New cameras are taking the challenge out of high contrast scenes, leaving photographers more time to compose and share their photos rather than retouch them in Photoshop. Check out the state-of-the-HDR-art in this December’s Outdoor Photographer magazine (intro below:)

INTRO:

Auto HDR, Quicker, Faster And Better?

New DSLRs with Auto HDR features can create high dynamic range images in just seconds, but are the results worth the convenience?

By Michael J. McNamara

In the last few years, high dynamic range (HDR) photography has become incredibly popular, propelled in part by the capabilities of both digital cameras and HDR-enabled imaging programs. As a group, outdoor photographers have been the biggest beneficiaries of the HDR process, as it enables us to tackle high-contrast scenes in nature and produce HDR images that more closely match our visual experience. Creating an HDR image isn’t new to digital, but with film it was a tedious process that required skill, an expensive darkroom and lots of trial and error. With digital photography, you can create an HDR image in the computer much easier and with better results. DSLRs can shoot a burst of bracketed exposures, and using a variety of HDR-enabled software programs, you can create an HDR image by combining elements from each exposure.

Camera designers apparently didn’t think this was easy enough, which explains why there are now Auto HDR modes in several new DSLRs from Nikon, Pentax and Sony, and we expect the trend to continue. At the push of the shutter button, these cameras shoot a quick burst of exposures and then use their powerful image-processing engines to merge them into an HDR JPEG image. As a bonus, several Pentax and Sony models can correct minor camera movements that occur between frames in the burst, allowing you to create HDR images without a tripod!

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Flash flood caused by heavy rains and broken dam caused severe damage to this house and at least seven others during Tropical Storm Irene.

Before photo above shows you how this “water wheel” house usually sits above a fairly calm stream.

On August 28, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene hit New York State and New England, devastating rural and mountain towns with flooding rains and high winds. I live about 80 miles North of NYC, and had a chance to document some of the storm damage in my area. Fortunately, the high winds had dropped from their original hurricane force, but trees still came down all over the place as a result of the 6-12 inches of rain that fell within 10 hours. The ground was already saturated from a record wet August, leaving no where for the water to go. Dams broke, trees blocked drains, etc. This video shows some of the damage caused by the storm within a mile or two of my house:

Hurricane Irene Storm Damage

NYC at Night with Sony SLT-a77

Sony’s new SLT-a77 features a high-resolution, 24.3MP Exmor sensor that can not only take very sharp images in low light, but also extraordinary Full HD video. In both case, built-in image stabilization allows you to shoot at slow shutter speeds with any lens, and image processing hardware helps tame noise. To demonstrate how well it performs, I shot some sample videos and still photos in Times Square, New York City at night. I used the built-in stereo microphone for sound recording, and set the camera to ISO 1600.

NYC at Night with Sony SLT-a77

Ready to upgrade from a compact camera to a more-capable DSLR? Or looking to trade in your old DSLR for a newer, faster, video-capable model that won’t cost you an arm and a leg? Check out the roundup I wrote in this month’s Outdoor Photographer magazine.

INTRO:
Big-Time DSLRs Under $1,000
Packed with power, advanced features and high performance, the latest sub-$1,000 ­­HD SLRs are outstanding options for serious nature photographers
By Michael J. McNamara

It’s hard to believe that the very first DSLR was introduced only 20 years ago, but that’s ancient history in the world of digital cameras. Priced at an astronomical $26,000 for the basic color model, the Kodak DCS-100 had a jury-rigged, 1.3-megapixel camera back attached to a Nikon F3 film SLR and a shoebox-sized 200 MB hard drive that slung painfully over your shoulder. By today’s standards, the DCS-100 was a real clunker—but the same can be said of any DSLR that’s more than five years old, as recent advancements in digital camera technologies have upped the performance ante dramatically in DSLRs from entry level to professional grade. Now, if you’re a serious photographer who can’t justify spending several grand on a rugged, full-frame DSLR, or even a pro looking for an affordable, lightweight backup camera and one that just happens to record great video, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the features and performance found in DSLRs costing under $1,000.

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Sony threw the gauntlet at Canon, Nikon, and other camera manufacturers on August 24, 2011 when it showcased four new camera models– the SLT-a77, SLT-a65, NEX-7, and the NEX-5N. (Wait! Wasn’t it only two months ago that the photo world was introduced to two other Sony interchangeable-lens cameras, the SLT-a35 and the NEX-C3? Yep! Apparently, Sony is on a roll this year, introducing nearly as many interchangeable lens camera models as the combined total introduced by Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, and Samsung.
All of the newest Sony models boast dramatic improvements or extraordinary features, but my two favorites are definitely the SLT-a77 and SLT-a65. Both of these are “SLR” style cameras featuring Sony’s Translucent Mirror Technology instead of a reflex mirror as found on true HDSLRs. The main advantages to using Translucent Mirror technology is to provide fast autofocus in live view and video modes, plus a smaller overall design.This promise they fulfill, and they also bring the highest resolution APS-C sensor into the race, a 24.3MP Sony Exmor that is also capable of recording FUll HD 10p video at 60p. More remarkable is the 2.4 million dot OLED microdisplay viewfinder that has higher resolution, more accurate color, and better responsiveness than any other microdisplay or EVF (electronic viewfinder).
To learn more about these cameras, check out my First Look video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0M4Hz-cKiA

First Look at Sony SLT-a77 and SLT-a65

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does a cover story a month keep away? Now that I’ve had a several in a row with Outdoor Photographer and Digital Photo Pro magazines, I think the answer is “obscurity” in an industry with a very short attention span. Regardless of the long term benefits, it sure makes my day when I discover that I’ve landed another one on the newsstands. Check out this month’s story, and if you want to see the SLT-A35 and the NEX-C3 in action, watch the First Look video on YouTube.

SONY SLT-A35: For $699 with 18-55mm zoom kit lens, this 16.2MP camera offers a ton of features including an electronic viewfinder, image stabilization built-in, a large 3-inch LCD monitor, and fast AF in movie and live view modes.

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How small can cameras get and still be able to make professional quality images? Not much smaller than the new Sony NEX-C3 ($650 with 18-55mm kit lens) or the Alpha SLT-A35 ($699 with 18-55mm kit lens). Both feature a new 16.2MP APS-C sized sensor, improved low light performance, and longer battery life than previous models. The NEX-C3 now claims to be the world’s smallest interchangeable-lens camera with an APS-C sensor, while the SLT-A35 packs an incredible amount of features and control into a very small, HD SLR-style body. I prefer the SLT-A35 since it has a more powerful pop-up flash, fast phase-detect autofocus even in movie mode, Full HD 1080p movie recording (vs 720p on the NEX-C3), compatibility with Konica/Minolta and Sony A-mount lenses, plus sensor-shift image stabilization and a super-sharp electronic viewfinder. But the NEX-C3 just about fits in my shirt pocket (actually, it would if I used a smaller pancake-style 16mm f/2.8 lens instead of the larger kit zoom shown above). The NEX-C3 also has a tilting 3-inch LCD monitor which the SLT-A35 doesn’t.

A thorough description of each camera’s features will appear in the next issue of Outdoor Photographer Magazine, but if you want more info now, take 5 minutes to view my HD video First Look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMuT7V7I5I

First Look: Sony NEX-C3 and SLT-A35

INTRODUCTION:
One of the most exciting and challenging photo projects I’ve ever tackled took place in Sept. 2009 while on assignment for UNESCO’s World Heritage Photo Project. The week I spent diving and exploring the Great Barrier Reef was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget, and one that I strived to capture with the images, stories, and HD videos I brought back with me. But as the project progressed, I began to wonder: how could I share the awe-inspiring beauty of the reef and the fascinating creatures that dwell there with an audience that wants more than a digital slide show?

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Check out my 5-page feature story “The Promise Of Stabilization” in this month’s Outdoor Photographer Magazine. In the story I describe and compare the different types of image stabilization, as well as using high ISO’s and bright lenses to reduce the need for a tripod in most low light situations. If you have an image stabilized lens or camera, you probably love it. If you don’t, it’s time to get stabilized!