Urban Grunge - HDR Portrait

Starfinder: Amazing work. I just visited your galleries, you are talented. IT's not the last time I will visit

Definately changed the picture a lot, but I gotta say that I love it!

One of the best edits i've ever seen, great job. Not to forget the original composition and lighting on your BF which has enabled this all to come together. Very well done.

Are you using a "ring lite"? In the 2nd photo i am unsire if its just a reflection or trick...

I was thinking of buying a ring lite but not sure if its worth it... any oppinions?

So you did it with only one file.... AWESOME!! I have tried overexposing and underexposing the same raw and never got these kind of results.

Dumb question. How are you getting it to a 16 bit tiff file? Are you opening it in photoshop and saving it as a tiff? then from there going to photomatix?

great work BTW

wow, I love this kind of editing and you did an amazing job with it. these are exactly the types of images I would love to take. awesome job!

killerbab wrote in post #3005044
So you did it with only one file.... AWESOME!! I have tried overexposing and underexposing the same raw and never got these kind of results.

Dumb question. How are you getting it to a 16 bit tiff file? Are you opening it in photoshop and saving it as a tiff? then from there going to photomatix?

great work BTW

When converting the RAW file, you click the TIFF 16 bit option instead of JPEG.

Fantastic work...love the ring light you added!

StarFinder wrote in post #3003889
I have v2.2.4, and technically it is not a 'true' HDR, I just use that term because it is best to describe the 'look'. What it actually is is a tone mapped 16-bit .tiff file. And yes I do tweak the tone map settings quite a bit to get the look I want.

Thanks! It's a fun process, I don't do true HDR (although I just use the HDR title since it best describes the 'look'). I use PhotoMatix PRO in conjunction with a ton of Photoshopping to achieve these effects.

the problem with that is that you're propagating the misnomer that the 'heavily tonemapped look' you're talking about is the same as HDR, which is completely wrong, and only confuses people as to the distinction between them.
You can 'tonemap' any image and achieve a similar look, but HDR is a technique involving bracketed exposures to extend the dynamic range beyond what a single exposure is capable to improve highlight/shadow detail.

Duder wrote in post #3007105
the problem with that is that you're propagating the misnomer that the 'heavily tonemapped look' you're talking about is the same as HDR, which is completely wrong, and only confuses people as to the distinction between them.
You can 'tonemap' any image and achieve a similar look, but HDR is a technique involving bracketed exposures to extend the dynamic range beyond what a single exposure is capable to improve highlight/shadow detail.

I am well aware of this, believe me. I am not stupid. I have done true HDRs before so I know the difference, although quite frankly the look of true HDRs never pleased me as much as tone mapping does, hence why I don't do them (it would not be hard at all to make my subject sit for a few bracketted shots, but the end result isn't what I am aiming for).

great job on the editing that is a huge change

StarFinder wrote in post #3007343
I am well aware of this, believe me. I am not stupid. I have done true HDRs before so I know the difference, although quite frankly the look of true HDRs never pleased me as much as tone mapping does, hence why I don't do them (it would not be hard at all to make my subject sit for a few bracketted shots, but the end result isn't what I am aiming for).

that's fair enough, and I'm not doubting your knowledge of photography/post processing techniques, but you've labeled this thread as an 'HDR Portrait', when it's got nothing really to do with HDR, and therefore causes people to believe the 'look' you've created is HDR, when it's not.
This is a photography forum for people to learn about photography and various post processing techniques, so wrongly labelling something means a lot of people, especially beginners, are learning incorrect terms and circulating the fallacy.

Very cool pic. Well done!

"True" HDR or not, I'm stunned.

The edited pictures remind me of something out of a Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) movie.

In order to get HDR's of people in a setting, do I have to take 3 raw shots real quick with the person in the same spot. Or can I take one of them on a tripod, make them leave the frame and then snap a few more exposures??