Understanding HDR

[Playonpics.com]

So, question here, how does HDRing work?
You take 3 or plus photos merge them in software like photomatix... My question is how is it merging them? Is it taking the photo and just taking the good parts of each... lol I'm very fascinated by this, actually amazed would be better. I would like to almost try a Fake HDR photo of a sport player with one of my raws and see the effect...

[megadima]

So, question here, how does HDRing work?
You take 3 or plus photos merge them in software like photomatix... My question is how is it merging them? Is it taking the photo and just taking the good parts of each... lol I'm very fascinated by this, actually amazed would be better. I would like to almost try a Fake HDR photo of a sport player with one of my raws and see the effect...

It is not necessary to have 3 images to create HDR picture, there's filter called Topaz Adjust, with that thing you only need a one photo to create HDR.
I use it a lot and I'm happy with it........but sometimes I also use Photomatix.

[FlyingPhotog]

So, question here, how does HDRing work?
You take 3 or plus photos merge them in software like photomatix... My question is how is it merging them? Is it taking the photo and just taking the good parts of each... lol I'm very fascinated by this, actually amazed would be better. I would like to almost try a Fake HDR photo of a sport player with one of my raws and see the effect...

The Basic Premise:

Take a scale from 1 to 15 with 1 being Black and 15 being White.

Now let's say your camera sensor can only capture 10 of the 15 steps!

If you try and get 1-10, you aren't getting all the whites.
If you try and get 5-15, you aren't getting all the blacks.

HDR takes multiple images (either three different original exposures or one image processed three ways (1 for shadow, 1 for highlight and 1 for the middle) and, in a sense, merges the middle of the scale over the 1-10 and the 5-15 so you get the full 1-15 scale.

Simple! :)

[Playonpics.com]

Okay, so curious, like all things theres a certain camera settings needed. For HDR, do you go with a smaller F stop or bigger? Like sports you want f/2.8 so you get only the player, but when you combine the images does that mess it up? Are you better with a higher number like 12 or so?

[FlyingPhotog]

Okay, so curious, like all things theres a certain camera settings needed. For HDR, do you go with a smaller F stop or bigger? Like sports you want f/2.8 so you get only the player, but when you combine the images does that mess it up? Are you better with a higher number like 12 or so?

You can use whatever f/stop feels right for the scene (small for landscapes, bigger if you need to isolate something) but you need to make sure you don't change that f/stop as you take your bracketed shots.

Change your exposure using the shutter speed so you don't alter the depth of field.

[r.morales]

megadima - thanks for the bit about topaz . I'll probably get at mac show next month

[kirkt]

http://www.hdrlabs.com/tutorials/index.html

[zacker]

be careful, topaz does not make true hdr images... its basically a filter that emulated the Lucis Arts filter.. get something like Photomatix or Dynamic photo HDR.. both are very good programs.

[r.morales]

zacker - thanks thats the kind of feed back I want . I already made myself a note to get the handouts and don't get anything until I read that night .

[zacker]

although i must say, adding a little topaz to an hdr makes it pop even more... i use lucis and it does a great job..

[Mark]

although i must say, adding a little topaz to an hdr makes it pop even more... i use lucis and it does a great job..

I use color efex pro as I could never seem to get the lucis trial to work, but CEP just came up and worked with all images.....

[r.morales]

Thanks , every bit helps - made a note to check on at mac show .

[rustyjaw]

The Basic Premise:

Take a scale from 1 to 15 with 1 being Black and 15 being White.

Now let's say your camera sensor can only capture 10 of the 15 steps!

If you try and get 1-10, you aren't getting all the whites.
If you try and get 5-15, you aren't getting all the blacks.

HDR takes multiple images (either three different original exposures or one image processed three ways (1 for shadow, 1 for highlight and 1 for the middle) and, in a sense, merges the middle of the scale over the 1-10 and the 5-15 so you get the full 1-15 scale.

That's a nice simple explanation, but it only covers the first part of the process. In effect, you have explained what you see when you merge multiple exposures in Photomatix (or Photoshop), and it returns with that first extremely high-contrast image. That image is the complete 1-15 scale HDR (to borrow your analogy), it looks so weird because your screen is unable to show all 15 steps.

That's what 'tonemapping' is for, it is a way to take that full 1-15 image and compress it into, say, the 5-10 range that a typical monitor is capable of displaying.

[r.morales]

So when you get done , if the monitor can't show you , can printer copy / see it / print it ?
---
I have not tried one yet , Had my eye operated on 3 weeks ago , doctor said it will be 1st week in January before he will OK getting new glasses .
That means Feb before I can see good enough to try . Right now everything on computer is size 16 or 18 with Ariel black as font

[rustyjaw]

So when you get done , if the monitor can't show you , can printer copy / see it / print it ?


No, monitors in general have a greater dynamic range than printed material (remember a monitor is a light source, print material gets its color from reflected light only).

[kirkt]

You can view and print a tonemapped HDR. That is the point of tonemapping.

[rustyjaw]

You can view and print a tonemapped HDR. That is the point of tonemapping.

Exactly right. But the question was if your monitor can't show an image because it extends beyond its dynamic range, can a printout show it. The answer is no.

[Tareq]

I will always go with old fashioned way, take 3 or more shots, use photomatix and PS and thats it, i don't want to experiment many softwares, for me still Photomatix is the best HDR tool.

[zincozinco]

but wont you loose the sharpness in an image if you do hdr and i dont align well...

[Tareq]

but wont you loose the sharpness in an image if you do hdr and i dont align well...

ask others, i do my HDR from one RAW file, and i can get sharp results.

[Mark]

but wont you loose the sharpness in an image if you do hdr and i dont align well...

Not sharpness, but you get ghosting...
And that looks real crap and appears to have lost sharpness....

I have found that photomatix aligner is worse than photoshop, so I now always merge in PS and tonemap in photomatix...