In this interview I’m joined by photographer Keith Cuddeback, aka “Captain Photo” as we discuss his “Perfect HDR Workflow”. HDR is a highly controversial and debated aspect of photography. Should you do it? Is it still even photography? So much of it is considered “bad HDR” that often the entire idea gets a bad rap.
Today we’ll dispell some of the myths around HDR and show you some ways to use it effectively and easily as one of the tricks in your toolkit without expensive software, hours at the computer or going too far over the top. Here’s just a sample of the things we touch on in this interview:
- You will learn how HDR photography can improve your images
- Learn exactly what simple software you need for Perfect HDR photography and what software to avoid
- You will learn how to make HDR masterpieces in five minutes or less while eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream
How anybody can learn the Perfect HDR Workflow in minutes and begin make stunning HDR photographs the same day. – Keith Cuddeback
Keith Cuddeback aka “Captain Photo”
I got my first camera in 1978 which started a 35 year passion for photography as a hobby. My day job was real estate. When I was not shooting Black & White landscapes I was reading everything I could get my hands on; Ansel Adams, Edward Weston… all the black & white landscape masters.
In 2009 I bumped into HDR photography and that’s been my niche of passion ever since.
Not satisfied with the steep learning curve, and expense, associated with how HDR is being taught I wanted to find a way to make the art form available to everybody. It needed to become easier and cheaper.
Finally in 2012, Lightroom 4 was released. I took the new technology and some intuitive creativity on my part, and developed the Perfect HDR Workflow. This workflow features inexpensive software (less than $150 US total) that is quick & easy to learn so anybody can now make “Perfect HDR” photos in five minutes or less while eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream. It’s THAT easy!
Connect with Keith
- Website: Essence in Photography
- His Perfect HDR Workflow
- On Twitter: @in2photos
- Keith’s Golf Course HDR Photography website
Links mentioned in the interview:
- Photomatix Merge to 32-bit HDR Plug-in for Lightroom – use the code “HERVIEWPHOTO” to get 15% off anything you buy on the site
- Adobe Lightroom, current version as of this article is Lightroom Classis
- Topaz Labs Plug-ins: we talked about a few of the products in their line. Keith uses the new ReStyle and I use Adjust. These are not mandatory to do what Keith does, just an option if you want to stylize your images a bit more and do not want the full investment it takes to get Photoshop now (Adobe Cloud monthly membership).
ACTION PLAN
As usual I’m going to encourage you to take some action after watching this interview. If you’ve been inspired and intrigued and want to go try some HDR, check out the links above to help you get started.
Perhaps you’re not interested in HDR but you have been inspired to book a trip and go somewhere, or just get out and take some photos. So go do it and share your stories here in the comments below.
If you’ve enjoyed this information please share the love on your social media networks of choice!
Cheers,
