photo sharing: HDR

[boBQuincy]

Your beginning HDRs look a lot like my early ones. As I did more with HDR I moved more towards a lighter touch but still like some images that are obviously HDR and no apologies needed! The software I first used had a tendency to really blow out some colors, mostly reds and blues. Photomatix does less of that but I still import most of the tone-mapped HDRs into Photoshop for some final touching up.

HDR is an art all to itself, there are some really good (and really deep) books on the subject. I imagine I will spend years working with it and still not master it then, typical of photography(and any other art). RockyNook has some good books on HDR.

As usual I will take a different approach here and say that it is a rare photograph that could not benefit from more dynamic range! Our cameras may capture a lot of the range of a scene but rarely *all* of it. There is often some highlight or shadow that can still use some enhancement. That is why the old masters spent many hours in the darkroom dodging and burning B&W photos, which have a great dynamic range as it is.

To point this out I am posting a HDR set of a subject similar to one of yours. A night scene can often have a dynamic range exceeding that of a daylight scene because it may include light sources. Night scenes really benefit from HDR and this one could easily have used five or more exposures (it had three).

Here are the three originals, obviously none of them captured the full range.

Here is the Photomatix HDR (color corrected, etc)

One thing I noticed is your tripod may not be up to the task, there is some unsharpness that may be due to camera motion. Still, it's a good start! Keep working with HDR and I bet you will see some rapid improvement and you will really enjoy usnig the technique!

 

[LiseG]

Nice photos...

Good to see you were enjoying the holidays Disney style

 

[idrivealumina]

I love the pictures. Thank you for posting. I like the lights on the Christmas tree the best. I love how they almost jump off the picture.

 

[webshark3]

Some nice tries there. HDR is fun so keep pushing the limits. You never know what you can get til you try.

What I love about HDR and even over-saturation with Disney is no one can use the argument "whoa, way overdone. Those are Disney colors." To which you can reply "YES!"

Last trip I started with a camera that had excellent DR, but oversaturated some blues and greens and tada...

 

[WDWFigment]

The Mexico pavilion at night, in my opinion, is one of the few examples of photography at Walt Disney World where HDR is actually necessary to capture the shot (this isn't to say it doesn't enhance other shots--but until I see evidence otherwise, I'm holding firm in my stance that it's impossible to show all of the dynamic range in this scene without bracketing). This is a bracketed 3 exposure (-2 to +2) shot. Even with that, it still doesn't capture all of the dynamic range. Still fiddling with my HDR processing technique, so I'm not quite pleased with the results here.


Clicking the picture takes you to its Flickr page, where you can read more of the process of getting this shot...

This is one on which I'd really like critique. My immediate observations: 1) too much grunge, 2) white balance and possible tint issues, and 3) maybe a bit could be cropped from the bottom to remove the top of the rail.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

I am just learning about all this HDR, please keep the pics and your processing choices coming for noobs like me.

I don't notice any of the negative things in your image until you point them out...

 

[saturndb]

I like the crop you did on this. Also the clouds and the moon give it a very cool look to it.

 

[TheGoofster]

Here's my version of Mexico at night (as taken from my back window).
Now you've got me wondering what it might look like in HDR.

 

[Gdad]

So I am in the process of evaluating CS5 30 day trial to see if it is something I want to spend the money on- and one of the big improvements is HDR. I never had much luck with using HDR in CS3 and have never used any of the specialized programs like Photomatix. Please share some HDR images created from two or more merged files, and tell how many images, tripod or handheld, what software you used, etc.

The three images below are eached merged from a 9 shot bracket from -4EV to +4EV done on a tripod, then merged in CS5.

 

[boBQuincy]

Jeff,

a lot of the images from my February 2009 and September 2009 photo reports are HDR. All are from three images, 2 stops apart (that is the most my little camera can do).

http://suzieandbob.com/wdw/feb_09/HTML/index.htm

http://suzieandbob.com/wdw/sep2009/wdw_sep2009.html

Also some of the images from our Roanoke trips have a lot of HDR images. Some of the steam locomotive images are from five exposure sequences, again at 2 stop intervals.

http://suzieandbob.com/trains/roanoke/HTML/index.htm

http://suzieandbob.com/roanoke/index.htm

I use Photomatix because I could not get CS3 and CS4 to work well with HDR. It appears CS5 does a *lot* better and I will order the upgrade as soon as it is available (late May it seems).

 

[SrisonS]

I use Photomatix for my HDR work. I haven't used anything else for HDR, so I can't really compare it. But I love that program.

All of these were handheld; bracketed at -1, 0, +1

Would've been hard to use one shot here, with shooting into the sun somewhat


This was shaded, so the HDR really helped bring out the highlights and great details.


I personally don't care for using a flash most times; especially outdoors. I just can't get over the artificial look of the light. But it's probably just the not-so-great built in flash that I have. Stitch was backlit here.

 

[WDWFigment]

Jeff - one of the things I've always liked about your photos (and one preference I have in general) is rich/deep blacks and nice contrast. One of the biggest problems I have with HDR is that so many people tend to gravitate towards flat, "grey" blacks rather than giving the picture that "umph" that I think makes it look deeper. Although I really like the first shot you posted, I think the blacks could be stepped up a little. No qualms with the second shot. The third shot I think you need to go further into the negative, and/or desaturate the blues and purples of the ToT a bit more. I know you weren't looking for critique (at least not explicitly), but since you're evaluating the program's HDR abilities, I thought that information might be helpful (especially since CS3's merge to HDR almost always left me with flat, contrast and black-less images). Sorry if I ruffled any feathers (and who am I to question the master, anyway?).

Here are some of my HDR shots--above each is the number of exposures, program, and a bit of information.

3 exposure HDR merged with Dynamic Photo HDR, adjusted in PS. Probably only needed -2 and 0 exposures.


2 exposure HDR merged by hand with layer masks in PS.


3 exposure HDR (and could've used a 4th!). Mexico is one of the rare places in WDW where, in my opinion, HDR is absolutely necessary for a good shot. So much dynamic range there at night. Tomorrowland and Future World "neon" shots are also likely "necessary" HDR candidates.


2 exposures merged by hand via layer masks in PS. That AA sign blows so easily...

2 exposures merged by hand...morning sun blew the left sky.


Mexico again...not really happy with this one. Went overboard with the processing in Dynamic Photo HDR (3 ex.).


Here I used Photoshop's merge to HDR! 3 exposures - this is the ONLY time I was ever satisfied with PS3's merge-to-HDR:


You can click on most of the pictures above for more detailed descriptions (if I discuss the processing in the Flickr caption). I think I have a couple others in my photostream, but generally, I just push the single RAW file and have better luck with that. Dynamic Photo generally makes the pictures look too grungy for my liking, and Photoshop's Merge-to-HDR makes them look very flat, and lacking any sort of blacks. I really only use HDR techniques out of necessity--not for "the look".

 

[WDWFigment]

Couple more.

No clue what I used to merge this (hand, I think) 3 ex.


Dynamic Photo followed by adjusting in PS and Lucis:


I think that's about it. I have several others that might be labeled HDR from earlier (if it's pre-August 2009 it's not multi-exposure), but I think I just processed those with Dynamic Photo HDR for "pseudo-HDR".

 

[TinksDH]

Jeff-

This is "pseudo HDR" using a single RAW exposure and then processed with -1, 0 and +1 exposure comp. I used the Photomatix plug-in for Aperture in the tone-mapped mode. My goal with this shot was to expand the dynamic range and make it look as "real" as I remember it, NOT to impose a dramatic/artistic effect.

As this was a single shot and processed multiple times, it was shot handheld with a Nikon D300 at 18mm, ISO800, f/9, 1/1600. I know, the ISO is WAY more than it needed to be with that shutter speed, but I had just walked out onto my balcony after shooting indoors in low light and didn't want to miss it as it was changing fast.

 

[Todd_H]

3 exposures (-2,0,+2), tripod, merged in Photomatix, finished in CS4


3 exposures (-2,0,+2), handheld, merged in Photomatix, finished in CS4


3 exposures (-2,0,+2), tripod, merged in Photomatix, finished in CS4


3 exposures (-2,0,+2), tripod, merged and finished in CS5


I think CS5 handles HDR much better than CS4 (it certainly gives you more control), but it's probably on par with the current version of Photomatix. If you're looking to make the investment mainly for the HDR processing, you might want to try Photomatix (or another 3rd party program) first. It's definitely the cheaper solution and overdue for an upgrade.

 

[kpcrone]

Hello!
Wanted to take the time to share a little Disney magic with you!

Growing up as a kid, I would take several trips to Disneyland. With friends, and mostly with my Disneyland crazed Aunt who always had a season pass! Before each trip I would hit the internet (dial up back then) and search for pictures to hype up the experience and relieve the moments at home. Back then, there was just something always missing. In the pictures, there wasn't that magic. There wasn't that Disneyland feeling. It's been my hope to someday capture the Disney Magic in a photograph. That's how Disneyland Resort in HDR came about. Hope you enjoy!


D i s n e y l a n d R e s o r t i n H D R
dlrhdr.blogspot.com

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

There are no working links.... they may help get lszy people like myself to navigate away from the good ol' Disboards...

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

...................

 

[ukcatfan]

I think I saw this exact post before and it was removed for being spam.

 

[kpcrone]

Actually its not spam. Just wanted to share some photos with you guys! Haven't posted 10 times yet, so the boards wont let me post a link, but the link is there, you just have to copy and paste it. Sorry bout that guys. Hope you enjoy!