First HDR Attempt: Edmonds, WA

This is my first attempt at an HDR picture and i have been struggling all day trying to make one look good. This is +2, 0, and -2 so three exposures. I also shot on Shutter priority...i learned later that aperture priority is better...would shooting on shutter priority have made that big of a difference? I took several pictures this evening down at the beach and all the ones i try don't turn out good at all. I am still also struggling with the whole tonmapping process and have even read online about it and it still didn't help. I also do not know how to reduce the noise in the photographs because I'm not willing to pay for the software or plugins for noise reduction. Please comment on this picture and tell me any tips or suggestions for future attempts. Again, this is my first attempt at an HDR photograph. It looks nothing like the other ones i have seen online :/

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Someone needs to respond...i need help with this whole HDR thing..sorry for the bump.

What software did you use? I sometimes use qtpfsgui, which is free, but most of the time I'm using Photomatix. Whatever program you use, you have to choose between some tonemapping modes (detail enhancer - tone compressor in Photomatix I believe) and have to get the parameters right.

As for noise: If you take 3 or more frames (exposure -2 0 2 or so) your HDR image should be much cleaner than anything coming from a single raw file.

One of the things with HDR is that when you have tone mapped your image, it might look a bit flat. You still have to make some part of your image pop out - and that's what most people forget to do.
So the final step should be some dodging & burning, local desaturation stuff in Photoshop...

If you're not willing to purchase the tools you need then there are things you cannot or will not be able to do.

There's a bit to much blue in the image and not enough contrast.

tiptree: I used photomatix which i have purchased...so crimson..i am willing to purchase things. I also took three exposures +2, 0, and -2. The reason it is so blue is because it was a very gray day...is that the problem? Having it be a gray day might not have allowed a lot of color which is why it might not have turned out right...any other tips/help?

Dirty Murd wrote in post #10867932
tiptree: I used photomatix which i have purchased...so crimson..i am willing to purchase things. I also took three exposures +2, 0, and -2. The reason it is so blue is because it was a very gray day...is that the problem? Having it be a gray day might not have allowed a lot of color which is why it might not have turned out right...any other tips/help?

I'm not sure how much experience you have with post-processing, but when you have a blue color cast (such as during a cloudy / gray day), you can actually adjust the white balance (specifically, adjust the color temperature) to a warmer / yellower color. You can do this in Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw, or Photoshop. This should counter-act the bluish color cast in your photo.

Lightroom & Adobe Camera Raw both have a "White Balance Selector" tool, where you use the dropper, click on an area that should be perfectly gray (ex. 18% gray), and this will automatically adjust the white balance for you for that photo.

Also, I don't know if you already have Lightroom 3 or the newest Adobe Camera Raw, but if you do, the noise reduction sliders actually work very well. You might not need to buy a separate noise reduction software program.

You need to shoot in AV. Make sure you use a tripod and bracketing to prevent camera shake. You really just have to play with the settings. Every picture is different.