HDR (high dynamic range)

[thomas998]

My HDR experience is limited but I wouldn't think adjusting the aperture would be the best way to go about it because the change in depth of field could significantly alter the appearance of the scene. I would use a method that allows for a constant aperture--either manual and adjust the shutter speed or aperture priority and adjust exposure compensation. Of course, I've only tried it with a single raw file and 3 different exposure settings, so I may be off base.

Your not off... that's probably the biggest problem I can see with what he is doing. When you combine photos they all need to be focused the same... changing the aperture to change the exposure is like trying to combine photos that were all done with slightly different focus settings... not good... pretty much negates the fact that he used a tripod since he's introducing blur in the pictures that varies from one to the other.

I think the best way is to set it on complete manual and only change the shutter speed... nothing else.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Well, admittedly, I've only really tried doing it once (one setting...at sunset of all times). I'll try it again altering the shutter speed next time and keeping the aperture constant. I'll also pick something with more contrasting colours.

Although, I don't think the depth of field was a problem in these shots. Blur was not an issue in these photos. But...we'll see what happens the next time I attempt it.

By the way, I'm a "she" not "he". LOL

 

[Code]

A post from today on lightroomkillertips.com all about HDR:

HDR Tidbits (links, news, inspiration)

 

[thomas998]

Well, admittedly, I've only really tried doing it once (one setting...at sunset of all times). I'll try it again altering the shutter speed next time and keeping the aperture constant. I'll also pick something with more contrasting colours.

Although, I don't think the depth of field was a problem in these shots. Blur was not an issue in these photos. But...we'll see what happens the next time I attempt it.

By the way, I'm a "she" not "he". LOL

Okay... now that I know what your trying to do this to... let me make a suggestion... If your doing a sunset... you will probably get your best result by setting up your tripod... shoot it with proper exposure for the sky... now start over exposing by maybe 1... take another with an addition 1 stop over exposure... do that until the ground or tree or whatever you have besides the sky is properly exposed.... now combine these photos in photoshop...

If you were taking 3 shots one correct one under and one over of a sun set you weren't getting enough shot detail for it to matter much. Doing the 1 over and 1 under works well on some types of shots but for something like a sunset you know your not going to help things by under exposing much.. the additional detail your likely to get will be in the darker areas

And lastly... your sex is now correctly noted.

 

[Chris and Heidi]

One more question.........

What if you just have one picture that is correctly exposed? Could you use levels in Photoshop to make two more pictures, one too dark and one to light and then use all three of those pictures to create an HDR? Or do you have to actually have three seperate pictures that you have taken in the various exposures?

 

[bob100]

One more question.........
What if you just have one picture that is correctly exposed? Could you use levels in Photoshop to make two more pictures, one too dark and one to light and then use all three of those pictures to create an HDR? Or do you have to actually have three seperate pictures that you have taken in the various exposures?

you can use a Photoshop plug-in filter (Redynamix) to produce some HDR looking effects such as this -

or this

 

[Chris and Heidi]

Thank you for responding. I love that second picture that you included!

I don't think I fully explained myself. I have downloaded Photomatix where I can put three pictures and it creates the image so I know how to do the HDR. What I am unsure of is if I actually have to take three pictures at different exposures of if I can use photoshop to create 3 different exposures and then load those three pictures into Photomatix. Does that make sense?

Thank you all. I really love the look of HDR and I want to learn how to make my shots as amazing as some I have seen on here.

 

[boBQuincy]

One more question.........

What if you just have one picture that is correctly exposed? Could you use levels in Photoshop to make two more pictures, one too dark and one to light and then use all three of those pictures to create an HDR? Or do you have to actually have three seperate pictures that you have taken in the various exposures?

DPHDR by MediaChance has a function called "fake it till you make it" that creates a HDR from a single Raw or Jpg image.

 

[Chris and Heidi]

"Fake it till you make it"



I like it! That's my life's motto.

 

[thomas998]

Thank you for responding. I love that second picture that you included!

I don't think I fully explained myself. I have downloaded Photomatix where I can put three pictures and it creates the image so I know how to do the HDR. What I am unsure of is if I actually have to take three pictures at different exposures of if I can use photoshop to create 3 different exposures and then load those three pictures into Photomatix. Does that make sense?

Thank you all. I really love the look of HDR and I want to learn how to make my shots as amazing as some I have seen on here.

You can do what your saying... but in order for it to work out properly you need to have the original picture taken at the correct exposure in RAW format... then using the RAW editor you would create one over exposed one under exposed and one properly exposed JPEG... However, if you are using Photomatix and not photoshop... Photomatix will do that for you using one RAW format picture.... if you are trying to do an HDR with people in it using the psuedo-HDR on a single RAW picture is the only way to really do it... otherwise you have to make sure that the peson your shooting doesn't move or even breath when you take the multiple shots...

 

[MickeyWanaBe]

You can do what your saying... but in order for it to work out properly you need to have the original picture taken at the correct exposure in RAW format... then using the RAW editor you would create one over exposed one under exposed and one properly exposed JPEG... However, if you are using Photomatix and not photoshop... Photomatix will do that for you using one RAW format picture.... if you are trying to do an HDR with people in it using the psuedo-HDR on a single RAW picture is the only way to really do it... otherwise you have to make sure that the peson your shooting doesn't move or even breath when you take the multiple shots...

That breathing things was something I was wondering about. Yesterday I saw a thread of HDR photos from arond WDW and someone either posted or had a link to more of their HDR photos and several of them had the monorail in them. I was wondering how in the world they got the monorail to "not breath"...

 

[MickeyWanaBe]

Here's the thread. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1864812

I believe I saw the HDR monorail pictures in We-Luv-Disney's link. The HDR photos there are awesome!

 

[thomas998]

That breathing things was something I was wondering about. Yesterday I saw a thread of HDR photos from arond WDW and someone either posted or had a link to more of their HDR photos and several of them had the monorail in them. I was wondering how in the world they got the monorail to "not breath"...

Yep... those were probably done using a single RAW picture.. its because a RAW picture has 12 to 16 bits per color channel compared to the 8 bits of a jpeg... printers are only going to print 8 bits... so you can look at it as having some extra bits in the RAW that you will never see... that's why you can take a RAW and change the exposure in it without having the same problems as when you try to simply lighten or darken the brightness of a jpeg.... If you love the look of HDR you should always shoot RAW then you can create beautiful or monsterous (depends on your taste) pictures out of everything you shoot.

 

[moonpie85]

Okay so I recently seen some AWESOME HDR pics of POR over on the resort boards. Explain this to me please, do the pictures automatically take that way or do I need to have them developed special or how is this done? I'm not a good photographer, have never taken any classes, but LOVE pictures and would love to develop some skills.

Also can these cameras be bought for under a grand? Any model recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[YesDear]

Very simply an HDR High Dynamic Range photo is a series of two to five pictures of the same image that is merged in a computer with software to create an image that in effect reveals more of the image in a single compilation.

Have you ever taken a picture and been disappointed that the image did not look like what you remembered the image to be. The human eye has a greater dynamic range than a camera. An HDR image combines images taken underexposed to overexposed that when merged create that HDR look

An HDR image can actually be made with a single image that is adjusted in the computer but normally it is made with multiple images.

Any camera that can be set at different exposure settings can create an HDR image. The real key is the software. Photoshop can produce an HDR. There are also other programs specifically designed to do it.

 

[moonpie85]

Oh okay thanks! That sounds way too complicated for me So what is a DLSR then?

 

[jcb]

DSLR means a digital single lens reflex camera.

Here is a Nikon D60:

A detailed HDR explanation (and some incredible photos) is at

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm

 

[jfulcer]

Oh okay thanks! That sounds way too complicated for me So what is a DLSR then?

It is complicated, and it isn't. It's like riding a bike - once you've done it it's easy enough. DSLR means a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera. It's a couple steps up from the standard digital point and shoot that you'd buy at Best Buy/etc. It allows the photographer to control a little more about how the photo is taken. Well, it's more than that, but that's it in a nutshell.

I was playing with taking some pictures for HDR when I visited Washington DC a week ago. I took some pictures inside of the National Cathedral. This is a good example of a 'normal' photo you might get:

This is an HDR version of that same photo:

Notice how you can see MUCH more arch detail underneath the stain glass windows on the left of the pictures and you can see the detailing in the arches quite a bit back on the right. It makes a big difference in what you see. Sorry the pictures are not 100% clear - I was doing these without a tripod - I forgot to grab it when I left to go on the trip.

I looked for the POR HDRs. Can you post a link to them?

 

[polkadotladybug]

Out of curiosity - can you do that with a Canon S5? I have Paint Shop Pro XI.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Out of curiosity - can you do that with a Canon S5? I have Paint Shop Pro XI.

sure, use exposure bracketing mode. I am not sure if you can set it to 5 pics or just three. Use a tripod and the timer or a remote.

I do not know if PSP XI will do the process though.

Mikeeee