fiddling with HDR stuff

com3

just learned the concept a few days ago...and so i'm just learning it right now...

seems that the photos tend to have a washed out feel to em, but overall, it's a neat artsy thing, methinks... i took these over the last 2 days.

thoughts? care to share yours?


today:








yesterday:









the galleries with even more are here: http://4theriders.smugmug.com/gallery/2607214 and here: http://4theriders.smugmug.com/gallery/2604205

thebigsky

I think you've done well, like you say HDR images to seem to come out inherently flat and a little lifeless, I think you need to try boosting the contrast particularly on your bike shots. Your 2nd and 3rd shots work best for me.

I think the most successful HDR's are those which are not obviously HDR.

I've tried to use HDR in the past as a substitute for ND grad filters but have had little success.

Charlie

ericgtr

I think you have done an excellent job, these are just right IMO not too over done (which is easy to do) and tasteful, just the right amount. I am too just learning with this, a tend to lean more towards night photography, a few of my HDR's can be seen here http://ericgtr.smugmug.com/gallery/2554432#137190934

simmo

Hi everyone, relatively new here, nice to meet you all.

I've had a dabble with HDR over the past few months and I find it quite appealing sometimes but some people go crazy and use it when its not really adding anything to the photo.

I like your work, they are on the more natural side of the scale, but I think even the extreme stuff has a place. I think the rusty car photo of yours could have been captured with a single exposure. It doesn't really appear to have any more DR. It is still a good shot though you could probably acheive the same result with less effort.

Here are two of my attempts (i like bikes too), 2007 CBR600:



And this one of the life saver hut at Toronto beaches area:

com3

simmo wrote:

I like your work, they are on the more natural side of the scale, but I think even the extreme stuff has a place. I think the rusty car photo of yours could have been captured with a single exposure. It doesn't really appear to have any more DR. It is still a good shot though you could probably acheive the same result with less effort.

great shot of the RR! and yeah, i know what you mean about the truck...though, i did do 3 shots on the truck prior to my HDR attempt.. close, but not quite; shadows were too dark in most cases, so i did an HDR to subltly bring out some of those shadows being cast by the trees.

thanks for the feedback!

com3

ericgtr wrote:

I think you have done an excellent job, these are just right IMO not too over done (which is easy to do) and tasteful, just the right amount. I am too just learning with this, a tend to lean more towards night photography, a few of my HDR's can be seen here http://ericgtr.smugmug.com/gallery/2554432#137190934

i thought you were a local for a sec. great shots! i really like the night shots. thanks for sharing!

Skippy

com3 wrote:

just learned the concept a few days ago...and so i'm just learning it right now...
seems that the photos tend to have a washed out feel to em, but overall, it's a neat artsy thing, methinks... i took these over the last 2 days.
thoughts? care to share yours?
today:
yesterday:
the galleries with even more are here: http://4theriders.smugmug.com/gallery/2607214 and here: http://4theriders.smugmug.com/gallery/2604205

Hi Com3 well your learning very fast I'd say
Which tutorial did you follow, cause I am failing to understand how it works.
I've tried to use the HDR merge in photoshop but it keeps telling me my images are not suitable, so I'm obviously doing something wrong.

I'd like to learn how to do it, some people are really good at writting instructions and others are not.

Thanks for sharing, your images look great .... Skippy
.

com3

Skippy wrote:

Hi Com3 well your learning very fast I'd say
Which tutorial did you follow, cause I am failing to understand how it works.
I've tried to use the HDR merge in photoshop but it keeps telling me my images are not suitable, so I'm obviously doing something wrong.

I'd like to learn how to do it, some people are really good at writting instructions and others are not.

Thanks for sharing, your images look great .... Skippy
.

i saw it on wikipedia.com ....i haven't seen any tutorials for it... just trial+error. you have to have THREE or more of the same shot (but different exposure).

ericgtr

Skippy wrote:

Hi Com3 well your learning very fast I'd say
Which tutorial did you follow, cause I am failing to understand how it works.
I've tried to use the HDR merge in photoshop but it keeps telling me my images are not suitable, so I'm obviously doing something wrong.

That happened to me when I took a single raw file and tried to save it at 3 different exposures, it was like PS knew I was trying to trick it or something!

There are plenty of great tutorials out there, but like Com3 mentioned the main thing it that you need to have at least three different shots at different exposures. Exposure Bracketing makes it much easier.

salazar

How to Create High Dynamic Range Images
Hi Skippy and all,

I found this article/tutorial on HDR this morning and was searching DGrin to see if someone had posted it before. I haven't tried it myself yet but will soon. My apologies if it's here somewhere already and i missed it:

"This step-by-step tutorial will help you get started using either the popular HDR software from Photomatix or the built-in HDR features found in Photoshop CS2 and Bridge."

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

Skippy

salazar wrote:

Hi Skippy and all,

I found this article/tutorial on HDR this morning and was searching DGrin to see if someone had posted it before. I haven't tried it myself yet but will soon. My apologies if it's here somewhere already and i missed it:

"This step-by-step tutorial will help you get started using either the popular HDR software from Photomatix or the built-in HDR features found in Photoshop CS2 and Bridge."

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

Thank you, I book marked it .... Skippy
.

Dee

Thanks!

salazar wrote:

Hi Skippy and all,

I found this article/tutorial on HDR this morning and was searching DGrin to see if someone had posted it before. I haven't tried it myself yet but will soon. My apologies if it's here somewhere already and i missed it:

"This step-by-step tutorial will help you get started using either the popular HDR software from Photomatix or the built-in HDR features found in Photoshop CS2 and Bridge."

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

I'm happy to hear I have this option in CS2. Now to take the time to plan ahead and have my tripod! :-)

ericgtr

Dee wrote:

I'm happy to hear I have this option in CS2. Now to take the time to plan ahead and have my tripod! :-)

I don't leave home without it anymore, I have become very attached to using it.

com3

i tried using the PS CS2 >merge to HDR dealio... can't say that i was impressed. instead, i found that photomatrix works MUUUUCH better. plus, it has tone mapping.... maybe CS2 does as well, but i didn't see it.

ericgtr

com3 wrote:

i tried using the PS CS2 >merge to HDR dealio... can't say that i was impressed. instead, i found that photomatrix works MUUUUCH better. plus, it has tone mapping.... maybe CS2 does as well, but i didn't see it.

For me it was the opposite, I like CS2 better and it seemed a little faster for me. It seems to be a pretty split decision out there from what I have seen.

SitterS

Here is a link to a program that I read alot of people are using for HDR. Looks like you can download a trial version.

http://www.hdrsoft.com/


Shane

jcp

I think these are excellent HDR photos. As others have said, it's easy to overdo them, or loose contrast, but you have done these very well.

I'm interested to know if you used Photomatix for these shots. I would have found photomatix difficult as at least for me, it creates nasty bright area's around lines, so the bridge photo would have uneveness between the cables. I can't see this problem in your photo.

ericgtr

jcp wrote:

As others have said, it's easy to overdo them, or loose contrast..

True, here's an example. Have a look at the water burns in this one, I will have to run it again at some point to fix this, maybe gaussian blur over those sections or the entire water.

com3

ericgtr wrote:

True, here's an example. Have a look at the water burns in this one, I will have to run it again at some point to fix this, maybe gaussian blur over those sections or the entire water.

hahaha! i TOTALLY shot some HDR pics of the same building on friday. i haven't yet had a chance to splice em, as i haven't been home in over a week... but i'll post up when i'm done with em.

non-hdrs...but good exposure of the 3 i took...maybe for comparison when i'm done later.



no, i don't know who's crack that is



also stopped at the bridge for an opp..




i'm pretty excited to see what i can do about making these into HDRs with all the other exposures i got as well.

ericgtr

Dude! Those are all the same locations I hit.

BeemerChef

HDR is driving me nuts... I have become addicted!!! Of course I have nothing else to do while living on the road! sure... (glad to see some twho wheelers here by the way! cool...).
I have not bought the sofware yet. This is the one I like the best
It has a little watermark on the bottom left for now, that is the free version... My question to them is WHY the image one needs to work with is so small! Has anyone tried this...





If the window one needs to work with can be bigger I might buy it... for $39 it is a good deal...

Even my dog is obessed... he is trying to distract me!!! Poor guy...






(not HDR!!!)

Be well... Ara & Spirit