working with hdr: I have been doing some reading about hdr and most things i have read is three images is enough to make a great hdr. but i have also heard that 5 or 6 shots make the...

normanhall Loc: Leslie Missouri

I have been doing some reading about hdr and most things i have read is three images is enough to make a great hdr. but i have also heard that 5 or 6 shots make the best. My question is by taking 2 or 3 extra shots do you really pick up that much more tonal information to make a difference?

Has anyone experimented with this?

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

If you're able to include the full dynamic range of the scene being photographed using three bracketed exposures, it would be sufficient. Conversely, if the scene has a dynamic range that requires more, then more need to be made.

The best way to know is by reviewing the histogram to determine if highlights or shadows are still being clipped. Then continue exposing at + or - one stop to eliminate the clipping.

normanhall Loc: Leslie Missouri

ziggykor wrote:

If you're able to include the full dynamic range of the scene being photographed using three bracketed exposures, it would be sufficient. Conversely, if the scene has a dynamic range that requires more, then more need to be made.

The best way to know is by reviewing the histogram to determine if highlights or shadows are still being clipped. Then continue exposing at + or - one stop to eliminate the clipping.

so basically what you are saying is go from on extreme to the other and then eliminate the ones that are clipping?

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

No, you keep them all and let the program doing the merge handle the scene range. But you should always shoot sufficient exposures to allow the full series to completely cover the entire dynamic range of the scene. I've often used 15 exposures to do so and then use them all for the merge.

deanna_hg Loc: So. Alabama

ziggykor wrote:

If you're able to include the full dynamic range of the scene being photographed using three bracketed exposures, it would be sufficient. Conversely, if the scene has a dynamic range that requires more, then more need to be made.

The best way to know is by reviewing the histogram to determine if highlights or shadows are still being clipped. Then continue exposing at + or - one stop to eliminate the clipping.

My D90 will bracket up to 3 but I'm not sure how to go about doing more than that. Can you tell me how to go about it please?

gdwsr Loc: Northern California

What ziggykor is right but when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all it depends on how your HDR software is handling the data. If you are using PSE or Photoshop CS4 or later you will a masked layer for each exposure. The part kept viewable is some algorithm that proportions the tones into the number of images you have, i.e. about a third in to each of three if three exposures were used; a fifth if five were used. To see this. Take five and let the software process the five images and take a look at the masking of each layer. Then ask yourself, "if two of these were removed and their masks distributed into the three remaining layers would I lose anything in the process?"

I have shot 3, 5 and even more (all covering the entire dynamic range of the scene) and kind of lean towards five when I am being serious and three if I just don't want clipping.

normanhall Loc: Leslie Missouri

deanna_hg wrote:

quote=ziggykor If you're able to include the full... (show quote)

My understanding on more than 3 is to do it manually.

nikonesian Loc: Midwest USA

deanna_hg wrote:

quote=ziggykor If you're able to include the full... (show quote)

You'll have to tether (via your USB cable) your camera to pc or laptop. I've used this freeware to do it:

http://www.d-software.co.za/index.html

I did it with my D40. Haven't tried it with my D90 yet. Here's my first try...

dlwhawaii Loc: Sunny Wailuku, Hawaii

You can bracket usually + and - 2ev, then do + and - 1ev. You will wind up with a duplicate 0ev, which you can delete. I have found that for action/objects moving, I can make do with one shot and use + and - 1 or 2ev in LR or Sigma Photo Pro and save them as 16 bit TIFF files. Then process with HDR.

heyjoe Loc: cincinnati ohio

i shoot six with my 7d

mainshipper Loc: Hernando, Florida

heyjoe wrote:

i shoot six with my 7d

Manually I assume since it will only allow three.

lexstgo Loc: Houston, TX

normanhall wrote:

I have been doing some reading about hdr and most things i have read is three images is enough to make a great hdr. but i have also heard that 5 or 6 shots make the best. My question is by taking 2 or 3 extra shots do you really pick up that much more tonal information to make a difference?

Has anyone experimented with this?

Normanhall, if you haven't done so yet, go here and follow the tutorial. Trey explains it well: http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/

nikon_jon Loc: Northeast Arkansas

deanna_hg wrote:

quote=ziggykor If you're able to include the full... (show quote)

I use manual mode and a tripod, but of course, the tripod is a given. In manual mode, just leave the shutter speed alone and manually dial the aperture to the underage and overage you want. Of course, you have to be extremely careful not move the camera when you make the changes. And you need a 'real tripod' and not one of those little wimpy toys they sometimes send you when you buy a camera package deal.

wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

How do you shoot more than 3 with your 7d? I've heard there is an add on piece of equipment to do this but have not found it. By the way, under certain lighting conditions I often shoot an HDR image hand held and have been pleased with the results. I'll try to post some later this week.

heyjoe Loc: cincinnati ohio

yes same here but i do move the set (all three)
that keeps the movement down to one time