HDR... anyone? anyone?

[skylite]

is anyone here good at HDR images? I have watched the videos and read the articles but all my images come out way too bright and when I adjust the settings they just kinda look crappy.

it surprises me of the small number of photographers know what HDR imaging is.

 

[Valerian Red]

Hi,

I'm amazed the ugly HDR images widely published. Very often no improvement at all over contrast masks and selective shading as I do in PS. Are you starting with multiple images or one?

* * *

Oops. I just saw your professional web page. You should know about Photo.net and the zillions of online postprocessing tutorials.

 

[scraparcs]

However, I'm actually a total amateur (not even to that really!) trying to figure out how to perform HDR processing. What PP tutorials online would you suggest? I'm pretty okay with PS Elements 6.

 

[utdbear]

True HDR is done with multiple exposures. Usually that can't be done with people as they move too much for bracketing. If you didn't bracket, you should take your RAW(or JPG) and make 2 copies, 1 stop under and 1 stop over. Then combine in Photoshop.

 

[scraparcs]

Do you use a certain transparency in the images to combine them?

 

[utdbear]

No, I personally use Enfuse in Lightroom for my HDR, although that sometimes blows out highlights or drops shadows. You have to play with it and the exposure slider to get your desired effect. In Photoshop, the process is File -> Automate -> Merge to HDR. I'm not sure about PS Elements 6, but here appears to be a good video: http://www.learnelementsnow.com/blog/hdr-imaging-in-photoshop-elements-6/

See my thread in this forum on Canyon X, the very top image(CanyonX-8) is an HDR of three images that I described earlier. I got pretty close, but notice the blown highlights at the top of the image and where the beam ends. I tried forever to get that right. I'll give it another run sometime.

 

[TheZach]

I've wanted to do this, but I need to get a decent tripod first.

 

[The Barbarian]

Anyone like night HDR?

 

[The Barbarian]

Larger: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2620/3761617399_5eed6c0ef7_b.jpg

 

[The Barbarian]

Larger: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3816978944_69357fdc94_b.jpg

My approach is that an HDR shot shouldn't produce a "Hey, that's an HDR" response. It should just look like an exceptionally good photograph. If you overcook it, you end up with garbage. Restraint is the key.

 

[The Barbarian]

If you do over do it, it often looks better in B&W:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3816774132_659488eb69_b.jpg

 

[loveiseverywhere]

is anyone here good at HDR images? I have watched the videos and read the articles but all my images come out way too bright and when I adjust the settings they just kinda look crappy.

it surprises me of the small number of photographers know what HDR imaging is.

I just learned about it last week in my photoshop class. Then I went online and found this:

Stuck In Customs HDR Photography

You gotta see these photos!!!

 

[Calypsis4]

Well, if I wasn't a 148 yrs old, I would definitely like to try it.:o

 

[Crue Knight]

Those are nice HDRs. I just got into HDR photography too. It's pretty awesome.

My approach is that an HDR shot shouldn't produce a "Hey, that's an HDR" response. It should just look like an exceptionally good photograph. If you overcook it, you end up with garbage. Restraint is the key.

I agree with this. It makes the colors look nice and the picture look sharper, but some people just over do it and it looks so artificial.

 

[steav]

Oops. I just saw your professional web page. You should know about Photo.net and the zillions of online postprocessing tutorials

 

[loveiseverywhere]

is anyone here good at HDR images? I have watched the videos and read the articles but all my images come out way too bright and when I adjust the settings they just kinda look crappy.

it surprises me of the small number of photographers know what HDR imaging is.

I'm pretty good at it. Here's a sample of something I've done.

 

[loveiseverywhere]

And yet another HDR image I've done...

 

[loveiseverywhere]

I've wanted to do this, but I need to get a decent tripod first.

I've never used a tripod. I own one...but I don't use it.

I use RAW to shoot and then process it in my camera at -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2 then use Photomatix to create HDR images.

 

[nicolo93f]

wow. i like HDR!