HDR III - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G

05/31/2010 05:04:19 PM · #27

I have been driving around the rural areas in several of the states I have been in recently. I have a passion for old churches and barns. Most of my stuff has been hand held so far but I plan to use my tripod more often. My latest set was with the family in tow on a Saturday drive around some of the areas in our state we have never been to, so I spent less time getting out and taking my time than I normally would. That's one of my recommendations for rekindling passion is to go somewhere you enjoy and see if anything speaks to you.

bohemka

Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX Aspherical DG HSM for Nikon

05/31/2010 05:18:19 PM · #28

The time I spent shopping for a tripod and the amount of money I spent is still no match for my laziness. I still take HDR shots handheld, and except for the wind-tossed branch, I've had fair results. Well, until I get on the mixers and turn it from a well-composed piece into a full on HDR rave. Less is more. And even when I think I've done less, it's still more. It's easier to slide down the HDR hole than over-sharpening.

Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/31/2010 05:26:57 PM · #29

Originally posted by bohemka:

Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

05/31/2010 06:34:00 PM · #30

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

â��Moderation is a fatal thing, for nothing exceeds quite like excessâ�� Oscar Wilde.

To use the makeup analogy, if the challenge was makeup, I would expect the ribbon winners to use a lot of blue eyeshadow. Subelty has its place....somewhere..... I'm sure, well pretty sure.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

05/31/2010 06:39:23 PM · #31

Originally posted by BrennanOB:

Subelty has its place....somewhere..... I'm sure, well pretty sure.

Not on this site, that's for certain!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/31/2010 06:53:47 PM · #32

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Subelty has its place....somewhere..... I'm sure, well pretty sure.

Not on this site, that's for certain!

Actually, I thought that was a pretty subtle way of saying "excess is the DPC norm"...

R.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

05/31/2010 07:03:01 PM · #33

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bohemka:
Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

With all due respect, the goal of really good HDR detail enhancement is to make the landscape image look as natural as possible. I use HDR on most of my images, when allowed by Advanced Editing rules. It's true that colors can become odd in HDR processing. If that's a concern, then make it monochrome. I had fairly good luck with this one

. It would be counterintuitive and wrong-headed to corrupt an HDR image to make it look more like the early renditions of HDR. I do agree that a really great HDR detail enhancement of a landscape image would look natural to the eye. It really depends on the actual dynamic range. Less than 5 camera stops of range and you don't need HDR. More than 12 stops of dynamic range and the mission will be impossible to convert to something that is normal looking. I really don't think most photographers think in terms of how wide the dynamic range of a scene is. At constant aperture, meter on the brightest white. Then, meter on the blackest shadow. The difference in shutter speeds, in terms of camera stops, is your dynamic range. One needs to remember the camera capacity is five camera stops. Use HDR software and bracketed exposures to expand the dynamic range. HDR processing need not look bizarre. It's a useful tool and an integral part of my approach to landscape photography.

Message edited by author 2010-05-31 19:10:12.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

05/31/2010 07:16:15 PM · #34

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bohemka:
Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

With all due respect, the goal of really good HDR detail enhancement is to make the landscape image look as natural as possible.

Dick, that's exactly what I was saying...

R.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

05/31/2010 07:19:14 PM · #35

how do you merge them?

wait ill just read the tut and then if i have questions ill ask... to much going on today to try and do that..

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

05/31/2010 07:21:41 PM · #36

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bohemka:
Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

With all due respect, the goal of really good HDR detail enhancement is to make the landscape image look as natural as possible.

Dick, that's exactly what I was saying...

R.

My friends call me Richard. It bothers the HELL out of me when someone calls me Dick.

kenskid

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

05/31/2010 08:12:25 PM · #37

That's good to know, Richard.

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bohemka:
Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

With all due respect, the goal of really good HDR detail enhancement is to make the landscape image look as natural as possible.

Dick, that's exactly what I was saying...

R.

My friends call me Richard. It bothers the HELL out of me when someone calls me Dick.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

06/01/2010 01:17:08 AM · #38

ok so I need some other software besides PSP?? sorry.. i feel like a dumb blond.

vlado

Canon EOS-70D

06/01/2010 01:20:57 AM · #39

Originally posted by JustCaree:

ok so I need some other software besides PSP?? sorry.. i feel like a dumb blond.

Yes. Photomatix seems to be the most popular, but there are many others.

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

06/01/2010 01:41:58 AM · #40

Just thought I'd note that it IS possible to manually combine exposures for a HDR image.

More time-consuming, I'm sure, but it does give you full control.

asamite

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G

06/01/2010 02:14:58 AM · #41

Originally posted by mycelium:

Just thought I'd note that it IS possible to manually combine exposures for a HDR image.

More time-consuming, I'm sure, but it does give you full control.

Do you have a good tutorial on that? I use Photomatix, but I am always willing to learn the manual process so I know how good I have it when the software frustrates me.

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

06/01/2010 02:32:19 AM · #42

Originally posted by asamite:

Originally posted by mycelium:
Just thought I'd note that it IS possible to manually combine exposures for a HDR image.

More time-consuming, I'm sure, but it does give you full control.

Do you have a good tutorial on that? I use Photomatix, but I am always willing to learn the manual process so I know how good I have it when the software frustrates me.

Unfortunately, I don't. All I can tell you is what I've done. In a nutshell, I've used three or four exposures, putting the darkest on the bottom and the brightest on top. Each of the top three layers is fully masked out. Building up from the bottom, I unmask the portions of each that contribute detail and tonality. It's a lot of work with masking and brushes.

After I'm satisfied with what I've got--and have good detail in both the shadows and the highlights--I make a new layer, copy visible to that, and then continue post-processing as I would with any other image.

That may or may not be helpful. It's simple in theory, but there's no way to make it fast.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

06/01/2010 05:03:26 AM · #43

Originally posted by asamite:

Essentially you capture the photos the exact same and then blend them manually. What this means is that you must mask completely on our own. Many of the edges for the different levels of exposure you want to combine will not readily select and must be done in a painstakingly manual fashion. Once that is done, you must also properly blend them. This process is not easy when you have 9 exposures lumped toghether.

On a side note, here is another example of a rather natural looking HDR, that would have been impossible without the techqnique. If it's really wanted, I could post a single capture of the scene to give you an idea of what I was dealing with.

MinsoPhoto

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/01/2010 07:13:58 AM · #44

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

What is funny though, imho, is that in a normal challenge the overdone hdr shots do worse then natural looking ones while it seems for this hdr challenge the opposite is true.

androgeus

Canon EOS-600D/T3i Rebel

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro for Canon

06/01/2010 08:31:00 AM · #45

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Any suggestions for those of us with:
-no RAW capability?
-no HDR-capable software?
-no software budget?
-old/slow/wimpy computers?

-no camera either?

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/01/2010 09:55:56 AM · #46

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Any suggestions for those of us with:
-no RAW capability?
-no HDR-capable software?
-no software budget?
-old/slow/wimpy computers?

A 30 day free trial of Topaz? It will give you the look even though it's not true HDR.

wdamman

Apple iPhone Xs

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

06/01/2010 12:17:29 PM · #47

Originally posted by jminso:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bohemka:
Which, to cpanaioti's point: "To me, if you can pick out the technique before actually noticing the image then the image is overcooked." Well that makes this an interesting challenge, when the technique is the challenge.

That's the whole issue right there: to use HDR well, or at least as it was designed to be used, is to go unremarked upon. Overcook it so people notice it, and you have a chance in the challenge.

R.

What is funny though, imho, is that in a normal challenge the overdone hdr shots do worse then natural looking ones while it seems for this hdr challenge the opposite is true.

Very true!
This HDR shot

I entered in a free study only got a 5.000 and finished almost last (348/385). I think it would have scored higher in a HDR challenge.

Message edited by author 2010-06-01 12:18:17.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

06/01/2010 12:22:02 PM · #48

Originally posted by vlado:

Originally posted by JustCaree:
ok so I need some other software besides PSP?? sorry.. i feel like a dumb blond.

Yes. Photomatix seems to be the most popular, but there are many others.

well im gonna see if I can find one that is free LOL cause I cant afford to buy another software sheesh LOL

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

06/01/2010 12:38:15 PM · #49

The free version of photomatix does not have all as many features and tonemapping methods as the pay version, but it gets the job done. I usually toss a little Topaz Adjust or PSP's clarify in on top of it.