kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

Ok, so I am new to this, and I got all excited when I found out that My CS4 would merge images into HDR...But I don't like what I am getting. Can anyone enlighten me as to what their favorite HDR programs are and how much I need to save up to get it? Don't want to make a huge investment because I don't know if this is going to be my cup of tea just yet, but I definitely want to play with it and get a good feel for it. THANKS!!

joe west Loc: Taylor, Michigan

photomatix and its free

Adubin Loc: Indialantic, Florida

I use Photomatix Pro mostly and it costs $99.00, but if you search the web you usually can find a discount code. Use HDRers this and you get 15% off. Also you can download for it free and try it out for 30 days. This by far is the most popular software for HDR composites and tone mapping. I also have Nik Efex HDR Pro, but hardly ever use it. I know there are less expensive and some free ones available to download from the web too. The other thing to understand that is the process to capture a multiple exposed images for HDR and the workflow to process a good or surreal looking one. If you click here http://bit.ly/sIMKPL you can view some of my HDR photos. I hope this helps, Arnold

kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

I like your HDR images...they don't have that fake, painted look that is so common. I downloaded Photomatix and a couple of other "free" programs and I will play with them for a bit and see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestions and advice!

kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

Here is what I have come up with so far. I used a free program called Luminance HDR....

The Photomatix is good, but it leaves a watermark. I want to play with it some more before I spend the $99 for the full version.

Original


HDR

kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

Dunno, why it posted the HDR so small...huh.

Lets try again...

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Arnold, those are certainly excellent examples of HDR. Free of that over-cooked look that seems to be so much in vogue and being passed of as art. I am not a fan of HDR for that reason but your pictures show me great possibilities.

I do not want to burst your bubble but please help me with this. Could you have had similar quality with conventional masking and adjusting methods? At what point to you switch from ordinary fixing to HDR? Are you using raw or jpg? How many exposures are you using? How do you bracket them? I would like to see a tutorial on how you work your magic.

On an unrelated matter, I think (right or wrong) that Photoshop is the gold standard for photo editing. There are so many alternatives out there. Whole programs as well as plug-ins. The others have their unique user interfaces (just about anything is better than PS) and many of them are more intuitive than PS. You have to learn PS's way of doing things. The others seem to have learned how you want to do things. A more agreeable situation. My question is whether the underlying math differs a little or a lot from one package to another. Anyone know?

philo Loc: philo, ca

I love hdr and 2 I love your images. However I wouldn't have done this image in hdr. Not all images require or need hdr.
You have a stand alone image and i would just do whatever you want or need in cs4.
good work. Love the reflection in the drop.
Maybe you want to crop or darken the right hand side.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

HDR is very over rated. So many people think that HDR is the perfect way for presenting there images. The answer is to be a better photographer and learn how to use light properly. Dont lean on digital effects to improve your images. Learn to shoot your images properly and there will not be a need for image manipulation in post.

jimmy2beans

I have Adobe Elements vs.9 Is it able to do HDR? I'm still trying to figure out much about this program. Thanks.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Like most other absolute statements, this one a patently false.

I do not care how well you shoot, sooner or later, you will need to tweak even the best shot photo. Cameras have technical limitations and photographers can miss something when shooting or change their minds about how they want the final picture to look. An exception might be the highly staged photographs of a by-gone era when photographers had whole crews to adjust scenes, lighting, subjects (human and otherwise) to get that "perfect" negative. And I am sure they still manipulated it in the darkroom. In this brave new world, those of you who never heard of "darkroom" should Google it. Examples of this "perfect" photography are anything from Kodak, Hollywood publicity shots and O Winston Link, http://www.linkmuseum.org/.

Only a "purist" might eschew manipulation. He is either a naive or too lazy to learn and use an editor. Photojournalists and documentarians are exceptions to this.

I do agree that touching up is not an excuse or not learning the craft and taking bad photos.

Happy shooting....

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Arnold. Thanks for posting the before & after photos. They are examples of the value of HDR in extending the dynamic range in digital-- sort of what Adams did with film, chemical processing, etc.
Were these examples all multiple images using a tripod? I'm wondering if you've tried setting your camera at the fastest frames per section and the EV compensation with 3-5-7 (or whatever you use), and then using the continuous servo shutter option to shoot hand-held. Since you have the HDR technique down (I don't), I'm wondering if Photomatix Pro could merge images shot in this fashion.

nickims2 Loc: Mississippi currently

Maybe you didn't know that you can use the clone tool in Photoshop to erase the watermark on the Photomatix prints. Didn't think it would work but it does! Cheaper than paying for the whole software - just try the free version. And there is no expiration date.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Sorry, but to me this is like "dine & dash".

kimberliswenson Loc: Ridgefield, WA

I am one that takes great care to get the shot right out of the camera. I learned the old fashioned way with film and a darkroom. However, after entering my images in several contests, while they were technically correct, well composed, and beautiful images, the ones that were photoshopped ended up winning every time. I am giving HDR a go just for my own curiosity. I like the effect when it is not over done. Sometimes, a person may just want to try something different or give their image an artistic look. I hold nothing against those who are purists, and nothing against those who like to push the boundaries. To each his own...and each person should be free to play with their images how they see fit, without being put down by someone else. That is is beautiful thing about being an artist....you can express your own creativity or personality through your art. My only concern or complaint, for lack of a better word, is that photo contests should be either/or. Unmanipulated images in one contest, and doctored up ones in another. Everyone should get a chance to embrace technology and test the boundaries. That is how we learn and grow. If it isn't your cup of tea, then don't participate...but others should be able to make that decision for themselves.