Enter this Portrait-HDR Composite Contest by June 20…
HDR Portrait Composite by Joel Grimes - Hiker (on carynesplin.com)
…to win the Rogue Flashbender & Diffuser Portable Lighting Kit – Click here to see product details
Have you seen the latest HDR (High Dynamic Range) portrait composite craze inspired by the amazing Joel Grimes? CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Here are some more samples: www.google.com/search/hdrcompositeportraits
You can get all kinds of tutorials and tips online if you Google “HDR Composite Portrait”
ABOUT THE CONTEST:
Now, this is your chance to show your skills. Just use one or more of your own
HDR Portrait Composite by Joel Grimes - Soccer (on carynesplin.com)
portraits and add it to one of my HDR backgrounds in this post (below)… and you could win the Rogue Flashbender. (Value $59.90) Feel free to edit my image, recolor, or add/subtract to it…as long as it is still recognizable.
CONTEST INSPIRATION:
The other day, my friend Andrea Hernandez of doublclik.com, left a comment on my most recent blog post that gave me this idea. She said “Ahhh I just want to put a fierce model in a torn red dress in that second image with a storm brewing! My favorite shot!”
So I thought to myself, this would be a great contest. I think it is time to give away
my favorite Camera Gear accessory… The one and only ROGUE FLASHBENDER
Portrait HDR Composite by Caryn Esplin - Bassist - Joel Grimes style
CONTEST RULES:
1. Use a portrait(s) you have taken, then blend it into one of my HDR backgrounds below. Feel free to edit my image, recolor, or add/subtract to it…as long as it is still recognizable. Size your final portrait composite image so the longest side is 1024 pixels.
2. Email your best jpeg(s) [no more than 2] to: caryn@carynesplin.com before 11:00am MST June 20, 2012.
3. Include the following information in the email: Your Name, City, State; Title of entry; Date-Time-Place of photo, Camera, Lens, Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Focal Length, auxiliary lights? tripod?
4. Once I start placing the entries on my blog, make at least three comments to wish the other contestants luck.
5. Like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carynesplin
6. Subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the top right corner of this page.
I will announce the contest winner in a blog post on June 25, so you will get an email notification titled Portrait-HDR Contest Winner Announced!
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
You have my permission to use these images only for this contest. I still own the copyright for my images, but you may display your composite portrait for your portfolio, but you may not sell it or print it with my image in the background. If you display it on your blog/website, list my name and link to this blog post. Thanks!
HOW TO DOWNLOAD ONE OF THESE IMAGES:
Right Click an image and choose an option (depending on your browser) to “Save image” to your computer.
Caryn Esplin - Foggy Bottom Train - Washington D.C. - copyright2012
Caryn Esplin - Quartzsite Gas Pumps - Arizona - copyright2012
Caryn Esplin - Rexburg Graineries - Idaho - copyright2012
Caryn Esplin - Grand Hall - Las Vegas, NV - copyright2012
Caryn Esplin - Mission Espada - San Antonio, TX - copyright2012
Caryn Esplin - Island Park - copyright2012
Would this contest happen to count for class?! If not I might have to do it anyways!
Yes, it will count for the Digital Imaging class contest, but you will need to do 2 separate portraits. For other online contests you need to enter three images (only 1 image in a print contest) but for this contest, I will accept two, since that is the max allowed in this contest. Good luck!
So excited about this! Already asked/ bribed my niece to be my model!!
I am so glad you are excited for this contest! Good luck and I can’t wait to get your entry(ies). It is great to hear from you. 🙂
Dear Caryn,
Your HDR photos are really astonishing! I would like to create them on my own, so could you please tell me, which bracketing you use? -1,0,+1? Or -2,0,+2? And 3 or even more photos?
Furthermore, how do you merge them? I use Photoshop (out of Lightroom) and there are so many presets to apply (photorealistic,…). Do you have a hint there too?
Thank you for your efforts and best regards!
Hello Roman, and welcome to Caryn Esplin Photodesign
I almost always bracket my shots two stops apart: +2, 0, -2 and I usually do 3 images, but I occasionally do 6 shots about 1 1/3 stops apart. I have had good results with both methods. I shoot with a Nikon D7000 and I can set up my two custom functions to do the 6 shots at 1-1/3 stops and so that auto feature is nice. However I teach my students to use the 3 exposure method at 2 stops apart and this is now what I use most of the time. I love to use Photomatix to process my HDR images, but I have also tried Dynamic Photo (which is good for one-shot HDR images) and I have used Photoshop, but it is not as good with tonemapping or auto-aligning and deghosting. I highly recommend Photomatix. Here are some tutorials and posts I have done that explain my methods:
1. Combination of three-shot HDR (Photomatix) and light painting:
https://carynesplin.com/combination-of-bracketing-light-painting-hdr-and-camera-raw/
2. One-shot HDR with Photomatix then painting in highlights with the adjustment brush in Camera Raw:
https://carynesplin.com/post-production-magic-in-camera-raw/
3. Photoshop HDR tips, along with Camera Raw brushes:
https://carynesplin.com/old-gas-pumps-sunset/
I hope this helps, and if you get a chance to “like” my Facebook page, I also post tips there regularly. Thanks for stopping by. How did you find me?
Hello again, Roman
Here is one more explanation of how I used the deghosting tool in Photomatix for an HDR image:
https://carynesplin.com/founding-farmers/
Dear Caryn
Thank you so much for answering my questions, you really helped me. Now I’ve tried Photomatix too and the results are just amazing. I really like your effect of the photos. I think it’s called “Rockwell Effect”, it’s impressive.
To be honest, I don’t remember how I found this page. I think through some links on Facebook. Thanks for pointing your Facebookpage out, I’ll have a look at it right after.
Thank you again for your help, I really appreciate it.
Have a great weekend and keep working hard 🙂
I am so happy the information helped out. As far as setting in Photomatix, I often start with Artistic, then I move all the sliders around until it works with that image. Sometimes when I don’t want the illustrated or painted look, I just use the Deep Compressor or Default. But I almost always move the sliders a lot to fit the image. If the sky starts looking to funky, I add some Highlight Smoothing at the bottom. Good luck!
Hey Sister Esplin, Where are the entires located, i wanted to check them out!! thanks!
Hi Tim,
The first group of entries are in the most recent blog post. Just click on “blog” on my website and they are right there!
http://www.carynesplin.com/blog
Also, Tim… Be sure to look at all the requirements of the contest. You can increase your chances to win if you subscribe to my blog. And you will get an email when I post new entries with a link to the post. Thanks!
I love them all! They have unique styles and looks. My favorite is probably “ABANDONED” by Chelsee Beckstead. I love the colors and the composition of it, it feels like she really has been abandoned, where that can look fake sometimes. My other favorite is “PRETTY LADY” By Jason Wright. I love the lighting and the contrast in the black and white HDR.
My favorite image is the “Final Dance at the Venetian.” I also really like the “Stranded” picture, and then the “Lost Explorer.” These are all great HDR’s though!
I really like Tim’s entries because it feel like they are actually in those pictures!
yay jett!