need some help creating my first HDR image

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

I've been reading about HDRs for months and now I went and took some pictures suited for HDR but I am getting nowhere.

I tried a couple of tools and none is giving me anything worth my time. In my opinion the results don't look any better than a properly exposed picture from the series.

I could post the originals (slightly reduced in size as I have a very slow connection) and some results I got with different tools if anyone is interested otherwise I'll just post a few results with different tools and different settings.

I know one has to generally further enhance the results with photoshop or similar so keep in mind these results are straight after processing, without further PS enhancements.

Please let me know if there is something wrong with the original pictures or if I am doing anything wrong?

I'd really appreciate any help. Btw. I tend towards the fraction called purists, I am not looking for anything over the top I just want to improve my dynamic range slightly.

I did shoot in RAW+Jpg but for now only playing with the JPGs.

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

Quite silly I am not allowed to post any images until I have at least 5 posts.
The only reason I signed up here was to get some help with HDR and to do so I need to post images :-(

myshkin · Jan 25, 2011

yes post the originals and the final processed shots

You only need 2 more posts its just a way to prevent spam

myshkin · Jan 25, 2011

go introduce yourself in the introduction thread or something or just post here 2 more times

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

Solved!

Here are the results I have so far, remember I only merged, tonemapped and saved them! No postprocessing yet.

created with luminance

created with CS5 HDR merge

created using picturenaut

created with oloneo

my favorite one so far also done with oloneo

this is the nicest looking picture from the original set I used to create these HDRs... not much difference between it and some of the results above

Can I post resized originals? Unfortunately I have a 384kb/s line and sharing it with flatmates... If not 100% needed I'd rather save that bandwidth...

I just need some hints if I am on the right track here

myshkin · Jan 25, 2011

was there a green light or is that a white balance issue?

you don't need to upload the original sizes

myshkin · Jan 25, 2011

one other question what are you trying to achieve? To replicate the scene with great dynamic range and detail or are you going for a grunge look or something

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

As I said above: I tend towards the fraction called purists, I am not looking for anything over the top I just want to improve my dynamic range slightly. so no over the top effects for me (maybe occasionally

So maybe I am choosing a wrong set of pics? I just liked the scene as I saw it, thought it had a high dynamic range (dark shadows in corners and bright lit telephone booth?) or is this scene not suited for HDR?

Or are the results ok for first tries? I like the last one where I took away msot of the green color and the result looks quite b/w except for the lights of the telephone booth...

I can't remember a green light so I guess its a white balance issue. All the pics are long exposure shots so maybe WB got confused? just tried to correct the WB via the RAWs I have but its quite difficult without killing all colors.

Kyna · Jan 25, 2011

I'm no help with HDR but I love the mostly grey one

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

thanks

So to answer my question: does it look like I am grasping the concept of HDR?
I was seriously doubting it as my first tries didn't look any "better" than a properly exposed one.

Bynx · Jan 25, 2011

Your fifth image (without all the yellow) is excellent. Id like to see the same settings used for other shots taken the same time. You have stone, metal, brick, and wood and each show their texture very well. If anything you could have taken an additional underexposed shot to fix the light in the phone booth. Other than that excellent. The rest need color correction badly.

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

Thanks Bynx for the hints.
I made quite a few shots that evening, will do some more with the same settings as picture #5 and add them here.

as for a more underexposed shot, this is my most underexposed one and it was used in this HDR set:

I guess I could find a tutorial and postprocess it more, i.e. paint-in the phone booth from this one on top of the HDR image? Not sure yet how its done but have read about it somewhere...

Additionally, you should know that the courtyard containing the phone booth was only lit by the booth itself, while outside there were some street lights to my left which were illuminating the entrance, hence the slightly yellow light on the top-right side of the arch.

Bynx · Jan 25, 2011

I took your last shot and added it to the #5 shot in layers and deleted the black area.

Ovidiu · Jan 25, 2011

ah, yes. looks great. I tried painting in the phone booth ignoring the black parts while you added it on top and removed the black part

thanks for the lesson.

besides that, what is your impression of this picture, ignoring composition, perspective, etc. but rather focusing on the HDR aspect: is it too much?

I admit it wasn't quite as well lit in real life but I think the last picture you posted looks quite close to what I saw without any excessive halos or any glow so I personally am quite pleased.

Bynx · Jan 25, 2011

I said a couple posts prior that I think its an excellent shot. I like everything about it. With the lighting on the phone booth more in keeping with the rest of the image I wouldnt change a thing. I also said Id like to see more shots taken of the old structure using the same settings. The processing has given a very clean 3D look to the shot. Almost like you can walk into the picture. How's that?