# Can't Believe I'm Doing This, but...HDR, First Attempt



## sm4him (Aug 19, 2012)

It took me MONTHS (and some encouragement from sparky) to work up my nerve to even decide to try HDR. Took another month to finally get a chance to take the photos.  It's taken two days since processing to finally work up the nerve to post one of them here.

FIRST HDR Attempt, Ever. Might be my last, depending on how "blasted" I get for the result. 

This is one of the cantilever barns in Cades Cove. For this one, I used a total of 7 exposures. I really meant to do 9, but I miscalculated and ended up not going a full stop on the last two exposures and decided not to use them.
I'm using Luminance HDR software. I also have CS5, but didn't do anything in Photoshop other than resize my original result.  

With some time and effort, I can probably figure out the settings better. What I'm not sure I can improve on much is aligning the exposures. My blurry vision and floaters proved to be too much of a challenge to the task and I simply couldn't tell whether things were aligned correctly or not.

I know I've still got blown out sky and some of the barn's interior is too dark; not sure if it's because I needed more exposures or because of my lack of processing skills. 
That's all I know to even tell you.  C&C away!  Oh--I'm including  the "original" shot as well as the HDR result (by original, I mean the  middle photo with an EV of zero).

HDR:




Original, EV 0 photo:


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## ronlane (Aug 19, 2012)

They both look good to me. I think the grass color is popping in the original but I see the depth of the grass I'm the HDR. Good job.


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## zombiemann (Aug 19, 2012)

For a first attempt I think you did fairly well.  I think the sky could benefit from another exposure as it looks kinda washed out, but the trees and barn you nailed pretty well.  If you had not specifically said this was your first attempt I would have thought you were an old hand at this


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## shefjr (Aug 19, 2012)

I like it. Most HDR are way over cooked for my liking. This is not at all over cooked. :thumbup:


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## FanBoy (Aug 19, 2012)

The interior and bottom is lit up fairly well, enough that you can see the outlines. Too bad about the sky--a different angle of shooting would have helped or simply waiting for more uniformity in the sky. Interesting structure.


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## 480sparky (Aug 19, 2012)

Jeez!  My first HDRs were NEVER this good!!  They were so horrid, I never saved a single one of 'em.

Of course, I was trying it out before I found TPF....


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## Bynx (Aug 19, 2012)

For first attempt very nice. If you used Photomatix you should deghost the vegetation on the left side. The additional underexposure for the sky has been mentioned. If you go to HDR photography software & plugin for Lightroom, Aperture & Photoshop - Tone Mapping, Exposure Fusion & High Dynamic Range Imaging for photography you can download the software. It will give you a watermark on your final image but you can use all the features including deghosting to see how well your image can come out.


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## that1guy (Aug 19, 2012)

this looks really well for a first HDR could use a little more time mapping in the post processing to give it that pop

this is by far one of the better first time HDR images I have seen in this forum

but just some words of encouragement don't let people's comments discourage you from doing hdr there's no one perfect in these threads but if I had to choose one is say "Janok" is probably the best one in here. look at his work get some inspiration seek tutorials online develop a style and be happy


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## Designer (Aug 19, 2012)

Oh, hey, I like that!  Not "overdone" if you know what I mean.  congratulations!


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## rexbobcat (Aug 19, 2012)

I think it could use a little bit more contrast. I know the whole point is to lessen the contrast, but it seems kind of "foggy" as-is. But backing off of the saturation and detail adjustments is better than being all over them for a first time.


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## unpopular (Aug 19, 2012)

Was the missing exposures on the short or long side of the bracket? The sky looks blown.

For seven exposures, I think your ±0 should have been -1, like -4, -3, -2, -1, ±0, +1, +2. IMO this is a good example of why I always recommend people meter the dynamic range of the scene, rather than just picking some arbitrary starting point and winging it.


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## sm4him (Aug 19, 2012)

Wow, thanks all!! That was a far more encouraging response than I was expecting!
To those who mentioned it not being "overcooked"--that's especially good to hear, because I'm not a fan of that look. 



480sparky said:


> Jeez!  My first HDRs were NEVER this good!!  They were so horrid, I never saved a single one of 'em.
> 
> Of course, I was trying it out before I found TPF....



Not only would I probably not even decided to attempt it if it hadn't been for your encouragement, but your assistance is really what made the difference between coming up with a reasonable first attempt and just coming up with an overcooked, muddled-up mess of a photo! Thanks for your help!



unpopular said:


> Was the missing exposures on the short or long side of the bracket? The sky looks blown.
> 
> For seven exposures, I think your ±0 should have been -1, like -4, -3, -2, -1, ±0, +1, +2. IMO this is a good example of why I always recommend people meter the dynamic range of the scene, rather than just picking some arbitrary starting point and winging it.



That makes perfect sense, now that I'm in the house thinking about it. Out there, that logic failed me. I *did* meter the dynamic range of the whole scene, but where I failed was in figuring out quite what to DO with that information.  So, my seven exposures were evenly split on either side: -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3. And the two missing exposures were also one on each side, so that wouldn't have helped anyway.


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## sm4him (Aug 19, 2012)

Bynx said:


> For first attempt very nice. If you used Photomatix you should deghost the vegetation on the left side. The additional underexposure for the sky has been mentioned. If you go to HDR photography software & plugin for Lightroom, Aperture & Photoshop - Tone Mapping, Exposure Fusion & High Dynamic Range Imaging for photography you can download the software. It will give you a watermark on your final image but you can use all the features including deghosting to see how well your image can come out.



Thanks, Bynx!  I'll definitely check into that; didn't want to even think about buying any software until I figured out if it was something I might want to do more than once.


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## unpopular (Aug 19, 2012)

Good for you on using your meter! So often people will just go into evaluative or average mode and just use some one-size fits all routine.

The easiest way to kind of keep things straight is to meter one end or the other of the bracket, say the hilights in the cloud, make note of this exposure time. Then meter the opposite end of the bracket, say the shadows in the bridge. Then, simply adjust exposure time by 1ev until you reach close to the other end: the clouds. So say the clouds read 1/4000 at any given aperture, you'd write that down or keep it i n your head, then immediately meter the shadows, say they say 1/8. Then you'd just decrease time by 1ev until you come close to 1/4000: 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/120, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000. It may not be practical to actually use all these exposures all the time, but, at least then you know you have everything.


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## MLeeK (Aug 19, 2012)

I really like the fact that your HDR doesn't SCREAM HDR. 

What the heck is that? It looks like a covered bridge floating in the middle of a clearing!


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## Bynx (Aug 19, 2012)

Usually when Im setting the shutterspeed its for the highlights. I have blinkies set up so if the highlights are overexposed black flashes on and off. Not overexposed no blinkies. At that point I take my first shot then just dial down 3 clicks of the shutter speed (each click is equivalent to 1/3 fstop). Take pics every 3 clicks until the shadow areas have some detail. The difference between the brightest and darkest areas will determine how many shots to take. Dont be afraid to take too many. Its better than not enough.


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## sm4him (Aug 19, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> I really like the fact that your HDR doesn't SCREAM HDR.
> 
> What the heck is that? It looks like a covered bridge floating in the middle of a clearing!



Thanks; that whole not-screaming-HDR thing was kinda my goal. 

This is a cantilever barn; they are primarily found in East TN and a few other parts of Southern Appalachia.


Here's a little bit about them and how they were used:
"Constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cantilever barn  features a large upper story loft over two log cribs with an open  driveway in the middle. Hay was usually stored in the large loft area  and hay wagons could be driven in the covered drive and hay easily  loaded from above. The overhangs on each side would be used as storage  for a variety of farm equipment or a temporary holding area for cattle  and other livestock. The overhangs protected the cribs from the rain and  there was plenty of air circulation."  (credit: Barns of Appalachia - The Cantilever)

I've always thought they were really cool looking, but I was so used to seeing the two that are in Cades Cove as a kid, that I was well into my 20s before I discovered they were not common to other parts of the country.


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## MLeeK (Aug 19, 2012)

sm4him said:


> MLeeK said:
> 
> 
> > I really like the fact that your HDR doesn't SCREAM HDR.
> ...


Thanks! I absolutely love it. When we go west this year I am going to have to do some exploring on the way. THere are so many things to see on the back roads it could take me months to get to Arizona!


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## sm4him (Aug 19, 2012)

Bynx said:


> Usually when Im setting the shutterspeed its for the highlights. I have blinkies set up so if the highlights are overexposed black flashes on and off. Not overexposed no blinkies. At that point I take my first shot then just dial down 3 clicks of the shutter speed (each click is equivalent to 1/3 fstop). Take pics every 3 clicks until the shadow areas have some detail. The difference between the brightest and darkest areas will determine how many shots to take. Dont be afraid to take too many. Its better than not enough.



Good idea on the blinkies; I'll try to keep that in mind next time.  I knew *how* to change my shutter speeds for a full stop, but somehow I got out there and just got befuddled--I'm normally good enough at math to KNOW that 1/60 to 1/80 is NOT a full stop. I blame the heat; okay, it was only about 82 degrees but I gotta blame something.


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## The Barbarian (Aug 19, 2012)

I really like it.   You've avoided all the usual junk people do in HDRs; no haloing, vegetation isn't neon green, and so on.  The sky is a bit blown on the upper left, and it could stand a bit of rotation.  

Otherwise, really good.   Amazingly good for a first try.


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## HughGuessWho (Aug 19, 2012)

Small world, sm4him, I just did an hdr of that same barn on Thursday. Here was my attempt.

View attachment 17646


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## sm4him (Aug 20, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Small world, sm4him, I just did an hdr of that same barn on Thursday. Here was my attempt.
> 
> View attachment 17646



Nice! Yours is much brighter than mine, but then it looks like you had a much, much sunnier day up there! Were you actually AT the Cove on Thursday, or are these from your earlier trip (I might have you confused with someone else who was there in July...).  I'm assuming you were actually there on Thursday, as it looks like the flowers back behind the barn are blooming.  Did you see this thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/nature-wildlife/295860-i-am-now-real-photographer.html? The flower in it is one of the ones back behind the barn.
I would LOVE to have gone on Thursday, since I usually try to avoid Fridays and Saturdays in the mountains, but I was out of town on Thursday, so Friday was my only option for at least the next two weeks.  I intend to get back up there after Labor Day, now that I think I have a better idea of how to get the shots I need for some other HDRs.


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## Bynx (Aug 20, 2012)

I much prefer to shoot on overcast days. On a sunny day like this shot, Id wait until the sun went behind a cloud.


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## sm4him (Aug 20, 2012)

Bynx said:


> I much prefer to shoot on overcast days. On a sunny day like this shot, Id wait until the sun went behind a cloud.



Agreed, overcast is far better from a photography standpoint. But clear blue skies are better for my emotional well-being--and my Friday outing was about BOTH.


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## ProsPhotos (Aug 20, 2012)

It look great.  My favorite part is what the HDR process did to the clouds.


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## HughGuessWho (Aug 20, 2012)

sm4him said:


> HughGuessWho said:
> 
> 
> > Small world, sm4him, I just did an hdr of that same barn on Thursday. Here was my attempt.
> ...



You are correct on both accounts. I was there in July and was again last week. I had to be in Chattanooga on Monday and Tuesday on business, and there is no way I can be that close and not visit Cades Cove and the rest of the park.
I did see your earlier post of the flowers as well as the kids harassing the wildlife. In July, I called off 3 kids that were chasing the deer by the John Oliver Place. It's quite sad, actually.
I took a lot of pictures in 3 days, in the cove, up in the park and on the Roaring Fork path, but haven&#8217;t had time to process them. Will post some soon.


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## vipgraphx (Aug 20, 2012)

I think I like Hugos better. However for your first attempt you did really good, I just wish there was more detail in those shadow areas.

As far a shooting over cast or sunny, Over cast always lends to interesting lighting where as sunny its pretty harsh but you also get great detail. My ideal time to shoot would be cloudy day during the golden hour.


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## unpopular (Aug 20, 2012)

I prefer shooting on hazy/smoggy days myself. Fire season makes for great light.


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