First steps in HDR, Panoramas

I have recently started using Lightroom (4), having used DPP previously.

I want to start doing some HDR and panorama work (more accurately, I took some bracketed exposures and panorama shots of yesterday's sunrise and want to process them), and realised that LR4 has no built in abilities. Hence some searching regarding plugins, and a rapid information overload ensued . . .

So, can you give me some recommendations for software/plugins for HDR and panoramas, please? If there are parameters that would assist in giving me advice, please fire away!

Are you looking to do an HDR Panorama, or are you looking to do these things seperately?

For HDR, Photomatix is the way to go.

For panorama's, either Hugin, or Microsoft Ice (free!) are both great.

I've had moderately good luck with Photoshop's built-in panorama stitcher. It's not as powerful or flexible as a dedicated tool like Hugin, but it's easy - and if you already have Photoshop, you don't have to futz around with new software. And, it plays really nice with Lightroom.

Another vote for Photomatix

davidmtml wrote in post #16030947
Are you looking to do an HDR Panorama, or are you looking to do these things seperately?

Separately. 2 new skills at once is more than enough, I think!

Thanks.

nathancarter wrote in post #16031061
I've had moderately good luck with Photoshop's built-in panorama stitcher. It's not as powerful or flexible as a dedicated tool like Hugin, but it's easy - and if you already have Photoshop, you don't have to futz around with new software. And, it plays really nice with Lightroom.

I don't have photoshop. Does Hugin work well with Lightroom?

Photomatix and HDR Efex Pro by NIK are the two I like for My HDR work. Lightroom will export the selected bracketed shots in to both the software then save it back into LR when done.

For Panos PTGUi is a great software, a little getting used to but work wonders, and the newest version are able to bracket and stitch, but I never had luck with that feature. Also If you have a Canon, photo stitch should have come with the camera, works decent.

Hugin isn't a plugin. You export TIFF files or whatever you want and then open Hugin and load the images and "align" and wait. You have to click another button to create the panorama, but it's pretty intuitive.

I use AutoPano. It's not a free product, but it's very good. I have the "Giga" version for giga-pixel images.

It does integrate with LR as a plug-in. You can export directly to AutoPano, then stitch.

I've been experimenting with Photomatix and HDR panoramas, it's quite a process.

Thanks for your responses.

I downloaded Hugin and had a quick go (automatic) with a 5 shot series that I shot last week. Results were not good. Alignment issues first and foremost. I'm assuming it's my fault (it usually is), as I didn't take any particular care in levelling - the shots are close, but probably not quite level.

How critical is horizontal alignment of the camera? I know it's important, but how important? I have a tripod with a spirit level (bubble type) in the top plate, a ballhead with a panning base (Markins Q10), and the clamp also has a spirit level (bubble type). Do I need a dedicated pano base to get decent results?

dodgyexposure wrote in post #16049569
Thanks for your responses.

I downloaded Hugin and had a quick go (automatic) with a 5 shot series that I shot last week. Results were not good. Alignment issues first and foremost. I'm assuming it's my fault (it usually is), as I didn't take any particular care in levelling - the shots are close, but probably not quite level.

How critical is horizontal alignment of the camera? I know it's important, but how important? I have a tripod with a spirit level (bubble type) in the top plate, a ballhead with a panning base (Markins Q10), and the clamp also has a spirit level (bubble type). Do I need a dedicated pano base to get decent results?

You really want to get your shots as perfect as possible up front, otherwise you are going to wind up causing stitching errors and making the software work harder to try and fix your mistakes.

A dedicated pano head will allow you to take perfectly level shots, as well as with a perfect fixed amount of rotation per shot with the right amount of overlap.

And also very importantly, a pano head will allow you to move the camera back over the point of rotation at the nodal point of your lens. This will allow you to eliminate parallax, which leads to stitching problems with lines and the like.

I use a Nodal Ninja M2 head. It works great, takes a bit of work at first to get your technique down and determine your nodal points for your lenses and such, but once you know the process you can quickly snap off a pano.

I did this one last weekend, it's 125 images:
http://gigapan.com/gig​apans/132632

Stitching was essentially a few clicks in AutoPano. I had to do basically no corrections.

Ryan0751 wrote in post #16049584
I use a Nodal Ninja M2 head. It works great, takes a bit of work at first to get your technique down and determine your nodal points for your lenses and such, but once you know the process you can quickly snap off a pano.

Hmmm, that's a bit more than I am looking at investing, at this point. My current thinking is much more casual, but who knows, I've been bitten by the bug in other genres, so anything could happen . . .

What is the 'right amount of overlap' between shots?

Ryan0751 wrote in post #16049584
I did this one last weekend, it's 125 images:
http://gigapan.com/gig​apans/132632

Stitching was essentially a few clicks in AutoPano. I had to do basically no corrections.

Nice shot. I can see, from the level of detail, why you need the best setup available.

I was wondering how you managed to deal with people in motion so well. Then I zoomed in, and saw duplicates, presumably from different frames! I guess that is an issue with panos - how do you deal with people in motion on the edge of individual frames?

RE: "Do I need a dedicated pano base to get decent results?" Better equipment no doubt gives better results, but I have no trouble getting good stitching using Elements even with handheld shots -- even handheld smartphone camera shots.

dodgyexposure wrote in post #16049860
Nice shot. I can see, from the level of detail, why you need the best setup available.

I was wondering how you managed to deal with people in motion so well. Then I zoomed in, and saw duplicates, presumably from different frames! I guess that is an issue with panos - how do you deal with people in motion on the edge of individual frames?

I mostly just kind of paid attention once I hit the row where people were. I stopped a few times to wait for people to go by.

If you look though I do have one problem with the wake in the water... But no boat!