Okay everyone! Here we go. This will be the beginning of the Photo Story. I decided to make it just a photo. Here we go...let your imagination run wild!

So! I think I had a great idea for something you all can contribute to! I will post a photo of my choice tomorrow and start off a story based on that photo. THen you all can come in and contribute to the story and the next person picks up where the last one left off. After the 5th post of the story (depepnding on where you all have taken it) I will take a photo based on your ideas and continue the story, or throw a twist in it. What do you guys think?!?! Want to join!??!?! Also, you can make an addition to the story with a photo, a photo and words, or just words. Up to you :)

Help me win a trip!!! Please follow the link and vote for my photo! I could win a $9,000 safari in Kenya, but I need YOUR help!! Vote lots and vote daily!!!

http://photocontest.iexplore.com/images/view/40757

Hey everyone!! I have noticed A LOT of people have questions regarding HDR photography and how to do it. So here is some info for you. High Dynamic Range photography or HDR photography is an advanced set of photography techniques that play on image’s dynamic range in exposures. HDR Photography allows photographers to capture a greater range of tonal detail than any camera could capture thru a single photo. The most fundamental of all HDR photography theories is to take multiple shots at varying exposure levels of a particular subject. A special computer program will then combine the images together into a single image. The best way to capture HDR is in aperture priority mode with AWB off. A lower ISO is also recommended as to lower noise in your final image. As they say good things come in threes, you can take picture with three different exposure settings: EV 0, EV -2 and EV +2. You can experiment more on these but generally speaking, the more exposure versions you can have, the better your final image will be.
It is recommended to use a tripod when taking HDR photo. This is because tripod stabilizes the camera and you need to get the clearest image you can get since you are experimenting on exposure values. The best way to do this is to use a shutter remote or if your camera doesn’t have one, just make sure you press the shutter button lightly, or you can do what I do and use a timer, however, you want to take the pictures as close together as possible to reduce movement and shifting of the subject. Since the images will be aligned on top of each other you want to try and take the EXACT SAME IMAGE 3 times in a row. If you don't you will get a very blurry image with ghost effects. The FZ-35/38 also has a built in High Dynamic mode. If you set the dial to SCN and scroll down to the bottom in will be there with 3 options, B&W, Art (which saturates all the colors in the photo), and standard. This is a great feature to use if you don't have a computer program. While you won't get the same effect as an auto bracketed image it is a very good start. You can find many computer programs on-line that will generate HDR images, but the 2 best I have seen are photoshop, and photomatix. Photomatix does have a free trial that does not expire, but will leave a water mark on your image after processing. Here are some examples of HDR images I have done with the FZ-35 auto bracketing feature. I hope this helped clear up some questions! Post here if you have more and I will help out best I can and enjoy HDR!!!

*** Side note: The MOST important thing about HDR is choosing the right subject, and lighting!!! Mid day with completely clear skies is the worst time. 1 hour after sunrise/ before sunset are preferred. Make sure and choose a subject with a high dynamic range in the first place to photograph. Something with lots of color play, and shadow/highlight variations!! GOOD LUCK!

Well everyone I have decided to visit San Diego one more time for some photos! I leave on Wednesday the 2nd and return the 8th so be expecting so photos from me!!!

Thanks for all your comments so far everyone! I am REALLY trying to go all out for this final wave of the contest! I wish every one good luck!

Thanks everyone for the HUGE response to my photography!! It really means a lot to me that you appreciate my work so far and provide me with feedback so I know what I am doing right and how I can improve. I have finally made time to put together a book on Blurb.com of my favorite photos so far. I will provide a link on the bottom of this post. If there are a series of shots not included and you would like to see them in a book let me know an I would be happy to make it for you!! Thanks so much again everyone, and I hope to see your amazing photos soon!

Zach (soldier68w)

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1314061