

But there are other HDR applications I would like to try first, Photomatix has been very kind to me it continues to improve , i am currently using Photomatix 4.1 which is feature packed and I am trying to learn those features.

Was there an image that inspired you to start shooting in HDR?

Like many landscape photographers we stand in awe of images of Ansel Adams with his pioneering work with the zonal system.

Well most HDR interest started with Trey Ratcliffs work, he has an image of glacier national park, viewed through a window with a jigsaw on the desk in front. The detail i found amazing and caught my attention to initially experiment in HDR.

True Colours – Sydney Harbour (20 Exposure HDR Pano ) The HDR Experience

I see that you do a lot of panoramic images that could be anywhere from 20-35 images, is it difficult to control your workflow with this many images being processed and post processed?

I have been experimenting with HDR Panoramas in the last few months after observing other artists work, I must admit it has been a learning process.
As for workflow yes you really need to plan your workflow from beginning to end and it does also place a strain on resources time, storage, and post processing.

My biggest image recently was a shot of the Capertee Valley in the west of our state, the total exposures of the image was 105 exposures. This involved an enormous amount of effort.

I’ll Be Dammed Capertee Reflections – Capertee Valley, NSW Australia – The HDR Experience

Speaking of post processing, your images look immaculate upon completion, do you do an immense amount of post processing in Photoshop?

To tell the truth I use Photoshop less than I use other applications such as Nikons Capture NX and Photomatix. I was once told with HDR “Less Is Best”, i do a lot of work in Photomatix but with the aim to process the image to the way i remember subject when i captured the image. I suppose taking time examining your work helps; I also practice something Trey Ratcliff mentioned of stepping back from your monitor and seeing what your work looks like from a distance.  I very rarely play with colours, but I have been known to experiment in black and white images.

Anything you would like to add?

For those who really love HDR it can be extremely addictive, well this is my confession: MY NAME IS PHILIP AND I AM A HDR ADDICT.

We are lovers of the tonemapping process and what it can produce, I quite often ask people who discriminate against HDR why it is they look down their nose at HDR, yet accept images where the skies have been removed and are heavily Photoshopped lol their usual reply is its new and manipulated!

It’s great to see forums like yours around Blake, spreading the word of HDR, so get out there people spread the word HDR rocks!

Philip Johnson on the web:

• Portfolio
• Portfolio + Sales

Grandeur – Razorback – Great Ocean Road – The HDR Experience

Morning Aria – SydneyHarbour,Sydney Australia – The HDR Experience

Off The Rails – QVB , Sydney – The HDR Experience

Blake Rudis

f.64 Academy and f.64 Elite are the brainchildren of Blake Rudis. While he is a landscape photographer, he is most passionate about post-processing images in Photoshop and mentoring others.

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!