# What's wrong w/ this pic?



## iombie (Dec 26, 2011)

Hello I love this area and i'm new with HDR but I think the noise is too much in this?


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## SCraig (Dec 26, 2011)

The horizon isn't straight and I'm not a fan of that heavily overcooked HDR treatment that many like.  I think I like the composition but I can't get past that heavy oversaturation.  I'd crop out the vehicle on the left side though.


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## Rephargotohp (Dec 26, 2011)

Noise is too much because you used too high a Lighting adjustment (Compression). It makes  everything even the shadows a mid tone and when you make a shadow a mid tone...  it brings with it noise


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## 480sparky (Dec 26, 2011)

I would say what is wrong with it is there wasn't enough dynamic range in the scene to even bother with HDR.


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## unpopular (Dec 26, 2011)

I believe you can avoid these noisy artifacts by adding more exposures. Typically when people go out to make HDRs they just do three exposures with ±2 stops and hope that everything is within this latitude. What I would suggest doing is spot metering the lightest area and the darkest area, and then expose every two stops between. You may not actually use all of these steps, but you'll be sure that everything is there.


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## Dillard (Dec 26, 2011)

LIke mentioned above, the horizon really bothers me on this one


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## TMBPhotography (Dec 26, 2011)

how about the anchors on land? why isnt it in the water?


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## Felix0890 (Dec 26, 2011)

That damn van is what's wrong!


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## Bynx (Dec 26, 2011)

I think there is certainly enough range for this to be an HDR image. Its just not processed right in my opinion. A little too oversaturated. But not that much. I think the main problem is your composition. What exactly is your subject? Id crop the image so the van was gone and take out some of the grass and some of the sky so you end up with a landscape shaped image after the cropping. Ah, its easier to show than to explain.


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## iombie (Dec 26, 2011)

Thanks guys!!


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## iombie (Dec 26, 2011)

This def looks much better, I used photomatix pro with 3 exposures and the subject is the old rust anchor in front on ground with cruise ships in background.

After I finish put these 3 photos together I made it as in grunge style and that what it gave me. I'm newbie so...




Bynx said:


> I think there is certainly enough range for this to be an HDR image. Its just not processed right in my opinion. A little too oversaturated. But not that much. I think the main problem is your composition. What exactly is your subject? Id crop the image so the van was gone and take out some of the grass and some of the sky so you end up with a landscape shaped image after the cropping. Ah, its easier to show than to explain.


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## unpopular (Dec 26, 2011)

iombie said:


> After I finish put these 3 photos together I made it as in grunge style and that what it gave me. I'm newbie so...



I think, and I am no expert, the reason why it comes out noisy is because it's pushing up data in the captured image in order to make it fit across an extended range of tones in a similar way as if you had pushed the "exposure" slider on an underexposed image in your raw processor. The only difference is that here it's doing it selectively in areas where it's needed.

If your HDR software had good, noiseless information in these regions, it's use it instead. That is why I don't suggest the ±2 stops attitude, but rather to meter what's actually in the scene.

As with anything, HDR requires a degree of skill and to get good results simply shooting ±2 won't always work out well.

Another common mistake is that people use auto ISO, which may bump your ISO when you try exposing under/over, and since you're already using a tripod, there is no reason not to use lower ISOs.


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## iombie (Dec 27, 2011)

I've re-do this cropped the van out and made some adjustive


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## unpopular (Dec 27, 2011)

^^ still HDR?


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## iombie (Dec 27, 2011)

Ehh I guess so... no grunge in this


unpopular said:


> ^^ still HDR?


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## Ms.Nash (Dec 27, 2011)

I think this last edit looks way better. Better crop and toned down HDR making it look more realistic in my opinion. Thumbs up


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## unpopular (Dec 27, 2011)

Well, it looks to me like a regular shot - which makes sense being that there isn't excessive dynamic range to start with.

sometimes you just don't need hdr.


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## JClishe (Dec 27, 2011)

Don't do another thing to this photo until you straighten the horizon.


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## Bynx (Dec 27, 2011)

Your last image is much better. Your rusty anchor looks like rust now. Much more realistic image. But there are still some qualities to your first image I like. Gorgeous sky.


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## vipgraphx (Dec 27, 2011)

Looks to me that your micro smoothing may be all the way to the left and both your highligt and shadows saturation may be close to the middle try bringing those back to the left ( you can always add more saturation in ps if you have it) Also looks like your strength might be turned all the way up. I am not sure what lighting adjustment you used but play with those for different lighting effects.


here is a little tweaking taking out some noise and adjusting the color levels to help bring out the anchor, straightened the horizon and cropping in closer to the anchor.


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## GeorgieGirl (Dec 27, 2011)

vipgraphx said:


> Looks to me that your micro smoothing may be all the way to the left and both your highligt and shadows saturation may be close to the middle try bringing those back to the left ( you can always add more saturation in ps if you have it) Also looks like your strength might be turned all the way up. I am not sure what lighting adjustment you used but play with those for different lighting effects.
> 
> 
> here is a little tweaking taking out some noise and adjusting the color levels to help bring out the anchor, straightened the horizon and cropping in closer to the anchor.



Kevin--- it is my good fortune to find you here....I really need to know what the name of the background song is that was on your Millemium Video posted on Celebrity Facebook...I sent you a PM on FB a few weeks ago but never heard back and I have to know what that song is!!! 

Thank you...:blushing:

(small world)


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## ann (Dec 27, 2011)

"That is why I don't suggest the ±2 stops attitude, but rather to meter what's actually in the scene.

As with anything, HDR requires a degree of skill and to get good results simply shooting ±2 won't always work out well."


:thumbup:


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## bs0604 (Dec 27, 2011)

In response to Unpopular's ISO comment.  I have been wondering about this very point.  In view of using a tripod and assuming no movement in the field, should the camera be set to the lowest ISO setting available to that camera ( in my case a D90)?


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## vipgraphx (Dec 27, 2011)

GeorgieGirl said:


> vipgraphx said:
> 
> 
> > Looks to me that your micro smoothing may be all the way to the left and both your highligt and shadows saturation may be close to the middle try bringing those back to the left ( you can always add more saturation in ps if you have it) Also looks like your strength might be turned all the way up. I am not sure what lighting adjustment you used but play with those for different lighting effects.
> ...



I am not kevin


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## GeorgieGirl (Dec 27, 2011)

I know. The OP is.


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## ann (Dec 27, 2011)

bs0604 said:


> In response to Unpopular's ISO comment.  I have been wondering about this very point.  In view of using a tripod and assuming no movement in the field, should the camera be set to the lowest ISO setting available to that camera ( in my case a D90)?



For myself, I would have to say yes.


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## vipgraphx (Dec 27, 2011)

GeorgieGirl said:


> I know. The OP is.



Oh ok you quoted my post so I assumed you were referring to me. :thumbup:


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## Bynx (Dec 27, 2011)

Use ISO 100 or 200 whichever is your camera's lowest, if possible.


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## unpopular (Dec 27, 2011)

bs0604 said:


> In response to Unpopular's ISO comment.  I have been wondering about this very point.  In view of using a tripod and assuming no movement in the field, should the camera be set to the lowest ISO setting available to that camera ( in my case a D90)?



You should always use the lowest possible ISO, no matter if you are doing HDR or not. If you're using auto bracketing using auto ISO isn't quite so bad, but if you manually adjusting shutter speed then it will be problematic.


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## GeorgieGirl (Dec 27, 2011)

Where is the OP???...I NEED to know about that song in the YouTube Video...I'm not kidding....I've been takling about that song since October...I've tried Lyrics this and Lyrics that and nothing....bear woth me, I have to know... its an awesome tune...


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## iombie (Dec 29, 2011)

Mmm sorry I do not recall this screen name in fb I delete message via fb all of them without looking other day cuz there was a lot of spam u know like hi my name is... i would like to get know you blah blah so i delete all of it.

Could u please send it again?

Kevin--- it is my good fortune to find you here....I really need to know what the name of the background song is that was on your Millemium Video posted on Celebrity Facebook...I sent you a PM on FB a few weeks ago but never heard back and I have to know what that song is!!! 

Thank you...:blushing:

(small world)[/QUOTE]


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jan 3, 2012)

iombie said:


> I've re-do this cropped the van out and made some adjustive



Leagues better. Now straighten the horizon, clone out that cement on the left of the frame, And I personally would clone out the ships behind the main cruise ship because I find them a bit distracting. 



vipgraphx said:


> Looks to me that your micro smoothing may be all the way to the left and both your highligt and shadows saturation may be close to the middle try bringing those back to the left ( you can always add more saturation in ps if you have it) Also looks like your strength might be turned all the way up. I am not sure what lighting adjustment you used but play with those for different lighting effects.
> 
> 
> here is a little tweaking taking out some noise and adjusting the color levels to help bring out the anchor, straightened the horizon and cropping in closer to the anchor.



It may bring out the anchor slightly but as a whole it has made matters worse.


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## bazooka (Jan 3, 2012)

unpopular said:


> bs0604 said:
> 
> 
> > In response to Unpopular's ISO comment. I have been wondering about this very point. In view of using a tripod and assuming no movement in the field, should the camera be set to the lowest ISO setting available to that camera ( in my case a D90)?
> ...



I couldn't disagree with this more.  Are you really suggesting leaving your ISO at it's lowest no matter what?  Surely I'm misunderstanding you.


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## unpopular (Jan 3, 2012)

LOL. You are, and I wasn't very clear. I meant lowest possible ISO for the situation, not lowest possible for the camera.

But since you're usually on a tripod for HDRI, there is no reason not to use the lowest ISO available in most cases.


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## Compaq (Jan 3, 2012)

Don't call him Shirley!

Anyway, surely you can't mean that we should always use the lowest possible ISO? There are both a time and a place for grainy images, and they come along more often than one should think. Back in the film days, people used whatever ASA-speed they needed to get the shot, and didn't worry about the grain. Today, people cry out loud for ISO-values over 1000. Even the most inexpensive SRLSs handle those values just fine, even if you can see some noise in them. In the film days, 800 ASA was considered very fast. I showed my dad a 1600 ASA film once, and he was very surprised.

Second on my to-do-list in this thread:

GeorgieGirl, link the video, some here might be able to help. The Gods know, I'm one heck of a lyrics googler - I never know the songs' name, but always a few words of the lyrics... the only song I haven't been able to lyrics-google was "Titanium" by David Guetta, but that was because  I thought the she-man (sorry, I didn't mean that! I'm reading "A Song of Ice and Fire", and the outdated ways of speaking has influenced me!) was singing "fly away fly away" instead of "fire away fire away"... Today, and most likely throughout my days, that will be one of my life's biggest failures...


Lastly, I've forgotten why I started writing. Most likely it was something to with the HDR processing stuff.


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## unpopular (Jan 3, 2012)

Unless you want the grainy look, I still maintain that you use the lowest possible ISO - film or digital. The data out of the camera will be more flexible with less noise in the shadows, especially if you need to boost the shadows a bit.


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## GeorgieGirl (Jan 3, 2012)

Compaq said:


> Don't call him Shirley!
> 
> 
> Second on my to-do-list in this thread:
> ...



Thanks...I never heard back from himon his video I send a PM here and again on FB where he posted this on a cruise site...I've tried all sorts of things including an app to hear the music. The song starts and then you need to stick with it for a moment after his filler and then it goes back to the song more fully. Thanks so much for trying to help me with this. MWAH!!!


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## Bynx (Jan 3, 2012)

Georgie Girl the song is called Love Is Like This by Marti Amado. She writes music for tv, movies etc. Its not the usual route so its unusual to find her stuff.


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## sm4him (Jan 3, 2012)

I like the second version MUCH better. But I'm just not a fan of overcooked HDR.


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## Steve01 (Jan 3, 2012)

The intent of this technique was to take multiple exposures of something with a larger dynamic range than the camera could capture and compress that dynamic range into a single natural looking image.
The point is it was supposed to look natural.

At some point doing an HDR morphed into creating "Over saturated cartoon images".

IMHO images like this look like something you see airbrushed on the side of a pickup truck.

If you like it that's fine, they do look unique, but I'm not a fan.


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## Bynx (Jan 3, 2012)

Keep in mind Steve0 that HDR is two step process. Combining the images to HDR, then tone mapping the HDR so it can be seen on a monitor. Its the tone mapping that people screw up and go ape with the sliders.


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## GeorgieGirl (Jan 4, 2012)

Bynx said:


> Georgie Girl the song is called Love Is Like This by Marti Amado. She writes music for tv, movies etc. Its not the usual route so its unusual to find her stuff.



THANK YOU BYNX!!!


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## Bynx (Jan 4, 2012)

Youre quite welcome. Here are the lyrics if you are interested.

I don&#8217;t know where you're coming from
I don't know what you see.
Surely though, I cannot ignore
How you look at me
Your smile has got me
Totally distracted.
I find myself so easily attracted to you.
I hear that love is like this.
Baby I could fall but then the trouble is
I could start to like this.
So you gotta tell me now if you like feeling like this.
Like this.
Baby love is like this.
I don't know where the story ends or even where we start
But if you give me just a little time
I wanna give my heart 
Something about you touches my emotion
Im feeling like Im sailing in an ocean of you
I hear that love is like this
Baby I could fall but then the trouble is
I could start to like this
So you've got to tell me now
Do you like me like this,
Do you like, do you like, feeling like this
I like the way I feel when Im like this
Do you like this?


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## Compaq (Jan 4, 2012)

Darn it, beaten by Bearded Bynx, lol!  All I was able to dig up was this: (safe link)

How do I find the title/artist of a song based on lyrics? - Web Search Helpnd for all I know, that was you asking the question LOL!


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## Steve01 (Jan 4, 2012)

Bynx said:


> Keep in mind Steve0 that HDR is two step process. Combining the images to HDR, then tone mapping the HDR so it can be seen on a monitor. Its the tone mapping that people screw up and go ape with the sliders.



Yep, that's right.


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## o hey tyler (Jan 4, 2012)

TMBPhotography said:


> how about the anchors on land? why isnt it in the water?



Is this a joke? Have you ever visited the eastern seaboard? 

I mean, come on.


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## Bynx (Jan 4, 2012)

Compaq said:


> Darn it, beaten by Bearded Bynx, lol!  All I was able to dig up was this: (safe link)
> 
> How do I find the title/artist of a song based on lyrics? - Web Search Helpnd for all I know, that was you asking the question LOL!



Hey I represent that remark. How did you know I have a beard?


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## Compaq (Jan 5, 2012)

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind...

(and also in avatars)


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## Bynx (Jan 5, 2012)

hahahahahaha


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## GeorgieGirl (Jan 5, 2012)

Thank you BOTH very much for your efforts. Much appreciated!


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