So let me take you on a short trip and know that it was very difficult to select only 10 destinations for your mind. I will start with those blogs I’ve been following for years and will go down to those I have discovered only recently.

[daily dose of imagery]

What makes it so stunning?

[daily dose of imagery] has been around since July 4th 2003, featuring one photo on each and every day ever since. The photographer lives and works in Toronto. The city and its surroundings are the subject of most of his photographs, but he also shares the views from his travels. The blog has won several awards and not only is almost every photo stunningly beautiful, but almost all shots also show an interesting perspective, a unique technique or skillful photo editing.

:photoschau

What makes it so stunning?

Incredible pictures from all kinds of objects, landscapes, cities, materials or people, and always catching special moments or perspectives. Sometimes the subject is abstract, sometimes clear and always simply beautiful.

c h r o m a s i a

What makes it so stunning?

It’s the variety of subjects combined with the soothing effect the pictures have on me. The pictures are rich in expressions with carefully composed contrasts and colors. A pleasure to the eyes.

Daily Walks

What makes it so stunning?

The idea of all the beautiful things that are out there. There is so much to discover on something as simple as a walk around your own neighborhood – every single day. And the pictures reveal skill. The skill in spotting and catching these wonderful moments and of course editing them to reveal their full beauty.

Deceptive Media

What makes it so stunning?

The perspective. Not always, but often pictures on this blog are of textures or patterns or very tiny sections of something bigger. The pictures are often puzzling and don’t always reveal the subject. Then sometimes they are surprisingly clear and you wonder whether there is a riddle hidden in the pixels.

Pixeldreamer

What makes it so stunning?

Before and after versions of edited photos. These photos reveal a lot about what is possible with today’s technology. Photos that looked dull and ordinary before, have become amazingly sharp and stunning pieces of art.

these fleeting moments

What makes it so stunning?

Photos like memories. Dreamily, romantic, elapsed. Floating and fleeting.

Roumi Photos

What makes it so stunning?

Like in the previous blog, it’s the mood of the photos that makes this blog so special. It reminds me of old science fiction movies. The future and yet the past. But the blog has mood swings and so it never gets boring.

accessible

What makes it so stunning?

The scenery, the light, the atmosphere. Carefully composed photos of calendar quality, adorable colors, wonderful contrasts, interesting light and perfect post processing.

Montreal Photo – J.R. Photoblog

What makes it so stunning?

Life and all of the above. There are pictures that are so real and so alive that they almost jump straight in your face. And then there are the blurry and antique ones, the carefully composed scene, the professional photos of landscapes and much more.

This list can never be complete. Please share your own favorites with us!

Picture credits: ilco

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New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Remove Unwanted Photo Elements With Photowipe (12)
• Make Use Of Podcast #29: Eye-poppin’ HDR Pictures (6)
• An Idiot’s Guide To Photoshop [Free PDF] (51)
• 3 Easy Ways To Add Borders To Your Photos (20)
• [Google Picasa 101] – View, Folders, Toolbars (18)

“… high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows.”

-Wikipedia

Sure that sounds technical and maybe it is, but here’s a non-technical definition: it makes the colors and details in your pictures pop out. It greatly enhances your images. See for yourself in Flickr’s HDR group.

Now, I said I started doing this when I got a dSLR camera, but you don’t need anything more than a basic point-and-shoot or even a cell phone camera to get great results.

There are many ways to create HDR images including using software like Photoshop and Photomatix, but here’s a great, free way to do it online at a website called: CreateHDR.com.

Here are a couple of HDR images I created using CreateHDR.com.

This podcast is available through iTunes so don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast if you have an iPod, or in another podcatcher if you have a different MP3 player.

[display_podcast]

Don’t forget to post your own eye-poppin’ HDR’d images from CreateHDR in the comments below.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• [Google Picasa 101] – Saving, Exporting & Uploading To Picasa Web Albums (6)
• [Google Picasa 101] – How To Edit Your Photos (14)
• The 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs (60)
• Stitch Panoramic Photos Together with CleVR (21)
• Remove Unwanted Photo Elements With Photowipe (12)