Mini-Challenge #93 -- High Dynamic Range Imaging

ghinson

Mini-Challenge #93

Your theme is: High Dynamic Range Imaging

As a landscape and nature photographer, this past year I have been taking more and more photos utilizing multiple exposures merged in post-processing into a single 32-bit image.

I want to see 3 of your HDR images. Theme and subject matter are not as important. I want to see prime examples of the technique. For extra credit, also, consider posting one of the single exposures (the average exposure) to show what the processing did for the picture.

If HDR processing is something you already use, then post your best three. If it is something new to you, here's a tutorial for how to do it in Photoshop (as well as a good overview of the technique):

http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/HDR_ps/hdr-ps.htm

If you do not have Photoshop, here is a link to download a trial version of Photomatix Pro (which I believe generally works better then PS for this purpose anyway). I believe the trial version leaves a watermark on the final image, but I will look beyond the watermark for the purposes of judging, especially seeing you're trying something new:

http://www.hdrsoft.com/download.html

This is a tutorial on using Photomatix for HDR processing:

http://abduzeedo.com/how-create-hdr-photos-hdrphotomatix-tutorial

Probably the best known HDR photographer working right now is smugmug's own Trey Ratcliff:

http://stuckincustoms.smugmug.com/Portfolio-The-Best/your-favorites/10668747_AuyBk#742619174_op5RY

Here's his tutorial:

http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/

I favor using HDR processing to keep scenes more natural looking. Some HDR photographs you see (e.g., some of Trey's) have an obvious, super-saturated, blown-out HDR look to them. And they stand on their own. But I prefer photographs that are processed to better reveal what my eyes actually saw. That make up for the weakness of cameras that have to expose for only a single part of a scene (whereas our eyes can fluidly guide around a scene and expose for multiple regions at a time).

The challenge starts April 7, 2010 and ends APRIL 21, 2010 at midnight (EDT).

Thanks and good luck!

Here are some samples (I will post average exposures later, when I can go back and find them!):













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SimpsonBrothers

Golden Gate Sunrise



Race Ready



Baker Beach Sunset

JAG

1. Under the Rainbow....


2. The Birds..


3. Clearing Storm...

ghinson

Kyle, loving the Golden Gate Bridge. And Joyce, I remember marveling at your rainbow. Nice job!

Froch

Beautiful stuff everyone.
GH, your first image wtih the trees is something special. So good!

Here's a link to a recent hunting expedition at the Getty. The images containing people were not HDR.

http://paulfrocchi.smugmug.com/2010/Light-and-LIne-Hunting-at-the/11717731_U5nNV#827073176_Ff7oe

ghinson

Froch wrote:

Here's a link to a recent hunting expedition at the Getty. The images containing people were not HDR.

Paul, those are great. Dump a couple of them in here for the challenge!

Froch

Thanks Greg!
They're outside the challenge date. I have new glass coming Friday, so hope to get out and shoot this weekend.
But once I have something, I should post here? There isn't a gallery, correct?

ghinson

Froch wrote:

Thanks Greg!
They're outside the challenge date.

No dates on the Mini-Challenges! No gallery. No EXIF data. Just post them in the thread.

Froch

ghinson wrote:

No dates on the Mini-Challenges! No gallery. No EXIF data. Just post them in the thread.

great

nightpixels

Mono Lake Tufas at Sunrise:




Guarding the City:




Arches:

Froch

GG from FtPoint


WDisneyMusic


Getty


UnionStation

sherstone

Ineligible but want to share anyway
I do not want these to count towards judging. Since I have recently been experimenting more with HDR in the last few months I thought I would at least put my three in for fun.

Hatley Castle


Inside Stone


Waiting for Gas


I guess HDR is out for the regular DSS rounds now

Note: I think it was nightpixels that inspired my HDR adventures as of late. His work is quite bold and flavorful. (see post #10)

nightpixels

sherstone wrote:

Note: I think it was nightpixels that inspired my HDR adventures as of late. His work is quite bold and flavorful. (see post #10)

Thanks! I have a love-hate relationship with HDR. I love the HDR images that are not immediately recognizable as HDRs. One thing that turns me off about HDR is when people go way overboard with it to a point that their images don't look like a photograph anymore, but just an illustration/drawing. There is a fine-line between those 2. It can be quite tempting, especially in the beginning, to fall on the side where the images don't look like photographs anymore.

ghinson

sherstone wrote:

I guess HDR is out for the regular DSS rounds now

I hope you still do it. In the regular DSS, people would be forced to do it in the time period. And to try it if they haven't.

ghinson

nightpixels wrote:

I love the HDR images that are not immediately recognizable as HDRs. One thing that turns me off about HDR is when people go way overboard with it to a point that their images don't look like a photograph anymore, but just an illustration/drawing. There is a fine-line between those 2. It can be quite tempting, especially in the beginning, to fall on the side where the images don't look like photographs anymore.

I completely agree. I push the sliders around until I lose that illustration look.

Froch

nightpixels wrote:

Thanks! I have a love-hate relationship with HDR. I love the HDR images that are not immediately recognizable as HDRs. One thing that turns me off about HDR is when people go way overboard with it to a point that their images don't look like a photograph anymore, but just an illustration/drawing. There is a fine-line between those 2. It can be quite tempting, especially in the beginning, to fall on the side where the images don't look like photographs anymore.

Although I've seen some VERY SPECIAL images that use the technique to generate an effect, I'm in your camp Allen. I work towards using the technique with the hope to show a wider dynamic range of brightness.

Eclipsed

I'm wondering what software people are using for these. The only ones that I know are photomatrix and photoshop. Any other ones that you guys use?

ghinson

There are several other options out there, but PS and Photomatix are the primary ones used. There is a new option called HDR PhotoPro that has received some positive reviews. Looks to have a nicer interface then Photomatix. I just recently downloaded a trial version and my initial impression is that it doesn't work as well for me as Photomatix, but I don't know if that is just a matter of familiarity right now. I think PS, by default, creates a more natural looking image than Photomatix. But PS is really, really slow in loading 7 or 9 exposures, and gives you less tonemapping control.

Eclipsed

Ok. I use Photomatrix and like it. It seems to be the most used software. Next time I shoot HDR, I'll run it through Photoshop to see what it looks like.

SimpsonBrothers

Photomatix and PS7

hawkeye978

I've tried various HDR techniques over the last year or so. I have gravitated towards a more natural look lately. Here are three of mine.

#1 View from the Boston Public Gardens Towards Copley Square



This is a Photomatix HDR but post processed in Photoshop to adjust the contrast and blend in more natural features in the sky

#2 Providence Waterfires



#3 Jordan Pond Blend



This is a two exposure blending using masking techniques in Photoshop

nightpixels

It looks like Photoshop CS5 is going to have some new built-in HDR functionality (see before and after):

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=161171&id=6147239684&ref=mf

Just for the record, I am not too crazy about the way the picture shown in the page I have linked to is processed.

JAG

ghinson wrote:

Kyle, loving the Golden Gate Bridge. And Joyce, I remember marveling at your rainbow. Nice job!

thank you so much!

Really lovely work everyone!

DRT-Maverick

A shot I took near Multnomah when I first moved up to Oregon.





Aspen in October that I shot near Reno, up Mt. Rose freeway.






A beach in Big Sur. Not quite satisfied with this, I didn't have a tripod with me.

Froch

Eclipsed wrote:

I'm wondering what software people are using for these. The only ones that I know are photomatrix and photoshop. Any other ones that you guys use?

Photomatix, PSCS3

DeuceFour

USS Arizona's Anchor


Volcano

bf2015

1. Morning Light



2. 14 Shot HDR Pan



3. 16 Shot HDR Pan (210mm)

ghinson

Excellent!

Anyone trying this out for the first time?

ghinson

I want to bump this thread back up by sharing another example from this past weekend:



Fenway Park

dave6253

Wow! There are some really beautiful HDRs in this thread. I don't have many to chose from, but thought I would share three of my favorites shot with a Pentax K7 with in-camera HDR.

Froch

ghinson wrote:

I want to bump this thread back up by sharing another example from this past weekend:



Fenway Park

Is it cool to add a couple more Greg? I shot some Disney stuff this past weekend that I really like.

** sorry to have been so rude..... GREAT IMAGE of Fenway! I love the wide perspective and how the dyn/rang defines the seats. Nicely captured and processed.