Several weeks ago while exhibiting work at the Pointe Vedra Art Fair in Florida I was approached by an interested person looking at this image…
She said to me, “You really have the knack of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary!” I thanked her but she really started me thinking about that remark. In the end, I decided that she was absolutely right. I look for ordinary, everyday things to photograph when I am in the field but I try and visualize what the scene could be not merely what it is. I “see” the finished image as I am composing the scene with all of the richness and color, fullness and texture that is already there.
I am now making use of HDR in my image making. HDR (high density range) allows me to combine three images into a single image in which I expose for highlights, shadows and mid-range values thereby allowing all three to be present in the final image. HDR makes looking at and reproducing images exciting and creative.
While the image above is not an HDR, it captures the depth of color and texture present just under the surface of the wall. When printed in a large format one almost gets the sense that one is looking at hills and sky.
