I have been working with my photos in my editing program on HDR exposure merging. I am not sure I am doing it right. Here are a few photos that I have worked on. Please let me know if I am at least on the right track... Any help is appreciated very much... Thanks
Lmarc
Loc: Ojojona, Honduras
What program are you using for HDR?
I think you're doing it right. I really like the last one!
I am using Paintshop pro 4...
Adubin
Loc: Indialantic, Florida
Firelady, I think it would help to post the normal expose photo so we can compare it against your HDR processed one. Also what are you looking to get out of your post photo. ie improve the tonal range in the highlight and shadow areas, increase the details in your photo, over saturate, give a surreal look, etc. I hope this helps, Arnold
Thanks. Here are the originals. Im not sure what I expect from HDR. I was just messing around to see what I could come up with.
Your enhancements are amazing! How did you get the effect on the first one?
Firelady, It appears to me that you are doing HDR on a single image as opposed to a series of bracketed exposures. That is ok as a technique for a certain kind of funky look but it isn't really HDR. HDR is best accomplished using 3 or more exposures that are bracketed to allow all the areas to be exposed properly, these are then stacked by any of several software programs and made to be a single image. I use Photmatix Pro and HDR Expose along with Photoshop. All work well each has its quirks and good points. There are many online tutorials which will go into great detail and explain all the fine points of doing great HDR images, just google HDR and have fun.
Firelady:
Just playing around with your first pic.
What do you think?
Landschaft Mahler wrote:
Firelady, It appears to me that you are doing HDR on a single image as opposed to a series of bracketed exposures. That is ok as a technique for a certain kind of funky look but it isn't really HDR. HDR is best accomplished using 3 or more exposures that are bracketed to allow all the areas to be exposed properly, these are then stacked by any of several software programs and made to be a single image. I use Photmatix Pro and HDR Expose along with Photoshop. All work well each has its quirks and good points. There are many online tutorials which will go into great detail and explain all the fine points of doing great HDR images, just google HDR and have fun.
Firelady, It appears to me that you are doing HDR ... (
show quote)
True . . .
if you are working with just a single image JPEG, then you are missing out on what HDR can really do for your images if you shoot bracketed or RAW. The closest programs (plug-ins, really) for "single-image HDR" are Topaz's Adjust and DCE's ReDynaMix
Here is an example of Adjust's results.
I think you've done an awesome job. I would recommend trying the exposure bracketing feature of your camera (if it has one) and see what results you can get doing the tone blending with 3 (or more) exposures. I think if you can do as well as you have with only one exposure, results will be superb with more tones (in more images).
Good luck.
Adubin
Loc: Indialantic, Florida
Firelady, I see a big difference from your initial image/s to your final ones. You made a suggnificant change in the overall tonal range of these photos. My bigest question now, are you using only one photo or 3 more to make your final HDR image? Also what tools/applications are using to make your HDR image. Arnold
Adubin wrote:
. . . Also what tools/applications are using to make your HDR image. Arnold . . .
She mentioned this above: Paintshop pro 4
I have used HDR with both bracketed exposures and single images. I didn't see a huge difference between using just one image versus three of different exposures but that may have been due to ignorance. Even though the the HDR processed image may lack a realistic look it certainly adds drama. I have some examples of single images boosted by HDR. It feels like cheating but I gotta say I like it a lot.
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