How to HDR with D5100

[kanzaz]

Hey Guys,

I've got a d5100 and im pretty much a noob. I want to take some HDR shots and have got a couple of questions.

1. When should i be taking HDR, does there have to be a big contrast in light? Or can it be in the garden with the sky etc.
2. The d5100 has an inbuilt HDR function is this any good? And do you set the controls or is it fully automatic?
3. Can you do manual HDR and process in photmatix, and if so how specifically for this camera.
4. If i'm doing it manually which mode should i do it in, and how do i configure the different shots to be taken.

Thanks!

 

[jake337]

Many ways to skin a cat. You can bracket shots anywhere you like but I like to first look for a scene which luminescence is to great to be captured in a single exposure. So what this means is that you have a scene in front of you that is very bright and dark at the same time. Like take an exposure out your window on a bright day while dim indoors.

I'm not sure if your cameras HDR function is AEB(auto exposure bracketing) or something else. AEB will take a series of exposures at different shutterspeeds.

You can also manually do this. Set your camera to manual. Meter your highlights, meter your darkest areas and meter your midtones. Then, using a tripod, take 3 or more exposures using th e shutterspeeds you metered. Next combine them using your software of choice.

 

[kanzaz]

Many ways to skin a cat. You can bracket shots anywhere you like but I like to first look for a scene which luminescence is to great to be captured in a single exposure. So what this means is that you have a scene in front of you that is very bright and dark at the same time. Like take an exposure out your window on a bright day while dim indoors.

I'm not sure if your cameras HDR function is AEB(auto exposure bracketing) or something else. AEB will take a series of exposures at different shutterspeeds.

You can also manually do this. Set your camera to manual. Meter your highlights, meter your darkest areas and meter your midtones. Then, using a tripod, take 3 or more exposures using th e shutterspeeds you metered. Next combine them using your software of choice.

Ermm could you explain metering to me....and just perhaps say how to do that in a bit more detail...sorry im a pretty big noob

 

[shootermcgavin]

Kanzaz here is the easiest way to do it. Take your camera, put it on a tripod. Go to P function and take a picture. Now keep track of whatever the camera used for shutter and f. Now switch to M go 3 up and 3 down from that point with shutter speed not adjusting anything else. Then take the photos and run them through and HDR program. You may have a AEB, heck even I may have it but I never use it. It takes two seconds to do it manually and you start to learn how to shoot manually.I don't believe any camera has a built in HDR function, you can maybe tweak it better in a RAW image which is probably the best way to take the image if you don't shoot in Raw. A good example for a HDR image would be at sunset, to get the warm colors in the sky you need less exposure but then you will miss all the details in the land making it look almost black. So then you have to expose longer to get the land but the sky will get better. HDR is kind of merging those images to get the best contrast/quality on the land and in the sky.

 

[kanzaz]

Kanzaz here is the easiest way to do it. Take your camera, put it on a tripod. Go to P function and take a picture. Now keep track of whatever the camera used for shutter and f. Now switch to M go 3 up and 3 down from that point with shutter speed not adjusting anything else. Then take the photos and run them through and HDR program. You may have a AEB, heck even I may have it but I never use it. It takes two seconds to do it manually and you start to learn how to shoot manually.I don't believe any camera has a built in HDR function, you can maybe tweak it better in a RAW image which is probably the best way to take the image if you don't shoot in Raw. A good example for a HDR image would be at sunset, to get the warm colors in the sky you need less exposure but then you will miss all the details in the land making it look almost black. So then you have to expose longer to get the land but the sky will get better. HDR is kind of merging those images to get the best contrast/quality on the land and in the sky.

thanks, very helpful. One little thing, when you say three up three down, do you mean, three up (take photo) then three down (well technically 6 down) take a photo. Or, 1 up take photo, 2 up take photo etc..?

Thanks

 

[480sparky]

What he means is to take three underexposed shots, one at -3 stops, one at -2 stops and one at -1 stop. Do the same thing on the overexposed side (+3,+2 and +1) and take one 'correct' image (0).

Personally, I meter the scene so I know how to expose for the brightest part of the scene, expose for the darkest, then take 1-stop frames in between. I don't care how many shots it takes.....3, 4, 5, 7, 9, ,12, 37...... as long as I expose for both the highlights and shadows, I get everything in between.

 

[kanzaz]

What he means is to take three underexposed shots, one at -3 stops, one at -2 stops and one at -1 stop. Do the same thing on the overexposed side (+3,+2 and +1) and take one 'correct' image (0).

Personally, I meter the scene so I know how to expose for the brightest part of the scene, expose for the darkest, then take 1-stop frames in between. I don't care how many shots it takes.....3, 4, 5, 7, 9, ,12, 37...... as long as I expose for both the highlights and shadows, I get everything in between.

thanks, what do you mean by 'meter the scene' ?

 

[jake337]

The meter in your viewfinder may look like this. The part circled in red. Depending on where you point your camera and what metering mode your using(matrix, center weighted, spot) it will indicate towards the + or -.

I think you should read up in your camera's manual on how the different metering modes work and how metering works in general before getting into "HDR" photographs.

We can use the pic below as an example. This is one way you could do it. Many ways to do it though.

So lets say your using spot metering. The camera will meter will meter whichever point you use in your viewfinder(d90, not sure about d5100 or other brands).

You could-
Meter the kids, note what the shutterspeed.
Meter the sky/lake, note the shutterspeed.
Meter the trees, note the shutterspeed.

Compose shot on tripod. Take exposure at all three shutterspeeds. Combine in software.

You could also just meter the kids and set your AEB and let the camera change the sutterspeed automatically for - + exposures.

 

[480sparky]

thanks, what do you mean by 'meter the scene' ?

Me, I would use a 1° spot meter. But most folks don't own one, so here's one method:

Set your camera to M. This will allow you to set the ISO, aperture and shutter speed manually and prevent the camera from changing them.

Zoom in as much as possible on the brightest part of the scene. Take note of the shutter speed needed to expose that portion of the scene correctly. Let's say it's 1/250. (ISO and aperture will remain the same). Then move the camera to it's aimed at the darkest part of the scene, and let's say it says 1 second. So I would take 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250 frames.

If the highlights require only 1/60 and the shadows 1/4, then I would take 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30 and 1/60.

Personally, I'm not interested in taking a 'set' number of over- and under-exposed frames any more. When you learn how much your camera's meter lies to you, you'll learn how to ignore it. But for now, I'd say stick to the +/- method and go from there.

The reason I don't care about how many shots to take is because every scene is different. Some scenes might be captured in 3 or 5 frames. But some scenes may need more. And I don't care if I need an odd number or even number of frames to capture the dynamic range of the scene. As long as I expose for the shadows, expose for the highlights, and take 1EV frames in between, I'm covered.

There's another method that involves using histograms, but it requires a camera with certain characteristics as well as knowing how to 'read' histos.

 

[kanzaz]

woaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, sorry for the excessive h's but i just took a photo, and i love it!! I used photamatix, i put them in it said something about some having same exposure info (so next time maybe go up a bit more?) and then i processed the images and chose one of the stylistic things. Im trying to post the pics using imgur, did two ones (the effect, and one i tweaked myself) it comes up with error...i'll try photbucket or something. be prepared!

 

[480sparky]

It's reading the exif data, and found you've got two or more images that have the same exposure values.

You may have changed the shutter speed, but unless you're using M to shoot with, the camera will change the aperture to compensate for your adjustment and render another 'correct' exposure.

 

[kanzaz]

i'm using manual, maybe the change was minimal. But anyways, the results!

what do you think? how to improve? i will trying metering it more accurately next time, as has been suggested. Thanks loads!

 

[480sparky]

How many frames, and what were the shutter speeds used? Perhaps you could post the 0EV image.

You do have some serious halos along the skyline, and some ghosting in the trees.

 

[kanzaz]

ermm, frames well the normal exposure shutter speed was 1/200 and the aperture was 7.1 .

Then i went three up, so took pictures at 1/250 , 1/320, and 1/400, then three below the normal, so 1/160 , 1/125 , 1/100.

I didn't notice the ghosting but i am quite new, and the halo's (im guessing you mean the the slight illumination on the outline of trees) i actually like that...but thats just me lol. How would i improve on that then?

oev image?

 

[480sparky]

You're only changing the exposure by 1/3 stop. That's why your software is saying there's not enough difference in exposures. Jump the steps up to at least one full stop. Go 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200, 1/400, 1/800 and 1/1600.

Or, try the existing shoot, using just the 1/400, 1/200 and 1/100 frames.