First attempt at HDR

ok, I setup my camera, a Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xti to take an HDR shot. I missed some very key steps in a prior shot so I think I got it this time.

Three shots....then processed them in Photomatix and then to a .TIF file and now to an 8bit .JPEG

C&C welcome such as, tone mapping issues(improvements), something I missed, something I (Finally) got right or even what I got wrong.

I did get some tree movement due to wind from the storm and a car that drove by on the street in the back, hence the red streak. NOTE I'm not concerned as of yet with the composition rather the correct technique to my HDR work.

I would say that you have the HDR basics in hand. Had you eliminated most of that sky by going to a Landscape orientation, you would have a much better picture. The halo separating sky from everything else is a dead giveaway that some serious post processing has taken place.
Your final product fits nicely on the histogram - a little too nicely. It looks like you are a little low on contrast. That and the lights in the scene strongly suggest that it is dusk.

It would be very interesting to see what you would have to do differently to get rid of the halo, because that has got to go!

Thanks Robert. first there's a halo without any processing. but if I change the smoothing to very low, then maybe that will fix that. yes it was at dusk.

the only adjustment was tone mapping, saturation. but 80-90% of this shot is without post processing. I think a very low smoothing will fix the halo you just love so much. just being sarcastic. but very low would fix it I think.

all post processing work was done in photomatix, an HDR application. I'm getting there Robert...

thanks for the good advice and critique

-Chris

Ok, it was the strength I adjusted. it looks different on so many levels. But I plan to figure this out and get HDR down.

here's a cropped and adjusted version of the same shot(no halo)

You need to figure out where you want to go with your HDR.
Are you looking for a slightly garish effect, over saturated look, or a "real" look? Natural or artificial?

I would not think your image resembles reality, IMHO.
But if this is what you were going for, ya done good.

Wind in the trees doesn't help any.

thanks alot chauncey. Yes, I was trying to just go for a shot that had dynamic range. This way my shot(s) don't look blown out at any level. something that more resembles close as possible what the eye would see. If that doesn't sound too dumb to you.

at the risk of sounding ignorant, I'd say I got just what I was after. Even tones across the shot. I can't see any messed up tones, high's, mids or low (dare I say lows'?)

The primary objective for any HDR work would normally be expected to be the compression of a greater range of tones into the end-use format. However, no one can say that you have to use it for that purpose, even though that is its intended purpose. Many people like the weird side effects without regard to Dynamic Range issues.

Thanks Robert. By compression of a greater range of tones, I can take that to mean more exposures? I have studied some tutorials that recommend 3 shots. some folks who don't have bracketing have to use more exposures.

But I'll redo a new version with the same shots and try to avoid saturation. It's like candy to me. lol

ChristopherJ1968 wrote in post #5518670
Thanks Robert. By compression of a greater range of tones, I can take that to mean more exposures? I have studied some tutorials that recommend 3 shots. some folks who don't have bracketing have to use more exposures.

But I'll redo a new version with the same shots and try to avoid saturation. It's like candy to me. lol

"Compression of a greater range of tones says it all. You really can't explain it much beyond that simple phrase.

In my opinion, HDR (I only use Merge to HDR in PSCS3, so I can only speak about that tool) an HDR product only requires 2, at the most 3, originals. It's not so much an issue of the number of shots - it's more an issue of getting the right exposure on each of the shots that you merge.

Callilng them High, Low and Middle ...
Shoot the High shot for as much exposure as you can give it without clipping. If you have an XTi, the R, G, and B histogram display is perhaps the best way to guarantee no clipping, but be sure that you are as close to clipping as you can be without going over.

Next pick out a portion of the scene with the deepest shadows that you want to be alive in the final product. You are still allowed to have some deep black shadows (no blocking up, though), but there wouldn't be much point to that, would there?

Shoot the (for Low shot) scene at as much exposure as it takes to open up those shadows. You don't want them fogged by over-exposure, but you want detail everywhere in the shadows. Pay no attention to how much overexposure there is in the highlights - that will not be a problem duing the merge.

This shot should look way overexposed.

Now, aim for an exposure half way in between those two shots. This is your Middle shot.

When you merge these three shots you will have everything there is to extract out of that scene, and it will all be squeezed into an 8-bit RGB end product.