Where is Ben?

HDR Mastery Class Finally on DVD!!

My new HDR Mastery class is now available on DVD! I know, it's just in time for the holiday season :-) You can thank Jeremy at xTrain for all the delays (I'm more pissed off about the situation than you can possibly imagine and it's the only reason I don't have plans for any future classes with xTrain).

The DVD covers the techniques I use to create many of the images I post on this site. If you've ever seen an image that resembles an illustration more than a photograph, then you were looking at an HDR image. It's also possible an image that looks more like a straight photograph as well. This DVD would be useful for images where:

1. Shadow detail is overly important
2. The scene contains a wide brightness range (beyond what can be captured in a single shot)
3. You'd like to exaggerate textures and other fine details
4. A scene looks overly busy and you'd to produce a unique look to the image

There are 4 sections to this DVD course:

• Shooting for HDR
• Merging Exposures
• Processing HDR Files
• Enhancement in Photoshop!

I'm sure the question will come up, so I thought I'd answer it here: I do not offer any special discounts for people who have taken the on-line version of this class. Why? Because I don't have a list of those people and don't care to maintain a system of keeping track of them since it would distract me from spending time developing new techniques and going out shooting. You could check with xTrain... they might have such a program set up, but I haven't heard anything to indicate that they do.

Studio Techniques CS3 is here!

I've received my author copy of Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques today. That means it should start shipping to anyone who has ordered it online and it should start appearing in bookstores soon.

I've decided to no longer participate in updating this book (I want to spend more time shooting and having fun and less time slaving over a keyboard). That means this is the first version of the book where someone else has done all the updating for the newest version of Photoshop. I want to thank Ben Long for taking on that task. Regina in my office worked on the revision as well and was nice enough to create the new cover image.

January Photoshop Seminars

Here's a list of the events I'll be speaking at during January (I'm not speaking at any events this month):

Jan. 11-13: Mastering High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography-Delray Beach, FL
In this small hands-on class, you'll learn to capture a scene and process it so that it more closely resembles how your eye would interpret the scene. That means capturing full detail in the shadows and highlights in the image instead of allowing them to become under or over exposed. You can even transform your images into something that more resembles a drawing than a photograph since the image will contain an amazing amount of detail in the deepest shadows. In this class I will reveal the exact techniques I've been using to create the HDR shots you've been seeing on this site (the image above is an early example).

Jan. 15-19: FotoFusion Conference-Delray Beach, FL
I'll be speaking once a day at this event on various topics relating to Photography and Photoshop.

Jan. 25th: Photoshop for Photographers-Tampa, FL
This is my standard one-day lecture-style event. It's not yet listed on the KelbyTrianing.com web site, but should be soon.

Jan. 1: PMA- Las Vegas, NV
I'll be attending the show and teaching a Photoshop seminar during the event.

Lepp Institute Student Example

Well, I ran out of Route 66 images to process on this trip, so you'll have to wait until I get back to the bus on Saturday before I can post more.

The photograph above was created by Carolyn Bremer who is a student in my Advanced Photoshop for Photographers class at the LEPP Institute. This image may look a little odd... that's because it's a self portrait where the only light source is a flashlight. The light was painted around the edges of the subject and then multiple exposures were combined. She laid her clothes on a chair, light painted them and then came back and held her head in the proper position and painted that in a separate exposure. She then put the shirt on and hugged the chair so her arms where on the arms of the chair while her body was behind the chair and painted them with light one at a time and then composited all the exposures in Photoshop. This was part of some optional "homework" I assigned for my class. I thought it was a fun and unexpected image since the homework was simply to do some light painting of anything (a chair, your car, etc.) and she decided to do a creative self portrait.

More Maui Student Images

Here are two more images that students created during my three-day Creative Explorations class on Maui. The first day of the class was all about removing the backgrounds on images and a few students took it to an extreme. The image above was created by Mark Middleton which incorporates at least twelve images (and probably a lot more). The image below was created on the first day of the class by Mark's wife Shayla. They were a great couple and even joined us at a friend's birthday party later in the week.

Today, I hung out at my friend Kathleen Carr's place where I helped to harvest fresh magos & papayas and also cut down a banana tree.

October Photoshop Seminars

It's a little late to be listing seminars for this month:

1. October 1-6, Maui, HI: Photoshop: Creative Explorations- This hands-on, week-long workshop is at the Institute of Visual Arts in Maui, HI
2. October 8-9, Hilo, HI: Shooting for Photoshop- This two-day, hands-on workshop shows you how to change the way you approach shooting so you can take full advantage of Photoshop to produce exceptional images (including the HDR technique I use for many of the images I post on this site).
3. October 17-21, Smoky Mountains, TN: Photoshop for Nature Photographers I'll be presenting this shooting/Photoshop workshop with Charlie Borland.
4. October 25th, Denver, CO: Photoshop for Photographers. This is my normal one-day lecture style seminar that I've been presenting for years.

New Beginners Class Available On-Line

I have a brand new on-line class available for beginners that describes how to get started with Photoshop. The class is divided up into four modules:

1. Getting Started: shows how to simply Photoshop's interface so that it does not feel overwhelming and also covers setting a few preferences that will make you life easier. I'll also show you how to access your images using a simplified version of Bridge.
2. Adjustments: I show the most essential adjustments and how to perform color correction and well as fix overly bright or dark images.
3. Selections: in this session, I'll show you how to quickly and easily isolate areas of your image so you can apply adjustments that do not affect the entire image.
4. Putting It All Together: learn to work your images from start to finish and explore a few intermediate layer techniques.

I developed this course because I was amazed when watching and reading materials designed for beginners... most of them covered every single preference and file format available instead of trying to simplify the interface and concentrate on the absolute essentials so students don't get overwhelmed.

I think you can get a 15% discount on the course (but don't quote me, since I haven't tested it yet) by entering "Ben" as a coupon code when signing up for the class (minus the quotes).

I currently do not have plans to make this class available on DVD.

On-Line High Dynamic Range (HDR) Class Available

I have a brand new class available that covers the exact techniques I used to create the illustrative photographs I've been featuring on this blog. The class is available at xtrain.com. I think you can get a 15% discount on the course (but don't quote me, since I haven't tested it yet) by entering "Ben" as a coupon code when signing up for the class (minus the quotes). The class is divided up into four modules:

1. Shooting for HDR: which describes how to setup your camera and what to look out for when shooting images destined for HDR.
2. Merging Exposures: shows you multiple methods for combining multiple exposures into a single HDR image including special ideas for dealing with problems like motion in water, etc.
3. Processing HDR Files: you'll learn how to take a 32-bit HDR file and process it into a normal 8 or 16-bit file that can be further adjusted in Photoshop.
4. Enhancement: in this section, I describe the vast majority of Photoshop techniques I use to bring an image to completion, including a few actions that I find to be useful.

Here's what one student said after taking the class:

"This has to be the best, informative, fully capture of the whole topic on-line course I've ever taken or seen. Congratulations to Ben, and anyone helping Ben put this on......I'm totally blown away. I've been looking for a long time for this topic to be explained to me."

-David McLaughlin

In a few months, the class should also be available on DVD... keep an eye on this site for future details.

You can also get a discount on the software I use for processing the HDR files (known as Photomatix Pro) by using "Digital Mastery" as your coupon code.

The image above is an example of the type of image you'll be able to create after taking this class (as well as ones that look more like straight photographs).

September Photoshop Seminars

It's a little late to be listing seminars for this month:

• September 5-8: PhotoshopWorld Las Vegas, NV: I have the following sessions and trade show appearances this time around:

1. Wednesday the 5th, 1pm-5pm: Advanced Photoshop Pre-Conference session
2. Thursday the 6th, 12pm-1pm: As Easy As 1, 2, 3 (techniques that only have three steps)
3. Thursday the 6th, 2pm–In the Xtrain booth: Mastering HDR (I'll show how I create the images you've been seeing on this web site)
4. Friday the 7th, 2:30pm-3:30pm: Shooting for Photoshop (change the way you shoot, knowing you'll end up in Photoshop)
5. Friday the 7th, 4pm–In the Peachpit Press booth: Whatever I feel like showing you (I usually wing it)
6. Saturday the 8th, 8:15am-9:15am: Mastering Curves

• September 12-25: Private event in Iceland: I'll be returning to Iceland and will spend nine extra days exploring after teaching for two half days.
• September 28th: Photoshop for Photographers, Detroit: This is my standard one day seminar for Photographers. It costs $99 to attend... $79 if you're a NAPP member.

Heading to Pittsburgh, PA

Today, I'm flying to Pittsburgh, PA and will be presenting my Photoshop for Photographers seminar tomorrow before returning to Indianapolis to present the same seminar on Wednesday, August 29th.