The HDRI Handbook--New from Rocky Nook

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		
November 1, 2007										

CONTACT:	Joan Dixon
Rocky Nook, Inc.
Ph. (805) 687-8727
Fx: (805) 687-2204
joan@rockynook.com


The HDRI Handbook--New from Rocky Nook
High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers and CG Artists

Santa Barbara, CA, November 1, 2007 - The HDRI Handbook reveals the
secrets behind High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI). Once Hollywood's best
kept secret, this cutting-edge imaging technology is a method to digitally
capture and edit all light in a scene. It represents a quantum leap in
imaging technology, as revolutionary as the leap from black and white to
color imaging. HDRI is the final step that places digital ahead of analog.

With this technology now available to everyone, the only problem was that
it was poorly documented…until now. The HDRI Handbook is the manual that
was missing.

Included here is everything you need to build a comprehensive knowledge
base that will enable you to become really creative with HDRI. This book
is packed with practical hints and tips, software evaluations, workshops,
and hands-on tutorials. A new breed of community driven HDR software is
included on the companion DVD, so you can hit the ground running. Whether
you are a photographer, CG artist, compositor, or cinematographer, this
book is sure to enlighten you.

Topics include:
- Understanding the foundation of HDRI
- Tools for a high dynamic range workflow
- How to capture HDR images: today and tomorrow
- Tone mapping to create superior prints
- HDR image processing and compositing
- Shooting and stitching HDR panoramas
- Image based lighting and CG rendering
- World premiere of Picturenaut and Smart IBL
- Creative uses and unconventional applications

Last, but certainly not least, is the Handbook's new companion website at
www.hdrlabs.com. This is the place where readers will find regular updates
to the DVD, as well as galleries, forums, additional tutorials, and timely
updates on technical developments in the changing world of HDRI.


About the author:
Christian Bloch is a highly acclaimed visual effects artists works and
lives in Hollywood, California. During the six years of his professional
career, he has created effects for the TV shows StarTrek:Enterprise,
Smallville, Invasion, Lost, 24, and Studio 60, as well as several movies
and commercials. 

His work has been rewarded with an Emmy Award, as well as a nomination for
the Visual Effects Society Award. He has been a pioneer in the practical
application of HDRI in postproduction, specifically under the budgetary
and time constraints of TV production. 

Bloch earned a degree in multimedia technology. Years of research and
development went into his diploma thesis about HDRI, which was honored
with the achievement award of the University of Applied Sciences Leipzig.
Since his thesis was published online in July 2004, it has been downloaded
more than 15,000 times, and it has been established as the primary source
of information on HDR in Germany. This book is the successor to Bloch's
diploma thesis, rewritten completely from the ground up in English, and
heavily expanded and updated.


Additional Resources:
For more information about the book and about Rocky Nook, see:
www.rockynook.com

The HDRI Handbook: 
High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers and CG Artists
Christian Bloch
with contributing authors: Uwe Steinmeuller, Dieter Bethke, Bernhard Vogl
Foreword by Greg Ward
978-1-933952-05-5, 208 pages, $49.95 US, $59.95 CA
To place an order:
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938 

About Rocky Nook
Rocky Nook was founded in early 2006 in Santa Barbara, California, and we
are closely associated with dpunkt.verlag, a leading publisher of books on
technology based in Heidelberg, Germany. The focus of Rocky Nook's
publications is on digital photography. However, other areas related to
modern photography, such as imaging and computer technology, are also
important to us. Our mission is to demystify the cutting-edge developments
in digital photography, providing practical instruction to enhance the
skills of amateur and professional photographers. Our books offer in-depth
information on technological advances in the digital photography workflow.
We strive to support the efficiency and creativity of our readers with the
ultimate goal of fostering outstanding image quality.

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