Photofocus

Rafael Concepcion or (RC) as he’s known to his friends, is a natural born teacher and story teller. Don’t get me wrong. He’s also an accomplished photographer and visual artist. And there’s probably nothing he can’t do with any piece of Adobe software. But his true calling in my opinion is teaching.

In his new book – The HDR Book: Unlocking the Secrets of High Dynamic Range Photography, RC demonstrates – again – his passion for teaching.

While HDR is a controversial subject in the photography community, it’s not the least bit controversial with fans. Non-photographers love it. And smart photographers are using or learning it. No matter whether you’re using or learning, RC’s book is a must read.

I got the book on Thursday and was done with it on Friday. I didn’t get to actually try all the software tricks but I read the whole thing finding myself very intrigued with RC’s approach.

I have to admit that when he first told me he had an HDR book coming I was curious. There are already several HDR books out there including best-seller A World in HDR. Then, after reading the first chapter of RC’s book I figured it out. RC has brilliantly made the post-tone-mapping portion of HDR one of the centerpieces of his thesis. It’s really an HDR workshop in a book taught by a guy who you’d have to pay a good chunk of change to follow around at Photoshop World for the same thing.

RC offers lots of information here presented in several ways. There are interviews, 14 different HDR projects and lots of teaching on the concepts behind it all. He covers all three of the major HDR/Tone Mapping programs – Photoshop’s HDR Pro, Photomatix Pro, and HDR Efex Pro.

The HDR book covers everything you need to know from capture to post. It’s easy to read. It’s not a software manual for programs like Photomatix Pro. It’s not a super technical book. It’s approachable and helpful.

Perhaps the best endorsement for this book comes from none other than Trey Ratcliff. Since he’s the author of a competing product, his recommendation that you buy RC’s book is meaningful.

RC is a very nice guy. He’s a very giving guy. He’s a very sincere guy. Because of all those traits, I knew I’d like this book because I knew he’d pour his heart and soul into it. He did.

For less then $30, this is a no-brainer. If you have even mild interest in learning or improving your HDR skills buy this book.

Highly recommended.

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