The two images shown in this blog story are both examples of monochromatic HDR photography. Each was shot using a bracketed exposure sequence. The exposures in each of the bracketed sequences were combined using various HDR and RAW processing techniques, and the resulting composite image was processed and converted to monochrome to extend the grayscale and tonal range of the final monochromatic (black and white) image.

As you can see from the two images that accompany this story, monochromatic HDR techniques can be effective with a wide range of subject matter. For example, the image above was created from a bracketed image sequence shot peering down into the abandoned span of San Francisco’s old Bay Bridge from the walkway of the new bridge. Below, I shot a bracketed image sequence to capture the massive and ancient moss covered tree roots and stone work on the grounds of a temple in Kyoto, Japan in the early evening light of an autumn day.

I’m pleased to see several new reviews begin to recognize the extended context of the techniques I explain in my new book Monochromatic HDR Photography. On Amazon, reviewer Larry Goldfarb notes that “while the title invokes the world of HDR photography, this book is really bigger than that, it’s about light and tonal depth. Other than subject matter, that’s photography. The author presents a variety of methods for exploring and expanding your ability to adjust both.” (Click here to read the full review.)

I am also pleased with a new book review in the January 2014 issue of Fine Art Printer Magazine. Fine Art Printer is a prestigious German publication primarily devoted to high-end photographic printing. The review says in part that Harold Davis’s photos are bought by collectors around the world. …We can highly recommend this book due to the very high image quality and the excellent text. The subject of the book is the combination of two photographic trends: HDR photography and black and white….These insights are illustrated by hauntingly beautiful black and white images (click here to download the full review in PDF format).

Related stories:

• Out with the Old (Bay Bridge coming down)
• Kyoto: Getting to Know Kyoto; Noriko tries to poison me; Hidden glimpses of the beautiful; Wandering through gardens and temples; Getting lost is good; Sayonara Kyoto
• Monochrome: Monochromatic HDR Photography on Amazon; Monochromatic HDR Photography publication announced; signing the Monochromatic Visions portfolio; Monochromatic Visions portfolio; Fine Art Printer Magazine book review (in German, click here to download the PDF).