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December 16th, 2010
I recently published an article on the Photo Cascadia blog discussing some of the basic exposure blending techniques I use. Exposure blending is the processing technique I get asked about more than any other, and this is the topic most requested in my digital image processing classes.
 Greensprings Sunset So, what is exposure blending? Simply put, it is a method of combining the best exposed portions of two or more exposures of a scene to maintain detail and balance in the brightest and darkest areas. Camera’s have serious limitations in their ability to “see” wide ranges of light. Scenes with a fairly narrow range of light can be captured in a single exposure. But in many dramatic natural light situations the range of light from the brightest areas, like a sunset sky, and the darkest areas, like a shadowed canyon in the foreground, are far outside the ability of film or digital sensor to record all at the same time. This is in contrast to our own eyesight which is able to see a very wide range of light.
For this reason, many of the dramatic light photos people try to take have sky that is completely overexposed or white and landscape that is completely underexposed or black. These images never live up to the way that the person taking the photo experienced the scene and often evoke the disclaimer, “it looked way better than this when I took it”. Since the invention of photography in the 19th century photographers have tried to compensate for this shortcoming. Traditional film photographers developed a long list of techniques, both in camera and through darkroom processing, to try to create images of high light range scenes that matched what they could see. Digital cameras and the ability to process images using computers have now given photographers the best options for dealing with this problem. It is possible to take multiple exposures of a scene in camera, exposing each image for a different part of the light range, and then combine the properly exposed portions of each into one final image. The product is a photograph that has light balance and shadow and highlight detail that more accurately expresses our vision. Photographs that would previously have been impossible are now possible, although not without some effort, skill and artistic vision.
 Rowena Hills There are automated software solutions, known as High Dynamic Range (HDR)software, that can blend multiple exposures automatically, making it possible for even the most amateur photographers to combine exposures and create high dynamic range images. The most current versions of Photoshop have HDR software built in. Other popular HDR software includes Photomatix, Nik HDR Efex Pro, and UnifiedColor HDR Expose. Currently, however, all the software solutions I have tried create quality issues for someone like myself whowants to create large fine art prints. They allow very minimal local control over the effects they create and often produce a very cartoonish or glowing look that may or may not be what is intended. Most problematic to me are the color shifts, low contrast and digital artifacts that can be introduced by HDR software. For these reasons almost all of my exposure blending is done using hand blending techniques with layer masks in Photoshop.
These techniques are an art form in their own right, taking years to master and greatly increasing the overall difficulty and level of skill required in the photographic process. The exciting part is that the creative control that darkroom masters such as Ansel Adams had, and that was largely lost in the era of color film, has now back in the hands of the photographer. Marc Adamus sums up the challenge and value of this approach eloquently on his website stating, “My process in the field today is more difficult, more complex and more creative than it ever was or could have been with film…to think about this all in the field and bring back the right exposures to fulfill my vision of the scene has taken considerably more practice than learning how to use a colored or graduated filter in the film days, and has also opened new creative avenues. Anyone who thinks of digital photography as a ‘crutch’ of sorts, simply does not understand these processes and the precision with which they must be executed in-camera as well as in processing.” Marc does such a good job communicating the ways that many contemporary photographers work that I would encourage you to read his entire artist statement if you have the time.
 Deep Forest If you are interested in learning more about the basic concepts and techniques behind exposure blending I would recommend reading my articles, Bracketing Exposures For Exposure Blending and The Basics Of Exposure Blending. I also offer classes on exposure blending as well as private instruction.
I’d love to hear your comments related to this topic. If you are an outdoor photographer, is this a technique that you use? What are your experiences with it? If you are not a photographer, what are your impressions such contemporary photography techniques? Please feel free to leave me a comment or share this article using the social media links below.
Tags: digital photography, Exposure Blending, photography technique
Posted in Photography Journal | 4 Comments »
October 5th, 2010
   
This winter five southern Oregon photographers, Sean Bagshaw, David Vanderlip, Vitaly Geyman, David Lorenz Winston and Darlene Lyon Kruse, will be presenting a series of photography workshops in Ashland, Oregon. The workshops will cover various topics of creative and fine art digital photography for all levels and interests. On October 20 all five photographers will be hosting a free presentation and round table discussion to kick off the workshop series. The event will be held in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Public Library from 7-9PM. There will be time to ask questions, find out about the upcoming workshop series and socialize. Everyone is welcome to attend this free evening dedicated to creative digital photography. Attendees will have a chance to win a free winter workshop registration and workshop discount coupons.
The list workshop titles and dates for the winter seires will be posted here soon.
Contact me for more information.
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September 18th, 2010
I had an amazing week in the North Cascades with fellow Photo Cascadia members David Cobb and Chip Phillips. The sunrise on our first morning at Cascade Pass was spectacular. Chip went out with his camera at 4 AM and was able to make it all the way up to the Sahalie Arm from the Pelton camp by sunrise. Go to Chip’s photostream to see his image. David was next off at about 5:40 AM and made it up to the pass. I was last out and had to scramble to find a composition below the pass before the sky show was over.
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September 8th, 2010
 As photographers we frequently struggle to overcome the limitations of our equipment in order to create the photographs we envision. One of the biggest limitations of traditional photography is the narrow dynamic range of light that can be contained in an image compared to what we see.
Techniques for blending exposures vary from simple to highly complex. They can be accomplished using skilled layer masking techniques in Photoshop. We also have the option to use one of a rapidly growing list of exposure blending programs commonly referred to as High Dynamic Range (HDR) software.
One of the most common questions I’m asked in classes and workshops on the topic of bracketing exposures for exposure blending and HDR imaging is, “how do you know how many exposures you need to bracket?”
The goal is to capture all the dynamic range tonal information in a scene in a series of exposures. The sequence of images below shows four exposures I took of a high dynamic range scene on the Columbia River. Having all the shadow and highlight information recorded in the various exposures allowed me to blend them using layer masks to create the final image. I could have also used one of many HDR applications to blend the exposure values.
To read the full article I wrote on the Photo Cascadia Blog go HERE.
 In the first exposure I noticed that both the shadows and highlights extended beyond the ends of the histogram.  By underexposing a stop I was able to contain most of the highlights.  Underexposing two stops enabled me to retain detail in even the brightest highlights.  Finally I overexposed by two stops to get an exposure in which no shadow detail was clipped. I did take an exposure one stop over exposed but didn't end up using it in the final image.  After careful blending using layers masks I did some additional processing for color and contrast to arrive at the final image. You can read the complete article on the PhotoCascadia.com blog.
Please leave a comment or question below.
Tags: digital photography, Digital Photography Tips, digital workflow, Exposure Blending, HDR photography, photography technique
Posted in Digital Image Editing Tips, Digital Photography Tips | No Comments »
August 20th, 2010
In the past few months I have supplied images to a few different publications. For those interested in how landscape photographs are being used or what types of outdoor photographs are needed, both commercially and editorially, I thought I would share a selection of recently published images. In addition to the publications shown here, my images have also recently been licensed for use in websites, greeting cards, calendars and hotel interior design. I specialize in dramatic landscape photography as well as unique scenic and lifestyle images from the Rogue Valley and greater southern Oregon region. I have targeted my reach toward markets that are looking for high quality images in those niches, specifically photography magazines, lifestyle magazines, real estate agencies, higher education, hotels and retirement communities, medical and health clinics and nature publishers. Licensing my own images for publication is just one of the revenue streams for my business, but it has become one of the greater pieces of the puzzle in the last couple of years.
 1859 Magazine hired me to photograph tree houses near Cave Junction for an article.  Digital Photo Magazine featured a gallery of my images.  Central Oregon Visitors Guide Cover
 Chamber of Commerce Book
 Bank Annual Report Cover  Phone Book Cover
Tags: Recently Published Photography, southern oregon photography
Posted in Photography Business | 1 Comment »
June 2nd, 2010
In 2009 Jeanne Pickens, the marketing director for Rogue Federal Credit Union, contacted me looking for professional photographs of the southern Oregon region to be used in an exciting new marketing campaign. She needed inspiring iconic images of southern Oregon to be used during the launch of their newest branch office in Medford, Oregon and to completely re-invent their company branding. In the past several months, she and I have worked together to find just the right images in my collection for their project.
 Rogue Federal Branch Interior The Rogue Federal Credit Union marketing plan has been an extensive undertaking for Jeanne and her team and has been met with critical acclaim and public appreciation. To date, my images have been used in a wide variety of marketing and branding materials including large wall murals, calendars, greeting cards, video terminals, credit and debit cards and vehicle wraps.
 Rogue Federal Branch Exterior
Curious about the creative process behind the re-branding effort and how Jeanne and her team went about finding and selecting the images that would support their concept, I interviewed Jeanne to gain some insight. Following are my questions and Jeanne’s responses.
[Sean]: The Rogue Federal Credit Union marketing campaign is very impressive. Tell me a little about the concept your team came up with and the types of images that you were looking for.
[Jeanne]: Rogue began to go through the rebranding process in 2008. It began with extensive research on defining who and what Rogue stands for. One of the results of that research was a tagline, which is “Living Local … it’s a ROGUE thing!” At Rogue Federal Credit Union we get it, we know why Southern Oregon is such a great place to live and many of those reasons can be communicated through the images captured by Sean Bagshaw. We knew we wanted to communicate our brand through local imagery and when we set out to find a photographer that was in line with what Rogue stands for we hit a home run when we discovered Sean. We define “Living Local” as actively engaging in life here locally experiencing all that Southern Oregon has to offer. The big bold photographs of local landmarks carry this primary position and allows for us to connect with a broader target audience of why Southern Oregon is so special. It also communicates the fact that we are local and as a result builds trust within the community.
 Rogue Federal Credit Cards [Sean]: How did you go about finding the images that you needed for the campaign? Had you heard about my photography before you started or did you come across it as part of your image search? If you did an image search, where did you look?
[Jeanne]: We were searching for only Local photographers because part of our brand is only doing business with local businesses if at all possible. In our search we came across several local photographers, but Sean’s images definitely stood out amongst the crowd. Our search was done exclusively online.
 Rogue Federal Vehicle Wrap [Sean]: What kinds of placements and products are you using images in for this marketing campaign?
[Jeanne]: Where aren’t we using Sean’s amazing images? We started with the use of the images with the merchandising of our new branch located in North Medford, from there we have redesigned business cards, our debit and credit cards used by our members, membership cards, wrapping the corporate vehicles, brochures, promotional pieces, calendars, branch stretched canvas images, and many other branches have been rebranded as well. Any branch you go in, you can find pieces of Sean’s work.
 Rogue Federal Office Mural [Sean]: I heard that Rogue Federal Credit Union won an award related to this marketing campaign. Tell me about that.
[Jeanne]: Rogue entered our debit and credit card designs into a national competition for credit unions called the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council. We won first place for our new card design in our asset category. We were very excited to win this award because it is a reflection of the brand we have developed and is a prestigious award for credit unions.
[Sean]: How has the public response to your photography based marketing materials been? Has it had the desired impact?
[Jeanne]: We receive compliments literally on a daily basis. Members love our new brand position in that we are supporting local and improving the communities in which we all live. With a new brand it takes some time to resonate, but our members and community have been very receptive and complimentary to our position we are taking!
Tags: commercial photography, photography for marketing, sean bagshaw photography
Posted in Photography Business | 2 Comments »
May 18th, 2010
I’m excited to announce two new workshops I will be offering in 2010. These one-day workshops will focus on digital workflow and improving your photo processing skills. The first workshop will cover intermediate level techniques and the second workshop will be delve into more advanced techniques. Both workshops will be held in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. Read below for more information.
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Taking Your Photo Processing To The Next Level (Intermediate)
When: Saturday, August 14, 2010 9AM-5PM
Where: Guanajuato Room, Ashland Public Library, Ashland, Oregon
Tuition: $120.00
Join award-winning outdoor photographer, Sean Bagshaw, for an informative day-long workshop in the art of processing images in the digital darkroom. This workshop is for those who want to expand their knowledge of Photoshop CS and learn new techniques for getting the very best out of their digital photographs.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing I workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
This is an intermediate-level class for those who already use, or plan to use, Photoshop CS as part of their digital photography workflow. This class is appropriate for current users of Lightroom, Aperture or Photoshop Elements who want to extend their processing options through the use of Photoshop CS. It is also a great class for those who are already using Photoshop CS but would like to become more comfortable in the program, improve their current workflow, and learn more about working with adjustment layers and layer masks.
To get the most out of this workshop, you should already know how to:
~Download images to your computer
~View and organize images in an image editor such as Lightroom, Bridge or Aperture.
~Open an image into Photoshop CS (download the free 30-day trial from Adobe.com if needed).
~Make basic adjustments to images for color, contrast, sharpness, etc.
~Use the basic Photoshop tools such as crop, magic wand, brush, lasso, clone, etc.
Topics this workshop will cover:
~Basic RAW image adjustments before opening into Photoshop.
~Selecting the best color space and bit depth.
~Non-destructive Photoshop workflow including basic cloning, perspective control, color balance, contrast, localized creative ~adjustments and prepping images for web and print.
~How to understand and use layers and masks for the greatest non-destructive creative control in your image processing.
~Basic techniques for bringing out the light and drama in your digital images.
~Soft proofing for best print output.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing I workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
Taking Your Photo Processing To The Next Level (Advanced)
When: Saturday, October 16, 2010 9AM to 5 PM
Where: Guanajuato Room, Ashland Public Library, Ashland, Oregon
Tuition: $120.00
Join award-winning outdoor photographer, Sean Bagshaw, for a day-long workshop in the advanced digital photo processing techniques he uses to help make his landscape, nature and travel photographs possible. This workshop will cover advanced techniques using Photoshop CS, as well as a few other image processing programs, that give an amazing amount of creative control to photographers in expressing their artistic vision making it possible to create images that previously were not possible.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing II workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
This is an advanced-level workshop intended for those who already use Photoshop CS to some extent and are familiar with the many of the software’s tools, palettes and adjustments as well as how to work with layers and masks. This workshop is appropriate for people who have taken Sean’s intermediate-level photo processing workshop and are comfortable with that information. It is also appropriate for those who use Photoshop CS on a regular basis, are familiar with layers and masks, and want to add some new techniques to their current workflow.
To get the most out of this workshop you should already know how to:
~Make basic RAW image adjustments before opening into Photoshop.
~Select the appropriate color space and bit depth.
~Utilize a non-destructive Photoshop workflow including basic cloning, perspective control, color balance, contrast, localized creative adjustments and prepping images for web and print.
~Use layers and masks for the greatest non-destructive creative control in your image processing.
Topics this workshop will cover:
~Luminosity masking for targeted tonal adjustments.
~Using blending modes for creative dramatic effect.
~Techniques for drawing viewers into an image.
~Non-destructive techniques for localized dodging and burning.
~Various techniques for blending multiple images using layer masks.
~Blending double processed RAW images for extended dynamic range.
~Blending multiple exposures for extended dynamic range.
~Using channel layers to create highly detailed masks for blending and selections.
~Comparing exposure blending with different HDR software options.
~Demonstration of the NIK Viveza, Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro plugins.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing II workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
Tags: digital image processing, digital workflow, photography workshop
Posted in Photography Workshops | 3 Comments »
April 30th, 2010
As a fine art landscape and nature photographer, one of my goals is to create the very best quality master files of my images that will produce prints with great detail, sharpness and clarity even at very large sizes. While the topic of how to create the highest quality prints in a digital workflow is deep and complex, I am going to share three simple RAW adjustments that are often overlooked but can make a big difference in the final quality of large format printed images.
 RAW sharpening, RAW noise reduction and removal of chromatic aberrations could determine the success of this image as a large gallery print. My latest article on the Photo Cascadia blog covers three simple but often overlooked adjustments that can be made during the processing of RAW files that will add subtle but critical quality to images destined to be printed as large format fine art or gallery prints.
 Before chromatic aberration removal  After chromatic aberration removal Many photographers are educated on how to best prepare RAW files for white balance, contrast, clarity, and color but either don’t know or forget to also make adjustments for RAW sharpening, noise reduction and removal of chromatic aberrations. All three are quick and easy to deal with and can create serious problems in large fine art prints if they are not attended to.
My article goes through each adjustment, what it does and how to use it, along with before and after examples. If you are using expensive camera equipment, practicing careful camera techniques and spending quality time processing your images in the computer for best print output, then you should absolutely know how to use these three simple RAW adjustments. The full article can be viewed on the Photo Cascadia blog HERE.
Tags: Digital Photography Tips, image processing, Photoshop techniques, RAW image processing
Posted in Digital Image Editing Tips | No Comments »
April 28th, 2010
 Puerto Escondido Lighthouse On Tuesday, May 11 at 7:00 pm I will be giving a slide presentation to the Southern Oregon Photographic Association. In images and words, I will share a retrospective of my year in photography. Since last spring I have had some wonderful adventures with my camera including photographing locations in the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Cascades, Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Utah desert, the Oregon coast, Mexican mining towns and beaches and many great spots right here in the Rogue Valley. In addition to sharing some of my photographic vision of the natural world, I will also tell some tall travel tales and discuss some of the techniques I use to create my images. Call Terry Tuttle at 541-779-3396 or go to www.sopacameraclub.org for information.
Tags: landscape photography, nature photography, outdoor photography, photography
Posted in Events | No Comments »
March 23rd, 2010
I recently gave a talk at the Ashland Art Center in which I shared some of the things I have picked up while pursuing a career as a photographer and being in the business of photography. It was requested that I put those thoughts down in writing for people to access here on my blog.
Many photographers, as well as other types of artists, have dreams about turning their art into a business and a profession as I did. The reality is that a creative mind and the demands of running a business often don’t mesh conveniently or successfully. The skills of an artist don’t necessarily foster business success, and operating in a business mode can be a killer for artistic creativity.
 Story In Stone My previous career was as a science teacher. When I left teaching to pursue photography full time I had some skill as a photographer (although looking back now it doesn’t seem like much), but I knew next to nothing about managing and owning a business, especially a photography business. Six years later can’t claim to be a great business mind, but I feel like I have learned from my trials and errors and so far my business is growing. I take that as a sign of luck, but also of getting some things right.
One of the most important things for anyone considering photography as a career is to be realistic about your goals. Do you want to make a little money from your photography to help pay for equipment and travel, or perhaps see one of your images published from time to time? Or do you intend for photography to be your soul source of income? I see a lot of people who treat photography like a hobby even though they wish it would generate income like a full time job. If your plan is to make a living, then you can’t approach it like something you do just for fun in your spare time.
 Forgotten I haven’t necessarily built my photography career with perfect execution, but a few things have worked out pretty well. I wouldn’t say that my approach would work for everyone, but I think there have been a few things that have lead to me getting as far as I have. Take them for what they are worth.
- I didn’t jump in without setting aside the time and financial means to build my business over several years.
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- Photography businesses like mine require many years to establish. My brother opened a bike shop and had customers from day one because he had a previous following from working in other bike shops, he had a physical storefront and he provides a needed service. When I started in photography I didn’t have any of these things.
- Before I left my teaching career my wife and I developed a five year plan and made sure we had the financial means to both invest in the start of my company and sustain the family for that period of time. I didn’t know how long it would take to start seeing a profit from photography, but five years ended up being a pretty good gamble.
- I constantly, honestly and critically assess the quality of my photography and compare it to what other top professionals are producing.
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- In the beginning I was too naive and uninformed, and I thought my photography was better than it was. Now I try to be brutally honest with myself.
- I push myself to constantly improve and create work at the highest level. Over time I want to develop a style in my photography that will set my work apart from others.
- I find it important to continually study the work of others, practice, learn, innovate, experiment, search for my vision, shake things up, and get criticized.
- I put in a full day of work every day and maintain a strong and focused work ethic.
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- Being self employed was hard at first. I had to learn to organize my day and stay focused. It has been essential to set a strict work schedule for myself. Any illusions I had that self employed photographers work 4 hour days and take relaxing photography vacations quickly went away.
- While I have more control over when I work, the total number of hours I work is greater than in any other job I have done. Fortunately I really like it.
 Zion Twilight Moon
- I attempt to learn all that I can about doing business as an outdoor photographer.
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- I read everything I can get my hands on that pertains to being successful as a photographer. There are many books written on the topic, but I find blogs and forums often have the most relevant and current information.
- I network with other outdoor photographers and we share ideas and information.
- I go to conferences and do other professional development when I can.
- My collaboration with with the other photographers on the Photo Cascadia team has been very valuable in exchanging professional insights.
- I make as many connections as I can in my area of the business.
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- I submit my work to magazines, publishers, stock agencies, art consultants and photo buyers. I email, call, introduce, hand shake, visit, attend and network.
- I look for multiple sources of revenue.
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- My original, sadly simplistic business plan was to sell ten $300 prints a month. That seemed like an easy way to make a $36,000 annual salary. However, that didn’t factor in expenses and overhead. It also didn’t take into account the fact that selling that many prints as a starting, unknown, marginally talented photographer proved to be far more difficult than I thought. Then, right as I began establishing myself and selling more prints, the economy tanked.
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- Now I have expanded my income sources. I bring in small portions of my overall income from print sales and stock licensing through my website, publishing in magazines, teaching workshops, architectural photography assignments, gallery sales, art consultant representation and stock agency representation. Posters, cards, calendars, books, iPhone apps and ebooks are other potential sources of income.
 Burney Falls
- I have invested a great deal of time and money in my website so that it has function, content and search engine visibility. My website is the main way people find my photography. I currently have between 3,000 and 5,000 monthly visits to my website. While that’s quite a bit more than the average photography portfolio site, I’d like to have 30,000 visits a month.
- I have worked to develop a fan base and name recognition through a variety of means.
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- The advent of digital photography has allowed a vast number of people to become excellent photographers. There is so much great photography available that good photography alone won’t get you noticed. This is where a fan base, word of mouth and name recognition come in handy.
- I spend a lot of time spreading the word through social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter), press releases, branding, public exhibitions, contributing to online photography forums and speaking to groups and organizations. It all helps put my photography and my name in the eyes and minds of the public.
- I share my time and knowledge. I like to share what I know and I owe a lot to people who shared their knowledge with me. Many doors have been opened by my willingness to share. I don’t have any secrets and I reply to every photography related email that comes in.
- I place a high value on my work and charge what I think it is worth.
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- I have studied stock image pricing and negotiation as well as wholesale and retail fine art print pricing.
- It is tempting to sell/license work for next to nothing just to get a sale, but once you set your standards and prices low, it is hard to raise them.
- I consider my cost of doing business in determining my prices. It’s only a successful business if you can cover your expenses and salary.
 Dawn Fire At Mono Lake
- I don’t take work that doesn’t help me toward my professional goals.
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- Early on I took any paying job that required a camera. Eventually I realized that unless I planned to make weddings, portraits, pets or sporting events the main focus of my photography business then taking jobs in those areas was only taking away from the time I needed to spend establishing myself as an outdoor photographer.
- At this point all my focus goes into just two areas of photography: outdoor/travel and architecture…and I need to spend more time marketing my architectural photography if it is going to continue being profitable.
So, I don’t think I have shared any great discoveries here, just some things that have brought me to where I am. Hopefully there is something there that helps you, motivates you or brings you to the realization that photography is best left as fulfilling a hobby. I’ll keep working at my own business and in another six years I hope I can share a whole new list of things I have learned.
If you have questions or helpful ideas to add, feel free to leave a comment or send me your thoughts.
http://www.outdoorexposurephoto.com/photos/16742print_01_M.jpg
Tags: Photography Business
Posted in Photography Business | 10 Comments »
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