# First attempt at HDR



## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

I took a 10 picture series for this HDR and only used 3 of them 2 stops apart.  My first time where I really planned for HDR and even downloded Photomatix.  I'm sure this picture can be improved so I'd love to hear some genuine feedback.

Thanks




The Pier by trbl_2, on Flickr


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## handsomejackuk (Apr 2, 2013)

I dont think you have much HDR effect going on here... you need to over cook it a bit.... just looks like a regular pic to me...


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## Light Guru (Apr 2, 2013)

handsomejackuk said:


> you need to over cook it a bit



ABSOLUTELY DO NOT OVERCOOK HDR IMAGES!  The term "overcooked" is used for a reason.  What happens when you overcook food it becomes dry, burnt and inedible. Same with photos when overcooked they become unnatural, unpleasant and hard to look at. 

Now if your intention BEFORE taking the image was to make it look unnatural, unpleasant and hard to look at. then thats fine but that that should be decided on in the previsualization step before the exposure is taken NOT something that is played around with after the fact because you failed to previsualize.



handsomejackuk said:


> just looks like a regular pic to me



When done WELL an HDR image will look like a regular image.  HDR came about to over come the dynamic range limitations that exist in digital sensors. Today igital sensor are able to capture more dynamic range then in the past so HDR is not needed as much.

This image may not have needed HDR, that's impossible to say without seeing the original normal exposure.


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## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> handsomejackuk said:
> 
> 
> > you need to over cook it a bit
> ...



Here is the original picture




DSC_0015 by trbl_2, on Flickr


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## 480sparky (Apr 2, 2013)

Trblmkr said:


> ....Here is the original picture.  ..........



"The" picture?  There's only one?

In my book, one image does not an HDR make.


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## Pallycow (Apr 2, 2013)

Looks liek the only thing that changed was the bridge and reflection and the halo around it.


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## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

the request was for the "original Normal exposure" so that's what it is.. that's my norm.

Correct Pally.. every time I adjusted it the contrast between the sky, and the distant bank was too far off for me.  I tried to keep it natural looking but bring out more details in the bridge.


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## handsomejackuk (Apr 2, 2013)

for me i think you need to drop the exposure and make it zing a bit get some colour into it.. try altering the colour temperature...

did you take the pics in Raw you can recover loads more detail in raw than in jpgs...??

theres nothing interesting about the water or sky.. they are very bland.. sorry to be critical.....

Maybe if you play about with it in camera raw, you can get more detail in the shadows under the pier structure. can you use some of the over exposed frames to show more detail in the underneath of the pier... or maybe try it again when the sun is out or photshop some colour in it...

sorry :-(


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## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks Hand... I do shoot only in raw so I can always go back and adjust the originals and then try and combine them again.

Nope... they are bland that's why I focused more on the pier, and I do plan on going back out on a sunny day.. It was very cloudy and rainy all day.
I'm here to learn so nobody knocks it out of the park on their first try do they ?!?!


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## Light Guru (Apr 2, 2013)

With this image the original normal exposure definitely has some vary dark shadows, but sometimes that is ok.  In this case i dont mind the shadows because of the dreary sky.  So for me I dont think HDR was needed here


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## cenote (Apr 2, 2013)

I can see a huge improvement between the two, I love the look of the poles in the HDR but I do not care for the two glowing effects around the topside of the dock you ended up with.


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## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

cenote said:


> I can see a huge improvement between the two, I love the look of the poles in the HDR but I do not care for the two glowing effects around the topside of the dock you ended up with.



Is there something in Photomatix to help with the "glow", or is it something I can/should fix in PS?


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## handsomejackuk (Apr 2, 2013)

Trblmkr said:


> Thanks Hand... I do shoot only in raw so I can always go back and adjust the originals and then try and combine them again.
> 
> Nope... they are bland that's why I focused more on the pier, and I do plan on going back out on a sunny day.. It was very cloudy and rainy all day.
> I'm here to learn so nobody knocks it out of the park on their first try do they ?!?!



i have only been doing this hdr for about 3-4 months, and learning every day..I dont mind criticism... it all helps...

every shot is different, and can take a different approach i took loads of pics in a local heritage centre in colour 6 exposures each run through photo matix and they were aweful the main problem was the trains were all painted in real high colour i ended up hours playing around in photomatix to get the pics right in the end i opted for black and white....lesson learnt... try some black and white... save yer files as tiff too in camera raw or whatever you are using.. i usually name them like "pier sky" exposed for sky "pier mid" for mids, and "pier shadow" fro shadows... for instance rather than the number DSC0123455 for example... and you know what you are dealing with then..

if i can help i will...

heres my loco... comments negative and positive i dont care...

View attachment 41011


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## handsomejackuk (Apr 2, 2013)

Trblmkr said:


> cenote said:
> 
> 
> > I can see a huge improvement between the two, I love the look of the poles in the HDR but I do not care for the two glowing effects around the topside of the dock you ended up with.
> ...



check out this bloke he's good...

Beginner mistakes in HDR | HDR One - Online Photography Magazine

the phenomenon is called Halo's and it normally happens between areas of high and low contrast errrrr I think..!!!. 

you can move a   couple of the sliders about or use the exposure fusion option this will give less haloing...

try this too

How to Fix halos. How to remove/reduce halos in hdr photography | HDR Photography Giuseppe Sapori


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## Trblmkr (Apr 2, 2013)

I went back in and played with the presets a bit more and got this one.. Little more dramatic, no ghosting and really makes the Pier stand out.




DSC_0013_5_7_tonemapped by trbl_2, on Flickr

yes, I only have a trial version of the software


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## nonamexx (Apr 2, 2013)

Trblmkr said:


> I went back in and played with the presets a bit more and got this one.. Little more dramatic, no ghosting and really makes the Pier stand out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks much better than the first attempt. Nicely done.


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## handsomejackuk (Apr 3, 2013)

dont like the photomatix watermarks though


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