High Dynamic Range imaging (HDRi)

[Paul]

Pick up any photography mag of late, and chances are they will have a feature on HDRi. It's not a new thing, it's been around since the 30's - 40's, however, it seems to have gained a recent revival around photography circles.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it really doesn't. I think it works best when it is done subtle, however, people seem to like HDR'ing the **** out of pictures, which leaves them unrealistic looking and halo'd.

I am a big fan of the technique, and shoot with that type of post processing in mind (i mainly shoot 'scapes').

Anyway, if you got em, lets seem em.

Dunstanburgh, Northumberland
http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs26/i/2008/130/9/4/Rocky_Rise_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs28/i/2008/126/0/8/Breaking_through_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/126/b/e/All_that__s_left_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

Newcastle upon Tyne
http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs26/i/2008/132/7/9/Night_Tyne_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/132/8/4/Quay_to_the_City_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/133/a/8/the_boat_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

Others
http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs28/i/2008/140/b/6/Langley_Castle_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs26/i/2008/141/9/7/Newburn_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs28/i/2008/141/1/b/Newburn_Bridge_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/140/0/9/Haydons_Bridge_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

[rusty reefer]

did you take them???? there amazing

[Paul]

did you take them???? there amazing

Yes i did, ta, they are in and around where i live.

[MrFish]

I agree, some HDR photo's are over processed, although if done for artistic effect then can be acceptable.

[zimreef]

That's a very impressive portfolio Claude - awesome work!

I never have the patience for landscape stuff - it's a lot harder than it looks to do properly but I think you're well on your way!

Thanks for posting. :)

John

[Reef bloke]

Superb work Claude,ill have to get out and about and try HDR myself.

[SCOOB]

does somebody want to do a little explanation on what the hell HDR is and how I can copy it :laugh:

[Paul]

I agree, some HDR photo's are over processed, although if done for artistic effect then can be acceptable.

Some people use it all wrong, and it looks naff. In my opinion, its not an 'effect' per se, it's a technique. Is it art? Cue a huge debate about what is art ...... many people disregard digital photography as art, as they feel only film can be classed as true art ..... however, the debate is endless ... and pointless, i don't know art, but i know what i like.

HDRi is a technique, as it takes initial forethought, technical ability and a good knowledge of your subject ((static subjects with a wide variety dynamic light range are usually the best), camera (bracketing sequences, mirror lock-up and light metering) and equipment (tripod, cable release etc). You need to know your subject and when HDRi would be useful. Post processing is an effect/artifact (sharpening, levels etc), and many people will say PP is cheating ...... wtf do they think people used to spend hours doing in dark rooms??

Anyway, as has been said, done well, it looks real nice and repersents the dynamic range of the eye, so much so, some HDRi pics give you the feel you could step into the screen.

SCOOB, I don't have time to explain the ins and outs. Google it and you will get loadsa results, for me the best narratives on it have been in photography mags available from your local newspaper store.

I took a few more tonight whilst on a wander i'll post in a bit

[Redone]

Absolutely awesome sir! Stunning pictures:applause::applause:
As you said the copy of last months digital photo mag i buy did have a small "how to" dvd lesson on it very impressed with it and will give it a try as son as i can.

Thanks for sharing them mate, BTW i'm thinking of doing an evening class on Digital photography, in your opinion is it worth it? or can i learn from magazines etc?

Thanks

Paul

[Paul]

Absolutely awesome sir! Stunning pictures:applause::applause:
As you said the copy of last months digital photo mag i buy did have a small "how to" dvd lesson on it very impressed with it and will give it a try as son as i can.

Thanks for sharing them mate, BTW i'm thinking of doing an evening class on Digital photography, in your opinion is it worth it? or can i learn from magazines etc?

Thanks

Paul

I am also planning on going to photography lessons once i get a stable home and find some (i'm a bit of a nomad at the moment, thats why i have no tank ....). I'm a fast learner, and i have jumped in with two feet into digital photography, luckily my g/f has a background in film via a fine arts degree, and i am learning alot from her about the basics, but i feel there is no substitute for getting in there amongst it with the rest of them. You/I will probably feel frustrated at some of the aspects of classes (i'm pretty sure the first class will be .... this is the shutter button, this is where you look through your camera .... ), but all that means is that you will be able to give a helping hand to those who are not as in the know as you. HTH's

[Redone]

Thanks for quick reply Claude, yes i think it will start with the basics too but it's not a problem as you say. Am i right in thinking your first picture was featured in a magazine? BTW i just learned about the framing borders etc and the signatures, realy all adds to the impact. As you say we know what we like.
Look forward to more and i hope i can get somewhere near your quality.
Thanks again

Paul

[Paul]

Here are a few from tonight:-

Here is an example of artistic effect/license vs technique

This image has had the levels and contrast adjusted
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/143/7/6/Wylam_station_____by_Paulmalsop.jpg

These two have had Paul's special 'pop' effect added to it.
http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/143/7/d/Wylam_station____by_Paulmalsop.jpg
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/143/f/7/Wylam_Station_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

These are just contrast/levels adjusted
http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs25/i/2008/143/a/3/Wylam_and_the_Tyne_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs25/i/2008/143/6/2/Wylam_Bridge_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs25/i/2008/143/c/1/Sink_Holes_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

I like my thick borders (girlfriends idea, not mine ..) however, sometimes i don't have any of the image to give up, like the last one, i need the top and bottom of the pic for its's effect.

[philb]

Great pics!

Landscapes are much harder than they look! Especillay to get a nic ecrisp picture for the full depth!

Im liking the border and signature! Is this one of you own, or is it a setup in P'Shop? As i have one that produces a border with the camera details, i.e exposure, shutter speed etc, but nothing like that!

keep up the good work!

[Redone]

Stunning mate, very impressive you have an eye i think. Love the effect of the water over the rocks in the fourth picture, how did you achieve that? I,m using photoelements 4.
Please don't bother if it will take you ages to explain i'm sure i will find a way of doing something like that and i'm sure you have better things to do.

Paul

[Paul]

Thanks for quick reply Claude, yes i think it will start with the basics too but it's not a problem as you say. Am i right in thinking your first picture was featured in a magazine? BTW i just learned about the framing borders etc and the signatures, realy all adds to the impact. As you say we know what we like.
Look forward to more and i hope i can get somewhere near your quality.
Thanks again

Paul


Nah I haven't had any work in any mags. Would like to though someday. Most i got so far was a small BBC local gallery (http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/paul_alsop_gallery.shtml)

[Paul]

Great pics!

Landscapes are much harder than they look! Especillay to get a nic ecrisp picture for the full depth!

Im liking the border and signature! Is this one of you own, or is it a setup in P'Shop? As i have one that produces a border with the camera details, i.e exposure, shutter speed etc, but nothing like that!

keep up the good work!

Border is my own (well girlfriends idea ...). I don't actually know how to get photoshop to create an automatic border ... :o

[Paul]

Stunning mate, very impressive you have an eye i think. Love the effect of the water over the rocks in the fourth picture, how did you achieve that? I,m using photoelements 4.
Please don't bother if it will take you ages to explain i'm sure i will find a way of doing something like that and i'm sure you have better things to do.

Paul

i find that landscape photography is all about getting as much right as you can before you press the shutter release. That means thinking about what effect do you want. I'm a fan of the silky water/sky and have invested in a neutral density filter, which allows you to expose for longer than you would be able to normally without any filter. therefore what you are seeing with the water is a long exposure time (i think this one was 20 secs at f/22). Without the ND8 filter i reckon 4-10 secs exposure tops in the light i was shooting at. Of course you could save money (£16) on a ND filter and go out a bit later when the light is less intense ....

[Paul]

Still on the silky water theme, the following pic was taken before i bought a ND filter and circ polariser. It was crap weather, i wanted to get out of the house and play with camera. I made a concious decision to go shoot some flowing water. Even though the weather was crap it was still pretty bright, so i made my way through a forest where there was less light to shoot running water .... hey presto instant ND filter! Meaning i could shoot with much slower shutter speeds and get the desired effect.

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/125/a/d/River_Forest_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

This was also taken before i got my head around borders and sigs ... :P

[P.A.D]

My effort :o

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e142/phillipdodd2/MISC007.jpg

[Paul]

My effort :o

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e142/phillipdodd2/MISC007.jpg

not bad, but you see how the image is too bright? a ND filter would sort that right out and you could get the highlights and the shadows in better balance :applause:

It's not an HDRi tho is it? :whistling:

[Redone]

My effort :o

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e142/phillipdodd2/MISC007.jpg

Very good effort mate, well done not done any landscapes yet but i'll give it a bash soon.

PAul

[Paul]

Very good effort mate, well done not done any landscapes yet but i'll give it a bash soon.

PAul

If you fancy landscapes .... a tripod is your best friend. I've tried mini tripods, monopods ... i keep coming back to my tripod, even though its a ****** to lug about (i lash it to my backpack, got tangled up in a bush i was navigating through today ...)

[mr-jimbo]

I made a few of these shots a few month's back,haven't done any since as i haven't been out with the cam for a while so here they are again for those that never seen them,
these were my favourites out of a 1st and 2nd attempt.

Jim

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Boat 02_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Dalgety Bay 01- 23-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Dalgety Bay 02- 23-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Elie-02 - 15-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Elie-03 - 15-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Limekilns 05- 23-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Loch Lomand 01-16-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Luss 05-16-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Luss 07-16-02-08_HDR2 [640x480].jpg

[Paul]

Nice shots Jimbo, i feel 2,3,4 and 5 are a bit over-cooked. What do you use to blend blend the images?

[Redone]

Lovely shots Jimbo, might actually get out over the bank holiday and try to get started on a couple myself. Well done mate.

Paul

[mr-jimbo]

I followed a guide that was written in digital camera magazine using photoshop,from what i have read on hdr you are trying to create the image to appear and look as much as possible to what it was with the naked eye,believe it or not 4 and 5 do look exactly what it was in the naked eye,2 and 3 have a dreamy effect kinda and are blurred due to not using a tripod.

Jim

[Paul]

This is HDRi in it's most simplistic form.

Take at least 3 images with different exposures (same apeture) using the cams bracketing function.

Merge the images with PS or ANother program to get the best of both worlds

For example:- 3 shots of a boat at 3 different exposures.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/3boats.jpg

Final result.
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/146/4/2/Tied_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

Any questions?

[Paul]

The previous one was nearly on the limit for 'over cooking' however, these two represent what HDRi is all about, actually creating an image that shows the same dynamic range as our eyes:-

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/146/c/5/Baroque_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/146/e/2/Longsands_by_Paulmalsop.jpg

[philb]

When you say merge the images, Is this as simple as it sounds?

Or is there a fair bit of fiddling around to get them to merge effectively? Going to have to look for a tutorial i think!

[Paul]

Here's a link to a wiki on HDRi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging

[Paul]

An example of pseudo-HDRi here.

The image was generated from a single jpeg (which is [apparently] really really naughty, as i haven't bracketed the shot - therefore there is no true difference in dynamic range, only the difference in digital dynamic range that i have created, plus i used a jpg, not a RAW :whistling: )

Initial image was taken on a boring, wet, day of me in my fave place (above Derwent water). The initial image is very flat, i think you will agree, the second image has brought out a bit more detail, especially in the clouds and foreground.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/IMG_2747.jpg
Before

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/IMG_2747_-2_+2.jpg
After

If anyone comments on my lack of fashion sense by wearing matching trousers and coat, i will hunt you down and bore you to death.

[KeithM]

so how did you bring about more detail from the jpg?

[Paul]

so how did you bring about more detail from the jpg?

ooh you got me there! :thumbsup:

i think i used the wrong word, "highlighted detail that was already there" :P

sorry my mind is doing 10 things at once, slip of the fingers :P