This is a bonus post to my “Best of 2010” series, with pictures that did not make it to landscape or wildlife categories. I’m posting images that have received positive feedback from our readers and some of the below images were specifically requested to be provided in high resolution.
Some of our readers sent me emails and posted comments, asking if any of the images I have posted so far were processed in HDR software. With the exception of one image called “Sunrise“, every single picture I have posted so far is a non-HDR image. The dynamic range and soft shadows you see in the wallpapers are a result of RAW images from a full-frame sensor (although some images were shot with D90 and D300s cameras) and a little “Fill Light” use in Lightroom. Obviously good technique and use of various filters do play a substantial role here, as explained in my landscape photography tips article. When I really want to bring out the shadows, I typically overexpose by a stop, which gives me plenty of detail to recover. If the sky is blown out because of this, I will shoot in brackets of three and then pick one image to work with in Lightroom. Another key is to try to photograph early in the mornings or late afternoons – that’s when the shadows are always light and soft, giving an “HDR” feel to photographs.
I hope you liked the “Best of 2010″ collection!
