My first HDR Mosaic with a 10 Stop ND filter! :)

jamesl

So, I went a little crazy while I was in Glacier National Park a few weeks back. I was inspired by a beautiful stream scene I saw while in one of the local restaurants, and I decided I wanted to try something similar. The scene was a long exposure shot of a stream amidst trees. I loved the effects created by the movement of the water. So, I set out to do something similar. I decided to use my 10 stop ND filter, which allows me to shoot exposures of around 30 seconds in broad daylight. :wow I also decided I wanted to bracket my exposures so that I could create an HDR using Photomatix, my new favorite software. Finally, I wanted to capture the whole of the scene, and in order to do so I wanted to stitch together a 2 row Mosaic using Panorama Factory (a great program). So, this is a 2x5 mosaic pano with each panel of the mosaic being a 3 shot expsoure (makes me tired just thinking about it). It took me a total of about 30 minutes to shoot it all:



Looking back, there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. My composition isn't so great, and I should have spent some time on that. I should have avoided the bright sunlight right in the front of the scene. Also, I should have been closer to the stream to emphasize on the water. Overall, though, I am happy.

I would appreciate your comments.

James

Little T

Wow... thats an amazing picture. Sounds to me like a lot of work that i have no idea how to even do

I wish i did but hey im new at all this and learnin slowly but surely.

schmoo

James, I think you did a great job! I would not have guessed this was an HDR photo, which is a good sign IMO.

I agree, I would have liked to be closer to the water but in that small flaw I feel more humbled, as if I was walking through the woods and came across a stream by accident. It looks like you successfully brought this viewer into the experience.

jamesl

Wow... thats an amazing picture. Sounds to me like a lot of work that i have no idea how to even do

I wish i did but hey im new at all this and learnin slowly but surely.
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Thank you! I appreciate it. I'd be glad to explain any part of the creation process, if you would like. Which part are you interested in?

James

jamesl

schmooo wrote:

James, I think you did a great job! I would not have guessed this was an HDR photo, which is a good sign IMO.

I agree, I would have liked to be closer to the water but in that small flaw I feel more humbled, as if I was walking through the woods and came across a stream by accident. It looks like you successfully brought this viewer into the experience.

Thanks a bunch Schmoo! I especially am glad you couldn't tell this is an HDR. That is what I personally strive for. For me, I'm not a big fan of the obviously over processed HDR shots. I like to use Photomatix to increase the dynamic range of my images. If I was good in Photoshop, I'm sure I could do it using layers.

Glad to hear you were brought into the image. That, also, is one of my goals.

Take care,

James

LilleG

Amazing image. You know, I think that the bright sunlight in the foreground may be what prevents it from looking like an HDR. It gives the eye an "explanation" for the large contrasts in lighting.

schmoo

jamesl wrote:

If I was good in Photoshop, I'm sure I could do it using layers.

This is just my two cents, but so far in my post-processing I have found that when I use the Shadow/Highlights tool it negates 90% of the need for me to even consider HDR. And if I am really silly with the sliders and go alllll out, I can get the same fake-looking-range-of-doom-with-ghosting that you expect from overdone HDRs.

I have never successfully done HDR the traditional way, so take this with a grain of salt. I am also a fair amateur when it comes to CS3 but I do run into a lot of high-contrast photos when shooting in dark interiors with bright windows. I would love to hear if you or any other photogs have input on these tools.

saurora

I usually don't like to comment on shots like this from my workplace as my monitor sucks to say the least!! (So keep that in mind!) What I like about your image is that it doesn't look HDR...you haven't opened up the shadows to an unbelievable level. I hate it when I view a shot where I can see all the detail in every corner of the image............just isn't realistic to me. That being said, it does seem that the highlights, especially in the foreground on the forest floor, are a little harsh. But again, that could be my monitor.

Schmoo....I have never done HDR either, and I'm beginning to doubt I ever will. I have only recently really started using the shadow/highlight tool more often. I find between that and my "old bag of tricks" way of doing things that I'm satisfied with my results most of the time. I probably don't shoot the types of images that would benefit from HDR, but they are interesting to look at when well done.

jamesl

LilleG wrote:

Amazing image. You know, I think that the bright sunlight in the foreground may be what prevents it from looking like an HDR. It gives the eye an "explanation" for the large contrasts in lighting.

Thanks for the comments. It's always cool to see how other people see my images. I appreciate it.

James

jamesl

schmooo wrote:

This is just my two cents, but so far in my post-processing I have found that when I use the Shadow/Highlights tool it negates 90% of the need for me to even consider HDR. And if I am really silly with the sliders and go alllll out, I can get the same fake-looking-range-of-doom-with-ghosting that you expect from overdone HDRs.

I have never successfully done HDR the traditional way, so take this with a grain of salt. I am also a fair amateur when it comes to CS3 but I do run into a lot of high-contrast photos when shooting in dark interiors with bright windows. I would love to hear if you or any other photogs have input on these tools.

Great comments! You are right about H&S. I find myself using it quite a bit. But, I have found I have to be careful. It can really cause some unwanted artifacts. I've found that if you use the contrast slider, it creates banding in area like the sky. I try to use it minimally now. Of course, Photomatix can cause these problems as well!

I'll write up a little blurb on how I process my HDR stuff. It's not too tough. The hardest part is remembering to bracket my exposures.

Thanks again,

James

jamesl

saurora wrote:

I usually don't like to comment on shots like this from my workplace as my monitor sucks to say the least!! (So keep that in mind!) What I like about your image is that it doesn't look HDR...you haven't opened up the shadows to an unbelievable level. I hate it when I view a shot where I can see all the detail in every corner of the image............just isn't realistic to me. That being said, it does seem that the highlights, especially in the foreground on the forest floor, are a little harsh. But again, that could be my monitor.

Schmoo....I have never done HDR either, and I'm beginning to doubt I ever will. I have only recently really started using the shadow/highlight tool more often. I find between that and my "old bag of tricks" way of doing things that I'm satisfied with my results most of the time. I probably don't shoot the types of images that would benefit from HDR, but they are interesting to look at when well done.

Howdy! Thanks for the comments. You are correct about the hot area. I did a bit of burning (dodging?) to darken it some. I need to go back and work with the original to try and minimize that some. I'm with you on the fake looking HDR shot. I try to recreate the scene the way my eyes saw it. I personally like having part of the scene dark and part light. I don't like ti when everything has the same luminosity.

Thanks again, and look for my HDR writeup soon.

james

MarkR

jamesl wrote:

So, I went a little crazy while I was in Glacier National Park a few weeks back. I was inspired by a beautiful stream scene I saw while in one of the local restaurants, and I decided I wanted to try something similar. The scene was a long exposure shot of a stream amidst trees. I loved the effects created by the movement of the water. So, I set out to do something similar. I decided to use my 10 stop ND filter, which allows me to shoot exposures of around 30 seconds in broad daylight. :wow I also decided I wanted to bracket my exposures so that I could create an HDR using Photomatix, my new favorite software. Finally, I wanted to capture the whole of the scene, and in order to do so I wanted to stitch together a 2 row Mosaic using Panorama Factory (a great program). So, this is a 2x5 mosaic pano with each panel of the mosaic being a 3 shot expsoure (makes me tired just thinking about it). It took me a total of about 30 minutes to shoot it all:



Looking back, there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. My composition isn't so great, and I should have spent some time on that. I should have avoided the bright sunlight right in the front of the scene. Also, I should have been closer to the stream to emphasize on the water. Overall, though, I am happy.

I would appreciate your comments.

James

It doesn't look like an HDR, which is either a great compliment, or a statement of how artificial most HDRs look. I'd take it as a great compliment, however.

I'm not usually a big fan of silky-smooth long-exposure water ... but in this shot, it works.

jamesl

The Hobbyist wrote:

It doesn't look like an HDR, which is either a great compliment, or a statement of how artificial most HDRs look. I'd take it as a great compliment, however.

I'm not usually a big fan of silky-smooth long-exposure water ... but in this shot, it works.

Thanks! I always appreciate sincere comments on my work, and how other people see it. I think it is one of the only ways to really improve. I'm also not a big fan of most overprocessed HDR work. Sometimes it works very well, but most of the time just looks overdone to me.

Thanks again,

James

Hikin' Mike

I like the process...it doesn't look like 99% of the HDR out there. Well done. I agree, your composition isn't the best, bet there's always next time! I've just started doing a few HDRs using CS2. Still need pracrice....

jamesl

Hikin' Mike wrote:

I like the process...it doesn't look like 99% of the HDR out there. Well done. I agree, your composition isn't the best, bet there's always next time! I've just started doing a few HDRs using CS2. Still need pracrice....

Same here! I just started doing these a few months back, and I definately appreciate any feedback. I'm hoping to be able to try a few more when we go to Colorado in a few weeks.

James

Marc Muench

jamesl wrote:

So, I went a little crazy while I was in Glacier National Park a few weeks back. I was inspired by a beautiful stream scene I saw while in one of the local restaurants, and I decided I wanted to try something similar. The scene was a long exposure shot of a stream amidst trees. I loved the effects created by the movement of the water. So, I set out to do something similar. I decided to use my 10 stop ND filter, which allows me to shoot exposures of around 30 seconds in broad daylight. :wow I also decided I wanted to bracket my exposures so that I could create an HDR using Photomatix, my new favorite software. Finally, I wanted to capture the whole of the scene, and in order to do so I wanted to stitch together a 2 row Mosaic using Panorama Factory (a great program). So, this is a 2x5 mosaic pano with each panel of the mosaic being a 3 shot expsoure (makes me tired just thinking about it). It took me a total of about 30 minutes to shoot it all:



Looking back, there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. My composition isn't so great, and I should have spent some time on that. I should have avoided the bright sunlight right in the front of the scene. Also, I should have been closer to the stream to emphasize on the water. Overall, though, I am happy.

I would appreciate your comments.

James

James,

Why is it that we want everything resolution, dynamic range, blurred action, color depth, ice cream and cookies too:ivar

This is not easy as I too have spent many hours on this same problem. However, now with the new version of ACR there is a slider called "fill light" which you may have used by now. What I will be posting here soon is how I have replaced my old ways with new ones and the "fill light" slider is the key. Having said that, it is only better because of the time savings not the end results.
I enjoy your photo and respect the process

jamesl

Marc Muench wrote:

James,

Why is it that we want everything resolution, dynamic range, blurred action, color depth, ice cream and cookies too:ivar

This is not easy as I too have spent many hours on this same problem. However, now with the new version of ACR there is a slider called "fill light" which you may have used by now. What I will be posting here soon is how I have replaced my old ways with new ones and the "fill light" slider is the key. Having said that, it is only better because of the time savings not the end results.
I enjoy your photo and respect the process

Good comments Marc! You are correct. I often wonder if as we get further and further into the technical aspects of photography, we lose our view of what really makes a photograph? Composition, color, balance, soul. Case in point is my image above. I was so focused on the technical aspects, I forgot about balance and composition. It could have been much better if I had used the technical processes I'm learning, but made them secondary to what I was really wanting to capture.

You are spot on with using fill light in ACR. It is an amazing tool. I'm just starting to learn to use CS3 effectively. I can't wait to see your write up on your new process.

James