HDR - third attempt - using "fake" method

[jasonkt]

Here is my third image I've worked on thinking "HDR", although for this one I did not use 3 separately exposed raw files (yes I worked with raw for my first two), instead I used one raw file processed 3 times into tiff files with different "exposure" settings that I had adjusted in camera raw. I tried out the new photomatix program that everyone recommended, and then adjusted it a bit in the tonal mapping part of the process. I did not do any post work otherwise, no contrast/saturation, etc, just wanted to test the program out.

The mountain isn't too great yet and I'm hoping some attention in PS will do it justice, I also wonder what I should be shooting for when adjusting everything using Photomatix. Personal preference? Are there general guidelines? Elsewhere on the forum I assume? I'm looking...

One of my other questions is about the "gamma". What it is, what it does and why. I'll look it up...tomorrow. In the mean time you guys are smart and experienced and your advice is great!

OH - one more thing. I know this is gonna sound bad. What is causing the vignetting on my stupid *&$#! lens and how do I fix it? (P&S Fugifilm) Thanks!

 

[vbrandon91]

how did you get three pictures out of the one raw image?

i've been trying to do it but i cant

 

[tirediron]

To me there seems to be something wrong with that image; almost like the light and shadows are reversed in the middleground. When you ask, "What should I be shooting for", what exactly do you mean? Are you asking for ideal exposure settings, or ? "Gamma" simply refers to the brightness of individual pixels (and collectively the image) when displayed. As to the vignetting; do you have any filters attached?

 

[AussieDee]

I dunno, the photo itself doesn't look right. Almost looks like the mountain was placed on there. Like 3 separate landscapes sewn together. The colors don't seem to blend right.

 

[Overread]

out of interest when you processed the RAW file = aside from exposure - did you keep the other settings the same? If not then that might be what is causing the unnatural look to this shot - also would be interesting to see a single (correct) exposure of the sight.

Vbrandon - to get 3 shots from a single RAW you open the RAW in the RAW editer - set the settings so it looks right, note them down and then save the result as a Tiff (or jpeg). Then you edit the RAW again - this time changing only the exposure (underexposure) and setting the other settings to the same as the first - save as a different Tiff/jpeg and then edit the RAW a third time - this time for overexposure.
Then you combine the three to get a Tonemapped photo - or a Fake HDR (Or as I know coin the term - FHDR)

 

[tirediron]

out of interest when you processed the RAW file = aside from exposure - did you keep the other settings the same? If not then that might be what is causing the unnatural look to this shot - also would be interesting to see a single (correct) exposure of the sight.

Why, I think we may have a winner here; why didn't I think of that?

 

[Tiberius47]

One of my other questions is about the "gamma". What it is, what it does and why. I'll look it up...tomorrow. In the mean time you guys are smart and experienced and your advice is great!

Gamme is midtones.

When you open levels in Photoshop, you see three sliders under the graph. The left is for shadows, the right is for highlights, and the middle is for the midtones. Sliding this adjusts the gamma.

how did you get three pictures out of the one raw image?

i've been trying to do it but i cant

process the raw file once, then open it in Photoshop and save it as a JPG. then open the original raw file again, process it a different way and open in PS and save it as version 2.

Repeat as many times as you want, and you have multiple images from one raw file, each processed a differnet way and they can be combined as an HDR.

 

[Vautrin]

In Photomatix, one of the sliders is saturation of the highlights, and one is saturation of the shadows.

Move the saturation of the shadows/highlights slider to the right and everything in shadow/highlight will look less gloomy.

Move it left and it'll look darker and more gloomy.

Move it all the way to the left and it'll turn everything in shadows / highlights black and white

Also, there's a slider to change white point and black point. The farther right these go the more white whites will be and the more black blacks will be (as opposed to just being in shadow).

 

[jasonkt]

Thanks everybody.

I did keep the other settings the same while changing the exposure values. I think I just messed it up while playing around with the tone mapping options in photomatix. When I say "what should I be going for" what I really mean is that I haven't developed the skills to say "oh the gamma needs adjustment and I need to move the white point to here", and so on. I play with the buttons and try to come up with something interesting, but I'm not working towards a specific goal yet.

Here is another attempt, same photo, but this time I did up the saturation and contrast on the middle exposed photo, as well as playing around with the tone mapping options. As you can see, once again my results aren't derived from any type of thinking, just moving sliders and stuff, although thanks to you guys I'm *starting* to understand what's going on.

Also, I don't have any filters attached to this camera, although there is a stock adapter ring I can remove (lens hood). Simple as that?

 

[Sirashley]

I want credit for the term "Fake HDR"....LOL...

Seems like we are all playing with photomatix lately...

Good shot..

 

[chrisburke]

process the raw file once, then open it in Photoshop and save it as a JPG. then open the original raw file again, process it a different way and open in PS and save it as version 2.

Repeat as many times as you want, and you have multiple images from one raw file, each processed a differnet way and they can be combined as an HDR.

this seems like a long process.. and maybe its the only software you have.. for me I use lightroom.. I open the RAW file in the develop section of lightroom, and I export the orignal (it exports as a jpeg to my desktop) DONT TOUCH THE EXPORTED JPEG YET then I take the SAME orignal file in Lightroom develop, and I drop back the exposure... then I export it to the desktop as a jpeg... then I take the SAME ORIGNAL FILE in Lightroom develop and pump the exposure up (same interval as I went down) and export that file to desktop as a jpeg... then I go to photomatix, generate HDR, select the 3 images, select the exposure interval, and BOOM done.. just adjust the tone mapping and your done.. the whole process for me takes about 4 minutes, because I'm well versed in tone mapping (after MANY MANY tries)