If there is one thing that I have learned over the years of practicing and refining my craft of HDR photography, it is that there is always more than one way to get to the same destination.  I follow a certain route that provides me access to a final HDR product.  You take a different route.  Mine may be paved, yours could be off-road.  But, we do get to the same place, fist-pump each other, and toast our travels over a pint or two.  That is why I love Justin’s awesome site, Light As Magic.

Justin is one of those souls who simply gets the concept of sharing.  It’s not about hording the knowledge but disseminating it to as many people as possible.  Part of being successful in this game is sharing.  In fact, it’s almost everything.  It helps that Justin has a sick eye for great comps and has his own brand of HDR processing, that he graciously shared via his blog posts and UBER-helpful screencasts.  Justin recently posted a screencast showing how he brings one of his HDR images to its final state.  I soaked up that video with a huge grin and was hungry for seconds.  Because of his generosity in sharing his content, I learned a new (and very creative way) of adding a certain look to my images.  It’s not that I didn’t do something similar in my processing already but it was SO refreshing to see it done in a whole new way.  I am truly glad to know Justin and am proud to have him here.

You can follow Justin on Twitter and on his Blog

Looking Forward and Staying Young – Justin Balog

It started out like any other Friday lunch run; 1) Turn on NPR and check in with Ira Flatow 2) Quick routing plan to improve errand efficiency…first stop bank…..last stop Chipotle.  I can’t say I was thinking about the reasons why I make photographs.  I’m sure I am just like a lot of photographers out there.  Some of us try our best to capture the moments in our lives and share them with our friends and family. Others are creative souls who have a passion for precision engineered tools.  And then there are impressionists who delicately craft their perception of the world.  Whatever our creative differences are, we are united by a common passion.

I often wonder why we have such an intense passion for photography.  Occasionally I can provide a well thought out and articulate answer, other times I simply tell myself that it is something I have to do. I wasn’t considering these questions when the guest being interviewed on NPR was speaking. After a caller had posed the question to the guest,  “What is your best invention?”.  The guest said without hesitation, “I don’t know, I haven’t invented it yet.”

At that moment, my daydreaming ended and I became focused on my photography. I started running through the portfolio in my mind.  I asked myself, “Have I made my best image?”  Was it the image of Lance Armstrong racing on Wall Street or was it the rolling hills in the Flat Top Wilderness?  Is it one of these images I have shared here?  As I took inventory, the interview continued and the guest, who was in his 70s, said he hopes his best invention is yet to come.  He concluded the interview by saying, “To look backward is to be old, to look forward is to be young.”  I sat there for a second, letting the wisdom that had just been shared with me soak in. I had another reason to be a photographer.

So here is to all the photographers, creative souls, and the community which we share and seek inspiration from….To our next image, to looking forward, and to staying young.

Thanks again to Brian.  Not only for the opportunity to share this story, but for the inspiration he serves up on a daily basis.  I look forward to the day we explore the streets of Boston together!