Show us your best HDR photos

[Epix]

Let see some of your best HDR photos. For each example give some information about the photo such as:

Aperture:
Shutter:
ISO:
AEB or Manual:
# of Exposures (and +/- increments):
RAW or jpeg capture:
Software used to create final image:

[Corejonp1]

Ok, since I'm the new resident forum new guy. What is HDR. I am assuming it is done with PP. (see..I am learning the jargon.).

[davesrose]

All my HDR photos are HDR lightmaps for 3D. Occasionally I've done bracketed exposures for something I know I'd get blown highlights or lack of tone.

HDR stands for high dynamic range. It's an intensity range that's greater then what your normal RGB range can capture (which is 8bpc, 256 shades of tone). A full HDR image can get up to 32bpc (or 4.29 trillion shades). A digital camera gets up to a maximum of about 12bpc on one exposure (or 4096:1....normally at ISO100). B&W film got up to 20 stops worth of exposure, but could still be limited if you had a scene that had extreme light sources with dark shadows. 32bpc formats were invented to get a full representation of all visible light.

HDR is a bit of a misnomer with photography, as you're taking several bracketed exposures, combining them all to get a file that's a higher range then what your 8bpc colorspace can show, and then applying an algorithm or hand manipulating them to take advantage of a higher range then what a computer monitor can normally show (known as tonemapping). A lightmap is a RAW HDR file that keeps the whole exposure range that you had taken with bracketed exposures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm

[Epix]

Ok, since I'm the new resident forum new guy. What is HDR. I am assuming it is done with PP. (see..I am learning the jargon.).
Basically, it's the concept that real world scenes contain too much dynamic range (the difference between the darkest dark and the whitest white) for a camera to pick up with a single photo. The idea is to take multiple photos, some underexposed to pick up the highlights (whites) and some overexposed to pick up the shadows (darks). You can then merge all the exposures together in software to create a single High Dynamic Range image. Here's an example:

Underexposed: (-1)
http://www.motleypixel.com/public/hdr_2.jpg

Normal Exposure (+0):

http://www.motleypixel.com/public/hdr_1.jpg

Over Exposed (+1):
http://www.motleypixel.com/public/hdr_3.jpg

Final HDR Image:
http://www.motleypixel.com/public/hdr_4_1.jpg

[Corejonp1]

How do you do this, do you just go into photoshop, and overlay the images, lol, I'm better there is a lot more to it then that. What software is good for this, also, whats the rule of thumb (or is there one) for how much to under expose, and over expose? Thanks!

I can really tell the differance in the final product, looks much better than any of the origionals.

[AirBrontosaurus]

A whole thread devoted to it!
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=3866295#post3866295

;)

[Epix]

A whole thread devoted to it!
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=3866295#post3866295

;)Oops, didn't see that thread. Thanks!

[Corejonp1]

I just read the entire thread - some amazing pictures. I think for me, I'm gonna worry about getting good looking pictures first, learning the camera and all that. But there is no way I'm staying away from HDR, I'm sorry, those pictures just look too good! Can't wait to get the camera and start taking pictures.

Epix - I read about the program Photomatrix, is that what you use. Also, I dont want to confuse myself, first you use the software to combine the 3 (or more) images. Then you tone map them? From what I have read, and understand (quick learner, but don't want to learn something wrong - it does have its draw backs....I assume too much sometimes) you tone map the outcome of the combination process because the computer monitor can not display that full a scale of colors and/or the human eye can't interpret them? Am I close?

I just want to say I'm a big fan of how that building looks - Architecture nut here! The reflection off the windows looks awesome!

[Epix]

I just read the entire thread - some amazing pictures. I think for me, I'm gonna worry about getting good looking pictures first, learning the camera and all that. But there is no way I'm staying away from HDR, I'm sorry, those pictures just look too good! Can't wait to get the camera and start taking pictures.

Epix - I read about the program Photomatrix, is that what you use. Also, I dont want to confuse myself, first you use the software to combine the 3 (or more) images. Then you tone map them? From what I have read, and understand (quick learner, but don't want to learn something wrong - it does have its draw backs....I assume too much sometimes) you tone map the outcome of the combination process because the computer monitor can not display that full a scale of colors and/or the human eye can't interpret them? Am I close?Basically the combined image has 32 bits per channel (color) which is much higher than a monitor can display. The human eye could decipher that many colors, however, if we had a monitor that could show them to us.

[Corejonp1]

So you tone the colors down so it can show up on a computer, but what if you combined the 3 or so pictures, and didnt tone map them, would they look bad on the screen, also, what if you printed it out, would it look good to you or I because we can see the full colors, or would we be running into limitations by printers? Or is it overkill? Sorry for all the questions.

You know, If anyone else after me is interested in more info, just reading the tutorial on the Photomatrix site helps - kinda makes things clearer.

[ipschoser1]

Here are a few of my HDR shots...

Backlit 1907 Atlantic Coast Line RR bridge.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1208/1346611213_fd2636853b.jpg

90 foot coke wharf.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2051755428_ddb1a264cb.jpg

1889 industrial power building.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/1783694437_c5c98ad79d.jpg

Light HDR work on this shot of a smokestack at a 1952 vintage by-products plant.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/2050970761_f985b40ec5.jpg

Blast furnace skip hoist.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1075/1347499400_641e0f9246.jpg

[Tdragone]

Search for posts by Duder as well.

[AirBrontosaurus]

Search for posts by Duder as well.

And prepare to have your mind blown!

[cpd23]

This is my first one.

http://www.goadphotography.com/web/camp-web.jpg

[squashed]

And prepare to have your mind blown!

Duder's HDR's are incredible.

[chakalakasp]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/88/251042454_5a2ba40820.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/371569929_a9a43a18b0.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/2118644909_12454d634a_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/88/251654419_9da54b25de_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/269797769_666ae16ca7_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/92/269652449_a605fc7440_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/251654412_ffb7ee3b5b_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/251047033_a041c24d34_o.jpg

These were all created with Photoshop CS2 or CS3, with the exception of the first two, which were created with Photomatix (with all the tonemapping set to the lowest possible settings.) Canon 20D; usually at least 5 exposures, often up to 12 exposures at 1 stop increments.