LA City Walkabout Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA

Abbot Kinney Boutiques; Shops;  Art Galleries; ; Furniture, Stores, Antiques, Venice; California

 

Colcha, home, lifestyle boutique, Venice, Ca, chic, rustic, furniture

 

 

Gebert, Contemporary Art Gallery, Abbot Kinney Blvd,. in the heart of Venice, CA.

 

  

Green House, Smoke Shop, Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA, cool pipes, cigars, smoking accessories 

 

Ms. Vintage, clothing store, Abbot Kinney Blvd., collectors, vintage design, art, furniture, clothing, quilts, recycling, stylish vintage items

 

Ten Women Gallery, paintings, prints, Mosaic mirrors, decorative objects 

Dim Sum, Truck, gourmet food truck, Abbot Kinney, Venice, Ca,

Principessa,  Womens Clothing,  Boutique

©2011 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you. david@zanzinger.com

The Art of HDR photography

High dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight.

The two main sources of HDR imagery are computer renderings and merging of multiple photographs, the latter of which in turn are individually referred to as low-dynamic-range LDR or standard-dynamic-range SDR photographs.
Tone-mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect. (Wikipedia)

"This technique is used to capture and represent the full (as possible) Dynamic Range found in a scene with high perceptual accuracy and precision. Many imaging experts regard HDR photography as the future of digital photography.

Haunting, surreal, and possibly the first major way in which digital photography does something which film photography can’t emulate – or even come near.  High Dynamic Range  photography is nothing new, but as new tools and techniques make the art form more available, HDR photography is taking off in a big way". (Haje Jan Kamps)

Before above

 

 

Tommy Bahama, Clothing Store and Restaurant, The Gardens, El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA

All Available light, no additional lights added, Post production enhanced 

PS3, LR3, HDR, Photomatix, three exposures, + 2, N,  -2

Before above

 

Pacifica Restaurant, The Gardens, El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 

All Available light, no additional lights added, Post production enhanced HDR, Photomatix, one exposure

Before above

 

Anthropoligie, The Gardens, El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 

All Available light, no additional lights added, Post production enhanced HDR, Photomatix, one exposure

Before above

 

Williams - Sonoma, Kitchen, Bath & Decor, El Paseo Drive, Palm Desert, CA, 

All Available light, no additional lights added, post production 

PS3, LR3, HDR, Photomatix, three exposures, + 2, N,  -2

a Flickr search for ‘HDR’ filtered by ‘most interesting’ is a great way to get some awesome inspiration.

©2011 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you very much. david@zanzinger.com

Simple solution...it's not always what you think...

I get asked this many many times....a client wants to move a low priced property quickly and is stuck with a "not so good image"...... what should they do? Re-shooting is not an option, not only does it cost more but they have limited access....can you help?  My answer is yes and it's not as bad as you would think. Here is a good example.....

As you can see the Palm trees are cut off and it's very very dark on the patio and it was shot in the shade with no detail in the condo. The water seems like the selling point as it draws more attention and the sky is totally blown out...... my solution....see below...

 

This is the same image...... after decreasing the foreground (water) for the client and adding a little to the sky I  gave it room by adding the palm tree on top....saturation also played a role as it was shot in the shade and the only sun was on top of the mountains. So don't get discouraged there is always a solution if you take time and look for it. If you have a similar problem feel free to drop me a line and perhaps we can fix it inexpensively instead of having to re-photograph it.

©2011 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you very much. david@zanzinger.com

Replace a Dull Sky - How to quick Tip

The most beautiful outdoor photo may look dull because of the overcast sky. In this quick tip I will show you how to improve the photo  by simply replacing the problem area.

First, let’s open the original photo in Photoshop or other software that will create layers.... I’m going to use an image I made of CityCenter in Las Vegas of Aria Resort Casino and Veer Towers on a rainy day. Make a copy background layer so no damage is done to the pixels on the original image.

 

 Veer Towers are twin 37-story condominium towers with the towers leaning in opposite directions

Now, in Photoshop go to Select » Color Range and click the sky near the top to sample a color, in this case the dull grey area. Set the Fuzziness level to 85 and press Ok.  Marching ants will select the area to be replaced

 

Invert selection ...notice black replaces the white sky

Load the sky picture you’d like to use in Photoshop. I will use a sky image from my library. Press Ctrl+A  (alt+A on PC) to select all, and Ctrl+C (alt+C on PC) to copy selected area. Then, switch back to our original image, and go to Edit » Paste Special » Paste Into. Name the new layer Sky.

Let’s adjust our new sky, so it would match the original image a little better. Go to Layer » New Adjustment Layer , Curves and add a new adjustment layer. Make sure you check the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask box. Adjust the curve as on the image above.

For a more dramatic look you can play with different skies to create a totally different effect....such as a sunset.....

Which image do you like better...please leave your comments below...

©2011 David Zanzinger, all rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines for violation. Call 310-980-5156 for assignments, licensing and more information. Thank you very much 

Internet Marketing Mistakes I Made When I First Started Online

For us that need a little help in researching the best practices for internet marketing I've added this blog from Leadsleap blog- a viral blog that sends you traffic!!
 By Kenneth Koh

Mistake #1. Not believing that internet marketing is for me

Mistake #2. Lacking marketing plans

Mistake #3. Hoping that there is a holy grail

Mistake #4. Being a cheapskate

Mistake #5. Using encrypted script 
Leadsleap blog also has links to affiliate marketing, something you can also do to increase your revenue stream in a down market. More on that coming up...

David Zanzinger