First HDR attempt ... Be Kind

Skippy

Devbobo was sharing an image with me today that he is working on, and a excellent one at that I might add too.

Just so happens it's HDR, so we got to talking a bit more, and I thought I would have go but just using one image 15 times :rolleyes yeah well I like the number 15 cause I can count that on 3 hands

I've tried to do HDR a few times and failed each time to do, this is the first attempt, I just grabbed an image I already had.....
.. yep you guess it, that recycled Old Train :rofl new it would come in handy.

So what we have here is ONE image Processed 15 times,
from exposure of -2.00 to +2.00 and because I suck at math I got one wrong so I tossed that one, cause if I had of had 16 images then I would have had to have used 4 hands.

After I merged all 15 shots, I went into Photoshop, added Levels, Curves, and even did Rutts Sharpening Technique on it, heck I hit it with everything I had up me sleeve I did hahaha :rofl

Enjoy......... Skippy
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Here is what the image looked like before the process.

devbobo

woohoo very nice skip

since we are sharing...here's the image I have been working on...

Skippy

devbobo wrote:

woohoo very nice skip

since we are sharing...here's the image I have been working on...

I love it The colours the scene the depth of the whole thing,
just a beautiful shot, and an awesome HDR

Well Done David :ivar .... Skippy
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RogersDA

Skippy, that's nice, but the trees and leaves seem to have a bit of orange tinge to them. Also, could ya' share the original for comparison?

In all my trips down under I never saw 3-handed people. Is that a common trait, or are you just "special"?:D

RogersDA

Your's is quite nice, too, David.

Art Scott

devbobo wrote:

woohoo very nice skip

since we are sharing...here's the image I have been working on...

Uhhhhh where the piccie.......nothing showing

Skippy...really well done. thumb

slapshot

While I agree that your processed image is much better than the original, and is a very nice image, I don't think this qualifies as a very good HDR.

First, the original image didn't cry out for HDR...in other words, there was not an extremely wide dynamic range to start with, other than the blown out sky. The sky is the part of the image that benefits the most from your processing

Second, the processed image has benefitted primarily from enhanced saturation and local contrast, which could have been achieved with techniques other than combining multiple exposures.

Third, the whole point of HDR is to combine exposures (shots) that in aggregate capture a wider dynamic range than could have been achieved with one exposure. By using one image, processed with different "exposures" you technically are not capturing any additional information. You do not have additional information in the highlights or in the shadows. What you are doing by merging 15 different versions of the same image is really no different than dodging/burning, except that you may have allowed the software to automate the process for you. Look at the axle under the train in the lower right corner of the image. In your "HDR" image, we can now see the axle, which was not visible in the original. But there appears to be substantial noise in this area. In a true HDR image that incorporated a shot exposed for the darkest shadows under the train, the image would have had more detail and less noise in that area.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great image and your processing improved it 100%, but I don't think it is a good example of HDR.

Just my humble opinion.

Arnica

...good example or not but I love it, guys !
one thing, let's remove the blue scrop of rubbish on the lawn, please

Skippy

slapshot wrote:

While I agree that your processed image is much better than the original, and is a very nice image, I don't think this qualifies as a very good HDR.

First, the original image didn't cry out for HDR...in other words, there was not an extremely wide dynamic range to start with, other than the blown out sky. The sky is the part of the image that benefits the most from your processing

Second, the processed image has benefitted primarily from enhanced saturation and local contrast, which could have been achieved with techniques other than combining multiple exposures.

Third, the whole point of HDR is to combine exposures (shots) that in aggregate capture a wider dynamic range than could have been achieved with one exposure. By using one image, processed with different "exposures" you technically are not capturing any additional information. You do not have additional information in the highlights or in the shadows. What you are doing by merging 15 different versions of the same image is really no different than dodging/burning, except that you may have allowed the software to automate the process for you. Look at the axle under the train in the lower right corner of the image. In your "HDR" image, we can now see the axle, which was not visible in the original. But there appears to be substantial noise in this area. In a true HDR image that incorporated a shot exposed for the darkest shadows under the train, the image would have had more detail and less noise in that area.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great image and your processing improved it 100%, but I don't think it is a good example of HDR.

Just my humble opinion.

Hi there Slapshot, I know the idea of HDR to combine many individual shots of the same scene, not duplicate them as I did.

What I was trying to learn was how to put them all together, this is the part I failed to understand with HDR.

David shot multiple exposures of the same scene and you can clearly see the difference in what he shot to my single image done multiple times

So for my purpose of learning how it should all come together if I had of had multiple exposured images, I am happy that I now know how it is done.

I still have much to learn, and now all I need to do is actually get a nice series of exposed shots and try this process again.

Thank you very much for your input ... Skippy
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Skippy

Arnica wrote:

...good example or not but I love it, guys !
one thing, let's remove the blue scrop of rubbish on the lawn, please

This is just a test shot Arnica, simply to try and see how the process works. .... thanks for looking ... Skippy
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Tom K.

First time's the charm! Very nice work.

ShepsMom

I think your image came out beautifully. Now, what is Rutts Sharpening Technique You've got to share!!

Skippy

ShepsMom wrote:

I think your image came out beautifully. Now, what is Rutts Sharpening Technique You've got to share!!

Here you go

I give you the link to RUTTS Technique (its in Tutorials okay)

http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/1104535

... Skippy
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slapshot

Skippy wrote:

Hi there Slapshot, I know the idea of HDR to combine many individual shots of the same scene, not duplicate them as I did.

What I was trying to learn was how to put them all together, this is the part I failed to understand with HDR.

David shot multiple exposures of the same scene and you can clearly see the difference in what he shot to my single image done multiple times

So for my purpose of learning how it should all come together if I had of had multiple exposured images, I am happy that I now know how it is done.

I still have much to learn, and now all I need to do is actually get a nice series of exposed shots and try this process again.

Thank you very much for your input ... Skippy
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Just re-read my post, I hope it didn't sound like a rant! Looks like you definitely got the technique down for combining the images as the photo came out very nice even without the multiple exposures.

ultravox

I have seen countless HDR, most of them realy odd but this one is excellent.
Congrats. Skippy!

Awais Yaqub

These are beautiful great 1st try

Skippy

slapshot wrote:

Just re-read my post, I hope it didn't sound like a rant! Looks like you definitely got the technique down for combining the images as the photo came out very nice even without the multiple exposures.

It's okay your post read just fine ..... Skippy
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Skippy

ultravox wrote:

I have seen countless HDR, most of them realy odd but this one is excellent.
Congrats. Skippy!

Thank you, but its only a test so I could see how the images work.
Every time I've tried HDR I got an error, and it wouldn't combine the images, but with PhotoMatrix it actually works.

I don't have a series of shots yet to try it out properly
Hopefully this weekend I might be able to get out and find something.

Thanks for looking ........ Skippy
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Skippy

Awais Yaqub wrote:

These are beautiful great 1st try

Thanks Awais ... Skippy
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Serrator

Skippy,

Beautiful work!

...but 15 combined images...yikes!:D
...but since you are just testing stuff I will let it slide.

Your retouching efforts though really made this image shine...well done!!

Marc Muench

This is even a better example than what you posted in Field and street.
Way to go

ShepsMom

Skippy wrote:

Here you go

I give you the link to RUTTS Technique (its in Tutorials okay)

http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/1104535

... Skippy
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Thank you for the TUT!!!

Skippy

Serrator wrote:

Skippy,

Beautiful work!

...but 15 combined images...yikes!:D
...but since you are just testing stuff I will let it slide.

Your retouching efforts though really made this image shine...well done!!

Thank you Serrator..... yep 15 or 17 is too many I know, but least the merging works I wont be doing so many next time

Thanks for looking......... Skippy
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Skippy

Marc Muench wrote:

This is even a better example than what you posted in Field and street.
Way to go

Thank you Marc, least now I sorta understand how it all fits together, as I am not a technical person, I learn by doing and seeing.

I hope to improve on what I have learnt so far, and look forward to working with RAW images and doing this process the correct way

Thank you for commenting ..... Skippy
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Skippy

ShepsMom wrote:

Thank you for the TUT!!!

Thats okay ShepsMom, me personally I didn't understand RUTTS tutorial till someone else took the time to explain an example stage by stage to me at my level of understanding .... I still don't understand the technical details, but I am happy with what I have learnt about RUTTS sharpening technique.

There are some great tutorials here on DGRIN, a wealth of knowledge for everyone .... Skippy
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