Old Car City: Super Low Price to learn to see, think, and execute like a pro both in the field and at the computer... Plus new HDR Thoughts

The 3 originals for this in-camera Art Vivid HDR image were created at Old Car City in White Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 250mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/10 sec. at f/16 in Av mode (+/-2 stops). As with many of my flower images I used the 2-second timer and Live View (for mirror lock) to ensure a sharp image. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the 8 and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Grill and hood ornament detail of a vintage Plymouth Belvedere

New HDR Thoughts…

I have long been a fan of in-camera HDR images with both the 5D III and the 7D II. But more recently I have come to realize that many such images have image quality issues that result from the in-camera blending. Keeping the camera perfect solid-still on a tripod and working with Auto-align disabled reduces such image quality problems. With light sky clouds and darker foregrounds I have recently begun working with a single image–always the best exposure, and have come up with a nice workflow that yields optimized images with great tonal range. I am not sure that such an approach will work with Urbex stuff like old cars. I am most interesting in learning Denise’s HDR workflow. If you attend you will see me taking copious notes at the Sunday image processing seminar/session.

The 3 originals for this in-camera Art Vivid HDR image were created were created at Old Car City in White Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal extender in place at 242mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/6 sec. at f/18 in Av mode (+/-2 stops). As with many of my flower images I again used the 2-second timer and Live View (for mirror lock) to ensure a sharp image at a very slow shutter speed. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the center of the lower edge of the leaf. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Leaf on hood of old car.

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s two images do you like best? Please let us know why you made your choice.

Old Car City

Old Car City, in White, Georgia, boasts 4,500 old cars on 34 acres mostly along wooded trails. Old cars have an allure that can’t be explained. They feature sublime colors, are full of interesting curves and lines, and many have unique hood ornaments and emblems. Old Car City is a treasure trove just waiting to be unwrapped by folks who have or learn to develop a creative eye. During this workshop we will cover all of the steps needed to produce eye popping HDR images of old cars, trucks, buses, wheels and much, much more. So get out your old jeans and dirty sneakers and prepare to roll up your sleeves for another creative adventure.

My Old Car City Gear Bag

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. Talk about versatility…. This lens, on the tripod, will practically be a one-size fits all answer to my lens needs on this IPT. It was a fairly easy decision to leave the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens at home for OCC. Why? With the 100-400 II being a a tripod 100% of the time, the speed of the 70-200 f/2.8 is a non-factor.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens. I am not very good with this lens and in addition, I love to work tight rather than wide. I would expect to use it rarely if ever during the workshop. Denise is a master with this lens. At some point, I would love to do a blog post featuring some of the many outstanding images that she has created over the years with this lens. The images feature an amazingly wide range of subject matter.

Camera Bodies

5D Mark III. For flowers, scenics, and Urbex photography the 5D III is always my first choice.

EOS-1D X. I will have my rugged pro body along as a back-up.

Think Tank Rolling Bags

As I will be traveling very light I will be using the smaller of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport International™ LE Classic.

Think Tank Urban Disguise Laptop Shoulder Bag

Both denise and I use and love this amazing bag as it has tons of room and enables us to bring tons of extra stuff.

Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here to earn a free gift when you purchase a Think Tank Rolling Bag.

Delkin Flash Cards

As always, I will have a 64gb Delkin e-Film Pro Flash Card in each camera body so that I never have to change cards in the field thus reducing the chance of losing a card…. Please note the new lower prices here. I do have a few extra 32 and 64gb cards in a Delkin CF Memory Card Tote, mostly to protect against loss.

Images and Card Design courtesy of and copyright 2014: Denise Ippolito

Old Car City Workshop October 9,10, & 11th 2015: $399. Workshop fee includes two $25 admissions!

Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
Monday Morning Railroad Museum Add-on: $50!

Thursday Evening, October 8, 2015

Meet & Greet. 8:00 pm at the hotel ~ Join the group for an informal meet and greet session: folks will have the chance to get to know each other and the schedule a little bit better. Denise will give a brief orientation and while this is not mandatory it is a valuable addition to the workshop. Door Prizes will be given out at the Meet & Greet; you must be present to be eligible.

Friday October 9, 2015

9:00am- 9:30am ~ HDR Photography Overview, on location at Old Car City
9:30am -10:30am ~ Exposing Properly for HDR’s & Histogram Review. During this session at Old Car City we will show how to properly expose all of your bracketed images. This will help you to capture all of the information needed to create a true HDR image. Note: this is more involved than simply setting your camera to auto bracketing. We will also explain in-depth how to correctly read your histogram while uncovering lots of misconceptions.
10:30am-12:00noon: ~ Composition Work: In-the-field hands-on work including creative image design, highlighting interesting details, when to go wide, and getting in close for background elimination.
12:00noon- 1:00pm ~ Break for lunch on your own-there is a restaurant directly across the street from OCC.
1:00pm- 4:00pm ~ Photo shoot at Old Car City.

Saturday October 10, 2015

9:00am-12:00 noon ~ Photo shoot Old Car City
12:00noon- 1:00pm ~ Break for lunch on your own.
1:00pm- 4:00pm Photo shoot Old Car City

Sunday October 11, 2015

9:00am- 1:00pm~ HDR Image Processing using Nik HDR Efex Pro and creative post-processing tips using a variety of plug-ins, filters and effects, layers and masks. At this time workshop participants are encouraged to share 5 images that they have captured during the workshop. These can be shared and viewed on your laptop or iPad or you can put them on a thumb drive for us to project. Best but not mandatory to bring your laptop.

Optional Add-On Day, Monday October 12, 2015

If you would like to join us at a nearby railroad museum/yard for a morning of photography the day after the workshop, simply let us know. You can pay the additional fee upon registration or on the spot with cash or check. Arrangements have been made so that we will have the place entirely to ourselves; they are normally closed on Mondays. We will be able to photograph the insides and outsides of the old trains, even an old mail car. If you like old trains then this day is a perfect addition to the workshop.

To Register

To register, please shoot me an e-mail and then either send your check made out to “Arthur Morris” for the total amount due to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855 or call Jim at or Jen at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. At this late date payment in full is due.