Help with HDR

[ftacnikaustin]

Okay, so I'm wondering If I am capable of making an HDR. Pretty new to photography and really like the look of HDR.

Here's my equipment

Canon 20D
50mm 1.8
Adobe Lightroom
Gimp

So do you think I can make an HDR using this equipment? If so, how? What setting's do I need to use? I'm pretty much always shooting in manual. I have no clue how to do this How do I shoot 3 different exposures?

Also will these programs (Lightroom and Gimp) work for putting the images together? If so, how?

Please remember I'm pretty new to photography so some things just go right over my head.

Sorry, I know this is a lot of information. So any help is appreciated.

 

[myshkin]

You can start by just testing with a photo you already have. In lightroom change the picture from its original to +2 and -2 exposure and save each. Its just a setting.
Then get photomatix demo and load the 3 exposures. Generate HDR, and when its done tonemap it.
If you shoot raw photomatix will automatically convert for you if you want and you can skip the lightroom.
With your camera you should be able to change expsore to + and - values. you would just take the same shot 3 or more times at different exposure settings

 

[ghpham]

What do you mean by the "look of HDR"?

I suggest you pick up the book "Understanding Exposure." It will do you a world of good.

 

[Live_free]

To do HDR you will need to do bracketing, google how to do it on your camera on youtube. Also you will need a program like Photomatrix, not sure if LightRoom can do the job, google that also. Photomatrix is around 30 dollars.

 

[ftacnikaustin]

You can start by just testing with a photo you already have. In lightroom change the picture from its original to +2 and -2 exposure and save each. Its just a setting.
Then get photomatix demo and load the 3 exposures. Generate HDR, and when its done tonemap it.
If you shoot raw photomatix will automatically convert for you if you want and you can skip the lightroom.
With your camera you should be able to change expsore to + and - values. you would just take the same shot 3 or more times at different exposure settings

Thanks a ton. Pretty much figured out.

And yes I will look into reading that book.

 

[Brick]

You can start by just testing with a photo you already have. In lightroom change the picture from its original to +2 and -2 exposure and save each. Its just a setting.
Then get photomatix demo and load the 3 exposures. Generate HDR, and when its done tonemap it.

I would actually recommend against this. Using a single JPEG for an HDR rarely works out well and since you have a DLSR capable of bracketing there's no reason not to practice with a few bracketed shots. Find your manual and figure out how to do exposure bracketing with 3 shots +/- 2 ev. Take a few shots and use the photomatix trial to create an HDR.

If you don't have a tripod you can also shoot in RAW and simply open the raw image in photomatix. Doesn't work as well as bracketed images but works much better than a JPEG.

 

[myshkin]

Single file works fine you just lack some of the full tonal range obviously. You should obviously learn to bracket and you will get better results but many people have made wonderful pcitures of pseudo HDR (single file). Its a good way to just practice the tonemapping levels, and you can't always take 3 exposures

 

[Brick]

I have yet to see a "wonderful" HDR made from a single JPEG. I'm just not sure why you're recommending doing something that is below the capacity of the equipment this guy has. If he has the capacity he might as well practice doing real HDR's.