Pixiq

© John Neel

In terms of this article, visualization is a means of creating a mental image of something. Pre-visualization is a means to see the final photograph in your "minds eye" at the time of capture.

I have been doing High dynamic range photography long enough now that I tend to see the world in HDR. So much so, that I hesitate to photograph any other way. To visualize requires a bit of knowing what to look for as well as becoming familiar with your technique and its capability. HDR when used in the "correct way" (if there is such a thing) allows one to make images that are much closer to the way we see.

Ansel Adams was probably the first to use the term pre-visualization as a way to look at a subject based on its eventual outcome.

While we can't really see all of the details that can be captured using an HDR bracketed series of exposures, a final image can be produced that is much more like the real wold than any other photographic method can provide.

There are those who would suggest now that HDR has arrived, all other forms of photography have been overshadowed. I think not! Personally, I do not believe that all images should be created equally. Nor do I believe that HDR is the end-all of photography. For many the concept has been over-rated, misunderstood and very much abused.

Photography is a complex medium that is full of varying techniques and individual vision. Single image photography is great for a multitude of reasons. For example: I love the effects created with B/W where there are no details in the shadows. This can create high drama and mystery to an image. Pinhole and Polaroid and any all other methods have their own unique characteristics. HDR is simply another method within the realm of possible photographic techniques. I love it all! There is no reason to limit the possibilities. 

HDR is an amazing technique that can be used for the enhancement of highlight and shadow details in a scene. A subject such as a building that is backlit by the sun is a perfect example of when we might want to use HDR. If we want detail in the building facade facing the camera, while also showing the full beauty of the sky, the sunset and possibly some of the details of the inside of the building as seen through a doorway or a window. Without HDR, this would be nearly impossible unless we used very sophisticated lighting, possible double exposures, masks in Photoshop and other time consuming and bothersome techniques. Again, when done correctly, HDR bracketing using RAW format and software processing makes it relatively simple and highly convincing.

One of the more difficult things for many people starting in photography is to visualize the possible outcome of their work at the time of shooting the picture. After awhile, it becomes easier through the experience of having done it many times before.

© John Neel

In order to visualize how an image might look in HDR or for that matter, any kind of photography, it is vital to understand the method and what the process is capable of portraying. If you are aware of the lighting (or lack there of) and understand what can be accomplished, you can begin to see those situations where HDR will enhance the captured results.

Through multiple bracketed exposures, HDR has the capacity to see into the darkest shadows and simultaneously bring out unseen details in the highlights. When used well, HDR can produce an image with great detail and natural looking light levels in all areas of the scene. In other words, it has the capacity to render something very close to what we see in the real world.

When I work with HDR, I am determined to render something that is within a reasonable likeness of the subject I was drawn to photograph. Of course, using all of my skills, I adjust my image for impact as well as tweak it to my preference for a particular subject. But I usually end up with something that at least has the appearance I had imagined upon photographing the subject scene. If you are interested please read some of my earlier posts that speak about my methods of working with HDR and other processes. 

There is a quote that I practice all the time. At the moment I can't place where I heard it. But it basically states that you should shoot pictures even when you do not have a camera. What it means is to practice seeing all the time. It will help you to pre-visualize when you do have your camera. 

Pre-visualization is a technique that comes with using a method which the photographer is familiar. I use it when I shoot B/W, Polaroid, Color Film, HDR or any other kind of photography. Each method requires me to visualize the results differently. I switch back and forth, pre-visualizing the subject as a final image. If it calls for HDR, I use HDR. If I visualize it as a B/W I make my decisions for shooting accordingly.

Based on your technique, the pre-visualization of your photograph requires practice which in time will become second nature.

© John Neel

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THE IMAGES IN THE GALLERY ABOVE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF A FEW OF THE TECHNIQUES COVERED IN THE BOOK. THEY HAVE EITHER BEEN INSPIRED BY OR WERE INSPIRATIONAL IN THE WRITING OF THE BOOK.

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Read more of my posts for articles about digital and analog imaging.