# HDRSHOOTOUT #2



## Provo (Mar 24, 2011)

Here's HDRShooout #2 as a HDR challenge idea by *Slicksalmon*
in this challenge I am supplying you with 7 images I had taken
the zip file contains both the raw files & jpg for those unfamiliar with
processing raws.

Here's a screenshot of the scene. I haven't processed this image myself so I am fresh into this one.
Ev Range +/- 3EV 1 stop apart






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Download Files
*click regular download wait 15 sec enter captcha word and the file will begin to download 
sorry but hey it's free file hosting site.
*


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## 480sparky (Mar 24, 2011)

For the record, it wasn't my idea.  It was SlickSalmaons.


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## Forkie (Mar 24, 2011)

I was going to kill the last 20 mins of work playing with these, but: Estimated download time 20 mins?!  I think I'll wait until I get home.


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## 480sparky (Mar 24, 2011)

Forkie said:


> I was going to kill the last 20 mins of work playing with these, but: Estimated download time 20 mins?!  I think I'll wait until I get home.


 

I chose that, and it took 2:31.


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## Forkie (Mar 24, 2011)

480sparky said:


> Forkie said:
> 
> 
> > I was going to kill the last 20 mins of work playing with these, but: Estimated download time 20 mins?!  I think I'll wait until I get home.
> ...


 
Oh. :roll:


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## 480sparky (Mar 24, 2011)

First go-around:







Luminance.
Auto-Align images
Profile 3
Mantiuk '06
Contract Factor 0.300
Saturation Factor 2.000
Detail Factor 5

Edited in GIMP 2.6 to remove ghosts of walking pedestrians as well as ciggy butt in foreground.


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## Forkie (Mar 24, 2011)

In Photoshop CS4 this time.  Not particularly happy with it.  Turns out I'm not very good at HDR - I couldn't satisfactorily get that blown out building down on the right. Although I quite like the bike.  

Also, I forgot to write down the adjustments I made again :er:


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## lyonsroar (Mar 24, 2011)

Oh ya!   

I'm going to do it when I get home!


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## SlickSalmon (Mar 24, 2011)

This was a tough one to get straightened and cropped, because I couldn't figure out what the focus point was.  I'm not entirely happy with it, but it's OK.

I only used 4 of the shots in 2EV jumps (#98, #96, #93, #95).  Photomatix Pro, details enhancer, strength = 30, everything else in Photoshop.


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## Provo (Mar 24, 2011)

SlickSalmon said:


> This was a tough one to get straightened and cropped, because I couldn't figure out what the focus point was.  I'm not entirely happy with it, but it's OK.
> 
> I only used 4 of the shots in 2EV jumps (#98, #96, #93, #95).  Photomatix Pro, details enhancer, strength = 30, everything else in Photoshop.


 
Slick that looks good


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## Bynx (Mar 24, 2011)

Done with Nik HDR Effex Pro and unsharp mask in Photoshop.


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## Provo (Mar 24, 2011)

I like Bynx version the best now


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## SlickSalmon (Mar 24, 2011)

Yeah, the question for me was whether to leave in all of the bike, move the focal point to the right and retain that wide-angle look, or to move the focal point to the left, cut out part of the bike and tame the wide-angle look.  Bynx did it one way; I did it the other.  I didn't quite get it all straightened out, because you can still see barrel distortion on the left of my image.  In terms of HDR, the orange building on the right in full sun was a real problem and just took over the image.  I desaturated it a little, Bynx desaturated it a lot.  I just thought the palm trees suggested that the sky should be fully saturated, and that decision drove the saturation of the other colors.


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## mjhoward (Mar 24, 2011)

Mines:





Probably could have done a lot better with the slight glow to the left, but i didnt feel like taking the time to do that tedious work.


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## Bynx (Mar 24, 2011)

Slick salmon, why was it a question to leave in all the bike or not? I thought this whole thing was to see the differences between HDR software and and how they are used by people. Why would you even think about cropping it? Whether its an improvement or not to the composition is not the point. Just the HDR effects are what is asked for.


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## nos33 (Mar 24, 2011)

Photomatix 4.0 pro
Custom Presets
Touched up in photoshop

I did not want to spend too much time on the sky and I only used 4 of the exposures.  so here it is


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## mjhoward (Mar 24, 2011)

Second Attempt:


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## SlickSalmon (Mar 25, 2011)

Bynx said:


> Slick salmon, why was it a question to leave in all the bike or not? I thought this whole thing was to see the differences between HDR software and and how they are used by people. Why would you even think about cropping it? Whether its an improvement or not to the composition is not the point. Just the HDR effects are what is asked for.


 
Well, you may have a point there.  But, in Shootout #1 a number of people adjusted the perspective, including yourself, so I guess I considered cropping a legitimate aspect of the exercise.  I admire your work, by the way.  That lightblub you posted a few months back was sensational.


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## Provo (Mar 26, 2011)

here's my edit take 

Photomatix 4.02 
lightroom3
Photoshop CS5
Nik Tools
Artificial cloud brush set
hue/sat masked layers


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## SlickSalmon (Mar 26, 2011)

Nice...You got color saturation beautifully balanced with no halos, and the clouds help a lot.


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## Bynx (Mar 26, 2011)

Yah, nice job Josh. You have achieved a nice crispness which really makes the pic pop.

And Slick salmon, my bad. I shouldnt have straightened the perspective from Shootout 1. I dont think the objective is to get the best pic for framing. Just trying to see the differences between HDR software and the users using it. When we look at the different pics we wont be influenced by too much Photoshop, or cropping etc. Just compare the same pic with the HDR effects being the only difference. Just my take on it. We could also post a second pic with all kinds of things done to show the best take on it.


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## Provo (Mar 26, 2011)

SlickSalmon said:


> Nice...You got color saturation beautifully balanced with no halos, and the clouds help a lot.


Thanks Slick



Bynx said:


> Yah, nice job Josh. You have achieved a nice crispness which really makes the pic pop.
> 
> And Slick salmon, my bad. I shouldnt have straightened the perspective from Shootout 1. I dont think the objective is to get the best pic for framing. Just trying to see the differences between HDR software and the users using it. When we look at the different pics we wont be influenced by too much Photoshop, or cropping etc. Just compare the same pic with the HDR effects being the only difference. Just my take on it. We could also post a second pic with all kinds of things done to show the best take on it.



Thanks Bynx 
you know you two had good images as well 
anyone else has images to throw in for a challenge?


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## 480sparky (Mar 26, 2011)

I'll be throwing out more once the Big Yellow Orb returns.  Maybe next week.


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## burgo (Mar 26, 2011)

I like to use HDR but make it look more natural if I can. Photomatrix pro version 4.0


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## Bynx (Mar 26, 2011)

Burgo, when you say more natural, do you mean the way pics were usually seen before HDR? The idea of HDR is the picture should look better than they have before. Im not talking about poor tone mapping, but a good HDR photo. I see the yellow strips are now another color and there are halos in the sky. The halos are caused by Highlight slider. I forget now which way its supposed to go but its either more or less until the halo disappears.


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## burgo (Mar 27, 2011)

The halo/abberation in the sky is caused by a crap photo to begin with with some poor use of a filter.  I desaturated it as the red bricks were a bit overwhelming that is probably why the yellow strip has gone. You can only do so much with what you are given.


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## Provo (Mar 27, 2011)

burgo said:


> The halo/abberation in the sky is caused by a crap photo to begin with with some poor use of a filter.  I desaturated it as the red bricks were a bit overwhelming that is probably why the yellow strip has gone. You can only do so much with what you are given.


 
 So you manage to insult me by calling the source images I have provided crap to start with, but yet not sure if you noticed so many people before you made several attempts at the images provided for the most part all of the attempts before you still look better than the manure you put out. Prior to opening your mouth you really should back up your crap attempt instead of blaming other&#8217;s I wasn&#8217;t aware that ¾ of the image had a pinkish cast over it, let alone the fact you might as well erase the parking lines that are supposed to be yellow.  Perhaps this is a good time to mention that so called realistic look you where after right among that halo you have.

  But wait I am not done yet did you happen to notice that the way your motorcycle came out appears to have been powder coated with strawberry nestle quick? I get a kick of out trolls like you who instead of accepting the challenge for what it is & what you can do with it, you use the escape goat to produce a s***ty as attempt and have the nerve to blame the source files.  Do yourself a favor before you continue to embarrass yourself pick up a book learn to read then put that towards producing an end result that doesn&#8217;t look as the crappy attempt such as yours.  

FYI you entirely missed the yellow edges of the building across the street & even the street looks like the pink bunny parade marched through it since that too has magenta cast on it.

LMAO your so good that even your crop attempt you chopped off the taillight of the toyota what's your excuse for that? The source image LOL


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## Bynx (Mar 27, 2011)

The halos are not a product of the original photos. When looking at a scene its difficult to know what shade a color is supposed to be. Is the tree green enough?, more blue?, more yellow? Is the red brick more red, more magenta, more blue. Is it supposed to be rust colored? But when you completely delete a color, in this case yellow, then you know its wrong. So why not look at what you did and before you post it, fix it. If the lines arent right, then you know other things arent right. And I cant see the reason for your cropping 3 sides of the photo?


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## SlickSalmon (Mar 27, 2011)

burgo said:


> The halo/abberation in the sky is caused by a crap photo to begin with with some poor use of a filter.



I'd appreciate it if we could keep this kind of dismissive language out of the Shootout threads.

BTW, I'd be happy to contribute some photos, but I don't have the ability up upload at a high resolution.  If 600 x 800 is OK, I'll post some of my 'crap' photos and we can have a go.


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## Bynx (Mar 27, 2011)

Slick, you can use a holding service such as the one Provo used. It stores your files and you supply us the download address.


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## Forkie (Mar 27, 2011)

Well this is odd.  People are criticizing each other's source photos in these challenges now?  I think this is a great challenge idea and I, for one, find it a very helpful learning tool.  I've never really bothered with HDR before these challenges and, although I fully accept my attempts are not great I have fun doing them and comparing everyone's take on how an HDR should look.  Why don't we all just take the photos for what they are, do our thing and show them?  We're all editing the same photos and the quality or subject of the photo will make any difference to the editing process.


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## Provo (Mar 27, 2011)

*Here's a step by step how to compress & upload source files for the shootout's*
_**Windows 7 64bit if you have 32bit then same steps except download winrar 32bit*_
*HDRShootout Upload Guide.*​


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## mistermonday (May 4, 2011)

JM, thanks for the set of files. Here's are my results.
Merged and tonemapped with Oloneo Photoengine Beta 2


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## mindfloodz (May 19, 2011)

I took a swing a this one. I had a hard time trying to get the halo's out while maintaining the effect I was gong for. It turned out ok. I could have done a layer mask and just used the original sky, oh well.. Here it is:


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