# Lighthouse in Michigan! Tips?



## DGMPhotography (Aug 10, 2012)

Hello, 

I'm still a newb but I'm trying my hand at HDR. Can you  tell me what you think/tips? By the way, this is a pseudo HDR because I  don't have a tripod yet to do the multiple exposures thing. 

Thanks!


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## LizardKing (Aug 10, 2012)

I don't know much about HDR, but those are the strongest halos I've seen in my life. Whatever you did, you should have stopped waaaaaaay before it looked like that. 

Now, about the composition, it's usually not flattering when things are distorted like that. The lighthouse's supposed to be straight and you should have probably looked for a viewpoint that didn't make it look like this. Another option, if a different viewpoint wasn't possible, is to correct it in postproduction, but for that you need a lot of room between the borders and the subject, which unfortunately you don't have here.
Keep in mind this distortion in wide lenses gets stronger as you leave the center of the frame.


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## Bynx (Aug 10, 2012)

If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. This isnt an HDR image. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.


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## FanBoy (Aug 10, 2012)

I agree that more thought has to be put into picture composition.

Relating to a similar post on haloing, does anyone have a suggestion to reduce this common effect in HDR where light areas meet dark? I have read that increasing the Light mode more to Maximum in Photomatix can reduce haloing.


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 10, 2012)

LizardKing said:


> I don't know much about HDR, but those are the strongest halos I've seen in my life. Whatever you did, you should have stopped waaaaaaay before it looked like that.
> 
> Now, about the composition, it's usually not flattering when things are distorted like that. The lighthouse's supposed to be straight and you should have probably looked for a viewpoint that didn't make it look like this. Another option, if a different viewpoint wasn't possible, is to correct it in postproduction, but for that you need a lot of room between the borders and the subject, which unfortunately you don't have here.
> Keep in mind this distortion in wide lenses gets stronger as you leave the center of the frame.



Okay, I get the halo thing. There was plenty much nonstop clouds, so the contrast between them and the lighthouse I'm assuming are the main cause for that. But what do you mean the lighthouse is distorted? Why is it "supposed" to be straight? And thanks!


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 10, 2012)

FanBoy said:


> I agree that more thought has to be put into picture composition.
> 
> Relating to a similar post on haloing, does anyone have a suggestion to reduce this common effect in HDR where light areas meet dark? I have read that increasing the Light mode more to Maximum in Photomatix can reduce haloing.



What thought would you have made? I mean, it looks good to me, what do you think is wrong?


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 10, 2012)

Bynx said:


> If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. This isnt an HDR image. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.



Wow, harsh. I'm sorry, I only had a few minutes to get on here and this was my first HDR so I wanted to upload it and just go to bed, didn't have time to read the sticky - I'll read it now though. I have a Nikon D5100 and actually found out it does have an HDR mode. But any of the HDR pictures I took with it looked hardly any different than the ones I took without it, by the way, the software I used is HDRtist, a free program, and I you're right, this isn't a "true" HDR. This is a pseudo HDR, since I did it with just one exposure. Can you tell me where I can get a dependable $5 tripod that is worth trusting to hold up an $800 camera? Thanks!


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 10, 2012)

Bynx said:


> If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. This isnt an HDR image. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.



Also, if YOU read he first sticky at the beginning of the forum, you would see we are not supposed to discuss what "is and isn't" an HDR image. Not gonna report you or anything, just letting you know.


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## that1guy (Aug 11, 2012)

... HALOS ...SMH

practice but first thing you should do before you try another HDR is get a tripod... u can do a handheld but your gonna get handshake 167% of the time


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## LizardKing (Aug 11, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> LizardKing said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know much about HDR, but those are the strongest halos I've seen in my life. Whatever you did, you should have stopped waaaaaaay before it looked like that.
> ...



Of course you have all the freedom in the world to compose an image, and nothing is 'supposed' to be in any particular way... But there are certain things that are hard to 'accept' for a viewer... and when you have things like a lighthouse, which is supposed to be straight, going in a complete diagonal... then it tends to be rejected by viewers. Of course this is just an opinion.

Anyway, I try to speak on behalf of everyone here... And while sometimes some comments might sound hard, they're intended to help you see your errors and get better. We tend not to be very objective when it comes to our work.


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## Derrel (Aug 11, 2012)

I kind of LIKE the extreme keystoning...everything all points to the middle of the frame, and the composition seems good. The haloing is exceptionally strong...I've never seen anything quite that strong, halo-wise. The color palette...that cool blue...I kind of like it. Keep at it. Get a tripod though. Gotta have a tripod if your handle ends in "Photography", ya' know?


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## Mike K (Aug 11, 2012)

Here's one, of several, articles about removing halos. How to Fix halos. How to remove/reduce halos in hdr photography | HDR Photography Giuseppe Sapori Google "eliminate halo hdr" and other combinations of those words.


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 11, 2012)

LizardKing said:


> DGMPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > LizardKing said:
> ...



Haha, well thanks, I didn't know how lighthouses were supposed to be. I actually do have one at a straight angle if you want to see that, I'll upload it later. Thanks for the advice!


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 11, 2012)

Mike K said:


> Here's one, of several, articles about removing halos. How to Fix halos. How to remove/reduce halos in hdr photography | HDR Photography Giuseppe Sapori Google "eliminate halo hdr" and other combinations of those words.



Thanks!!  I'm working with HDRtist though, so there's not many options.


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 11, 2012)

Derrel said:


> I kind of LIKE the extreme keystoning...everything all points to the middle of the frame, and the composition seems good. The haloing is exceptionally strong...I've never seen anything quite that strong, halo-wise. The color palette...that cool blue...I kind of like it. Keep at it. Get a tripod though. Gotta have a tripod if your handle ends in "Photography", ya' know?



Thank you for the nice comment! You're right about the haloing though. True about the tripod, is there one that you would recommend? I don't want to spend a lot of money, I've spent pretty much everything I have on the camera itself!


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## that1guy (Aug 11, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > I kind of LIKE the extreme keystoning...everything all points to the middle of the frame, and the composition seems good. The haloing is exceptionally strong...I've never seen anything quite that strong, halo-wise. The color palette...that cool blue...I kind of like it. Keep at it. Get a tripod though. Gotta have a tripod if your handle ends in "Photography", ya' know?
> ...




honestly youll want to invest in an expensive try-pod after all you are putting some pretty expensive equipment on there.... but if youre budget doesnt allow it ive seen decent tripods at best buy from 40-80$

but if thats too much im sure you can score one from walmart for like 7$


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## zombiemann (Aug 11, 2012)

One thing I haven't seen mentioned (sorry if I missed it) that kind of tripped me up when I first started shooting HDR is use either a remote shutter or at least use the 2 second timer.  Especially if you are using a cheaper tripod.  Mine cost like 20 bucks at Best Buy and it does OK for me.  For longer exposures though, every once in a while I get a slight vibration if I am just hitting the shutter button.  You don't notice it on sunny day pics, but I have noticed it when shooting brackets or longer exposures. Using the remote or 2 second timer lets the tripod be that much more stable when the shutter goes.

Other than the halo that has already been beaten to death I think its a snazzy pic.  I like the cooler/dreary feel to it.  I've never really been to a lighthouse and thought "Wow this is a happy colorful place, it's kinda like disney world" lol


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 11, 2012)

that1guy said:


> DGMPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > Derrel said:
> ...



Thanks!


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 11, 2012)

zombiemann said:


> One thing I haven't seen mentioned (sorry if I missed it) that kind of tripped me up when I first started shooting HDR is use either a remote shutter or at least use the 2 second timer.  Especially if you are using a cheaper tripod.  Mine cost like 20 bucks at Best Buy and it does OK for me.  For longer exposures though, every once in a while I get a slight vibration if I am just hitting the shutter button.  You don't notice it on sunny day pics, but I have noticed it when shooting brackets or longer exposures. Using the remote or 2 second timer lets the tripod be that much more stable when the shutter goes.
> 
> Other than the halo that has already been beaten to death I think its a snazzy pic.  I like the cooler/dreary feel to it.  I've never really been to a lighthouse and thought "Wow this is a happy colorful place, it's kinda like disney world" lol



I was gonna say, yeah, I don't have a remote shutter, but good idea about the timer! With a cheaper tripod that would definitely be necessary! I did some more HDR today which I'm about to post, using bracketing. At first I thought the halo looked kind of cool but now with everybody commenting about it, I realize that's not the case! But thanks!  Hahaha, I suppose it does look kinda disney-ish!


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## Steve5D (Aug 12, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> Bynx said:
> 
> 
> > If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. This isnt an HDR image. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.
> ...



Some here believe they should be the self-proclaimed arbiter of all that is HDR.

They're good for a laugh or two, but there will be others here who'll offer _constructive _criticism...


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## Steve5D (Aug 12, 2012)

Bynx said:


> If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. *This isnt an HDR image*. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.



And if _you _would read the sticky at the beginning of the forum, you'll see that such comments, like the one bolded above, are not permitted.

You should make sure your ducks are in a row before you start criticizing others...


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 12, 2012)

Steve5D said:


> Bynx said:
> 
> 
> > If you cant do it right then dont do it at all. *This isnt an HDR image*. Read the sticky at the beginning of the forum. Most DSLR cameras can do at least 3 auto bracketed shots. Brace yourself against something and just do it. It cant be any worse than you have here. Meanwhile, save your bucks and get a tripod. They go for as little as $5.
> ...



Thanks for sticking up for a newb like me, Steve!! I really appreciate it. I posted the same thing, I read both the stickies and saw that his comment was against the rules as well. I appreciate constructive criticism for sure. Bynx's.... not so much.


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## Steve5D (Aug 12, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> I appreciate constructive criticism for sure. Bynx's.... not so much.



You catch on quick...


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 12, 2012)

Steve5D said:


> DGMPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > I appreciate constructive criticism for sure. Bynx's.... not so much.
> ...



Ha, thanks xD


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## Bynx (Aug 13, 2012)

Sorry for being harsh. But truth is truth. You have a new camera and want to take pictures. Well you NEED A TRIPOD. Your camera is fine to take a single picture hand held and a fast shutter speed. With some experience you might even be able to take 3 automatic bracketed shots with your camera. But to do it right, especially if you need more shots you NEED A TRIPOD. Even a cheap one is better than nothing. And they can be had for $5 from a place like Cash Converters or Kajiji. If you do save for a tripod get a good one. One that will grow along with you and not fall apart. If they cost less than a couple hundred bucks, including head, they fall into the junk category. HDRtist is not the best software to use. You say it was free? Well so is Photomatix, arguably the best HDR software around. Its completely functional except for the watermarks when you save the image. But I see you like watermarks so it shouldnt be a problem for ya. HDR photography software & plugin for Lightroom, Aperture & Photoshop - Tone Mapping, Exposure Fusion & High Dynamic Range Imaging for photography Its also the best software to line up the images that are cockeyed because they were hand held. (...)
By the way, for a first poster if you are trying to create an HDR image, you should know at what point you are so you know where you have to get to. I dont care what the mods say, if its not an HDR image I will say so. If they have a problem with that then they can ban me. When it gets to that point I wouldnt want to be here anyway. Making a piss poor image, then deciding where to put it and coming up with -- Oh I'll call it an HDR seems to be the way things are going here.


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## o hey tyler (Aug 13, 2012)

Bynx said:


> I dont care what the mods say, if its not an HDR image I will say so. *If they have a problem with that then they can ban me.*



It appears to me that they had a problem with it.


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 13, 2012)

man.. things just got real.  I think the intensity of HDR discussions have passed first wedding discussions.


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## manny212 (Aug 13, 2012)

Schwettylens said:
			
		

> man.. things just got real.  I think the intensity of HDR discussions have passed first wedding discussions.



Yep !!! Haha.


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 13, 2012)

Bynx said:


> Sorry for being harsh. But truth is truth. You have a new camera and want to take pictures. Well you NEED A TRIPOD. Your camera is fine to take a single picture hand held and a fast shutter speed. With some experience you might even be able to take 3 automatic bracketed shots with your camera. But to do it right, especially if you need more shots you NEED A TRIPOD. Even a cheap one is better than nothing. And they can be had for $5 from a place like Cash Converters or Kajiji. If you do save for a tripod get a good one. One that will grow along with you and not fall apart. If they cost less than a couple hundred bucks, including head, they fall into the junk category. HDRtist is not the best software to use. You say it was free? Well so is Photomatix, arguably the best HDR software around. Its completely functional except for the watermarks when you save the image. But I see you like watermarks so it shouldnt be a problem for ya. HDR photography software & plugin for Lightroom, Aperture & Photoshop - Tone Mapping, Exposure Fusion & High Dynamic Range Imaging for photography Its also the best software to line up the images that are cockeyed because they were hand held. (...)
> By the way, for a first poster if you are trying to create an HDR image, you should know at what point you are so you know where you have to get to. I dont care what the mods say, if its not an HDR image I will say so. If they have a problem with that then they can ban me. When it gets to that point I wouldnt want to be here anyway. Making a piss poor image, then deciding where to put it and coming up with -- Oh I'll call it an HDR seems to be the way things are going here.



Haha, thanks Bynx! I understand I need a tripod, I know that. I did not know that Photomatix was free. As for watermarks, I like my OWN watermarks, not another's. HDRtist also lines up images by the way. Also, to not get banned, you could have said what you needed to say in a way that wasn't offensive or broke any rules, but you didn't and now you're banned. I'm sorry


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 13, 2012)

o hey tyler said:


> Bynx said:
> 
> 
> > I dont care what the mods say, if its not an HDR image I will say so. *If they have a problem with that then they can ban me.*
> ...



Hahahahahaaaaa excellent!


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## DGMPhotography (Aug 13, 2012)

Schwettylens said:


> man.. things just got real.  I think the intensity of HDR discussions have passed first wedding discussions.



Buncha meanies! Haha ;P


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