HDR (high dynamic range)

[MarkBarbieri]

Here are a few HDR shots from my last trip. The first is handheld (braced against a log) the others are from a tripod.

 

[Flanigan]

Ok, so I'm reviving an older thread because recent posts on other threads have me intrigued. I grasp the whole concept of bracketing/taking 3-5 shots and changing the exposure via shutter speed. What I DON'T grasp is, what software do you use to combine the three?? Is photomatix (www.hdrsoft.com) the only program that you can use? Let me rephrase that; is photomatix the only one you can use without purchasing CS3? I have Elements 5.0 and my Pentax CD that came with my camera, but what other software do I need?? THANKS!!!!

Gimp is a free piece of software that can handle the merging/exposure blending of up to 3 pictures, and it automates it for you so all you need to know is which 3 pictures to pick.

 

[Master Mason]

so this was a timely thread, I had taken some braketed photos this weekend to start messing around with HDR.

So here are the first attempts. Thoughts?

 

[boBQuincy]

so this was a timely thread, I had taken some braketed photos this weekend to start messing around with HDR.

So here are the first attempts. Thoughts?

I think you got to ride "Big Trees" railroad and I am jealous! We might be there in June.
They look good, my guess is the original single exposures either had lots of deep shadows or some overexposed areas.

 

[Master Mason]

I think you got to ride "Big Trees" railroad and I am jealous! We might be there in June.
They look good, my guess is the original single exposures either had lots of deep shadows or some overexposed areas.

We didn't actually ride the trains, just went and walked around the grounds. It's funny I have lived in this area my whole life and never been there. I'll definately be going back. My Girlfriend has been using my XT, and I have been teaching her a little bit here and there, so it is a great place with lots of different opportunities for shots and some good hiking trails as well.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Fun place. We were there back in March of '05. It was a cloudy day, so even HDR wouldn't have saved the skies for me. Here are a few of my (non HDR) shots:

 

[orchjoe]

With all the recent talk of HDR on this board. I was curious to see if anyone had tried any of these free programs.

Programs.

I have done HDR's in photoshop and tried photomatrix but I am looking for a free program since I don't have the full version of PS.

 

[thomas998]

You don't really have to have any special software to do it.. any software that uses layers can do it.... in the most primative example you could shoot an indoor shot with a bright scene outside a window.... you would shoot it first for the correct indoor exposure and then for the correct exposure of the outside window scene.

Both shots would be the same size so you could open the correctly exposed outside shot... erase all the indoor image and then copy the whole image... and paste on a layer in the properly exposed indoor shot... that would be the most basic way of doing it and I think gimp allows layers so that would be a place to start that would be free.