Monday, May 14, 2012

Create a classic B&W look with HDR...

This old building is one of the many crumbling structures in Havana, Cuba. It's been locked behind closed doors for the last few years, however the guard is always kind enough to allow visitors in for a few photos. It used to be a wonderful hotel in it's day. It's easy to see the attraction of the beautiful Cuban Colonial architecture in the graceful arched doorways. Buildings fall at an estimated rate of 300 a year in Havana, very noticeable near the salty seawall of the Malecon. With this image, I used Nik HDR Efex Pro to merge several images to create a single exposure including a sunburst for lost glamour. HDR allows the flexibility to shoot in harsh light conditions, and creates an expressive memory of this fascinating place. For a classic look, the image was converted to black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro.

We are covering some of the ways Nik Software can work with your imagery during my BetterPhoto.com classes that just started. Nik HDR Efex and Nik Silver Efex both work well with color and infrared photography. You can save 15% with code DSANDIDGE, or use a trial version to see how you like it. Have fun shooting! ~Deb