HDR Photography

Do you need a special camera/equipment to do HDR photography? Or just a tripod and the software to put it together?

 

You need bracketed exposures and HDR supporting software to create the extended dynamic range images. No other special equipment is necessary other than a camera!

 

Photoshop CS2 can do HDR merges. Here's a link to more info...

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm

 

I have heard of it, but would anyone like to explain to me what this "HDR" is? I have a view friends that love and do all the time, but I don't know the specifics.

Thanks,

John

 

From what I understand, it picks the right exposure for each section.
Let's say you're inside, and shoot both interior and window, you will either get a huge bright white window and correctly exposed interior, or correct window, and underexposed interior.
With HDR, you will get both window adn interior properly exposed.
Kinda neat.

 

Check out this link. You'll have to add the word F L I C K R where it's edited out.
http://******.com/groups/hdr/

 

And here http://backingwinds.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-create-professional-hdr-images.html

here http://fdrtools.com/front_e.php

and here http://hdrsoft.com/

I haven't got into creating HDR images yet but I hope to learn how in the future. Someone recently emailed me the links above.

 

CS2 can do HDR, but it isn't that great. I have heard that CS3 is FAR superior but I havn't had a chance to check it out.

Apparently PhotoMatix and PT Gui are supposed to be incredible.

hope that helps
-Jess

 

a before-and-after HDR comparison for you
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holy crap, I have a ton of pictures I need to do that to!

 

I tried it a few minutes ago. It's about 10 times harder than it seems.

 

I bought a program called Photomatix...it is a little expensive-unless you are a student, then it is only $40.

It is so easy and far superior to CS2

If you get it you basically only need two functions:

Menu bar>HDR>Generate (then you pick the files w/ different exposures that you want to put together) don't worry if it looks like poo-it will look much better after you do the next step.

When that is finished... menu bar>HDR>tone mapping (you will need to buy the plug in for it) if u keep settings at default it looks good, but you can play around with them also.

then viola! You have a beautiful HDR image!

-Jess

p.s. You can download a 2 day trial version of at photomatix.com but it puts a watermark on the image until you buy.

 

Richard, do you use a Hasselblad?

 

How is it superior?

Also, if you know, how does it compare to CS3?

 

I just downloaded the photomatix demo software. I walked outside this evening and did a bracketed handheld shot. Keep in mind I gave no thought to composition and I have not cropped or further edited the photo. I just stood in front of my house and shot, the sun was down and the light was flat. The photomatix software is straight forward, although the process does take a little time.
After doing this one quick first time bracketed to HDR photo I believe that HDR is going to revolutionize photography, it is that significant.
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I should add that when I said the process does take a little time, that was using RAW files. You can do the entire process with jpg files in less than a minute doing only minor tweaking.

 

Wow! can you post the original for comparison Scott?

 

Here are the three bracket photos that I used. (Small jpg here, I used RAW files for the converison).
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Here are three bracketed shots of my living room.
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Here is the photomatrix HDR result.
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I like it! Nice living room too.

 

Wow. That is amazing. Although, I think it kind of is fake art. It is almost becoming too easy to create amazing photographs. No disrespect to any of the HDR photographers, because I think it looks amazing. I just think the level of photography skills needed to do this isn't what it should amount to.

Then again, maybe the exceptional photographers can take it one step further than an average joe.

 

I have thought about that too. My family, many years ago before color photography, had some family portraits colorized. This was a hand process with the person doing it choosing the color, where it went, how much and so on. Guess what that photographer that did the colorizing thought when color film became available to the average guy?
"Takes the talent out of it!!!"

I suppose that has been said about all kinds of different advancements in photography. It used to be you had to have a darkroom in your house to do your own development (which I did in college. My friend and I turned a big closet into a darkroom). Now anybody can have a digital darkroom on their desk.

I think HDR is a great advancement and will change the face of photography. It can't be too long before the digital chips in the camera do the HDR work as you are taking the shot. I would guess less than 5 years.

 

Yep. Definitely something that is difficult to embrace initially.

After seeing what HDR can do, now I REALLY want to get a nice camera.

 

I disagree. The real difference between photographs and photographic art is creativity and, for lack of a better term, vision.

Given top of the line equipment I doubt I could come close to reproducing Ansel Adams' mastery.