Thursday

Bed and Breakfast's Before and After

Greetings People!
Often, I am asked by people how I can help their place of business look it's best, whether it be for a new website, print materials, or other digital media. I tell these folks about the skill set I have as a commercial photographer, tell them about creating images that are more like what the eye and the brain take in when in a space, and in the end, it is all visual... I think it is easier to display what it is I do.
The following images are form a recent shoot I have been doing at a local bed and breakfast. The owners of the B&B had attempted to capture images that represent their gorgeous inn and they were not able to get the rooms to look like they way they see them each day, so they called me. 
I have shot several B&B's, homes, and new construction and I have developed a method that allows me to re-create what the space looks like to the eye, and that is what these B&B owners were looking for. 


Take a look...


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Before - This is what the room looks like to the camera on the first shot.

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After - This image is created using several shots that I composite in Photoshop into one image. In addition, I perform a lot of tweaks to color balance the different light sources (window light, tungsten and fluorescent) and make an image that accurately represents the room.

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Before - Notice the yellow light form the bed side lamps and the blue light form the windows.

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After - I have balanced the lights and composite several shots to create the final image.

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Before - This room was a challenge due to the color of the walls and the positions of the windows. In real life, the room is nice and bright and inviting, in the initial capture, the room is dark and morose, with the only real lighting coming from the yellow glow of the fluorescent bed side lights.

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After - I have brightened the room evenly (like the eyes sees), balanced the exposure outside and inside, and reduced the yellow cast that the fluorescent lights create. Our eyes and brain are wonderful devices and do all of this for us all day, every day.. I have really come to appreciate what the brain does with the eyes to allow us to see the way we do.

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Before - I think this is typical of an image that people get when they try to shoot their spaces themselves. The inside is too dark, and the outside too light. There is no detail in the room, especially in the bookcase, which is important as this is the Library Room.

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After - Again, I have made a composite of several images, balanced the colors and brightened up the book case and the entrance to the bathroom, making it more inviting.

***If you have attempted to capture images of your space and they look like any of these before pictures, give me a call, I can help!

Tuesday

Ye Haw!

Well, folks, we are back up and running. I must say that doing a domain transfer required me to jump through many firey hoops! Waiting for the orgininal host to alow the transfer, to the new host awaiting the transfer, to email addresses, to billing, holy cow!
This is why I am a photographer and not a web designer. 

Thanks to all of you who were concerned!

We're back, baby!

Jon

Saturday

www.350.org Climate Rally

Asheville was one of the host cities today for a 350.org climate change rally. 350 represents the parts per million of c02 gasses that scientists and climatologists say is the tipping point for our planet. 
350.org has organized rally's in chapters all over the world where people can together to show their dedication to the 350 ppm movement. The images from the different global events will be uploaded to Times Square to bring awareness to the world leaders meeting to ratify the Kyoto Treaty later in the year. 
I was honored to be asked to shoot this very important image...

Wednesday

Updating

So, Jonleidel.com is down for a day or two as I move my domain from an old provider to a new provider / web host.  I should be up and running again in 48 hours. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.  Keeping the best technology working can sometimes have it's challenges!  Thanks to all who contacted me with concerns, no worries, all is well.

All the best!  Hope you all are having some of the beautiful weather  we are having here in Asheville!

Jon

Thursday

A video Perspective

As you all know, I shoot stills, not video. I did however, bring my Canon G10 Point and Shoot which shoots video because I thought it would be fun to have some video from the trail. This is an unedited (if that wasn't obvious) video of me standing on a a ridge crest at mile 4 on the Kalalau Trail. I added this because I think it adds a sense of space and beauty to the stills I shot form the same place. 
Hope you enjoy. 



View from the Kalalau Trail from Jon Leidel on Vimeo.