Zaydewise Loc: Nashville TN

I was curious on how many photos you shoot in HDR. I usually shoot 3 with +1 0 -1 aperture exposure but I just read that the best method is shoot 5 at a +2 -2 exposure. Any other suggestions.

buffmaloney Loc: Indiana

I rarely shoot HDR, but when I do I use 5 or 7 frames. Usually 5.

pigpen

When I do shoot HDR, I usually take 5: -2, -1, 0, +1, +2. I rarely use all, but I have if I need. Sometimes I only use 2: 0, & -1 or +1. I normally don't like "overdone" HDR, I'm just trying to increase my range. I shoot Canon, so I have to bracket my shots manually. I think Nikon will take 5.?.? I like Photomatix, but really haven't tried others.


Disclaimer: When I say "overdone", I mean by my taste. Some people love the grunge shots, there are even a few of them I've liked.

Terje76 Loc: Norway

I shoot HDR most of the times and I never go below 5 exposures.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Between three and six.

Zaydewise Loc: Nashville TN

How to you get topics so fast. I just get the daily newslettter.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Z, you have to bribe admin with the big bucks. That's dollars, not animals with horns. SS
PS, someone will explain it.

Samuraiz Loc: Central Florida

Sometimes 3, sometimes 5, sometimes +/- 1 mostly +/-2 I recommend experiment and find out what suits your style.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Sometimes 3 +/-1, but mostly 5.

Frank47 Loc: West coast Florida

My exact answer :thumbup:

Cotondog Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada

At the top of your page, click on "NewestTopics".

UtahBob Loc: Southern NJ

You'd shoot what is required for the scene if you want the full dynamic range. In other words, expose so the histogram hits the left side as well as the right side. You can also pick your aperture, then meter the brightest and the darkest parts of the scene. Switch to manual and set up the brackets. If you can shoot in 2 ev increments I think that's the best, otherwise go for 1 ev if that's what the camera supports. If you are shooting raw you can gain even more since the software can push 2 ev beyond your high and low bracket.

If you want good detail in the shadow areas you really have to expose for them which means more brackets.

For normal shooting, which I think is what you are asking, on a D7000 for instance, I'd go +-2ev since that's what the camera can do but on a D200 I'd go 5 brackets since it only supports 1 ev brackets. I'm not sure if a +-1ev bracket gets you anything and I avoid it so I'm stuck with 5 brackets on the D200 unless I want to go at it manually. For normal shooting for hdr, I therefore generally use the D7000.

skydiverbob Loc: I retired in San Antonio

This is the recommendation from the Photomatix website, the software most people use for doing HDR:

"High contrast scenes can be grouped into roughly two types depending on their dynamic range:

Medium dynamic range scene: Most landscapes and other types of outdoor scenes fall into this category. Three exposures taken in two-EV steps (i.e. -2, 0 +2 EV), or five exposures taken in one-EV steps, are usually sufficient for this type of scene.

High dynamic range scene: A typical example is the interior of a room with a view outside the window on a sunny day. You need to take at least five exposures in two-EV steps (or nine exposures in one-EV steps) to capture this type of scene, but you may need more. Taking the exposures manually is recommended in these cases."

You should definitely be using a tripod and set your camera for Aperture Priority. If the Aperture changes your images will not be clear.

I hope this helps answer your question.

To get the full range I think it would seem logical to shoot 5 images at +/- 1EV. With this range you can choose the three images that fall in the +/- 2EV range or you can use all 5.

Most shooters say +/- 2EV using 3 images...

You have to experiment.

This is a link to the Photomatix gallery:
http://www.hdrsoft.com/gallery/index.php

Some of the artists share their exposure info with their images.

Seeing what I like and copying their methods works for me...
:thumbup:

Bamboo Loc: South Carolina

[quote=pigpen]
I shoot Canon, so I have to bracket my shots manually.

If you set the timer it should bracket automatically.

Tisdale

Very seldom if ever! For one thing the concerns I shoot for do not accept composite photography in any shape or form which, of course, is what HDR is. From a personal standpoint, I have no objection to it if it's done well but most of the HDR I see isn't. Color is outrageous and shadows are blown apart. It looks more like the Sunday Comics in the Newspaper than a photograph. One glance and you know its not real. In all my years of posting photographs on flickr, I've only come across a few photographers who produce breathtaking images in HDR.