Tag: AuroraHDR

Went on a Photowalk in Havre de Grace

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog Post, Havre de GraceLeave a comment

Went on a Photowalk in Havre de Grace with a group of new and old friends.

 

A photographer friend of mine (Sean Simmons of Clear Elite Photography) set up a Photowalk in Havre de Grace for this past Sunday morning and invited his followers and the members of our Facebook Group All Inclusive Photography Club, of which you are welcome to join. We all meet up at the Concord Point Lighthouse and got ready for the sun to rise. Had a great time talking with friends and taking pictures. I would recommend anyone to go check out the lighthouse and surrounding area as it is a beautiful place to take pictures in the morning. Or any other time of day for that matter.

The Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace is someplace I’ve told myself I need to go to and photo the sunrise for some time now, but I never seem to get myself motivated enough to get out of bed the hour or two before sunrise to get there in time. I finally did it this past weekend, mostly due to Sean setting up the Photowalk and knowing several of the people who would be going on the Photowalk.  So I dragged myself out of bed at 4:30am and hit the road a little after 5am. It is a little over and an hour drive from my house and I was hoping I wouldn’t miss the sunrise or the sky just before the sun comes over the horizon. I just made it in time.

I think all that went and I had a great time. I am amazed by the photos folks have posted in our group from the Photowalk so far. We had a variety of folks with different skill levels and various types of camera equipment from a cell phone to DSLR and Mirrorless cameras. I think this variation of folks is what makes our group great and made for a great Photowalk.

 

The Sun Rises Over The Bay

When on a Photowalk
The Sun Rises over the Bay – ©2016 MarkDoddphotography.com

 

This is what I hope is the first of many photos from this trip as I have many yet to edit. So I”m sure you will be seeing more.

This photo was taken with the HDR method using 3 brackets from -1,0,+1 in exposure and combined in Aurora HDR Pro

 

Here is a picture edited by Sean Simmons of most of the group that got up early on Sunday to get out there and get their best photo of the sunrise and more.

 

Went on a Photowalk

#AuroraHDR #Sunrise #HavredeGrace #chesapeakebay

Free Five-Week HDR Course

On By Mark DoddIn Free StuffLeave a comment

A Free Five-Week HDR Course from Macphun

 

Free Five-Week HDR Course Image

 

As you can tell from earlier posts I’m a user and big believer of Aurora HDR and that HDR is one of the types of photography that I like to do. I’ve often thought of doing some of my own lessons on the subject, but why should I reinvent the wheel when there is already a great set of lessons out there.

I’m going to take the course myself as I know I can always learn something new even on things that I have done for a while. Nothing worse that doing something a certain way and finding out you have done it wrong all along. I’ve found there is always one little tip or trick that I never thought of in these courses. For the rest, it is just a confirmation that I”m doing things correctly and it is nice to get a confirmation that you are doing things right once in a while.

 

The Essential HDR is for you if you are new to HDR photography or just new to Aurora HDR, this course will introduce you to the essentials of HDR photography and an introduction to the use of Aurora HDR.

 

The Essential HDR course is broken down into 10 lessons.

  1. The HDR Basics
  2. Exposure Brackets
  3. Tripod vs Handheld HDR
  4. Exposure in HDR
  5. Natural HDR
  6. Pick the right location for HDR
  7. Black and White HDR Photography
  8. HDR Textures & More
  9. Masks and layers n HDR Processing
  10. Deep dive into HDR Photography

 

Each lesson consists of a detailed explanation of the topic, along with an easy-to-understand practice assignment that reinforces the lesson. You can start anytime and if you miss a lesson, just look back in your inbox for that lessons email.

 

So are you ready to get started a becoming a better HDR photographer?

 

Sign up here for the free HDR course by
and start improving your HDR photography today

 

If you do not already have Aurora HDR, click the image below to download a free trial that you can use while you are taking the course. The current release of Aurora HDR is for Mac OS only.

 

Free Aurora HDR Download for the Free Five-Week HDR Course

 

And don’t forget to sign up to get information on the next version of Aurora HDR, Aurora HDR 2017.

 

Sign up Here to get Aurora HDR 2017 updates including when pre-order starts for the Mac version and release information for Aurora HDR 2017 for Windows

 

You will get information about the pre-order start date and updates on the Aurora HDR 2017 release for Mac. Windows users can sign up to get notified about the future release of Aurora HDR 2017 for Windows. The windows version is definitely coming, just no official release date yet.

 

#FreeHDRCourse #AuroraHDR #Macphun #Lessons #Free #HDRCourse

Things don’t always go as planned

On By Mark DoddIn Carroll County, General Blog Post, HampsteadLeave a comment

Sometimes things don’t always go as planned, but that doesn’t mean the pictures you end up with are not worth keeping.

 

Recently I went out on two different days with hope to take some breathtaking sunset photography.

On the first trip, I just wanted to get the sunset on a recently cut farmers field. This turned out to be a dud as far as my plans went. First, the sunset did not look like it was going to be that great so I didn’t head out to the location. About 10 mins after I had planned on leaving, the sun broke through the clouds and the start of a spectacular sunset was on its way.

I got into the car and rush to the location I was thinking about. Even though it was only a few miles from where I was, by the time I got there and got my camera equipment setup, the best part of the sunset had gone. I was bummed, but I was still determined to get some photos while I was there so it would not be a wasted trip.

I looked around and saw that the farmer’s combine was parked nearby and that the cab’s window was facing in the direction of what was left of the sunset. I immediately ran over and set up my tripod and started taking pictures. I usually try to do HDR photo’s which require taking a series of shots at different exposures which get combined later on my computer with Aurora HDR Pro to produce the final picture.

Here is one of the pictures I ended up capturing. It was not the red sky and the farm field that I had planned on, but I made the best of what was available to me.

 

Sunset Reflection in the cab of a combine Things don't always go as planned article
Sunset Reflection in the cab of a combine after a long day on the job.

 

This shot was a result of the HDR process by combining the 3 shots shot at -2,0,+2 exposures and using Aurora HDR Pro to process the combined shots into the final you see above.

Now on to another trip where my HDR Process failed me

Continue reading “Things don’t always go as planned” →

Aurora HDR Next Release Announced

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

Aurora HDR 2017

Welcome to Aurora HDR 2017

 

Aurora HDR Next Release Announced today. Aurora HDR is the world’s most powerful HDR software made exclusively for Mac. If you are waiting for Aurora HDR for Windows  make sure to sign up and click the radio button for “I use PC” so you get notified of the Aurora HDR for Windows release at a future date.

 

Pre-orders for Aurora HDR 2017 will start September 14th, with the official release launch on September 29th for the Mac Version. Windows users, still sign up and get notified about Aurora HDR for Windows, it is coming, just not September 29th.

 

 Sign up Here to get notified when pre-ordering starts and any updates on the Aurora HDR 2017 release.

 

Summary of a few of the Aurora HDR 2017 Features and Improvements.

  • New Batch Processing
  • New Tools, including polarize filter and radial masking tool
  • New presets by Trey Ratcliff and other recognized pros
  • Updated tone-mapping and bracket merging technology for more realistic looking HDR images

This is just the shortlist. There will be over 20 key improvements and new features in this release.

 

Sign Up NOW to get notified of the additional features Aurora HDR 2017

 

Aurora HDR Next Release Announced Upgrades and Pricing

  • Current users of Aurora HDR Pro can upgrade to Aurora HDR 2017 at a special pre-order price of $49
  • Current users of the standard version of Aurora HDR can upgrade to Aurora HDR 2017 at a special pre-order upgrade price of $69
  • New customers can pre-order Aurora HDR 2017 for $89
  • Pre-order customers will also receive special bonuses that and announced soon. As soon as I”m notified of what they are I’ll post it here.

 

Sign up Here to get notified when pre-ordering starts and any updates on the Aurora HDR 2017 release.

 

#AuroraHDR #AuroraHDR2017 #AuroraHDRPro #AuroraHDRProUpgrade #AuroraHDRUpgrade #NewRelease #nextreleaseofAuroraHDR #Macphun #AuroraHDRWindows

 

An Announcement about Aurora HDR coming Monday

On By Mark DoddIn Outdated Information PostsLeave a comment

Just a quick note,  be on the lookout for an announcement about Aurora HDR coming out Monday Morning. 8/8/16

 

Check back here on Monday morning for the details.

 

And before I get anyone’s hopes up, it is NOT about a Windows version. Sorry, my Windows folks. I have heard they are getting close to finishing the development so hopefully, sometime later this year would be my best guess for a windows release. But until they announce it you never know.

 

#AuroraHDR #AuroraHDRPro #Annoucement

 

Save with these Aurora HDR Pro Bundles

On By Mark DoddIn Expired Offers/PromotionsLeave a comment
Save with Aurora HDR Bundles
Background image processed using Aurora HDR Pro

 

Save up to 20% off Aurora HDR Pro with these Aurora HDR Pro Bundles and you get Aurora HDR Pro plus a variety of bonus items.

Since Macphun (the co-creator and developer of Aurora HDR) is constantly adding new Aurora HDR Pro Bundles, I figured I would create a summary post of the current Aurora HDR Pro and Aurora HDR Bundles that are available to you. Not only are you saving on the price of Aurora HDR Pro itself, you are saving more if you add in the cost of the bonus items. Total savings including the bonus item can be 50% or more. I have linked to the posts with the full details of each bundle deal so you will need to follow the link to get the full details and to get the link for that bundle. Some of these bundles are only available to Macphun affiliates such as myself, so check them all out to see which one is right for you. Check this page often as offers expire and new offers become available.

The Current Aurora HDR Pro bundle list.

Aurora HDR Pro’s List price is $99 for comparison.

 

If these bonus offers do not interest you, you can still save by getting 10% off Aurora HDR software by using my promo code at www.AuroraHDR.com. Applies to all versions shown on the site.

Aurora HDR 10%off Coupon Code MDPDEAL

 

If you want to show some love to the person who got this great app started, Trey Ratcliff,  you can get Aurora HDR via Stuck in Customs in 2 versions.

 

 

You can also get extra Aurora HDR items from Stuck in Customs such as

 

For the HDR Tutorial other items at the store you may use my discount code of MDP10 at checkout to get an extra 10% off. Note: The coupon is not available for any Aurora HDR item or the Stuck in Customs Workshops, but pretty much everything else is covered. Best thing to do it just enter the coupon code and it will be applied to the items that it is accepted on. #aurorahdrpro #aurorahdrprobundles #AuroraHDR #Bundles #aurorahdr.com #stuckincustoms #HDR #Photoeditor #Mac

 

Get Aurora HDR Pro and CameraBag | Cinema for $99

On By Mark DoddIn Expired Offers/PromotionsLeave a comment

Get Aurora HDR Pro and CameraBag

 

Click Here to get the Aurora HDR Pro and Camera Bag|Cinema Bundle at 50% off for just $99

 

Save an extra 10% using the following Aurora HDR Pro Coupon Code

 

Aurora HDR 10%off Coupon Code MDPDEAL

 

Even if you just want Camera Bag|Cinema, by using my coupon code you are saving 10% of the retail price of Camera Bag|Cinema.

 

Here is what you get with this bundle


This limited time offer has been extended to July 24th and may not be extended again, so get it now.

 

Macphun has done it again with another great bundle. You know you are already getting the best Aurora HDR Pro software for the Mac that lets you get the best out of your HDR and single shot photos. But you also get Camera Bag | Cinema for Mac so you can now apply awesome effects to your videos as well.

 

Aurora HDR Pro gives you

 

  • The complete solution for HDR and single photo editing
  • Over 70 robust tools & “magic” presets
  • Best-in-class HDR tone mapping & merging
  • Layers and masking
  • Standalone & Plug-in access within apps like Lightroom and Photoshop.
  • Made in cooperation with Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs

 

CameraBag|Cinema gives you

  • Real-time video & photo processing
  • 200+ filter presets
  • Batch processing
  • Powerful light, color & border adjustments
  • 32 bits-per-channel processing pipeline
  • Photo & video watermarking
  • 4K video filtering, color grading, and film emulation

And more so you can now edit your videos too with the same ease of use that Aurora HDR Pro gives you for your HDR and single images.

 

#camerabag #cinema #AuroraHDR #Macphun #limitedtimeoffer #AuroraHDRPro #Macphun

Review of Becoming An Artist Season 1

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog Post, ReviewsLeave a comment

Becoming An Artist Season 1 with Trey Ratcliff of StuckinCustoms.com

Preface

First I must say I do my best to be unbiased in all my reviews, but in this case I must disclose that I’ve been following Trey Ratcliff for years and as such I”m am a big fan so this review might be a little unintentionally biased. I’ve followed him for so long that I seen changes in his website, changes in his photography equipment, and the ever evolving changes and improvements in his photography. I’ve seen him go from a one person show to a multi artist show, to a worldwide show, and now to Facebook live. I’ve seen his business constantly expanding with new and exciting products and adventures. I also had the pleasure of meeting him in person on a photo walk he and the Stuck in Customs crew did last year in Philadelphia and Washington DC. If you want to see what that was like visit tour.treyratcliff.com

That said, let’s get to the review.

Becoming an Artist Series 1 is comprised of 15 episodes. Each episode is about 30 mins long and divided into two sections. In the first section of each episode you hear Trey tell personal stories such as a bit of his life history, how he became a photographer in his 30’s, and some of the things that inspire him in his photography and art. I believe he does this to give you a sense of where he’s coming from, how he sees the world, and what affects this has on his photography. There is some dialog just about art in general and how other art can help influence or inspire your photography. He will discuss the picture(s) he is taking at that time, why he choose to take that picture, and some tips about the picture including composition, color, light, and inspiration.

In the second section of each episode you get transported to Trey’s Studio in Queenstown New Zealand, where he will show you his editing techniques on some of the photos he took during the previous section using various tools from PhotoMatix, Lightroom,  Photoshop, and other tools like Autopano Giga for his panorama’s. He shows you basic techniques up to some very advanced techniques.

Episodes have interesting titles like

  • Episode 1 – The Accidental Creation of Me
  • Episode 6 – Writing a Failed Novel
  • Episode 10 – A Reccy to Chernobyl
  • Episode 14 – A Street Fight in Morocco

So you can see this is not your typical tutorial series.

This series was created before Aurora HDR came out, so for this season he doesn’t use his new tool, Aurora HDR Pro, which he co-developed with Macphun software.

In addition to the video series Trey has created a Facebook group “Becoming and Artist – Trey Ratcliff’s Funky Lounge” where you can post your own work and interact with fellow artists.

Continue reading “Review of Becoming An Artist Season 1” →

For my Aurora HDR fans, New Presets for Aurora HDR Pro from Trey

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

For my Aurora HDR fans, the co-creator of Aurora HDR, Trey Ratcliff, has just release a new addition to the program.

Trey’s Expansion Preset Pack for Aurora HDR 2017

The expansion pack includes 25 Presets, 2 Tutorial Videos, and 20 Sample Images that you can use to practice with Aurora HDR 2017 and his new presets.

You can get this expansion pack from

The Expansion Pack at the Stuck in Customs Store

Dont’ forget you can get 10% off of most products at the Stuck in Customs store using the Coupon Code: MDP10. Since this product was just released I’m not sure if the code works yet for this product, but it is good for many of the other items in the Stuck in Customs store. Best advise is to pick what you would like, add it to your cart, and enter the Coupon Code: MDP10 and the site will let you know.

 

Here is his quick tutorial/intro to the Expansion pack.

 

If the video doesn’t load for some reason, click The Expansion Pack at the Stuck in Customs Store and the video is in the Product Description.

The expansion pack is only available from Stuck in Customs.

#AuroraHDR2017 #AuroraHDR2017ExpansionPack #Aurora2017ExpansionPack #StuckinCustoms #Addons #Presets

 

Get Aurora HDR Pro + Special Bonuses for a limited time

On By Mark DoddIn Expired Offers/PromotionsLeave a comment

Get Aurora HDR Pro + Special Bonuses for a limited time for $89. That’s a $10 savings off the regular price of Aurora HDR Pro by itself and you get Special Bonuses.

Get Aurora HDR Pro + Special Bonuses


This is a limited time offer you can only get through the banner above and is not shown on the regular Macphun website, so don’t delay. Get Aurora HDR Pro + Special Bonuses for a limited time for $89

If you would like to try Aurora HDR before you buy, Download the Aurora HDR Pro Free Trial Now

If you don’t want the “Special Bonuses” or have found this page after the above deal has expired, you can still get 10% off by using the promo code below. Click the banner to be sent to the website to either purchase or download your free trial.

 

Aurora HDR 10%off Coupon Code MDPDEAL

 

#AuroraHDR #AuroraHDRPro #CouponCode #Macphun #AuroraHDRProCouponCode