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              joel grimes HDR composite
              joel grimes HDR composite
              October 29, 2011
              Patrick Hall

              Composite Photographer Joel Grimes Explains HDR Portraits

              Joel Grimes is a commercial advertising photographer who is most known for his composite portraits. In his recent interview with [Framed], Joel discusses how he got started with his career, how he uses 16bit HDR images in his workflow, does a full photoshoot, and even shows off his musical talents. The video is long so take your time watching it because he gives a lot of useful tips. I’m trying to persuade Sean Armenta to create an Fstoppers Post Production Tutorial on this type of composite editing so if you have questions leave them in the comments below.



              joel grimes HDR composite Composite Photographer Joel Grimes Explains HDR Portraits

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              • http://www.facebook.com/hlouey Henry Louey

                 Greetings from Down Under :)

                I would PAY for a tutorial on composites like this.  Thanks for putting up such a great video. 

              • Une Herzer

                I have been a fan of Joel since I first took up photography … that bar none was THE best introspective look at the what makes Joel Grimes and a photographer ‘work’. !!!

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592517151 Daniel Ekstam

                One of the best posts you’ve had on FS so far! Damn that was inspiering!

              • http://profiles.google.com/mi1stormilst Garrett Graham

                Joel is also a very down to earth friendly guy. He came to Phoenix this year and had a commercial shoot at a casino and I was lucky enough to drag his equipment around for the day. It was a very educational experience and I hope to get to one of his workshops soon.

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=694282177 August Young

                Being color blind is sort of like having a built in cross-proccessing filter in your brain…

              • Anonymous

                I’ve learnt more from Sean’s 5 minute vids regarding beauty and fashion than anything else on the web to be honest. Although not everyones cup of tea most of his techniques can easily be translated to other styles of photography. I like him because he’s direct and to the point with what seems carefully storyboarded and scripted vids without minutes of useless BS. Although granted they’re not for the absolute beginner. My photoshop skill have now exceeded any level i thought i might be able to reach thanks to him. Kudos Sean

                I’m just not into the whole HDR thing….. yet.  Although this is a very interesting take on it.

              • Royce Deguzman

                wow…that flipped a switch for me. i wish i had a mentor like mr grimes. thanks for posting patrick!

              • Anonymous

                Patrick hats off to you for posting this greatness, to be honest when I saw that it was a 47 minute video I thought, I cant give 47 minutes of my life away, lol. But I have to say I’m glad and a little better off for doing so. Joel really inspires the creative side, and not to hold on to so much of the technical aspects, though they are important. Creativity should rule the day.

              • http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall

                Ha yeah 45 mins is nothing if it can take you somewhere new creatively. Never undersell the value of education from solid teachers

              • http://twitter.com/MadKeanePhotos Andrew Keane

                Great and informative article.  I love Joel’s look.  Must use a lot of dodging/burning.  I’d be happy to do it 1/4 as well as that.

              • http://silver7photographyblog.com/ Phil Stefans

                Great post…been a huge fan of his work for a while…great to get the chance to meet the man behind in the images and see how he works…thanks guys…

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754554855 Edd Carlile

                Joel just mailed me and gave me the most mind blowing compliment about my humble work.
                Need to go lie down!

              • http://www.facebook.com/BrokenMc Dima Shapira

                This is great stuff. And He’s looks like a great person:)
                I never tried to make composites, but this video is making me to want so:)

              • http://twitter.com/LetsGoDSLR Let’s Go DSLR

                Bit long winded, (could have lived without the first 15 minutes) but good stuff on the whole.

              • http://twitter.com/jefgibbons Jef Gibbons

                Awesome video, well put together, and Joel seems like another amazing guy.  I’m noticing a trend with great photographers being classy humans!

              • http://www.facebook.com/nicholas.gonzalez3 Nicholas Gonzalez

                I was in need of the advice and encouragement that Joel Grimes gave near the end of this video. I’ve gone through a slump of wondering why my business isn’t thriving as much as it can or should and he hit me on the head with good medicine. I can loose my passion for creating if I focus too much on whether I’m making enough or any money off photography. It is so true. I have to do this thing I love no matter what. No matter what. 

              • http://www.facebook.com/people/Emil-Rye-Rasmussen/1173761231 Emil Rye Rasmussen

                Og what a coincidence! Watched this video the day it was released, and that was what inspired me to the photo I posted in the Fstoppers Facebook group 2 days ago :D 
                His work is amazing and Joel seems to be such a nice person and both FramedShow and Joel Grimes deserves to be shown to the world :) 

              • Anonymous

                Great photographer BUT do we really need the life story of the makeup lady? 

              • http://twitter.com/st8ton Staton Carter

                This is great! “A technical instrument can never make a creative decision.” Love that.

              • http://twitter.com/fozphotography dan foster

                i love this, and tbh id love to do a cross between his work and drew gardners with my equestrian work, so any tutorials that come up are a huge welcomed learning curve!

              • http://www.kymberrae.ca kymber palidwar

                Great information, but ADHD’s can sit for 47 minutes.  I found myself skipping ahead with most of this video.  I don’t care that he plays guitar, I just want point-form learning material.  Thanks for the post, Patrick.  Great info.

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670950036 Fabio Nazzari

                Great video! but i have a question for all the photoshop users… i use Photomatix for HDR.. what is the option he refers when he talks about the moving object (as the tree) during a bracketing?
                thanks for the info and thanks for the post!!! :-)

              • http://twitter.com/paulhuse Paul Huse

                I’ve the same question as Fabio… what photoshop operation allows to combine multiple images and find the still parts or such… the tree as the primary example. Plz plz… :)

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=712446855 Shawn Wilson

                I couldn’t agree more with the other posts.. 47 min.!? Aint gonna happen, but….. well worth every second. Grimes is an level, non-egotistical, average Joe with fame and genius tucked in his belt. Beautiful work with incredible insight. Well Done!

              • Ian Butterworth

                Great video. I see he’s using Einstein lights. What adapters is he using for the other softboxes?

              • http://twitter.com/RonaldVidnPhoto Ronald Stewart

                 Go to his website, he has tutorials for sale that explain all of this…

              • http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly

                thats what i’m talkin about Fstoppers!!!! ….. very very inspiring!!!!  [not saying nothing else is.... the whole site is inspiring, really...i mean..... why would I visit 3-4-7 times a day unless I was getting immensely stimulated by the creative energy that exudes from these pages]

              • http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly

                thats what i’m talkin about Fstoppers!!!! ….. very very inspiring!!!!  [not saying nothing else is.... the whole site is inspiring, really...i mean..... why would I visit 3-4-7 times a day unless I was getting immensely stimulated by the creative energy that exudes from these pages]

              • http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly

                thats what i’m talkin about Fstoppers!!!! ….. very very inspiring!!!!  [not saying nothing else is.... the whole site is inspiring, really...i mean..... why would I visit 3-4-7 times a day unless I was getting immensely stimulated by the creative energy that exudes from these pages]

              • http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly

                thats what i’m talkin about Fstoppers!!!! ….. very very inspiring!!!!  [not saying nothing else is.... the whole site is inspiring, really...i mean..... why would I visit 3-4-7 times a day unless I was getting immensely stimulated by the creative energy that exudes from these pages]

              • http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly

                thats what i’m talkin about Fstoppers!!!! ….. very very inspiring!!!!  [not saying nothing else is.... the whole site is inspiring, really...i mean..... why would I visit 3-4-7 times a day unless I was getting immensely stimulated by the creative energy that exudes from these pages]

              • MichaelGio

                Dean Collins was color blind as well.

              • MichaelGio

                Alien Bee’s, Paul C. Buff products, if I am not mistaken use the Balcar standard.  

              • MichaelGio

                You can learn at Kelby Training:  http://kelbytraining.com/course/jgrimes_shootforcompositing/

              • http://www.facebook.com/wabatson Glenn Batson

                Liked the video.  Would have loved to see him put a model in the warehouse HDR shot he did.

              • http://twitter.com/ithackermike Mike Thacker

                Off topic but the Framed girl was super cute.

              • Jay DeFehr

                I like Joel’s whole series on Framed  (Lit UP). I like Joel’s easy going and humble manner, despite his accomplishments, and his simple presentation of information. That being said, using HDR for a studio portrait is a bit like buying pants 4 sizes too large because you have a really long belt. 

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1428014301 Sebastian Aus Allhaming

                give me more of this! :)

              • http://www.andrewcolemanphotography.co.uk Andrew Coleman

                Great Film, very enjoyable

              • http://www.facebook.com/guidobandito Guido Fokkema

                Wow, what a great video! I love how down to earth he is, realistic but hope-giving. A video on the post-production would be awesome as well. 
                My question is: how is he able to extract the models from the white background when the edges are blown white because of the wrap of the rimlights? And what software is he using for the HDR selection between the still or moving parts of the tree and traffic?

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