Challenges with extreme highlights and shadows

[Garbz]

That's not fair. The software legitimately creates HDR images, and the button to get it to display properly in photomatix says Tone Mapping on it.

 

[manaheim]

There was someone on here... kundalini...? abraxas...? Someone...

Anyway I think they were talking about something wacky like deliberately using an ND filter and doing a longer exposure...

No, that doesn't make any sense. Oh, maybe that was with a flash.

You know what? Maybe it would be best to ignore me.

 

[KmH]

In Photomatix, tone mapping is not the only option for making an HDR image, but the option most used. There is also exposure blending which produces a much more natural looking image.

 

[KmH]

For #3, perhaps that could be tackled with a sufficiently powerful flash?

Nuclear powered? Inverse-Square Law

 

[Henry Peach]

I would use multiple raw exposures, and either blend by manually masking, or use one of the many HDR/exposure blend software that's available. Heavy handed tone-mapping is popular, but not the only option for HDR photographs.

Need a histogram for dummies lecture. Like when it's banging against the left side do this or the right do that.

When it is banging against the left side: lower shutter speed, increase aperture (go to a smaller number), and/or increase ISO.

When it is banging against the right side: increase shutter speed, decrease aperture (bigger number), and/or decrease ISO.

 

[andrew99]

Histograms can be misleading though, it takes some experience to get used to reading them. Like if you have a fair skinned person, wearing black, standing against a black background, the histogram will be mostly to the left, while the face is correctly exposed and is a tiny blip on the right side of the histogram. But it's definitely worth taking the time to understand them. You can get a good feel for histograms by playing with the curves command in Photoshop, since it shows the histogram while you play with the curves, and if you move the mouse over your image, it shows you where in histogram is the point under the cursor.

 

[B Kennedy]

Histograms can be misleading though, it takes some experience to get used to reading them. Like if you have a fair skinned person, wearing black, standing against a black background, the histogram will be mostly to the left, while the face is correctly exposed and is a tiny blip on the right side of the histogram. But it's definitely worth taking the time to understand them. You can get a good feel for histograms by playing with the curves command in Photoshop, since it shows the histogram while you play with the curves, and if you move the mouse over your image, it shows you where in histogram is the point under the cursor.

I'm not sure that I agree with you on your first statement that they can be misleading. As long as you *understand* how to read them they relay to you the shadows/highlights. I photographed a dance recital a couple weeks ago, sure all the histograms were to the far left, but the actual dancer on stage was properly exposed and that showed on the right. The histogram didn't tell me I had a proper exposure, but i knew by reading the highlights that it was exposed the way I intended.

 

[andrew99]

Histograms can be misleading though, it takes some experience to get used to reading them. Like if you have a fair skinned person, wearing black, standing against a black background, the histogram will be mostly to the left, while the face is correctly exposed and is a tiny blip on the right side of the histogram. But it's definitely worth taking the time to understand them. You can get a good feel for histograms by playing with the curves command in Photoshop, since it shows the histogram while you play with the curves, and if you move the mouse over your image, it shows you where in histogram is the point under the cursor.

I'm not sure that I agree with you on your first statement that they can be misleading. As long as you *understand* how to read them they relay to you the shadows/highlights. I photographed a dance recital a couple weeks ago, sure all the histograms were to the far left, but the actual dancer on stage was properly exposed and that showed on the right. The histogram didn't tell me I had a proper exposure, but i knew by reading the highlights that it was exposed the way I intended.

Yes, my point was you need to understand what the histogram is telling you, don't just try and always have a perfectly centered one, which is where people sometimes get confused when they first look at histograms.

 

[lvcrtrs]

I would use multiple raw exposures, and either blend by manually masking, or use one of the many HDR/exposure blend software that's available. Heavy handed tone-mapping is popular, but not the only option for HDR photographs.

Need a histogram for dummies lecture. Like when it's banging against the left side do this or the right do that.

When it is banging against the left side: lower shutter speed, increase aperture (go to a smaller number), and/or increase ISO.

When it is banging against the right side: increase shutter speed, decrease aperture (bigger number), and/or decrease ISO.

Thank you, confused people like myself need very clear direction, helps to keep us from feeling so overwhelmed. Once we get a handle on things we're all about moving forward to try bigger, better or more complicated things (well, some of us may never want to wander into the realm of more complicated).

 

[B Kennedy]

Yes, my point was you need to understand what the histogram is telling you, don't just try and always have a perfectly centered one, which is where people sometimes get confused when they first look at histograms.[/QUOTE]

Agreed! We're on the same page now

 

[Lyncca]

You know, when I first said HDR, it was somewhat of a joke, but honestly, I have been in the situation where I was out of state, with a very impatient father-in-law, who wanted to take me sightseeing at straight up noon in the middle of summer.

So, yes, the obvious answer here is to go earlier or later in the day, but sometimes that isn't an option. I think as a photographer, you are supposed to be able to work with what you are given. In this case, I popped off three photos, hand-held, in less than a second and jumped back in the car.

While processing, I decided that I did want somewhat of a surreal look, but that doesn't mean you have to go radioactive as so many people do. I personally hate that look... So, this image DOES take care of the drastic highlights and lowlights...

 

[Mike_E]

Learn to spotmeter and read Ansel Adams.

If you have to use HDR then use a mask and only bring down the blown highlights.



Please.

 

[Garbz]

Lyncca perfect example of HDR + tonemapping done right! Great work.

 

[djacobox372]

There are some techniques with black and white film that can handle those extreme exposure ranges (pre-exposing with a gray card, using low contrast film/development), but with color film/digital, you don't have as much latitude. The most effective technique is to use a tripod and take a bracket of exposures and then combine them in post (hdr).

 

[musicaleCA]

For #3, perhaps that could be tackled with a sufficiently powerful flash?

Nuclear powered? Inverse-Square Law

What, you don't have a mini-nuke?

I was thinking of just throwing some full-power flash(es) in to help even out exposure. Didn't think it would completely fix the problem.