Caryn Esplin

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

High Dynamic Range, or HDR for short, is becoming a widespread technique used by photographers, such as Caryn Esplin, who are keen to try their hand at distinctive creativity. This technique is also available to iPhone, as well as some Android users, where a HDR feature has been built-in to the phone’s camera capabilities. There is also the option to download the ‘Pro HDR’ app from App Stores.

As a talented and imaginative photographer, Esplin has taken photographic techniques, such as light painting and HDR, and combined them to create remarkable and effective photographs. Her portfolio also covers Macro, People, Places and Things. Esplin states that ‘photography and graphic design are some of my favourite distractions in life, so teaching something I love, couldn't be any better.’ (http://www.carynesplin.com/blog/)

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

Esplin’s website not only showcases her work but also explains what goes on behind-the-scenes. Periodically, she explains the story or reason behind her images, how she achieved the end results and includes a step-by-step guide to assist others achieve similar outcomes. I believe that by sharing this additional information, it indicates Esplin’s willingness to disclose the ‘secret’ techniques and thought process behind her photographs. Many photographers do not explain the process required to achieve their end results, so perhaps this signifies a new trend which Esplin has started, encouraging other photographers to also share their artistic reasoning with others.

Many areas of photography are adopted by Esplin, however, one particular style to which I am drawn is the HDR photographs. These images are created by obtaining a few, or several, photographs at different exposures, then manipulating these images in a program by ‘layering’ one on top of the other. HDR can produce somewhat surreal or futuristic effects, which appear almost imaginary or pretend.

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

One particular photograph features a train and track situated in front of a large wooden building and silos. The resulting effects are produced by using a combination of techniques such as bracketing, light painting, HDR and Camera Raw. Esplin states that she achieved this result by firstly setting up her camera on a tripod at sunset and taking three exposures, also known as bracketing. Next, she painted the facing side of the large building in the foreground, with a light source. Esplin then opened the images in a program called Photomatix to achieve the HDR effect. Lastly, she edited the colours in Camera Raw. All of these steps combined create an interesting concept and effective images. Visit this link to learn more about how Esplin achieved her final result: http://www.carynesplin.com/bracketing-light-painting-hdr-camera-raw/

The following are a few more photographs by Caryn Esplin:

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

Photograph by Caryn Esplin

Posted by Chelsea