Trying Out HDR - How Am I Doing?

[yankees368]

I'm just getting in to trying out HDR on my camera recently. I'm a little handicapped in that photoshop will not accept RAW images right now, so I have to work HDR in jpg only. How does this look?

[wunaladreamin]

Since you want critique on the HDR, I'll leave the composition out of it. The image is over cooked in the tone mapping (see halos) and really just looks off in general. Most people's first attempts at HDR produce less than desirable results (mine did too), but keep at it and you'll see improvement for sure. What program are you using to generate HDR images?

[gonzalu]

Check out "Stuck In Customs" for some very nice tutorials from someone who is pretty good at it :-)

[DWaviation]

I will also try it..





What do you think?

[yankees368]

Since you want critique on the HDR, I'll leave the composition out of it. The image is over cooked in the tone mapping (see halos) and really just looks off in general. Most people's first attempts at HDR produce less than desirable results (mine did too), but keep at it and you'll see improvement for sure. What program are you using to generate HDR images?

Thanks for the critique. Right now, I'm using Photoshop CS5 (which I can't get to accept RAW files- plug issue) and really just sliding sliders around. I need to take a lesson. Thanks!

[moose135]

I need to take a lesson.

Paging Dr. Miller...

[wunaladreamin]

Try using a program called Photomatix or one called Dynamic Photo HDR. I use the latter and find it easier to use with the desired results, but either one will definitely work a lot better than PS. One thing to notice is your halos around trees and buildings. When halos appear, you've gone a little overboard with tone mapping.

[wunaladreamin]

Dennis, the Washington monument is gorgeous!

[yankees368]

Try using a program called Photomatix or one called Dynamic Photo HDR. I use the latter and find it easier to use with the desired results, but either one will definitely work a lot better than PS. One thing to notice is your halos around trees and buildings. When halos appear, you've gone a little overboard with tone mapping.

Yea, Eric told me that he uses Photomatix. I will have to look in to getting a copy, but that might have to wait a while. It's a shame that Lightroom can't do it natively.
I did go a little nuts with the tone mapping, so next time I will tone it down.

[wunaladreamin]

You can try a trial version of it which will watermark the hell out of your finished product. As I said, look also into Dynamic Photo. It's much cheaper and easier to use with more options. Cameron from Stuck In Customs is a good person to look at, also go to Flickr and look up Kris Kros. Joe taught me everything I know about HDR and he's a good guy as well. His work is genius.

[yankees368]

Will do!

[eric8669]

Check out "Stuck In Customs" for some very nice tutorials from someone who is pretty good at it :-)

yes, go there. TREY is the man when it comes to HDR. I've been following him for some time, Lots of great tips.

[wunaladreamin]

Trey Radcliffe! Eric I stand corrected!

[gonzalu]

Like I said, Trey is da man... I bought a few of his video tutorials and can't wait to attend one of his live seminars... he comes to NY once in a while.. although now that he is moving to New Zealand, we will never see him

[lijk604]

A few quick words of advice to both of you on your HDR's....

1) Just because the strength meter goes to 100% doesn't mean you have to go there. Lowering the strength will help curb the halo's.
2) Tonemapping with Photomatix, by nature, enhances the blue's/purple's in the images. Not sure about the other programs, but you can see that in Dennis's clouds in the monument photo.
3) After you tonemap a photo, bring it back into LR or PS and adjust the color saturation. Usually you have to lower it by at least 10-15%
4) Practice, practice, practice!

These words are not meant to be mean to you guys. Like Kenny said, we all started somewhere, and I know my first HDR's were kind of ghastly compared to what I can produce now. Secondly, but probably MOST important of all...make sure you get the "0" exposure as close to perfect as possible for the main area of your subject. If that exposure on your main subject is too light or too dark, your HDR will look okay, but never, just the way you want it to be.

Either of you guys want to talk about it off-line, PM me and I'd be happy to offer advice/suggestions.