HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography (post your images here)

FearTec · 15th April 2006, 10:40 PM

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography: http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/04/13/10-...-tokyo-gotham/

Lets see what OCAU can do, Post your images here.

Rational · 15th April 2006, 10:43 PM

i saw that on digg, defanantly an interesting read (and look)

Ronza · 15th April 2006, 10:49 PM

Ironic, just spent 4 hours today shooting and then post processing my first batch of RAW and HDR images...

Last one proved challenging, don't really like it all that much. Probably not enough cloud/sky to really highlight what HDR does. Also cut too much of the darkness out the bottom of the bridge which defeated the purpose of HDR all together. Most of the HDR images I played with today looked far too flat and washed out without significant contrast adjustments and offset fiddle. About 10-30 minutes worth of post processing to on these shots. Having ~90MB 32-bit files that you can adjust just about everything too is pretty cool. Tripod and remote release is essential too, tried to stitch a bracketed handheld series together and it just doesn't work...Spot the ghostly people in the second image too.

Dunno, HDR is pretty interesting but for landscapes, I think shooting RAW is far better.

akuli · 16th April 2006, 9:34 AM

@ Ronza

Your second photo is getting there especially the centre left area, where the bricklike building is. Will be watching for more attempts. Sadly I don't think I can do this type of photography with my P/S camera, but will give it a go with its simple manual settings.

smakkythecamel · 16th April 2006, 9:54 AM

In the original the sky was really blown, so I merged a bracketed shot and got good exposure all-round.

Admiral · 16th April 2006, 10:14 AM

Photos that have been given the HDR treatment are pickable a mile away, and the effect is horrible as far as i'm concerned.

alexc · 16th April 2006, 10:18 AM

This one's just a test I did in my garden, nothing too fancy. But you can clearly see the detail in the shadow areas of the branches that just wouldnt have been possible without this technique.

Click to view full-sized image!
Hosted by UGBox Image Store

TERRA Operative · 16th April 2006, 10:35 AM

I'll be cranking out a heap of spherical panoramic HDRI's soon. For integrating 3D elements into a movie and vice versa. (Go the Panosaurus!

)
The format I will be using will be .HDI, or Radiance Image File. The bitrates of which will reach the thousands (mmm floating point). They are used to create accurate lighting and reflections in a 3D scene.

Wiki Info for the uninitiated.

Here are a few pictures I created with HDR photographs for lighting and environment mapping.

Click to view full-sized image!

alexc · 16th April 2006, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearTec

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography: http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/04/13/10-...-tokyo-gotham/

Lets see what OCAU can do, Post your images here.

I also took a look at the HDR Flickr pool as well. The trend on there seems to be to make the images look surreal or rendered. The effect isnt too bad in some cases, but it's just so cheap, if you know what I mean - crap shot of a city scape, HDR processing, tweak it a bit - Voila! surreal looking image that makes people go wow.

Some of them are good though - but this is so going to become one of those hideously over used effects.

r00b0y · 16th April 2006, 11:08 AM

That stuff on flickr is just weird, some people there just seem to come up with a weird technique and apply it to everything (did anyone see the 'tilt-shift' or mini-people crap a while ago?).

The Luminous Landscape HDR tutorial shows off an image where it's used really well I reckon.

Quote:

I fully expect to see some really silly if not downright ugly images in the months ahead, as photographers get their copies of Photoshop CS2 and start discovering what the HDR function is capable of.

I've never had much luck getting a good result, mina always end up looking artificial (maybe this is the natural result of having 10-15 stops of dynamic range in a single shot).

pippin88 · 16th April 2006, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Admiral

Photos that have been given the HDR treatment are pickable a mile away, and the effect is horrible as far as i'm concerned.

Same, I tried it and it just gave a crappy flat washed out image.

Manually merging bracketed exposures works much better.

Gibbon · 16th April 2006, 11:42 AM

It's not something that suits every shot. I've seen some that look downright stupid, but it can be a good thing(tm).

I've only tried it a couple of times - a couple in here (with a "before" shot as well):
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh...d.php?t=456028

Manually merging shots gives you more control, but it can be a lot harder to make it look seamless when you have extreme light sources.

oli · 16th April 2006, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Admiral

Photos that have been given the HDR treatment are pickable a mile away, and the effect is horrible as far as i'm concerned.

I agree, but only if people don't do it properly and do it just for the sake of it...

Done properly on some types (landscapes in particular) it can make a huge improvement to the photo.

plasticbastard · 16th April 2006, 3:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Admiral

Photos that have been given the HDR treatment are pickable a mile away, and the effect is horrible as far as i'm concerned.

Thats the great thing about photography. It's as much for you as it is for someone else.

Incidentally, HDR is nothing new, film photographers have been doing it for ages, it's just been made easier with Photoshop CS2 - and as for it being a horrible effect, it's not intended to be an arts tool (though it can be used that way), it's intent is to draw detail out of areas that wouldn't otherwise have had it, and to minimise the blown highlights in images that would otherwise have blown. For that purpose alone it is magnifique (sic).

stevefrost · 16th April 2006, 6:39 PM

Is there some sort of trick to the way the images are shot in the first place ) an underexposed / overexposed ) ?

Is it a simple matter of just blending two or three photos ?

I have just downloaded Photomatix basic to give it a try .... and basically it looks crap.

Steve

15th April 2006, 10:40 PM	#1
FearTec Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: NSW Posts: 2,337	HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography (post your images here) HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography: http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/04/13/10-...-tokyo-gotham/ Lets see what OCAU can do, Post your images here. __________________ Seen my Stolen Items: Canon 350D (S:0710C007[AB]), Dell D820 (S:6WJKL1S), iPod (engraved: simon.fearby.com)

16th April 2006, 9:34 AM	#4
akuli Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: iluka, nsw Posts: 135	@ Ronza Your second photo is getting there especially the centre left area, where the bricklike building is. Will be watching for more attempts. Sadly I don't think I can do this type of photography with my P/S camera, but will give it a go with its simple manual settings. __________________ Do unto others, before they do unto you!

16th April 2006, 9:54 AM	#5
smakkythecamel Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 503	In the original the sky was really blown, so I merged a bracketed shot and got good exposure all-round. __________________ My gallery = http://www.ausphotos.com

16th April 2006, 10:35 AM	#8
TERRA Operative Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Niraikanai Posts: 6,545	I'll be cranking out a heap of spherical panoramic HDRI's soon. For integrating 3D elements into a movie and vice versa. (Go the Panosaurus! ) The format I will be using will be .HDI, or Radiance Image File. The bitrates of which will reach the thousands (mmm floating point). They are used to create accurate lighting and reflections in a 3D scene. Wiki Info for the uninitiated. Here are a few pictures I created with HDR photographs for lighting and environment mapping. Click to view full-sized image! Click to view full-sized image! __________________ I DO NOT support internet filtering!!! Tereno Empireo Rapidmova Reakcii Armeo Check out my Youtube channel! Last edited by TERRA Operative; 16th April 2006 at 10:37 AM. Reason: spleling

16th April 2006, 6:39 PM	#15
stevefrost Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 20	Is there some sort of trick to the way the images are shot in the first place ) an underexposed / overexposed ) ? Is it a simple matter of just blending two or three photos ? I have just downloaded Photomatix basic to give it a try .... and basically it looks crap. Steve __________________ Nikon D70 : Fujitsu Finepix 602Z : ... and some crappy little thing I keep under the bike seat.

15th April 2006, 10:43 PM	#2
Rational Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,489	i saw that on digg, defanantly an interesting read (and look)

15th April 2006, 10:49 PM	#3
Ronza Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 3,159	Ironic, just spent 4 hours today shooting and then post processing my first batch of RAW and HDR images... Last one proved challenging, don't really like it all that much. Probably not enough cloud/sky to really highlight what HDR does. Also cut too much of the darkness out the bottom of the bridge which defeated the purpose of HDR all together. Most of the HDR images I played with today looked far too flat and washed out without significant contrast adjustments and offset fiddle. About 10-30 minutes worth of post processing to on these shots. Having ~90MB 32-bit files that you can adjust just about everything too is pretty cool. Tripod and remote release is essential too, tried to stitch a bracketed handheld series together and it just doesn't work...Spot the ghostly people in the second image too. Dunno, HDR is pretty interesting but for landscapes, I think shooting RAW is far better.

16th April 2006, 10:14 AM	#6
Admiral Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,022	Photos that have been given the HDR treatment are pickable a mile away, and the effect is horrible as far as i'm concerned.

16th April 2006, 10:18 AM	#7
alexc Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mt Dandenong Posts: 1,420	This one's just a test I did in my garden, nothing too fancy. But you can clearly see the detail in the shadow areas of the branches that just wouldnt have been possible without this technique. Click to view full-sized image! Hosted by UGBox Image Store

16th April 2006, 11:42 AM	#12
Gibbon grumpy old man Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: NSW Posts: 5,170	It's not something that suits every shot. I've seen some that look downright stupid, but it can be a good thing(tm). I've only tried it a couple of times - a couple in here (with a "before" shot as well): http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh...d.php?t=456028 Manually merging shots gives you more control, but it can be a lot harder to make it look seamless when you have extreme light sources.