HDR - 3 image auto bracketed -/+ 2EV

[eva2000]

Thanks to all for the tips and comments regarding my first poorly done attempts at HDR http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191789.

I guess I'm still a bit confused as to what HDR is meant to look like. Some HDR examples I've seen have gone to the exaggerated painting like approach, while other folks have stated it shouldn't be done that way and should natural. User preference perhaps ?

Anyway started a new thread as the other one was pretty loaded with lots of large images :)

I took these 3 photos 6M res JPEGs, 0ev (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/IMGP4357_tn.jpg), -2ev (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/IMGP4358_tn.jpg), +2ev (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/IMGP4359_tn.jpg) and tried again, this time I went close to the natural look I think ?


Make - PENTAX Corporation
Model - PENTAX K200D
Software - K200D Ver 1.00
DateTime - 2008:06:22 11:49:48
ExposureTime - 1/80 seconds
FNumber - 11.00
ExposureProgram - Manual control
ISOSpeedRatings - 125
DateTimeOriginal - 2008:06:22 11:49:48
DateTimeDigitized - 2008:06:22 11:49:48
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 18.00 mm
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto bracket
White Balance - Manual
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 27 mm


Included larger versions - click image for larger 800px width versions.

Original (left) vs HDR (right)

http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/IMGP4357_tn.jpg (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/IMGP4357.jpg) http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_final_hdr_tn.jpg (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_final_hdr.jpg)

Feedback ?

Thanks :)

[Soulburner]

HDR by definition should not look like a painting - that comes from processing in programs like Photomatix and going crazy with the sliders. You could say its preference, but the idea of HDR is to capture a greater dynamic range than your camera sensor can capture, and merge them together. This gets you highlight and shadow detail instead of a compromised grey exposure that all cameras try to achieve.

Maybe browse through this (http://www.flickr.com/groups/realhdr/pool/page29/) group to get an idea. The idea is to avoid halos and artificial looking artifacts.

[eva2000]

Thanks for that link to that real HDR group :)

I think i might be getting the hang of it

http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_final_hdr_tone_compress_cs3_tn.jpg (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_final_hdr_tone_compress_cs3.jpg)

besides the bit of haloing, better or worse ?

[Ashraf]

Now that looks better! :up:

[Soulburner]

I tried to explain it a bit on page 12 (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=138605&page=12) of the HDR thread, including an example. It's not lengthy but it simplifies the idea. You are basically capturing detail in the highlights and in the shadows that you couldn't capture at the standard exposure. You then merge all of the data and tweak the final result to get a much better image, one that is more true to life since what our eyes saw normally doesn't translate well into a picture.

[eva2000]

thanks Ashraf and Soulburner... i think i'm starting to understand it a bit better :)


Final attempt :)

http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_stuckincustoms_result2_tn.jpg (http://fileshosts.com/dslr/pentax/photos/hdr/corner_fence/4357_stuckincustoms_result2.jpg)