Southern California HDR

dak1b

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Hello All!

Well I've been experimenting with HDR photography for the past few days and I think i'm addicted! It just so much fun!:mrgreen: I love the end result. For my PP I've been using PS CS4 and Photomatix Pro 3 for hdr and tone mapping. Here are a few photos I took today. Lemme know what you guys think.

C&C Welcome. enjoy!:thumbup:

1)
4702296184_077934e92e_b.jpg

Settings: f/11 1/500 iso 400 HDR shoot @ 18mm

2)
4701661247_bb3c770750_b.jpg

Settings: f/11 1/250 HDR iso 400 shot @ 18mm

3)
4702296988_6761938212_b.jpg

Settings: f/11 1/80 iso 400 shot @34mm
 
I'm not terribly familiar with the HDR process, but I'm not diggin' the halos that seem to form around the horizons.

However, I do like how the rocks turned out in the first two and overall, composition seems alright too.

Keep it up.
 
I think you used the sliders a bit too extreme. They look overdone to me.
 
Nice start but watch those halo's, nice composition.

3 is the best IMO.
 
Overdone. If that was your goal then you've done it well, but if you were trying for actual HDR photography you kind of missed it.

If you want to *actually* get an HDR photo you have to bracket your shots -- you can do it through your menu and it'll take 3 quick shots. Open them up in Photoshop (Automate, Merge to HDR) and it'll blend them into an actual HDR photo. You can still move the sliders around but at least now it'll be an accurate representation.
 
Pretty washed out and hazy looking.

It takes a while to figure out how to make a good HDR, particularly if you're just winging it rather than working from a set of instructions.

Did you look at the tutorials at hrdsoft.com?

How to make an HDR photo - Bing

It doesn't look that #1 and #3 even needed the HDR technique, since the dynamic range of both scenes looked to be well within the image sensors capability with a single exposure.
 
these were some of my first HDR photos...so ya I have a lot of reading to do before I got it rigth thats why I'm here to listen to you guys. :) As of now I've just been taking 3 photos at -2...0....+2 exposures and opening up photomatix and cfreating an HDR image...then tone mapping. i'll check out some more tutorials.

thanks for the tips! if anyone else has some useful tips andd tricks taking HDR photographs please lemme know!
 
Pretty washed out and hazy looking.

It takes a while to figure out how to make a good HDR, particularly if you're just winging it rather than working from a set of instructions.

Did you look at the tutorials at hrdsoft.com?

How to make an HDR photo - Bing

It doesn't look that #1 and #3 even needed the HDR technique, since the dynamic range of both scenes looked to be well within the image sensors capability with a single exposure.

I just looked at the tutorial...looks like I followed these set of instructions while taking the above hdrs. maybe my settings were just set too high? Maybe I should try shooting in RAW as well..seems like it'll give me more options in PP. any ideas how to make it less hazier looking?
 
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Don't get locked into the 3 exposures make an HDR syndrome. Three exposures is the minimum number of exposures needed to make an HDR and not many good HDR's are made from only 3 exposures.

Do you know how to use spot metering with your camera?

To determine the spread of exposures you need for an HDR, you spot meter the brightest part of the scene with your camera in aperture priority mode. To have sufficient DOF the aperture you use will not be a large lens opening and you use aperture priority so each exposure has the same DOF.

Adjust the shutter speed until the meter shows a correct exposure for the brightest spot that isn't a specular highlight. Note the shutter speed.

Then spot meter the darkest part of the scene and again adjust the shutter speed for a correct exposure. Again note the shutter speed.

The diifference between the shutter speeds is the dynamic range of that scene.

Next you determine how many stops that range is.

As an example: the bright part of the scene required a 1/4000 shutter speed and the darkest part was 1/30.

1/4000 to
1/2000 is one stop, to
1/1000 is one stop, to
1/500 is one stop, to
1/250 is one stop, to
1/125 is one stop, to
1/60 is one stop, to
1/30 is one stop. Add them up and you get 7 stops of dynamic range.

If you want to wind up with an nice HDR do 7 exposures (not just 3):

-3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

If you want a better HDR do 9 exposures:

-3, -2, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more dark than bright, do:

-3, -2.5, -2, -1.5, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more brighter rather than darker, do the opposite of the above with the 2.5 and 1.5 on the + side.
 
^^^^^Thanks for the info!!!^^^^^

Unfortunately it looks like my camera can only take 3 different exposures when using auto bracketing....but of course I can manually set my dial to get 7 different exposures. For my next HDR photos I will use a MIN of 7 images combined. Should I shot in RAW or stay in jpeg? also are u sayin I should shoot in aperture pritority mode for all 7 images to create my final HDR image?
 
You don't have to stay in Av, but you have to keep all settings the same except for shutter speed. If you want to use M you can too.

Now the reason I thought you just created the HDR using sliders (instead of multiple pictures) is because those pictures don't really have a need for HDR lighting and thus it seems like you created it yourself. Times when you really need HDR are when the camera can't capture the entire range of light that you want in your final picture in one photograph.
 
^^^^^Thanks for the info!!!^^^^^

Unfortunately it looks like my camera can only take 3 different exposures when using auto bracketing....but of course I can manually set my dial to get 7 different exposures. For my next HDR photos I will use a MIN of 7 images combined. Should I shot in RAW or stay in jpeg? also are u sayin I should shoot in aperture pritority mode for all 7 images to create my final HDR image?
You need to re-read my post.

The next scene you want to use for an HDR may only need 5 exposures, or only 3 exposures, or 11 exposures.

You have to use the meter in the camera to determine that. Every scene is different and not all scenes will work for an HDR.
 
^^^^^Thanks for the info!!!^^^^^

Unfortunately it looks like my camera can only take 3 different exposures when using auto bracketing....but of course I can manually set my dial to get 7 different exposures. For my next HDR photos I will use a MIN of 7 images combined. Should I shot in RAW or stay in jpeg? also are u sayin I should shoot in aperture pritority mode for all 7 images to create my final HDR image?
You need to re-read my post.

The next scene you want to use for an HDR may only need 5 exposures, or only 3 exposures, or 11 exposures.

You have to use the meter in the camera to determine that. Every scene is different and not all scenes will work for an HDR.

ok when will a scene not work for HDR?
 
Don't get locked into the 3 exposures make an HDR syndrome. Three exposures is the minimum number of exposures needed to make an HDR and not many good HDR's are made from only 3 exposures.

Do you know how to use spot metering with your camera?

To determine the spread of exposures you need for an HDR, you spot meter the brightest part of the scene with your camera in aperture priority mode. To have sufficient DOF the aperture you use will not be a large lens opening and you use aperture priority so each exposure has the same DOF.

Adjust the shutter speed until the meter shows a correct exposure for the brightest spot that isn't a specular highlight. Note the shutter speed.

Then spot meter the darkest part of the scene and again adjust the shutter speed for a correct exposure. Again note the shutter speed.

The diifference between the shutter speeds is the dynamic range of that scene.

Next you determine how many stops that range is.

As an example: the bright part of the scene required a 1/4000 shutter speed and the darkest part was 1/30.

1/4000 to
1/2000 is one stop, to
1/1000 is one stop, to
1/500 is one stop, to
1/250 is one stop, to
1/125 is one stop, to
1/60 is one stop, to
1/30 is one stop. Add them up and you get 7 stops of dynamic range.

If you want to wind up with an nice HDR do 7 exposures (not just 3):

-3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

If you want a better HDR do 9 exposures:

-3, -2, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more dark than bright, do:

-3, -2.5, -2, -1.5, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more brighter rather than darker, do the opposite of the above with the 2.5 and 1.5 on the + side.

How do you meter for the actual shots? matrix, or spot?
 
Don't get locked into the 3 exposures make an HDR syndrome. Three exposures is the minimum number of exposures needed to make an HDR and not many good HDR's are made from only 3 exposures.

Do you know how to use spot metering with your camera?

To determine the spread of exposures you need for an HDR, you spot meter the brightest part of the scene with your camera in aperture priority mode. To have sufficient DOF the aperture you use will not be a large lens opening and you use aperture priority so each exposure has the same DOF.

Adjust the shutter speed until the meter shows a correct exposure for the brightest spot that isn't a specular highlight. Note the shutter speed.

Then spot meter the darkest part of the scene and again adjust the shutter speed for a correct exposure. Again note the shutter speed.

The diifference between the shutter speeds is the dynamic range of that scene.

Next you determine how many stops that range is.

As an example: the bright part of the scene required a 1/4000 shutter speed and the darkest part was 1/30.

1/4000 to
1/2000 is one stop, to
1/1000 is one stop, to
1/500 is one stop, to
1/250 is one stop, to
1/125 is one stop, to
1/60 is one stop, to
1/30 is one stop. Add them up and you get 7 stops of dynamic range.

If you want to wind up with an nice HDR do 7 exposures (not just 3):

-3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

If you want a better HDR do 9 exposures:

-3, -2, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more dark than bright, do:

-3, -2.5, -2, -1.5, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3

or if the scene is more brighter rather than darker, do the opposite of the above with the 2.5 and 1.5 on the + side.

How do you meter for the actual shots? matrix, or spot?

When you take your shots, you are in manual mode using the settings you metered for, change the shutter speed between your Bright exposure and your Dark exposure for each shot.
 

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