# First HDR



## jensgt (Nov 21, 2009)

Hey guys, I am new here...just messing with HDR.  New to it and am using Photoshop to change the exposure of some pictures I already had...and then using photomax to do that HDR.  I have done a bunch that ended up looking terrible then one...right off the bat it looked good.  Guess I got lucky,,,but figured I would share and see what you all think.,..


Original Image...








HDR Image


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## Atlas77 (Nov 21, 2009)

In my eyes the HDR is way over processed.

edit: YAY! 300th post! :smileys:


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## Brick (Nov 22, 2009)

Looks a little heavy on the Light Smoothing to me.  I rarely put it lower than 1, otherwise you get the halo effect (the light area of the sky right above the trees).


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## jensgt (Nov 22, 2009)

HDR


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## ecnal (Nov 22, 2009)

Wow! Looks great. The sky and top of buildings is a tiny bit dark. I'm guessing you only have the Photomatix trial?


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## Inst!nct (Nov 23, 2009)

Hum, the second hdr looks better, but HDR, as most people are going to say, should look like a properly exposed picture, not one that seemed to have been tampered with if you catch my drift. How are you going about making these? Digitally or actually different exposure settings in RL?


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## Provo (Nov 23, 2009)

HDR needs improovement heck the regular picture of the bahamas looks nicer


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## Provo (Nov 23, 2009)

Here you go chief I just did this real quick


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## jensgt (Nov 23, 2009)

what settings did you use?  thats good.  I just have the trial versions and since I just started messing around and obviously cant go back to the bahamas that easily I just edited different exposures using a trial verison of Photoshop.  I really don't know what I am doing just yet!


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## Provo (Nov 23, 2009)

jensgt said:


> what settings did you use? thats good. I just have the trial versions and since I just started messing around and obviously cant go back to the bahamas that easily I just edited different exposures using a trial verison of Photoshop. I really don't know what I am doing just yet!


 
Well 1st you have to have your camera set to take auto bracketed shots at different eposure setting once you have that down,take your shots
ev +2,0,-2 raw format, then load them into software I created 2 video tutorials and posted them here in the videos I wasn't looking to perfect hdr as in every shot is different settings but if you watch them you will get the idea of what to do, in your picture I also did some tweaking after I created the HDR in photoshop I use the darken brush to darken the water a bit to match the scenery due to photomatix making the water colors a bit sureal.


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## jensgt (Nov 23, 2009)

Yeah I know about the bracketing and taking in raw...I am just messing with old pictures now so I have no choice but to cheat and alter the exposure with photoshop to learn.  I am going to go somewhere next week to take some pictures...Gettysburg probably.

I messed around with another one tonight...a house in Carmel, CA>

original...







HDR


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## Provo (Nov 24, 2009)

A chocolate house yum I would be curious to see what settings exactly you are clicking on because it's not working out for you HDR is supposed to be rich and vibrant I am not being a D just trying to help you out. If you look at your original picture you will see the sky looks blue, then your "HDR" the sky looks like the wizard of oz as if a dust storm is coming everything is pretty much yellowish brown.


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## Provo (Nov 24, 2009)

I don't even have your original files and look how I redid your's


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## robertwsimpson (Nov 24, 2009)

In every instance, the original single exposure looks better than any of the HDRs pics that have been made out of them.  Calm down with the HDR stuff.  You have a good eye, you don't need to do something like HDR to make it look interesting.


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## Inst!nct (Nov 24, 2009)

:thumbup:





robertwsimpson said:


> In every instance, the original single exposure looks better than any of the HDRs pics that have been made out of them. Calm down with the HDR stuff. You have a good eye, you don't need to do something like HDR to make it look interesting.


 
completely correct, i dont see the point of HDR in any of these TBH


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## bigtwinky (Nov 24, 2009)

HDR is a tool like any other that photographers can use in different situations.  

I admit that when I started looking into HDR a month ago, I was trying it on whatever just to see its limitations and how things work.  Then you start to get into seeing what scenes work with HDR and what scenes don't.



> Well 1st you have to have your camera set to take auto bracketed shots at different eposure setting once you have that down,take your shots
> ev +2,0,-2 raw format, then load them into software


 
Thats how I started doing mine.  Its great to get the idea, but sometimes, doing the straight up -2,0,+2 will not give you the result you want.  Maybe the scene is brighter than expected and doing a +2 will blow things out.  So you should do a -3,-1,+1.  Or even get fancy and do 4-5 exposures.  

I found that its very scene depedant.   To do this, I simply put the camera in manual mode, get the right exposure, and then adjust shutter speed to get the varying exposures I need.  You of course need a tripod for this.

However, if I don't have a tripod, then doing the auto bracket thing, bracing yourself on a pole or whatnot, and then holding down the shutter for 3 quick images will work.


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## Tiny (Dec 19, 2009)

@robertwsimpson  Well to me HDR is an art that is separate from photography.


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