A bit about me and my photography... I have always loved photography. Who doesn't? I've always loved getting a new camera and learning the new things it could do. I've always liked browsing landscape photos of beautiful far off places that I may never get the chance to visit. These photos would bring me closer than I could have imagined. I wanted to create images like this. Be someplace to witness natures beauty with nobody else but my camera. And then be able to show somebody what they had missed...but what I had captured. I was hooked.

Beginning around 2006-7 I would visit my favorite beach at sunrise to photograph...well, the sunrise. Up until then, I had only ever taken "snapshots" with the cameras I had owned. Never really learning beyond "auto mode". I was fascinated by the transition from night to day. I would shoot and practice and teach myself things. I had not much of a concept of composition or "the rules" and many of these shots captured amazing things but lacked experience. Once in a while I got lucky with a decent shot...a fluke in most cases. Those days I was shooting with a Kodak EasyShare Z710 Zoom (7.1 Megapixel) camera. Some of these shots are fun to enhance with Topaz Plugins and "save". ;-) I've had fun lately with good results.

In the end of 2009, due to the economy, I lost my job. I made ends meet by doing web design and working for nature and wildlife photographer Joanne Williams (natureandwildlife.com). I helped maintain her website and help sell prints and merchandise. I learned a lot about photography. In February 2010 I was rehired back to my old job. I continued to shoot when I could and learn more.

My next camera came a few years later. I decided I wanted to really try to create some amazing images. But, I needed a new camera. April 2012 I bought a Fujifilm FinePix S4080 (14 Megapixel 30X Optical Zoom). A significant upgrade from the Kodak I'd had for YEARS. In purchasing the Fujifilm camera, I came to realize a new feature I hadn't had before. The ability to bracket exposures. I had read about it before. It was how HDR images are created. I immediately started to research HDR photography. I had first heard of HDR from a friend years ago and since then some of my favorite photos are HDR images of sunrises. I learned fast that HDR lends itself very well to colorful, cloudy sunrises and sunsets. These were images I was very familiar with. I loved to see how much more amazing the HDR images were than anything I'd shot before. I had to know how to do it.

Now I had a chance to create some truly wonderful images. But how? I Googled around a little to find good locations to shoot in South Florida for HDR and I found Captain Kimo (captainkimo.com), a local pro whose HDR work is second to none. He even teaches his techniques to those who want to learn! Through his website I signed up to receive his ebook and now a membership to his HDR Workshop tutorial website. I have learned so much about HDR photography, processing and photography in general. I updated my software and grabbed some new plugins and I was set to start. I shot consistently throughout the year. As consistent as a 50 hour work week allowed. ;-) I would shoot and process and try to get results I was satisfied with. Sometimes I did. I slowly learned that I had to come up with my "style". So, I did. For a bit. But, then I thought that I am an artist at heart and whatever I feel like creating at the time, I'll create. Style be damned. So, that's what I went back to. So, some of my HDR is grungy. Most of it underexposed.

A few realistic HDR gems.

But most of the shots would turn out to be "photo art". Which I love. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But, it got to a point where point and shoot HDR was not satisfying enough. Getting realistic results was very difficult. Sure, I could learn more about shooting and processing... But, I read somewhere that good HDR exposures are spaced at least 2 stops over and under. But, my Fujifilm, as great as it was to be able to bracket exposures for the first time, only spaced the brackets by 1 stop. I tried tricks during processing to help the exposures. I had some success but knew that to really be satisfied I'd need to step it up to a DSLR.

But, before I did that I had to learn everything I could about my Fujifilm and how to shoot different scenes with different camera modes, including Manual. I shot everywhere and brought my camera to work every day. Learning all about aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, White Balance, depth of field, different light and how to use it. Sometimes I would walk around and shoot during lunchtime. I shot everything just to learn. And after work before getting home, I'd stop to shoot at a new spot or and old favorite. Then I'd use the skills learned from tutorials to process the better shots I'd took. I started to show my photos to family and coworkers. I started to post shots to my Facebook page and to my surprise my friends "liked" 'em. It was encouraging. I had revisited my Flickr page (here!) where I had posted some photos years ago from the Kodak. I started to post my new HDR attempts and successes. I quickly realized how the Flickr community is a great place to learn about photography. I am still learning every day!! Always something to learn, and unfortunately sometimes, forget!!

In October 2013 I was ready to purchase my first DSLR camera. The Canon EOS Rebel T3i set with 2 lenses. I had borrowed a T1i for a couple of weeks and quickly feel in LOVE with shooting with it and processing the results. So, I knew I was ready for my own, and the T3i was perfect for my budget. It came with 2 lenses that are pretty standard. A 18-55mm and a 75-300mm. I've had a blast shooting with it and learning all the things it can do. Having this extra muscle has really let my creative ideas flourish. Christmas 2013 I received a new tripod. A Vanguard pistol grip ball head tripod. Now it's even easier and more enjoyable to shoot out and about. I've continued to learn new processing techniques and my shooting has improved. I've begun to look back at my early shots and I'm practicing processing on them and the results are nice! I have TONS of backlogged shoots that I have to look at and process stuff from. And I'm always shooting. I'm having a blast. I wish this was my full time job! (Someday!)

Here's to a great rest of 2014 of amazing images!

- Chris "Elbo" Alba

06/21/14