JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Original is with a Sony A6000 and an old Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.4 lens. As taken, the image is rather blah.

Second image is a prep of the original with DxO Optics Pro Elite.

Finally, last image uses the 2nd image and does a one image HDR using NIK's Efex Pro 2. I tried real hard to not overcook and I think I accomplished it. Certainly I like the HDR image better than the original and also the intermediate image.

Original

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Prepped original with DxO Optics Pro Elite

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brent46 Loc: Grand Island, NY

Nice

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

There is a rather interesting glow around the branches and leaves in the upper right hand corner. I took the liberty of reworking this with just some straight processing. Opened the shadows, kept the highlights from blowing out, etc.
--Bob

No HDR

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JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Thank you

I had noticed the glow too. But I am seeing that HDR, when done with restraint, can look quite good. But it is SO EASY to overcook!!!

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

Personally, I'd get rid of the wires & fence....

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

IMO, you succeeded in no overcooking the image! I really like it!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Thank you. I like it too. The non HDR rendition has a different green that I don't find as appealing.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Jim, if your comment about the green was in reference to my illustrative image, the non HDR image was done to illustrate that the shadows can be opened without resorting to HDR, and it's complications, nor blowing highlights. A lot more could be done, such as color adjustment. It's a case of learning how to process a properly exposed image.
--Bob

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I suppose I could load the two images as layers in Photoshop and erase the HDR sky and keep the rest of the HDR image. In doing a number of HDR images, I am liking the rendering of the green. And just using LR or LR plus Photoshop, I can't seem to match. It tends to resemble more the non HDR image.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

As another example of the effect on colors, here is another HDR image. This one was done using 3 images, but the effect is the same. I much prefer the green coloring in the HDR image. And I have tried to match it using normal adjustments, but can't come close.

The first image is the middle image of a set of 3 that were 2 stops on either side.

The 2nd image is the HDR using NIK's HDR Efex Pro 2.

If you compare the green in the grass and tree leaves, I really prefer the coloring of the HDR image. I see this shift over and over again using this HDR program. I have several other HDR programs, including Photomatix, but I like this color that HDR Efex produces. I also see that it did some sharpening too. In looking at Lightroom settings, I see that I did sharpen the original a bit, setting is at 25. But the HDR version that went back to LR had no extra sharpening at all, and the setting is at 0. It all came from HDR Efex Pro 2.

One thing I am finding is that I don't have to do much work with HDR Efex Pro 2 at all. Basically, just making sure that I am not overcooking the result, and I get the richer colors. And it looks like I did not overcook this one. When in Lightroom, I tweak and tweak the colors and exposure plus whites, highlights, shadows, blacks, clarity, vibrance and saturation and never get close to this color.

middle image of HDR stack

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HDR image

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JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

And here is the original HDR that I posted, but I reduced the effect such that the upper right corner didn't have halos.

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CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

Love the second photo, Jim! IMO, it's just right!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Thank you CathyAnn. HDR is tricky and it is soooo easy to slip into the overcooked side. But I am loving the effect on "green" done by NIK's HDR Efex pro 2. I don't get the same effect with the several other HDR programs I have.

But I actually do like the first HDR I posted. Just need to fix the upper right corner.

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

I haven't tried it seriously yet, but your work is inspiring me to do so.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Give it a try CathyAnn. It can really add something to an image.

I am providing another example using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I took an image, touched it up a bit with DxO Optics Pro Elite 11, and then sent it to NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. Again, I am really liking what it is doing to the greens. But as I look at this image, I am still struggling with final color. Somehow, I think it is a bit too blue, and I tried shifting a bit to Yellow, but didn't like it and slid it back.

The 3rd image is another try. Thought that maybe the image looked over sharpened, so added more luminance to soften it, and slid the temperature slide just a bit towards yellow. Not sure if it helped.

The 4th try, I desaturated the yellow just a bit and saturated the red just a bit, and now I think it is closer to what I wanted.

For those new to HDR, it does take some experimenting with sliders to get to the point that you like. In fact, with NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 which I used, I did end up playing with many sliders to get it to this point. There are a number of presets. But I never quite like what I get with presets (many seem to overcook) and have to tweak things around to get what I like.

original - sort of blah image of washed out road

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HDR from single image

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HDR - bit more noise removal to soften it up, and a bit more yellow

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Another try - desaturate the yellow just a bit, then saturated the red just a bit - I think I like this better

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