HDR?

[Deadeye008]

is there any way to do this with photoshop elements?

No, you would have to do it in Photomatix and then edit it in Elements.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

one last question, should the three pictures that you're merging be in jpg or raw?

either is fine. RAW gives you a little bit more range to start but both work just fine.

is there any way to do this with photoshop elements?

not in the sense of the program doing the work for you, but you can create HDR images using layer masks.

 

[snoopnick]

do you have to use a tripod? In other words, could you use the different exposure ranges of a picture even if it's slightly moved between different frames or would that just come out weird?

 

[xfloggingkylex]

some programs claim they can align pictures, but often you'll get an odd looking artifact that looks like aberations around items. I definitely recommend a tripod and a remote cable so there is absolutely no touching the camera during the process.

 

[FSquares]

hey xfloggingkylex... you have got a good way to explain things. thanks. I really appreciate it. . I went to http://xfloggingkylex.deviantart.com/ and saw that pic of the water fall (stream?) .. how did you do that? Aint it the low shutter speed technique? .. I am a beginner photographer, so i would aapreciate all the info you could give me.. (again the layman's explaination would be good. lol)

I have a site of my own. Its got some photos that I and my bro has taken. please check www.fsquares.com .

Thanks in advance

 

[|)\/8]

When shooting for HDR you want to keep your Aperture and ISO consistent and change your shutter speed. Here is a decent link....

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3046/tips-for-shooting-hdr.html

 

[Neuner]

I'm not a fan of over processed HDR photos. I use both CS2 and Photomatix. For me CS2 produces more natural looking HDR's but lacks in the level adjustment until it's loaded into the actual Photoshop program. I prefer to edit levels during the HDR processing. I use Photomatix more because its flexibility. It tends to make photos cartoonish looking so I usually back way off on the strength if I can.

You can use a single RAW file for Photomatix, but there is a lot more noise. 3-5 RAW or JPG images is typical.

Here are some of my samples:
Photoshop CS2:

Photomatix: