Photography
Related: About this forumThe June Competiton Theme is HDR Images.
I will post a submission thread about June 12th. Use this time to go out and shoot or rummage through your images to find "that shot." Any subject matter is appropriate as long as the image is an HDR image.
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. To create an HDR image, one must take multiple shots of the same scene at different f stops and use the appropriate software to combine all shots into one final image.
To learn more, I would invite you to go to http://www.hdrsoft.com/ which is one of the vendors of HDR software. In addition Adobe Photoshop and NIK Software market software for HDR processing.
Use of Photoshop or other computer image manipulation is also encouraged. All the general rules for past competitions will apply.
To see some examples of very good HDR images go to: http://www.hdrsoft.com/gallery/index.php
handmade34
(22,756 posts)Pharaoh
(8,209 posts)I can't believe your going to get many of those ........
Mira
(22,380 posts)watching this contest unfold.
In general I'm open to learning new things. In particular I am not fond of most of the images that are done this way, and consider many of them contrived. Many look to me more like forced "creations" than photographs as I understand the basic medium.
But then, that's just my taste, and I'm open to have my mind changed or my horizon widened which is why I am going to be watching with interest.
Since I barely understand the process and have never done it I am all but positive that my first efforts won't be submittable
As I understand it I need to buy software to do this?!
handmade34
(22,756 posts)some discussion http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/38543673
http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net
etc, etc...
Mira
(22,380 posts)Live and learn
handmade34
(22,756 posts)groundloop
(11,519 posts)Many of the examples of HDR I've seen include a sky full of clouds and landscape (pasture, mountains, building, etc.) that is all bright and cheery looking. That just doesn't feel right to me when viewing those images.
a la izquierda
(11,795 posts)Neat concept, but well beyond my abilities.
PuppyBismark
(594 posts)If you have a fairly new version of Photoshop, you have the tool to do it. It requires a camera that can bracket exposures and you should use a tripod. Follow the tutorials in http://www.hdrsoft.com/ to learn more about it.
I would like to know who plans to enter. If we don't get any interest, I can change the topic.
Regards,
PuppyBismark.
a la izquierda
(11,795 posts)I think I'll try to figure this out.
Mira
(22,380 posts)I am looking at clouds etc. with the idea of giving it a try. It's step one.
rdking647
(5,113 posts)MattSh
(3,714 posts)ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)There are two sides to the HDR world: (1) those looking to create realistic looking images, and (2) those wanting to create the grungy and/or artistic images. The problem usually comes in where folks in camp 2 were trying for camp 1.
Note: The output of the HDR software is the input to the rest of the post-processing work-flow.
Slight correction on the "how-to". Changing the f-stop is bad in that it messes up the depth of field between the shots. You want to change the shutter speeds instead.
Crepuscular
(1,057 posts)that this was way past my pay grade, never done anything along these lines before and I was planning to sit this one out but then I decided, what the heck, I'll break out of my curmudgeonly shell and give it a whirl. First lesson learned is that using a tripod will be essential, otherwise the final image is going to end up slightly blurry. Using some free software I gave it a shot but I'm pretty unimpressed with my initial attempt. Going to be big learning curve I suspect but sometimes it worth getting out of a rut and trying something new.
Hopefully things will improve with more practice.
rdking647
(5,113 posts)one hint is shoot wide angle,and if you camera allows it set the moto drive for high speed continous mode to reel off the shots in a hurry
handmade34
(22,756 posts)I haven't found anything that works for me yet... Luminance tended to reduce my pixels which made it impossible to use... I am re-installing Photoshop on my PC so maybe that will work
rdking647
(5,113 posts)i have it and hde efex by nix labs. I much prefer hdr efex
Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)for a variety of reasons but mostly for the control points.
groundloop
(11,519 posts)After combining the developed images using GIMP, photoshop, etc. of course.
ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)alfredo
(60,074 posts)Last edited Sun Jun 2, 2013, 11:57 PM - Edit history (1)
I have found a bit of free software called, HDRist (for OSX). I that does a better job of HDR. I then export it to GIMP for touchups.
handmade34
(22,756 posts)Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 05:56 PM - Edit history (1)
having serious troubles getting Photoshop (my PC is failing) downloaded the free Photomatix (leaves a watermark but just to play; no matter) and playing... took a quick photo (3 to be exact) from my front door
(alas, my beloved Elm is dead )
without processing
[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
HDR with processing
[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
OK, so I finally got Photoshop to work and processed same photos in HDR... the product
[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
rdking647
(5,113 posts)it can make a good shot great (or make a great shot shit)
when im shooting landscape id gues si shoot 70-70% of them planning on HDR,and then i see which will really benefit from it after i download them
Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)Unfortunately I see too many that use it like glitter on a pig, with completely overcooked results.
alfredo
(60,074 posts)Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)not necessarily for recovery but as part of a preemptive strike. I know I'll be in HDR land when I can see that a shot has to be bracketed but even then I don't see HDR as a one button, final solution but part of the workflow that will be a layer of the final image.
alfredo
(60,074 posts)why bother with making it HDR?
Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)I tend to use it as a layer and brush it in at certain opacities in areas where I want to pop a bit more detail. At the end of the day you really can't tell that I ever used it, it's a little smidgen of salt to the plate, I don't pour the whole shaker on it like most people do.
alfredo
(60,074 posts)I just now darkened a sky using that technique. I put the neutral over a dark and "erased" the lighter sky at about 20% opacity. I need to practice, but I see how it can be useful.
Solly Mack
(90,767 posts)I don't expect my results to be all that great. I'm not very good at it.
Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)That might be a good thing, LOL. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that subtle isn't going to win the day with this competition, just go for it.
Solly Mack
(90,767 posts)I'm thinking about posting some of my efforts...but I dunno. lol
alfredo
(60,074 posts)Mz Pip
(27,445 posts)So far I've manage to create 2 pieces. Subtle they are not. My first couple of attempts were pretty ghastly. I left the manual at home and am hacking my way though it.
I might just go with an over the top outlandish piece just for the heck of it.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)I've got too much to do with my vacation photos, not to mention finishing the house stuff, plus I'm not really a fan of HDR. It'll be fun to see what the rest of you do.
handmade34
(22,756 posts)would love to see Sitka in HDR
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)I can't do it. I didn't shoot RAW images and I didn't do three different exposures of each. It's just not my thing. But, as I said, it will be fun to see what everyone else does.
edbermac
(15,939 posts)Looks too fake to me, I would be very subtle if I used it, to the point that it wouldn't look like an HDR image.
groundloop
(11,519 posts)The image I'm working on which I think I might submit probably won't stand out as being anything other than a normal photo.
It sure is taking a lot of time to do what I thought was going to be a simple image though. Oh well, I have an excuse to play with something I've only done a few times before.
If it looks fake, you better keep practicing.
dballance
(5,756 posts)Here are some links to HDR software reviews and a link to free software. I downloaded Luminance HDR since it's free. I haven't had time yet to go out with the tripod and take photos. My Nikon D40 doesn't do auto-bracketing so whatever I end up using will need to be able to do alignment adjustments. That's probably the case for most of us.
Free software (my favorite kind):
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-high-dynamic-range-hdr-software.htm#Quick_Selection_Guide
Reviews of other software:
http://captainkimo.com/hdr-software-review-comparison/
http://www.hdrlabs.com/tools/links.html
Mz Pip
(27,445 posts)At least it says it does. I'll have to figure this out. I've played around with it some with my Canon and Photoshop. I'm willing to give it a try again.
dballance
(5,756 posts)The NIK collection looks pretty dang good. I watched the intro video on YouTube (an hour long) that covered all six tools. Neat stuff for not too bad a price.
Bridge Crossing Columbia River between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA and dock on the OR side. WA is in the distance.
This is 0 photo, or the middle one of all the exposures. What the auto on the camera did.
Richard D
(8,754 posts)I personally love using HDR. Glad to see a contest around it.
A horribly overused and abused technique that when done with subtlety can make some great images.
Celebration
(15,812 posts)But I have lots of family in town visiting, and I am up to my ears in diapers, LOL. I did just download some free software, though. I don't like overprocessed HDR at all but I will try anything to improve landscapes. So I like the theme, and would learn this but for my situation this particular month. Can't wait to see the results!
Solly Mack
(90,767 posts)Earth_First
(14,910 posts)I'm sitting this one out but boy am I excited to see what eveyone came up with!
Good luck! I cannot wait!
Max-Charles
(1 post)Google is no longer investing money into NIK development, so I consider this photo editor dead. Personally I prefer [link:https://aurorahdr.com/|for processing HDR images. However, before finding this software I used to edit pics in Machinery HDR.