50 Shades of HDR Gray... - DPChallenge Forums

02/03/2016 10:36:48 AM · #76

Well, this past weekend, I went to one of my hang out spots with some friends. I found what I thought was kind of a unique perspective. And so I preceded to take some shots. I set my camera in bracket mode set for seven shots spaced about a stop apart, which was a good thing since I forgot to set the camera to record in RAW. So I only had a seven JPGs to deal with. And returning to the scene of the crime was not a viable option before this challenge would start. So I just went with what I had.

Another unfortunate thing that I didn't notice until after I got home was that one of the major objects had moved slightly during the bracketing capture. So as you can imagine, that object was kinda blurry. So I was forced to perform some unorthodox methods in order to correct the issue. The image may appear average amongst all these awesome entries. But that's okay! I'm very proud of what I accomplished! It was allot of work. But I learned a ton of new techniques in various software packages.

All that said, my current stats are...

Votes: 12
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Avg Vote: 5.5000
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02/03/2016 11:01:44 AM · #77

Originally posted by WonderDude:

Another unfortunate thing that I didn't notice until after I got home was that one of the major objects had moved slightly during the bracketing capture. So as you can imagine, that object was kinda blurry. So I was forced to perform some unorthodox methods in order to correct the issue. The image may appear average amongst all these awesome entries. But that's okay! I'm very proud of what I accomplished! It was allot of work. But I learned a ton of new techniques in various software packages.

"Deghosting" is the term that will help clear up the movement of those non-stationary objects. Most HDR packages, including the HDR merge in Lightroom, will attempt to deal with it. Some are better than others. Even though you've got your entry in, if you're unfamiliar with deghosting then maybe you want to give it a shot with the originals, provided your software supports it.

02/03/2016 12:00:56 PM · #78

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:

Well, I have Adobe Photoshop Elements with NIK Efex Pro 4 plugins, and I also have a relatively inexpensive piece of software by NCH called PhotoPad. I'm not sure if any of these packages offer this ability. I do know that NIK Efex HDR does not work in PSE. So I would have to at the very least get Lightroom to use that functionality of NIK Efex.

Anyway, I will see if I can find anything. Thanks!

02/03/2016 01:00:35 PM · #79

Originally posted by WonderDude:

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:
"Deghosting" is the term that will help clear up the movement of those non-stationary objects. Most HDR packages, including the HDR merge in Lightroom, will attempt to deal with it. Some are better than others. Even though you've got your entry in, if you're unfamiliar with deghosting then maybe you want to give it a shot with the originals, provided your software supports it.

Well, I have Adobe Photoshop Elements with NIK Efex Pro 4 plugins, and I also have a relatively inexpensive piece of software by NCH called PhotoPad. I'm not sure if any of these packages offer this ability. I do know that NIK Efex HDR does not work in PSE. So I would have to at the very least get Lightroom to use that functionality of NIK Efex.

Anyway, I will see if I can find anything. Thanks!

Wow, didn't realize it would be impossible to invoke HDR Efex Pro from Elements. That kinda sucks. You can't even do it from the Organizer? (pauses to Google). Ah, it's a 32-bit image app and Elements won't support 32 bits on export to the software. Kinda sucks, but I understand.

02/03/2016 02:09:26 PM · #80

Originally posted by backdoorhippie:

Not real familiar with the organizer. I never use it. Maybe I should start, especially if it allows for NIK Efex HDR plug in to work. Anyway, maybe one day I will get Lightroom. :-)

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

02/03/2016 03:31:47 PM · #81

I have a feeling that there are gonna be some really high scoring images in this challenge! :-)

mefnj

Nikon D7100

02/03/2016 03:34:52 PM · #82

even though the NIK/Google folks swear up and down that the Efex do not work as "standalone" programs, i use them that way all the time. using them from within a host program is kinda moot anyways, since i beleive the host flattens the image into a TIFF before sending to the Efex module, which takes away any ability to adjust them as RAW files.

02/03/2016 03:38:01 PM · #83

Originally posted by mefnj:

Please explain how to do this. I would love to be able to use the HDR mode!

Thanks! :-)

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

02/03/2016 04:08:56 PM · #84

Originally posted by WonderDude:

Originally posted by mefnj:
even though the NIK/Google folks swear up and down that the Efex do not work as "standalone" programs, i use them that way all the time. using them from within a host program is kinda moot anyways, since i beleive the host flattens the image into a TIFF before sending to the Efex module, which takes away any ability to adjust them as RAW files.

Please explain how to do this. I would love to be able to use the HDR mode!

Thanks! :-)

You know, I know I could launch HDR Efex Pro 2 as a standalone but I couldn't get it to open anything, so I did the obvious...

1. Navigate to where the images are that you want to merge in File Manager/Finder
2. Highlight all of the files
3. Right-click and choose Open With... (or the Windows equivalent) and choose HDR Efex Pro 2 from the Application list (you may need to navigate to the executable under the Program Files directory on Windows so if that's you find it first).

I just tried with some TIF files and it opened them in the merge dialogue. Easy peasy. When you're done, click Save and it'll prompt you for a location to save the resulting TIF file. Once saved you can open that in any editor as normal.

You actually do learn something new every day!!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

02/03/2016 04:12:06 PM · #85

Jake beat me to it...

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

02/03/2016 04:27:37 PM · #86

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Jake beat me to it...

AWESOME! Thanks guys! Maybe next time I'll win the HDR challenge! ...Yeah right! ;-)

mefnj

Nikon D7100

02/03/2016 05:30:49 PM · #87

Originally posted by WonderDude:

i just open the HDR Efex module (i have shortcuts to the installed .exe files on my desktop)

then in the upper left corner, there is the standard "File" menu dropdown. it has and option to "Open Files", which then allows you to navigate to where your TIFFS are located. select them and you are off and running.

for the other Efex modules, i have shortcuts on my desktop as well. i just drag the TIFF file to the icon, and the program launches and opens the image. when done, click save button.... NOTE: for these other Efex modules, there is no "Save As", so make sure you are working on a copy of your original or it will be overwritten

02/03/2016 05:41:35 PM · #88

Originally posted by mefnj:

Originally posted by WonderDude:

Originally posted by mefnj:
even though the NIK/Google folks swear up and down that the Efex do not work as "standalone" programs, i use them that way all the time. using them from within a host program is kinda moot anyways, since i beleive the host flattens the image into a TIFF before sending to the Efex module, which takes away any ability to adjust them as RAW files.

Please explain how to do this. I would love to be able to use the HDR mode!

Thanks! :-)

i just open the HDR Efex module (i have shortcuts to the installed .exe files on my desktop)

then in the upper left corner, there is the standard "File" menu dropdown. it has and option to "Open Files", which then allows you to navigate to where your TIFFS are located. select them and you are off and running.

for the other Efex modules, i have shortcuts on my desktop as well. i just drag the TIFF file to the icon, and the program launches and opens the image. when done, click save button.... NOTE: for these other Efex modules, there is no "Save As", so make sure you are working on a copy of your original or it will be overwritten

I'll try this out!

Thanks! :-)

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

02/03/2016 06:49:47 PM · #89

UPDATE: It worked. Though, it did crash at the very end of the process. But the image was completed.

Man! Now that I know this I think wee should restart this challenge! ;-)

Lydia

Canon EOS-6D

02/03/2016 10:44:16 PM · #90

Did people actually combine multiple images to create an HDR image?

Wow.

I didn't see that in the images.

I just saw ... shots.

In BW.

I love looking at the galleries... normally, but... wow.

So much of the same to me on this one.

I hope I'm wrong.

Message edited by author 2016-02-03 22:45:22.

gipper11

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8

02/03/2016 10:50:43 PM · #91

I would agree, many of them are just black and white photographs right out of the camera and maybe adjusted slightly in a software program.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

02/03/2016 10:59:32 PM · #92

Please don't discuss the images themselves during the voting. Your opinion may or may not comport with the facts, and you should not be influencing how others view/assess the images.

tnun

Ricoh GR III

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

02/04/2016 12:05:16 AM · #93

wonderful array of BW photographs. please enjoy them for what they are, not for how you (fallibly) imagine they were made.

nam

Sony DSLR-A580

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

02/04/2016 12:24:25 AM · #94

Is there a scores thread on this?

02/04/2016 05:54:19 AM · #95

Originally posted by nam:

Is there a scores thread on this?

I just posted here to this thread. And I'll post again...

Votes: 25
Views: 84
Avg Vote: 5.6000
Comments: 0

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

02/04/2016 06:19:37 AM · #96

Originally posted by Lydia:

Did people actually combine multiple images to create an HDR image?

Yes.

tate

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

02/04/2016 09:40:22 AM · #97

To me, proper HDR shouldn't always be entirely obvious. And in black-n-white, it is even less obvious than it would be in color.
The other thing is, HDR may reduce contrast that was there - and when it sin't there, it may seem "correct" or more pleasing to the eye.
So perhaps meeting the challenge is not necessarily obvious to the viewer.

Originally posted by Lydia:

I didn't see that in the images.

I just saw ... shots.

In BW.

I love looking at the galleries... normally, but... wow.

So much of the same to me on this one.

I hope I'm wrong.

02/04/2016 09:56:58 AM · #98

Originally posted by tate:

Agreed. As with the panorama challenge I spent a lot of time thinking about voter perception. Will they accept a properly done HDR image that doesn't look like anything but a well lit B&W, or are they looking for that "look" of overcompression and excessive structure? I'm not saying where I went or what I believe to be right, because I already said a lot about that while this was still in the submission phase. There are people who understand what HDR is, people who understand some of what HDR is, and people who think they understand what HDR might be. If all of them are voting it makes for interesting edit choices.