My HDR photos

panos_adgr · Jul 19, 2015

Hello to you all!

I'm a new forum member and I'd like to post some of my HDR photos in order to exchange some ideas or read some advices from more experienced members that could help me gain some more technical experience improving myself.

So I'm starting with my first HDR try.

It has some blown whites in the sky.

It was made by a single jpeg copied three times in order to create a bracketing by changing the brightness of the pictures.

Then I loaded them in photomatix without doing any post processing.

Wien Donau Kanal (HDR) by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

panos_adgr · Jul 19, 2015

Here is another made with the exactly same method. Both were shot with an old amd humble Sony Cyber Shot DSC W - 50.

Nafplio in Winter Colours (HDR) by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

Noise is present in this picture.

panos_adgr · Jul 19, 2015

Basically my biggest problem is noise. I now use a Nikon D90 camera shooting RAWs which I convert in tif in nikon viewnx before I load them in photomatix. I do it like this because I 've noticed that when RAWs are converted in photomatix the merged imaged has a bit more noise.

I've also noticed that in some cases merged photos have noise problems. Even if the source files are ok. Has this got to do with the exposure or with extreme dynamic range that exists in some cases and creates noise when photos are merged and tone mapped?

Braineack · Jul 19, 2015

It's a bit hot in the kitchen...

using tapatalk.

panos_adgr · Jul 19, 2015

Braineack said:
It's a bit hot in the kitchen...

using tapatalk.

What do you mean??

Light Guru · Jul 19, 2015

panos_adgr said:
Braineack said:

It's a bit hot in the kitchen...

using tapatalk.

Click to expand...

What do you mean??

They are bother over cooked. Aka over processed.

panos_adgr · Jul 19, 2015

You are right. I like to make them look sureal. All me HDR's are overprocessed making them look unrealistic.

This is another example.

Country Seaside (HDR) by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

Peeb · Jul 20, 2015

panos_adgr said:
You are right. I like to make them look sureal. All me HDR's are overprocessed making them look unrealistic.

This is another example.

Country Seaside (HDR) by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

I rather like this one.

BananaRepublic · Jul 20, 2015

I like all three but they are over processed the last especially. 3 does look like it is the other two less.

407370 · Jul 20, 2015

The noise comes from the processing in Photomatix. Try toning down the effects or invest in a good noise reduction software. I use Neat Image - best noise reduction for digital cameras and scanners

Works quite well for me:

panos_adgr · Jul 20, 2015

407370 said:
The noise comes from the processing in Photomatix. Try toning down the effects or invest in a good noise reduction software. I use Neat Image - best noise reduction for digital cameras and scanners

Works quite well for me:
View attachment 105255
View attachment 105256

I had the impression, in the beginning that noise had to do with the original photo and the exposure. But later I read somewhere exactly what you said about photomatix. I have also noticed that in some cases there is no noise at all or if there is, isn't much. So I think that it has to do also maybe with the exposure? If you know more about the origin of noise in HDR case I would be glad to know also.

For the moment when I'm doing HDR I'm using seven RAW from +2 to -2 stops in 2/3 of stop steps which are created from one RAW. I then convert them to tif 16bit in nikon viewnx software because it makes better conversion than photomatix in terms of noise behavior after some comparisons I made. Then I load the tifs in pfotomatix for tone mapping. I then do post processing in adobe vamera raw and finaly I make noise reduction in nikon capture nxd, which makes very nice jobs with setting profile 'better' in noise rwduction menu, or I use topaz denoise. After these steps I apply some sharpening in viewnx or topaz clarity.

The third photo above with the tree and the bench by the sea is made lime this.

I know that I over do it with tone mapping but I really really lime this dream like look of photos. I like the sense I'm getting from the photo of wondering if this photo comes from a real landscape.

I 'll post a few more that where made as I described above and some of simpler processing.

panos_adgr · Jul 20, 2015

Processing as I mentioned above.

Colourful Rock (HDR)noise r by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

Shower on the Beach (HDR) by Panagiotis Adamopoulos, on Flickr

Noise reduction is mild because I don't want to loose details from the sky and clouds.

Braineack · Jul 20, 2015

Do you guys actually like how these look?

using tapatalk.

panos_adgr · Jul 20, 2015

Nobody is obliged to like my photos. I have my own perspective and perception in HDR. If you don't like it don't like it's your right... Do you have any thing technical to add to help me? Or you are going to stick around complaining about what you see?