MarkintheHV Loc: Hudson Valley

I am headed out to Southern Utah and Northern AZ and have a HDR question that I cannot seem to find an answer for.

I am shooting with a Canon 7d mark ii, and am wondering what the best exposure bracketing settings are. First, would it be shooting 3, 5, or 7 images? Second, what would be the best exposure spread. Some places I read recommend -4, -2, 0, +2, +4 while others say -3, -1, 0, +1, +3, or would something like -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3 work better?

I will be bracketing canyon type landscapes as well as the famous indoor Antelope Canyon.

Thanks

lorenww Loc: St. Petersburg

3 shots are all you really need, I go with -2, 0, +2, as a general rule.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

You only need 3 shots, -1, 0, +1. Get them and move on to the next shot. You will need to get there on the first tour, and even then tours start at both ends of the canyon, so once tours meet in the middle, it will be impossible to get a shot without others in the composition. Pay for the photographers tour, or they may not allow tripods.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Depends on the dynamic range of the scene but as a general rule three exposures at -2 - 0 - +2 will do the job well. ;)

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

HDR covers a multitude of sins so if you want painterly type HDR go with + and - 2 if you want more realistic looking HDR go with just +1 and -1 exposure value between shots.
Hand held go for 3 shots, on a tripod as many as your camera will take on auto bracket be that 5 7 or 9 shots. The more information you give your HDR software very often the better results you get. Costs nothing to take all the shots you can so no reason not to take as many bracketed shots as you can.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

I've typically have my best luck with either 3 or 5 shot brackets in the 0, +/-1, +/-2 range. If I have plenty of time to set up the shot and I'm not in the way of a tour I'll usually take all five shots (like Billy said above, costs nothing so take what you can, use what you need).

Things I have found out shooting for HDR - If you can't take a tripod, see if you can take a monopod. I have taken both in the field. Monopod is not as stable as tripod but it still beats hand-held significantly for bracketed shots. You'll want to limit yourself to 3 shots with the monopod. Your camera probably has an auto bracket feature. Use it. It's quicker than hand changing, just as accurate and you don't run the risk of bumping or moving the camera between shots. My camera will only shoot 3 images in auto bracket mode, so if I want 5 images I shoot one bracket set in 0, +/-1 exposure, then reshoot again with 0, +/-2.

Enjoy your trip! :D

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

MarkintheHV,

For accurate control on the capture you need to know how the sensor in your camera handles over exposed light objects. You can only determine this by practice and many captures.

For my Canon it is -1.63Ev, 0, and +1.63Ev. What you are looking for is how well you can recover the blown out white objects.

Don't wait for the last minute to try it out, practice every day until you get what you need, then go Southern Utah.

Michael G

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Take a look at the scene you're planning to shoot, each time. Most of the time +\- 2 is enough. Smaller jumps than 2 are rarely helpful, but 5&7 steps at ev 2 per step are occasionally useful, particularly in canyons. At other times, say when you may be using a cave mouth or doorway, etc, to frame a photo, it may be best to take advantage of the contrast and don't use HD at all.

MiroFoto

Damn tourists ...and you will be one of them. I have seen an article on UHH about how to erase them with a software.
It takes a heavy tripod and you shoot 15 shots. Lightroom has a quick way to remove those pesky photographers in front of you.

Good luck Miro ..I envy you your trip

MarkintheHV Loc: Hudson Valley

I have read that our illustrious EPA has created a mess in Colorado that is now heading towards Grand Canyon/Lake Powell. 3 million gallons of gold mine waste released into the Animas River. Turned the river yellow, so that will probably kill the Horseshoe pics. Thankfully, I dont think that Antelope Canyon will be impacted

btbg

In spite of what some of the people here are saying three shots is not always enough. It really does depend on the dynamic range of the shot and how much detail you want to preserve in the shadows and in the brightest spot in the scene.

Auto bracket is the easiest way to accomplish what you are trying to do. My camera allows up to nine shots set at + or - 1, 2, or 3.

I have shot with all three different settings with from three to nine shots. Utah slot canyons can be handled easily with three shots if it is overcast or the sun is still low enough on the horizon that it has not entered the canyon yet.

However, once you have bright sunlight and deep shadow you may need as many as nine shots if you want to keep detail in the shadows.

Remember that shooting HDR can fill a memory card very rapidly so either bring plenty of cards or limit how many times you use more than three shots.

Also, more than three shots without a tripod is unlikely to work.

You do have one other option if the dynamic range is small enough. You can shoot one image in about the middle of the dynamic range, then when you open the raw file process it in -1 or 2, 0, and then +1 or 2. If you are careful with how you use it photomatix can do pretty good with this combination as long as the shadows aren't too black or the highlights completely blown out.

If you are set on Antelope Canyon, I certainly won't discourage you. However, there are lots of tours of other canyons available and some of them are spectacular in their own way, plus have the advantage of you will probably be with the only group there.

There are a couple of books written on the Colorado Plateau and on hiking and canyoneering in southern Utah that have slot canyons listed in them with how technical they are. Some of them can be done by yourself if you have a little bit of skill, a small piece of rope, 25 feet is plenty, and some patience.

Have fun. You are going to a beautiful place. Enjoy.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

It's all about personal preference, some swear by shooting just three exposures, others by doing as many as possible. It comes down to as how you do your processing and what end-results you-re desire, soon you will discover what works best for you. If it's done in camera, most cameras do only three exposures to create an HDR.

MiroFoto

What quality HDR you get in the camera? Is it worth it?
Can you do it w/o tripod? I got a results very lousy => from a hand =shaky.. not sharp. I think better is to take a on nice picture.

Miro

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

MiroFoto,

HDR is well worth the effort when the exposure values are beyond the capability of the camera sensor to record the image.

You need a very steady hand to make a minimum of three exposures, a tripod is best to prevent camera movement.

You need a shutter speed fast enough to freeze any subject movement.

You need HDR software that can load all the exposures, view all exposures on the monitor, and isolate any exposure that shows movement against another image. The movement that shows up needs to be masked and removed, the stable exposure needs to be explicitly selected for the other movement. The object here is to use each image/exposure as a layer. You merge each layer over the other, and adjust the exposure values with sliders to bring all element of the picture within correct overall exposure.
You mask out the subject movement so those movements will not cause ghosting in the final image.

As a beginning point I will suggest you use a 3 bracket multiple exposure. Try -1.3, 0, and +1.3Ev, use the 0Ev as your base standard and the one exposure where movement did not occur.

You can do it, it takes practice, understanding of exposure,movement, and patience.

Michael G

MiroFoto

Armadillo -Michael - I was more concerned with hdr made in camera. You set cam to HDR and CL or CL and get one picture done by camera.

Your case is a bracketing and post processing software I did not get there yet. I will evaluate the ADL and see .

My wish for the travel photo for now is NO PP & NO tripod.
These will come later.

But thank you for the tip on fine tuning the bracketing.

Miro