Captain’s Status – Bori Ram, Thailand
I’m currently staying in a hotel in Bori Ram, Thailand, enjoying the beautiful scenery with a nice warm cup of instant coffee… that’s right, instant coffee. That’s all they have in Thailand!
Don’t expect a fresh pot from the gas stations either, cause they only serve instant coffee as well. Here in Thailand the gas stations and Seven Elevens all have a water heater with packages of instant coffee on the side.
I’ll be honest, instant coffee doesn’t taste all that bad. It’s also convenient because the package I use already has cream and sugar mixed in, so all I need to do is add hot water. However, I do miss waking up to the smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee early in the morning. So the next time I’m in Thailand, or anywhere else for that matter… I’ll be packing my own coffee maker and some fresh coffee beans!
Canon 5D Mark1 Shutter Broke
My shutter finally blew out on my Canon 5D Mark1. I figure this would happen eventually. My Canon 5D has been through some crazy adventures. I’m surprised the shutter lasted as long as it did. I guess the heat in Thailand finally wore it down. Photo on the left is the last photo shot when the shutter broke.
Shooting More HDR Panoramic Photos
Since my full frame Canon 5D broke, I’m forced to shoot panoramas to get more image area in my HDR photos. I kinda enjoy shooting panos, it’s a little more work but I get even more image area than with my wide angle lens. When I get back home I’m gonna invest in a panoramic head to add to my arsenal.
The image above is a 2 photo HDR panoramic. The first image in this newsletter, which is the top HDR photo, is one of the photos used to create this pano. By shooting a second set of exposures and merging them in Photoshop using the Photomerge tool I was able to get a nice wide view of the pool. Even with my wide angle and my full frame camera, I wouldn’t be able to get this shot!
Upcoming Post – Tone Mapping Article
I’m finishing a new article for my blog which is focused on tone mapping HDR photos using Photomatix. Most of the complaints I get from photographers using Photomatix is from tone mapping. I’ll have 2 different tone mapping tutorials available, a free version which you can read from the website and downloadable ebook version which can be purchased. Of course the downloadable version will include a lot more stuff worth purchasing, like a 30 minute video and much more. I’ll have this tone mapping tutorial ready to post when I get back to the states. If you’re one of those who need help tone mapping with Photomatix keep your eyes open for this article!
Upcoming Events – Scott Kelby’s 2010 Photowalk
Scott Kelby has made July 24th the official date for the 2010 Photowalk. I had the pleasure of hosting the 2009 Photowalk last year at the Jupiter Inlet for Palm Beach County. Unfornutely since I won’t be back in America until August, I won’t be hosting it this year. But have no fear, Tammy, who attended the Photowalk last year, will be hosting it this year for all you Palm Beach County folks. She has chosen to run this event at Blowing Rocks Preserve, one of my favorite places in Jupiter, Florida. This Photowalk is currently full but you can find out more info about the Photowalk here. Another shutterbug buddy, George, is also organizing a Photowalk in the West Palm Beach area. This one just opened recently so it’s not full yet. You can find more information about his Photowalk here.
Below is the winning photo for 2009 Photowalk for Jupiter, FL.
You can see more of the 2009 Photowalk photos here on Flickr.
Top Nine Favorite HDR Photos for May
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