HDR Photography, Tutorials, and Travel Photo Blog

Beyond Karst Peak | Xingping China

Elia Locardi — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:55:21 +0000

The impressive view from the top of Karst Peak in Xingping China is well worth the long climb. From the start of the path, there are 1159 steps that eventually bring you to an altitude of 220 metres above the town. Depending on the weather, it can be a breathtaking sight, giving nearly a 360 degree view below of the Li River, Xingping Town, and the famous Karst Mountains that surround the entire area.

When we arrived in Xingping, it had already been raining for 5 straight days, and on our second day in town, the forecast called for a one day break in the rain. Not wanting to miss my chance, I made sure to climb up to the top with plenty of time to capture the sunset. It was a good thing too because the next day was the start of 5 more days of solid rain and fog.

Technical Mumbo Jumbo

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8 (Shot at 16 mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 100 at f/8
7 (-EV Shifted) Bracketed exposures at f/8 (-4,-3,-2,-1,0,+1,+2)

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 5, Photoshop CS6, Nik Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: Using a combination of luminance masking and painted masks, I blended brackets -4 through +1 together before adding additional color and detail contrast using Nik Color Efex Pro 4. The shortest exposure at -4 was able to capture the round detail of the sun and combined with the additional exposures, I was able to blend together the complete dynamic range of the original scene.

Espresso: A custom roast of 100% arabica beans from the Hunan province of China

Announcing Our First Italy Photo Tour!

Elia Locardi — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:02:09 +0000

As a travel photographer and artist, I’ve never found a country quite like Italy. From the stunning architecture, to the rich and textured landscapes, to the enormous wealth of culture and history, this beautiful country has captured my heart and soul. There seems to be no end to the unique photographic opportunities and I’m fortunate to have spent the last few years exploring, learning, and photographing many of Italy’s most amazing locations.

I’m very happy to announce our first Italy Photo Tour in collaboration with my good friend and fellow travel photographer Ken Kaminesky!

About a year ago, Naomi and I began to speak to Ken about our shared love and admiration for Italy as well as the possibilities of co-hosting a photography tour. Since then, things have seemed to fall perfectly in place and now, after 6 months of planning, scouting, and preparation, we’ve put together an incredible tour that will lead you through some of the most beautiful and photogenic portions of Italy. From Rome to Tuscany to Florence to Cinque Terre, this tour will highlight some of the best photography spots that each region has to offer along with our guided instruction. As an example, In the photo above, titled “The Sea’s Embrace,” you can see the small town of Vernazza, one of my favorite places in Cinque Terre and one of the many places we’ll be photographing during the tour. And that’s only the beginning…

After all, Italy isn’t just about photography, it’s also about incredible food, rich culture, history, and of course the wine. That’s why we’ve added in gastronomic delights, food tours, wine tastings, history tours, that will blend beautifully with epic photo opportunities and instruction. It’s going to be awesome!

The planning is nearly complete and if you’d like to receive updates, head over to the Italy Workshop Page.

The Sea’s Embrace || Technical Details

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8 (Shot at 14 mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
Gear: Lucroit Filter Holder / Format-Hitech 4 Stop IRND Filter.
ISO: 100 at f/8
3 Bracketed exposures at f/8 + 1 60 second exposure at f/16

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 4.3, Photoshop CS6, Nik Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: For the soft water effect, I shot an additional 60 second exposure using the Lucroit Filter Holder in combination with a 4 stop IRND Filter by Format-Hitech. 2 of the 3 exposure brackets were blended manually in Photoshop using Luminance Masking Techniques. The 60 second (water) exposure was blended in using a simple painted mask. After that, the colors and contrast was sweetened using Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

Espresso: Lavazza Oro (x5)

Time Stands Still | Petra, Jordan

Elia Locardi — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:45:39 +0000

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to visit Petra Jordan and I can honestly say that seeing The Treasury lit up during Petra by Night was an incredible experience. It’s also one of those events that should be on every photographers bucket list. The combination of light and shadows that play on the surfaces of this ancient archeological site are simply stunning. On this particular night, I we even fortunate enough to have a mostly clear sky, which allowed me to capture some of the stars above.

Technical Mumbo Jumbo

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8 (Shot at 14mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 400 at f/5.6
3 Manual Exposures + 40 30 second exposures for the stars

Location: Shot in Petra, Jordan and post-processed in Reykjavik, Iceland – May 2013

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 4.4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: The 3 base exposures were blended manually in Photoshop. The star trails are a blend of 25 30 second exposures. Though the blend came out great, with all the dust and light pollution, it was difficult to capture the more subtle stars. To compensate, I applied some aggressive contrast adjustments in Lightroom before manually stacking the stars in Photoshop.

Espresso: Lavazza Oro (brewed with the delicious cold Icelandic tap water)

Towering Dreams | Dubai

Elia Locardi — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:03:50 +0000

Last night I had the pleasure of shooting from the 85th floor of the Princess Tower in Dubai with my friends Daniel Cheong and Sebastian Opitz. This is a staggeringly high vantage point that shows the incredible sprawl of the Dubai Marina. Prominently in the foreground, you can also see the nearly completed Infinity Tower, which twists 180 degrees from top to bottom… It’s a good thing I remembered to take my vertigo pills.

So far, May has been an extraordinary month of travel beginning in Venice Italy, Petra Jordan, and now Dubai. Photographically speaking, I’ve literally gone from shooting old architecture, to ancient architecture, to ultra modern architecture. And if that wasn’t enough, in a few days I’m flying to Iceland where I’ll be shooting absolutely no architecture at all.

Technical Mumbo Jumbo – Before and After Comparison

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8 (Shot at 14mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 100 at f/8
5 Exposure Brackets (-2,-1,0,+1,+2)

Location: Shot and post-processed in Dubai, UAE – May 2013

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 4.4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: 3 out of the 5 exposures were blended manually in Photoshop CS6. Color Correction and detail enhancement with Nik Color Efex Pro 4. Additional sharpening using a High Pass Filter.

Espresso: Lavazza Rossa (brewed with Dubai tap water)

Rome By Night | Italy

Elia Locardi — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:55:49 +0000

A twilight view of Rome overlooking the Vatican from my favorite Roman Bridge, Ponte Sant’Angelo.

Over the years as a travel photographer, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Rome many times and this is definitely one of my all time favorite views. There’s just something special about The Eternal City and with beautiful views like this, it’s no wonder I can’t get enough.

Technical Mumbo Jumbo

Travel Photography by: Elia Locardi
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8 (Shot at 38mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 100 at f/11
5 Exposure Brackets (-2,-1,0,+1,+2)

Location: Shot in Rome, Italy – April 2012 and post-processed in Venice, Italy – May 2013

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 4.4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Color Efex Pro 4

Technique and Details: 3 out of the 5 exposures were blended manually in Photoshop CS6. The soft (but not too soft) water effect was created by using an 8 second exposure. Sharpening applied using a high pass filter set to 2.0.

Espresso: Freshly brewed Illy from the neighborhood Bar.

The Heart of Rome | Italy

Elia Locardi — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:52:23 +0000

It’s amazing to think that for centuries, the Roman Forum was the teeming heart of ancient Rome and the center of Roman public life. Every time I stand here, gazing out on the ruin of architectural fragments, I feel a profound sense of wonder as I try to visualize the way it looked during its prime, at the peak of the Roman Empire. It’s no wonder why the Roman Forum has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world.

On my last evening in Rome, I spent a bit of time here enjoying the sunset and waiting for the lights to come on. Thankfully there were also some soft and beautiful clouds to work with.

Technical Mumbo Jumbo

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8 (Shot at 42mm)
Tripod: RRS TVC-33 / BH-55 Ballhead / RRS L-Plate
ISO: 100 at f/8
5 Exposure Brackets (-2,-1,0,+1,+2)

Location: Shot in Rome, Italy – April 2012 and post-processed in Vernazza, Italy – May 2013

Hardware: 15” 2013 Macbook Pro Retina, Wacom Intuos5 Small Tablet

Software: Lightroom 4.4, Photoshop CS6, Nik HDR Efex Pro 2, Nik Color Efex Pro 3

Technique and Details: All 5 exposure brackets were blended using HDR Efex Pro 2 followed by some cross processing with Color Efex Pro 3. The sharpening was applied using a simple High Pass Filter in Photoshop.

Espresso: Lavazza Oro, my all time favorite roast.