First attempt at HDR: need critiques!

emptypockets

TPF Noob!
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Can others edit my Photos
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See post #6 for new (and much better) edits!

So this is my first attempt at a true HDR shot. I know they need improvement, and am looking for C&C. Let me know what you think!

siemspark3.jpg


SIEMSPARK2.jpg
 
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the Tone-mapping is FAR too storng and over saturated
 
I did the first two edits on my home computer. It has an older monitor and the first edits looked quite nice there. Looking at them on my work monitor make me almost embarrassed that I posted them. Anyway, here are two new edits that look much better to me.

siemspark5.jpg


siemspark4.jpg
 
the first one you reposted is better, but the sky being blown out with no detail at all kills it for me
 
I need HDR explained to me while were at it. Is it a filter on photoshop? Are you sandwiching shots together 1 at a time? Both?

HDR (high dynamic range) photography involves using multiple exposures and combining them into one. With the above shot, I used 5 different exposures (-2, -1, 0, 1, 2), but some people just use three exposures, depending on the conditions. When you're done taking the shots, you use a program that combines them into one, then process them as you would a normal photo.

Since I'm cheap, I've downloaded a good and free HDR program called Qtpfsgui. For my PP work, I'm using Photoshop Elements 6. Since this shot was quite noisy, I also downloaded Neat Image (free) which reduces the amount of noise in the shots. Here are my final edits. Compared to my first efforts, I think I've come a long ways!

siemspark5_filtered.jpg


siemspark4_filtered.jpg
 
You use a program that generates and HDR image out of multiple exposures, and then tone-maps it so that it can be displayed (approximately) on the media available to us today. Currently we have no printed nor electronic display media that can reproduce and HDR image. If 32-bit monitors were available, we wouldn't need tone-mapping.
 

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