| Trey Ratcliff | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 7, 1971 Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Photographer, Blogger, and Author |
| Spouse | Tina Ratcliff |
| Children | Michael, Isabella |
| Parents | Susan and Raymond Ratcliff |
| Website | |
| http://www.stuckincustoms.com | |
Trey Ratcliff is an American blogger, author, and photographer from Austin, Texas specializing in HDR photography. He was born blind in his right eye, and he has stated that this fact has likely shaped his interest in photography, specifically HDR.[1] His photography is focused on travel, featuring locations in the United States, Japan, France, Argentina, Japan, China, Russia, Iceland and New Zealand. His work has been represented by Getty Images, been featured on the BBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, and NBC.[2]
Ratcliff studied computer science and mathematics at Southern Methodist University until he graduated in 1995. Originally a hobbyist photographer, he started exploring HDR because he was disappointed that the landscape photography he had done did not appear to be how he remembered the scene. After exploring and developing numerous techniques in the then relatively obscure HDR method, he started blogging in 2005 on the website Stuck in Customs and featuring his work. His blog reached over 50 million photo views in December 2010.[3] Stuck in Customs is also known for hosting Trey's HDR Tutorial.
Ratcliff's photo Fourth on Lake Austin, a three-exposure HDR, was the first HDR photo to hang in the Smithsonian, having won in their annual photography contest.
Ratcliff published his book, A World in HDR, in 2009. The books sold out in several countries. He began releasing eBooks in 2010, the first of which was Top 10 HDR Mistakes and How to Fix Them. Ratcliff also launched the website HDR Spotting along with Denis Khoo.[4] Guest editors at HDR Spotting have included Jason St. Peter, Chris Nowakowski, Brian Matiash, Kay Gaensler, John Rogers, Scott Wyden Kivowitz, Mike Criswell, and James Brandon.[5]
Ratcliff released a HDR DVD in 2010, a compendium of HDR instructional workshop footage.[6] Several months later he released a lighter downloadable version, the HDR Video Tutorial.[7] In late 2010 Ratcliff created and released the 100 Cameras in 1 iPhone App.[8] Ratcliff launched flatbooks.com, an eBook store with a focus on HDR photography, in 2011. Flatbooks features Ratcliff's own eBooks as well as the work of others.[9]
Ratcliff's work is licensed through Creative Commons Share-Alike.[2] He also supports charitable causes through the Kiva Organization. As of January 2011 the Stuck in Customs Kiva team has raised and contributed almost $10,000.[10]