Brian Hudson BLOG

Fun At Deal's Gap

2011-08-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

July 4th

2010-07-14T15:18:00.001-04:00

Here's a few of my favorite images from the July 4th family reunion and fish fry in Iuka, MS. 63 people in all!

UPGRADE: Adobe Lightroom 3

2010-07-14T14:42:00.005-04:00

Today I successfully upgraded to Adobe Lightroom 3.0. It was surprisingly easy, as I usually have the pleasure of spending hours fixing whatever went wrong in my software or firmware upgrades. But yet again, Adobe impresses me. I've never had any issues with their products.

So are my images and editing/retouching skills going to magically become better overnight?

Yes.

(I'll pause now while you chuckle and say to yourself, "is he serious?")

Well, they should, right? It's the same with cameras...you buy a better DSLR body with more megapixels, faster focus, and higher ISO's, and you are instantly a better photographer.

That's what I'm told anyway. :P

Washington, DC

2010-05-23T18:20:00.004-04:00

My friend Tony and I rode our bikes to DC yesterday. It was a quick day trip of sightseeing rather than shooting pictures. So, I only took my Canon G9. As long as there's plenty of light, this little camera does a great job.

Point & ...shoot

2010-05-21T21:55:00.005-04:00

Three MIT Students Take Near-Space Photos On a Budget of...$150?!

2009-09-27T09:30:00.004-04:00

After looking at the photos, you'd swear they were taken from a NASA spacecraft. But NASA didn't have anything to do with these images.

Oliver Yeh, Justin Lee, and Eric Newton, three students at MIT, constructed a high-altitude research vehicle using a latex balloon, a plastic parachute, and a styrofoam beer cooler. Inside the cooler was a payload consisting of a $50 Motorola prepaid GPS-enabled cell phone, a $40 Canon A470 point-and-shoot camera, and disposable hand warmers to protect the electronics from the -55˚C temperatures of the upper stratosphere.

The rig flew to a calculated altitude of 93,000 feet. The 5-hour, 20-mile journey produced stunning images that show the blackness of space and the curvature of Earth's horizon.That's right. Return-trip flights to 18 miles above the Earth's surface, with pictures, on a budget of $150.

One of the coolest things about this project is that anyone can do it. In fact, the team will be soon offering plans on how to build your very own high-flyer. Think about the possibilities! With the economy downsizing and the scrutiny put on NASA in recent months, what better way to rekindle the fire of the space program than by high school science teachers encouraging students to take on such a project?

Chase Jarvis Releases Best Camera App for iPhone

2009-09-25T17:43:00.006-04:00

A few days ago, Best Camera was released for the iPhone by Chase Jarvis, and it's swept through the photography community with great approval and praise. In the first 24 hours of launch, photographers and camera lovers swarmed the app and its community sharing website, thebestcamera.com.

Before now, we had to use several different apps throughout the process of creating images. One to take the picture. One to do some editing. Then an app for each website to share to.

Chase's app consolidates all that into one fluid process and really makes the iPhone live up to its reputation. Take a picture, and you are immediately presented with a small arsenal of filters that can be applied to your image. Here's the real beauty: it's a non-destructive editing program. Apply as many filters as you want, and remove those you decide you don't need.

Get your picture just right and hit the Share arrow, and a list pops up of a few major photo sharing sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and the Best Camera community site. Also included is the option to e-mail images.

The online community at thebestcamera.com is growing exponentially every day. Within the app is a page that shows a live feed of images being posted to the site (the same feed is shown at the site's home page). The site's home Users can click on a thumbnail and place votes for those that they like.

Don't miss this app! Chase has delivered a quality program that streamlines the shooting and sharing process. For the amount of features and ease of use it provides, it's a steal at $2.99 via iTunes.

Have Text, Will Laugh

2009-06-05T14:39:00.004-04:00

Just playing around with some pics from a recent party. I picked a simple technique that yields a great alternative to basic snapshots. Pick a base color and tone your image (sepia, cyanotype, etc) to taste. Then throw in a quick description of the picture, whether it's one word or twelve, in a simple font and your picture will be ten times more interesting than before. (Yes, exactly ten times better. Trust me. It's really complicated math. I had to hire six physicists, two statisticians, and some guy who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express to come up with the number.)

Looking at Things In a Different Light

2009-06-04T08:33:00.006-04:00

Many visually impactful images are such because of their departure from the norm, whether it be composition, exposure, processing or printing technique, or lighting.

Notice how the message of the image changes by simply moving the handheld flash behind the subject to create a strong conveyance of shape and form. Much different than the first, which implies a straightforward documentation of something's existance.

One of the hardest (and easiest) tricks in photography is to see the light that isn't there. Keep your mind's eye continuously searching for alternative ways to capture a subject and you'll come home with a better percentage of keepers.

A Visit to Cypress Gardens

2009-04-08T17:22:00.006-04:00

Man, it's been a while since I've posted! I've been focusing on other hobbies--specifically, my day job--and haven't made time for shooting in the recent weeks. It also hasn't helped that my Macbook Pro has been out of commision for a few days.

But I did take a trip with a couple of friends out to Cypress Gardens, a beautiful, lush swamp plantation in Moncks Corner, SC. You can walk the lengthy nature trails and find all kinds of flower blossoms. Take a trip to the butterfly house and fill up a memory card with macros. Hop in a rowboat and take a self-guided tour through the heart of the swamp.

Truly, some great shooting is to be had here. You could spend an entire day and not shoot everything you want to. It's virtually impossible to come back with less than a dozen keepers.

That being said, here's a handful of some of the better shots of the day. Let me know what you think!

Sunrise on the bridge

2009-01-31T15:20:00.002-05:00

I took a trip down to Charleston to shoot the sunrise from this beautiful piece of art in itself, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Spanning 1,546 feet, it's the largest cable-stayed bridge in the western hemisphere. Quite a walk from the parking lot, too--one mile to the first pylon.

I got there about twenty minutes before daybreak and had just enough time to snap a few long exposures of traffic. It's really interesting to see how a fisheye lens can put an entirely new spin on an old subject. Straight lines, for example, become curvy, flowing patterns that you wouldn't normally see.

After the sun broke, I turned around and got some great gold light on the bridge.

That's it for now. What do you think of this watermark? I've been signing my initials like this for years and it just dawned on me a few weeks ago that it might make a good logo.

Creepy sights at the old naval base

2009-01-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

Last night I was invited to come out shooting by a couple of fellow local photographers. It's always great to shoot, and even better to shoot with friends who enjoy it too! So the three of us brainstormed ideas for a while (actually, since I'm new to the area I basically just stood there and said, 'uh huh') and then went down to the old naval base to see what we could find.

I always pack heavy. I'd rather carry too much than not enough.

So after we found this building (which creeped me out from the moment we drove up), the first thing that came to mind was if I could possibly make the shot any more creepy. Eerie. Spooky. Whatever.

I pulled out a 580EXII, gelled it red, and stuck it in various doorways to get that look. For the later shots, I added a 430EX to light the outside walls and add some depth to the scene. Not much, but a subtle light to kinda show you where the ominous glow of red spookiness is coming from.

Chrys was actually shooting bulbs at f22, so I was trying to give him an opportunity to get some shots without flash. He got a great one by taking advantage of them, though!

Shooting Ken, Stacey, and wonderful little Harper Grace

2009-01-14T07:31:00.009-05:00

Over Christmas, I had a chance to set up a quick photo shoot for my sister Stacey and her husband Ken. They recently had a beautiful little baby girl, Harper Grace, so I set up a single Canon 580EXIIon a stand and we started clicking. Of course newborns aren't ones to sit quietly very long, but we ended up making some good shots.

Special thanks and congratulations to the new parents. :)

The Right to Sublicense Derivative Works?!

2009-01-05T02:04:00.002-05:00

If you post a photo to Facebook, you're basically giving them worldwide free reign over reproduction of your pictures--for free.

I should have seriously read the fine print in Facebook's Terms of Use more carefully.

"By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing."

Are you serious?

Funny how they throw the words fully paid into the mix. I don't ever remember receiving a check for such an exhaustive license. Hell, if any other business wanted to license one of my images with all those options, they'd be paying thousands for it. Now if I could just find such a business...

I think I'll be pulling a few images off Facebook now. At least until they can look at the issue from a photographer's perspective.

Photowalk @ Waterfront Park

2009-01-03T13:16:00.009-05:00

I went downtown this morning to meet up with the 21st Century Photography Meetup Group for a photowalk. There's a bunch of great, fun people in the group and if you're looking for local shooters to rub elbows with, this is the group for you.

We were hoping for a good sunrise, but instead we were greeted by a dense fog that just didn't quit.
So after a little while of waiting for the fog to clear, some of us decided to walk around the streets and see what we could find. Being an overcast day helped diffuse and soften the light.

Here's a few I came out with. These are also available as prints in my online gallery.
That's all for now. 21st Century Photography's next meetup is on January 14. If you aren't doing anything, come on out!

Last Few Links of '08

2008-12-31T00:54:00.004-05:00

If you have a few minutes, this short slideshow from MSNBC is really moving.

Also, Yuri Arcurs and the Fotolia team got together in Berlin for a photo workshop, and they produced a short video that's worth four minutes of your time.

Thanks for a good year!

How do you pack your gear?

2008-12-23T16:22:00.005-05:00

I posted this over on Flickr, and thought maybe it'd make a good post for the ol' blog.

This is most of the camera gear (on the electronics side) I own. Check notes on the Flickr page for details.

In the Pelican 1550 (center), I carry my cameras & glass--everything except the 70-200 f2.8 IS. Still trying to figure out whether to stuff it in here or not. I'll probably end up getting the padded divider kit for a little more stuffing room.

In the Seahorse SE520's, I carry all the miscellaneous stuff--wires, filters, spare clamps, bungees, Pocket Wizards, whatever. I usually only travel with one, so it's my "useful" case and the other is mostly for storage.

I throw a reusable silica pack in each box just for good measure.

Most of the time I pack out what I need in a Lowepro Vertex 300AW, but this is how I store everything when I won't be shooting for a while, or going on long road trips.

I originally got these boxes when I was the ship's photographer onboard USS LOS ANGELES (SSN 688). They were much safer being stowed in the belly of the beast, since it's near impossible to move about without banging against everything. Plus, in a submarine atmosphere (which contains multiple known carcinogens, and is a generally oily and unpleasant environment) the airtight seal protected my gear from contamination from airborne refrigerant, oil, polyamine, and paint fumes.

Not included is my laptop & paraphernalia, other travel options, and my light stands & modifiers. Stay tuned!

HDRI, making tough shots easier since 1850!

2008-12-22T21:18:00.008-05:00

Tone-mapped image from three exposures using Photomatix

HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) is a relatively new trend in mainstream photography, but I bet there are many who don't know it actually began as early as the 1850's by Gustave Le Gray and his use of multiple negatives in the printing process.

It's the process of combining different exposures of the same scene into one image that shows the entire luminosity range of the exposures. And while it can't turn a bad composition into a good one, it can make a good picture really pop.

So what's so special about it, you say? Can't I just use a neutral density filter--which reduces scene contrast, and therefore increases the effective dynamic range--and get the same result?

Well yes, and no. Using an ND filter will allow your camera's sensor to capture a larger tonal range. But the inherent drawback in that is the increased amount of time that the shutter must be open to gather enough light. That lends itself to more sensor noise and motion blur, which may or may not be desired.

By not using a neutral density filter, shorter shutter speeds may be used, which will result in less motion blur. On the other hand, since multiple exposures are required, this may be a moot point since acquiring those exposures may take the same amount of time as a single shot with an ND. And what if you need to capture ten or more stops? That would require some pretty serious filtering.

HDRI was only introduced to the general public a little over ten years ago, but it's an increasingly popular trend these days. There are several programs specifically made for processing HDR images, like Photomatix or FDRTools. I encourage you to try it out for yourself and let me know how it goes. And if you've never used a neutral density filter, well, those are pretty good too, so I'm told. ;)

Tuesday Speed Link...

2008-12-09T08:01:00.002-05:00

...literally. Check out Mark Rebilas' recent work in the drag boat racing world. His amazing shots scored him some nice double trucks in a handful of magazines.

Mad About the D3x

2008-12-07T17:46:00.002-05:00

Video by Sam Vert

Free Calendar of the Month - December 2008

2008-12-06T21:53:00.004-05:00

With the holiday season approaching, I've decided to start a new project--free desktop wallpapers!

Please feel free to download and enjoy this month's wallpaper. And please don't use it for anything other than a desktop background without asking me, okay? Awesome.

Thanks for reading!

You Don't Have To Travel

2008-12-06T18:06:00.004-05:00

What's an easy way to get those creative juices flowing?

Step outside your comfort zone. Do something that you wouldn't normally try. Something that you don't have a lot of experience with.

My father-in-law has recently gotten back into photography, and one of his photographic interests is in shooting macros. Myself, I've never been very intrigued by them. I prefer shooting the bigger picture--landscapes.

A couple of years ago I made a DIY extension tube out of a body cap and a rear lens cap glued together, but I never really played around with it. So yesterday I decided to give it a try. Armed with my macro rig, I hopped over the fence in my backyard and spent about half an hour snapping away. Came back with a few decent shots, and it reminded me that even though it's easy to think those great shots are miles down the road, sometimes there are gems hiding in your own backyard.

Happy Turkey Day

2008-11-26T22:51:00.002-05:00

I keep trying to remind myself that part of Thanksgiving is being happy with what you have. That's why B&H is officially off limits to me for a while! (But my wishlist is public, however, soo...hintady hint hint.)

As Thanksgiving comes and goes, I want to wish all of you a happy holiday season. Spend time with your loved ones, be kind to those around you and remember what the day is all about.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon.

This Marina Made My Hit List

2008-11-20T21:52:00.008-05:00

I've been fighting back a mental block all week. I mentioned in an earlier post that changing where I worked was having a big impact on my ability to make images. Not just to shoot, but to really create something meaningful.

Charleston is a foreign place to me. I have no idea where the "good spots" are. In Hawai'i I had a list of the places from which, barring some major disaster, I would return with a good amount of keepers. But not here. That convenience isn't available to me yet, so it's tough trying to find places to shoot. Just kinda have to pick a spot and play hit-or-miss. If it's a hit, it makes the list. If not, well...I'll just try it again with different light until it is!

I've driven by the Charleston City Marina several times now, and each time I had the time to stop and shoot, I didn't have the camera with me. But today I checked it out. The sun was beating me and I ran out of light before I wanted to, even shooting f2.8 @ ISO1600.

The marina is on the west side of the Charleston peninsula, so I was shooting into the sun, leaving me little option (since I packed light and didn't bring a strobe) but to shoot silhouettes. And it's surprisingly hard to shoot a marina packed full of sail masts and make a decent silhouette!

I know there's a lot of potential here at this marina, so I have a new entry on my hit list. And I'll be going back soon.

More Fun With Nugget

2008-11-10T15:42:00.003-05:00

Work has kept me pretty busy the last couple of weeks, so I haven't had a chance to get out and shoot. I've been playing with my pet Nugget, though, and although he isn't a star athlete yet I managed to get a good action shot of him. He wears out pretty quickly though, so the "shoot" gives me plenty of opportunity for changing moods.