Hi,

I've been messing around with taking some HDR shots (google if unsure)...

let me know what you think :thumb: (fatal last words)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_ScoobHDR3-edit1.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_ScoobCoupeV1-edit1-web.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_AstraEstate2-web.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_ScoobCoupeV2-edit1-web.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_AstraEstate1-edit1-web.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_CoupeStraight-on-HDR-v2-edi1-web.jpg

+ non car stuff !!

POT OF GOLD
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_Brancaster1-web.jpg


ALIEN RISING
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_Brancaster2-colouredit-web.jpg

Stunning! The blue is absolutely awesome. Nice angles on the shots too, HDR is not something I have tried yet but seeing these make me want to give it a go.

I don't know what you have used to create them, but you have some terrible effects showing around the egdes where it has tried to make the exposures match.

The beach ones look unrealistic IMO, almost like water colours. I don't know whether the sun is intentionally like that or not, but it looks bad.

I'm not trying to shoot you down, just what I see, and I sympathise because I have tried HDR and it's very very hard to get right. Too hard for me in fact!

I usually end up using layers in PS as the HDR function is lacking, and Photmatix Pro was marginally better, but still didn't give a realistic look.

Keep trying though, and if you crack it, let me know how you did it! :thumb:

Geezer

cheers and ... cheers


To be fair I agree the bottom 2 do look like water colours which was intentional and yes the sun was intentional seems like it's a taste thing and I did use photomatix pro as couldn't get on with the CS3.

You correct in the reason of the effects but I actually like it and I'm sure you could photoshop layer it to get rid of it alltogether. You can also increase the exposure smoothing but that then drops the overall affect. HDR photography is kind of marmite anyway for the most part as it does give an artificial look to any image.

I'll put up an example with increasing/decreased light smoothing.

Original Image
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/DSC_0114-web.jpg


Very Quick HDR with smoother lighting
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/HDRtest1-web.jpg


My prefered image with light (or minimal) light smoothing
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/WM_AstraEstate1-edit1-web.jpg


Clearly the third image doesn't look natural but then HDR images don't look natural ever do they ... well none I've seen. (note: I'll take that back but only if the HDR effect is reduced - ie the more "HDR" the less natural it looks)

This is the Original of my Watercolour shots ..... looks fairly watercolour ish anyway.
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk104/PantsUK/DSC_0105.jpg

I think your Marmite comment is spot on. There's some very good HDR stuff about, and it often looks unnatural, which of course it is.
You can use HDs for example for building interiors, so you can see out of the window without it burning out, so it can be useful, but normally I think it's just another technique to creat images (art of you will), which will always be a matter of taste.

Personnally I hate Vauxhals with a passion, so I can't possibly like those pics, but good on you for playing with it.

I haven't had good results on the couple I've tried on CS3 - got better results using Curves, but if wanted to merge shots I usually just shoot +/- 2 stops (or spot meter if I have time), and blend the layers with masking. THat's that only way to have total control (and I'm a control freak!).

lol @ Vauxhall comment. I've always liked them in fact my first car was a mk3 1.6 premier (will little footballs on the side ooooo yeah ) the nicer coupe is my mates the estate is our new family wagon and bloody good it is to especially for the 1600 it cost us.

I think you are totally spot on with the art comment thankfully peoples taste vary hence we have variety.

I'm sure there is a manual way of doing this but photomatix is easy once you understand the basics of using it (+ it can easily compensate for small movements etc etc).... worth checking out and you can download the trial for free. I've got CS3 but prefer this.

Not sure why HDR technique is necessary if all you want to do is darken a clear blue sky.
Polarising filter?

If you want to see a master's work, see Cambridge in Colour - Digital Photography Tutorials & Gallery (http://www.cambridgeincolour.com)

Richard.

Don't like *most* HDR as they give this fake effect. Done well its a good effect.

This guy is good at them as well.
Vanilla Days : HDR Tutorial: How to create ‘High Dynamic Range’ images using Photomatix (http://www.vanilladays.com/hdr-guide/)

Not sure why HDR technique is necessary if all you want to do is darken a clear blue sky.
Polarising filter?

If you want to see a master's work, see Cambridge in Colour - Digital Photography Tutorials & Gallery (http://www.cambridgeincolour.com)

Richard.

That's not what HDR does go google it !

Don't like *most* HDR as they give this fake effect. Done well its a good effect.

This guy is good at them as well.
Vanilla Days : HDR Tutorial: How to create ‘High Dynamic Range’ images using Photomatix (http://www.vanilladays.com/hdr-guide/)

I agree he's awesome ... don't look natural but great "art" imho.

That's not what HDR does go google it !

High Dynamic Range? I don't need to google that thank you. I was merely suggesting that it was maybe not necessary in the instances you have shown which look a bit artifical. But each to their own :)

IMHO a polarising filter, or grad, and maybe a bit of Photoshop tweaking would have given a better result. Apologies, no offence intended.

Richard.

Well I use HDR and tonemapping quite a bit. I find particularly in situations of extreme contrasts that it helps create a fair fist of what the eye sees as opposed to what the camera can manage. Like all post processing you can go too far but used sparingly it's okay. I am quite pleased with is one for instance

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/bilposter/IMG_6065-01_3-01_4-01small.jpg

excellent shot mate awesome.

To be fair I know there are some pro's and highly skilled amateurs on this forum but I'm not one of them. Some of my friends never post pictures on here because they always get a load of critisism. My shots aren't perfect just thought I'd share them hopefully some will like and some may well not no problems so be it.

Of course HDR or any other type of post process relys on a good picture/subject to start with but HDR can IMHO turn a bland picture into something more special. I'm completely sure you can do everthing in CS3 but frankly as an occasional tinkler with photography I really can't be arsed to fully understand it. My father who is a fantastic arstist and before retirement a computer engineer has been using photoshop for years and he's still learning... I work ... :lol1:

joni - fanatastic! That really looks great....

PantsUK - I'm sorry, but your username is a fair summary of your 'HDR' images... In my opinion they're not HDR they're a mess. I'm not sure quite what you're doing to get them looking so un-natural... even with the odd bit of HDR processing that I've done with Photomatix Pro I've managed to get images that still look vaguely real, yours are all glowing and massively saturated! An HDR image of the first shot you posted would have shadow detail - yours appears to have none...

A little harsh, possibly... but honestly I have to scroll past your images as they just hurt!

DN

DN, that criticism is a bit OTT, its no wonder Pants' friends don't post on here if thats the response they may expect - a little harsh is an understatement.

HDR is a technique that can produce a range of results from attractive through stunning to bizarre, but ultimately is still relies on the original image and the exposure range (either by auto bracketing, or RAW adaptation) to produce the final image. Its no different in that respect to any other aspect of photography.

It may make a good photograph stunning, but it won't make a poor photograph great. I'm not in any way knocking the actual image content Pants' photos, but I didn't recognise them as being HDR images, because of the featureless sky and lack of the extended tonal range. They looked to me as though the burn tool/and or levels had been used extensively.

Its necessary to differentiate between a saturated/contrasty image rather than a HDR. I've tried it with some of my images and they looked absolute cr@p, only one looked as though it was HDR - and that wasn't great. Joni's pic is superb, and a great example of tone mapping and HDR - without looking unrealistic .... it looks like very clever use of grads/polarizers and zone metering.

Its something I'll think about experimenting with at some point, but its probably fair to say that to get the best results its a technique you have to decide to use at the point of pressing the shutter and make sure that you have the original files (whether RAW or jpeg) to work with from the start, rather than try to manipulate a failed pic (in terms of exposure and tone) later.

Gareth

hahah this thread has made me laugh.

Seriously Dr No if my initial attempts at HDR offended you then I suggest you need to get the fk over yourself.

I'll repeat myself ... I was looking for advice but frankly Dr No's post is a complete example of the absolute dick heads that exist on this subsection and stop many other regular forum members posting.

FK Sake this is not a photography forum it's a subaru forum with a photgraphy subsection DR NO and a few others really need to get themselves some friends and lives (as I assume they have neither), critisism is one thing (something I am more than happy to welcome as it will help me improve) but just slaggin for the sake of it just makes you rather than me look a complete wanker.

I go to a lot of shows and I'd be delighted if you said something like this to my face - I doubt very much that would happen as unless you're looking to make enemies that's just not the way you talk to people.

---feel free to respond but I doubt I'll be posting in here again as there are many other places I will get some helpful feedback from without this "my knob's bigger than yours" attitude some on here have-----

LOL - PantsUK - Your original post says "Let me know what you think"... which I've done!

Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear, but those images just aren't HDR...

.... and DO hurt.

Now take that adverse criticism and go and have another go!

Some questions to start with, that may help determine what's going on here. You're losing dynamic range rather than gaining it, from what I can see, so something funny is happening. Let's start with some basics:

1. Are you using JPG or RAW files to start with?
2. How many bracketed images are you using to produce your HDR?

If they're not too big, can you post the source images for the Scooby shot - so that I can see what can be done???

Come on... let's make up!

DN

hahah this thread has made me laugh.

Seriously Dr No if my initial attempts at HDR offended you then I suggest you need to get the fk over yourself.

I'll repeat myself ... I was looking for advice but frankly Dr No's post is a complete example of the absolute dick heads that exist on this subsection and stop many other regular forum members posting.

FK Sake this is not a photography forum it's a subaru forum with a photgraphy subsection DR NO and a few others really need to get themselves some friends and lives (as I assume they have neither), critisism is one thing (something I am more than happy to welcome as it will help me improve) but just slaggin for the sake of it just makes you rather than me look a complete wanker.

I go to a lot of shows and I'd be delighted if you said something like this to my face - I doubt very much that would happen as unless you're looking to make enemies that's just not the way you talk to people.

---feel free to respond but I doubt I'll be posting in here again as there are many other places I will get some helpful feedback from without this "my knob's bigger than yours" attitude some on here have-----
you have pm:mad::brickwall

joni super shot there. I like HDR but when its a bit over processed it just doesn't look real.