About the Image Creation Process
I have developed a “photo-graphic” process to create these iconic images. It all starts out in the field when I take a series of photographs – from seriously under exposed to seriously over exposed – nine shots in all.
Back in the digital darkroom, I select three or more of these images and employ High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography techniques to create an exposure that is typically not possible by taking a single shot. Using HDR is needed when there is a high dynamic range of light – a sunset, brightly lit scenes on snow or water, or intensely backlit situations. By using up to nine shots in my HDR photography, I can capture an amazing range of light! Perfect for National Park scenes.
Once the digital negative is produced, it’s time to move it to Photoshop, where it undergoes the transformation using a variety of filters, layers, techniques and tweaks to create the final graphic image. Finally, based on my research of the park's most popular features, the headline and subtext are overlaid on the image. And finally, the name of the National Park, along with a customized icon featuring the year the park was designated, is added to the artwork.
After the master artwork is produced, the final images for the posters, calendar, note cards and postcards will be created and made ready for printing.