When you import images to your computer......these files are tagged. It does not have to be a watermark that is visable. This metadata is part of every image. I would guess that your camera has been set up with your copyright info or when you import (as in lightroom) you have your copyright info added to the metadata. Given this may be what is going on....anytime your images are going to an outside lab, they are (the lab) legally required to insist on the creator's permission to print. If you are the photographer (creator), you are ok, just show your identification......if someone else is taking your digital files to a lab, they need a letter from your with your express permission to reproduce.

Walmarts, and drug stores, have been hit with a mess of lawsuits over the past (digital) years for reproducing, illegally, images from files where copyright rights were violated.

Couldn't agree more.....if you are using full frame bodies, the 17-35 2.8 rather than the 17-55 2.8 (DX) would be my choice. In fact, even on DX Bodies I have less distortion at the wide side with the 17-35.

But, I am a fisheye fan. It is my favorite lens....it is definitely not a portrait lens. It is a toy. I usually have a dozen or more shots at every wedding taken with this lens....outside and inside. It is a great sports lens as well.....it gives the arena or stadium a massive size.

IMHO If you are going to calibrate your display only, most of the different brands work. I have used EyeOne, Sypder 3, and Color Munki.

If you are going to also calibrate your printer so what you see on your screen is what you get on your prints (actually calibrating for the type paper you are using.) The Color Munki is the best and fastest. Spyder's prints takes forever as you have to get a reading on each swatch....and is prone to errors and do-overs.

You are right, a conversion from RAW, TIFF, PNG, etc to JPEG does not require you to resize.......however, it is an option in Lighroom (export), Photoshop (resize for the web), Aperture that allows you to convert and resize if you want. If it is a portrait, the longest edge is the vertical.....a landscape is the horizontal edge. You just assign your desired pixel size for the longest edge and you don't have to calculate the other.

Indeed HE is!

check out this time lapse from the shuttle

http://www.picturecorrect.com/news/time-lapse-flight-over-earth-from-the-space-station/

I noticed that your three shots were, 3 stops over exposed, one properly exposed, and 2 stops under exposed. I would recommend going 2 over, right on, and 2 under. Your three worked just fine but some shots overexposed by 3 stops, esp jpeg, can be a challenge...esp when highlights have been blown.

HDR Finished

I believe your camera has a three shot HDR mode. It takes three quick shots, one properly exposed, one 2 stops over and one 2 stops under and combines them in camera. Now...I am not too sure how that works but you might give it a try.

Composition - whow, that is an open ended discussion - first, I like it and I should shut up at that point. I believe, had I been there, I would have tried to get closer to the water and removed some of the foliage in the left part of the frame. When I think bridge ...I hope there is water running underneath.....if it is rushing water, I like to drag the shutter and smooth it out. If it is calm water, I like to get reflections if possible. But, not knowing the lay of the land, you may have gotten as close as you can.

If your HDR mode doesn't render a good image. You can always bracket manually and take as many shots as you want.

I added a contrast curve in Photoshop but I am curious. What camera did you use to take this.

Good article on "why and when" models releases are important.

http://asmp.org/tutorials/property-and-model-releases.html

Digital + Photoshop/Lightroom and all the plug-ins = has done zero to help me improve as a photographer!

I know when I return to the studio, I can take bracketed exposures and mask a decent photo. With 25 megapixel cameras, I can crop for composition. While shooting raw.....most pictures can be resurrected from the dead.

In the film days......I weighted every shot before taking it (excepting sports).

This is a piece of work......


[url]http://www.petapixel.com/2011/11/14/x-ray-image-of-a-nikon-photographer[/url/

Be sure to scroll down and check out the video on how he did this...

Yes....had my very first lobster roll. I took a mess of pics there! We walked from our hotel to Perkins....Marginal Way .....beautiful place! We stayed at the Beachmere Inn.

Shot this from my room...city of Ogunquit


This is a little further south than Key West

Thank you for the name......I was racking my old head trying to remember. We were staying at Ogunquit and it was just a short drive to the lighthouse.

I am pulling 66 years......it's the focusing that has slowed for me. Not too sure about the adjusting to exposure but guess that has slowed as well.....

I was with Mike Foster (South Carolina Photographer for the Department of Natural Resources) last Tuesday and he made the comment of how his magazine will not allow for HDR images........and he made the statement about the eyes vast dynamic range. You are not the only one.

My guess is we will have a lot of googlers trying to find the answer.