HDR Pictures

[Bootup05]

My first multi exp HDR from D40.

That is really really nice!

What program did you use?

[daftDavid]

My 2 cents on HDR photography... When done correctly, it creates an incredible effect and can produce awesome photographs. The problem is that maybe 80% of the HDR i see strewn about these internets is horribly overdone. In my opinion, HDR is a method used to take a scene in the real world which can be perceived correctly by the eye but not by a camera to create a photograph which represents the image produced by the eye as closely as possible (what kind of grammar is that?). If I can tell that an image is an HDR, it's been overdone - I believe photography is supposed to show the real world, not some oversaturated world where the shadows and highlights have been manipulated to the point where it's just not a photograph of the real world anymore.

Now that HDR is popular and can be done by anyone with half a brain and a camera, it's popped up everywhere and it just pains my eyes to see some of the monstrous creations produced by overzealous tonemapping. To reemphasize, this doesn't mean HDR automatically makes an overprocessed picture. The contrast ratio of the human eye is 100:1 static and 1,000,000:1 dynamic. If a scene has elements which are both on the upper and lower range of the static 100:1, a camera can't capture both of them at once without overblowing one or underexposing the other. When you make an HDR, the idea is to combine multiple pictures which, in the group, have appropriately exposed every section of the scene. A good HDR will look like the real world that you can see out of your eye directly.

Now, not to be too harsh a critic of other XSers, Lestat is a perfect example of a badly done HDR. On the other hand, hoax and Marin show how HDR can be used to create good photographs; compare them to Lestat's last picture, or even his first one. ANP's is alright, but in the top right you can see the highlights were messed up by the HDR processing. Another exposure at an even lower level could have avoided that.

[Metric]

My 2 cents on HDR photography... When done correctly, it creates an incredible effect and can produce awesome photographs. The problem is that maybe 80% of the HDR i see strewn about these internets is horribly overdone. In my opinion, HDR is a method used to take a scene in the real world which can be perceived correctly by the eye but not by a camera to create a photograph which represents the image produced by the eye as closely as possible (what kind of grammar is that?). If I can tell that an image is an HDR, it's been overdone - I believe photography is supposed to show the real world, not some oversaturated world where the shadows and highlights have been manipulated to the point where it's just not a photograph of the real world anymore.

Now that HDR is popular and can be done by anyone with half a brain and a camera, it's popped up everywhere and it just pains my eyes to see some of the monstrous creations produced by overzealous tonemapping. To reemphasize, this doesn't mean HDR automatically makes an overprocessed picture. The contrast ratio of the human eye is 100:1 static and 1,000,000:1 dynamic. If a scene has elements which are both on the upper and lower range of the static 100:1, a camera can't capture both of them at once without overblowing one or underexposing the other. When you make an HDR, the idea is to combine multiple pictures which, in the group, have appropriately exposed every section of the scene. A good HDR will look like the real world that you can see out of your eye directly.

Now, not to be too harsh a critic of other XSers, Lestat is a perfect example of a badly done HDR. On the other hand, hoax and Marin show how HDR can be used to create good photographs; compare them to Lestat's last picture, or even his first one. ANP's is alright, but in the top right you can see the highlights were messed up by the HDR processing. Another exposure at an even lower level could have avoided that.

+1

It seems many people have tonemapping a LDR, 8-bit image is somehow equivalent to tonemapping a full 32-bit FP image. I too hate seeing those 'Top 100 Best HDRs' topics, only to find a select few being actual, properly tonemapped HDRs. While the extreme tonemapping (i.e haloing, over saturation) is an unique effect, it should be disassociated with what HDR processing was supposed to be intended for.

Summer is coming back up here in Oregon. Last of some of the HDRs I did back last year in Hawaii. Hopefully I'll be able to grab some nice ones in the next few months

[nuclearjock]

Apparently some photographers feel that the haloing or oversaturation effect is an artistic form of expression. If so, then more power to them. Ihave seen and have produced some HDR images with alittle extra "tweak" that look kinda cool, but I think everyone knows it's meer folly and nothing more. I have used HDR in place of graduated neutral density filters to shoot sunrises/sunsets with some surprising results.

Anyway, the way I view it, if you don't like it don't look at it.

[1avatar]

From a trip to Hong Kong

[labs23]

First entry for July.

[bentleya]

Click For Bigger and More Info

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

Wow mate ! I just "traveled" through the whole thread, and this was seriously the BEST HDR picture i found, no doubt ! Some may not have the same opinion, i respect it, but believe me, this is by far my favorite ! Very nice

Could i have the original size version, please ?

Good luck with some more HDR pictures, i'm waiting

[1avatar]

Wow mate ! I just "traveled" through the whole thread, and this was seriously the BEST HDR picture i found, no doubt ! Some may not have the same opinion, i respect it, but believe me, this is by far my favorite ! Very nice

Could i have the original size version, please ?

Good luck with some more HDR pictures, i'm waiting

Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately I can't provide a higher resolution image as I recently licensed the photo for reprinting by a commercial firm so part of the agreement is to keep the available public images for "web viewing only". Good and bad in it's own ways I guess

I do have a few more available via my blog at http://news.calgarytheatresystems.com - see if you can pick out the HDR ones- some are obvious while other not so much

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately I can't provide a higher resolution image as I recently licensed the photo for reprinting by a commercial firm so part of the agreement is to keep the available public images for "web viewing only". Good and bad in it's own ways I guess

I do have a few more available via my blog at http://news.calgarytheatresystems.com - see if you can pick out the HDR ones- some are obvious while other not so much

Well, those are great news
Never mind for the picture, it'll do
Your website is full of very good picture, you sure have talent ! Don't let go, and come back with some new stuff soon

[1avatar]

[Mescalamba]

Edit: pic reposted - scroll down pls..

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

Hey there Mescalamba,

There is one thing i'm unsure about : what programme have you used to make this HDR shot ? Normally, clouds come out differently...
Anyways, the colors are not too much, in fact i think this picture is a little washed out for an HDR image.

Here you can see what i did with your image hope you like it

[Mescalamba]

Lol.. intent of HDR is to extend dynamic range of images to match real world (or at least trying to be closer) .. not to make over-saturated childern painting. Which is exactly what you turned my pic to.

Tough we can have different opinion, or like different things.. but this is real color-bomb.

I´m using Photomatix.. easiest way to make HDR.. tough, results are little bit better when one use PS4 properly.. but its much more harder..

[Mescalamba]

To: 1avatar

Nice sky..maybe darken image a bit? Or add some contrast and little bit of darkening.. its too light. And quite a lot of noise, maybe some smoothing?

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

Lol.. intent of HDR is to extend dynamic range of images to match real world (or at least trying to be closer) .. not to make over-saturated childern painting. Which is exactly what you turned my pic to.

Tough we can have different opinion, or like different things.. but this is real color-bomb.

I´m using Photomatix.. easiest way to make HDR.. tough, results are little bit better when one use PS4 properly.. but its much more harder..

When you watch the world with your own eyes, they act like a camera, in the way that they adapt to the amount of light. This means that when there is much light, dark areas will appear totally black and you won't be able to distinguish anything in that part. HDR is a combination of dark areas becoming lighter, and lighter areas becoming darker. This is totally unrealistic since no one will ever be able to see anything like that.
But maybe you mean "realistic" in the way that things "are" and not in the way that we "see" them ? In that case, you are right, and i apologize for my misunderstanding

Anyways, when you take a look at HDR pictures, colors are very bright and clouds seem very unrealistic. The purpose of HDR for me was to offer a new way of seeing things, another perspective. I found it interesting and played with settings to offer the greatest pictures, but that wouldn't be HDR then

[Xcel]

Nice picture Mescalamba, I like your version more as well.

This is totally unrealistic since no one will ever be able to see anything like that.
But maybe you mean "realistic" in the way that things "are" and not in the way that we "see" them ? In that case, you are right, and i apologize for my misunderstanding

The dynamic range of the human eye is WAY better than a camera picture, your statement isn't really accurate in my opinion.

[Mescalamba]

Well, I took HDR as possibility of getting perfectly exposed picture. And few words about HDR are .. here > Naturescapes HDR

But it really depends on what you want from HDR pic.. you can make nicely surreal scenes with it, as quite "normal" pics..

[Mescalamba]

..this time was test "subject" shroom.



Flickr link

Post your opinion if you like it, or if you don´t.

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

sweet

[Mescalamba]

Thanks.. I guess its now more in your "style" but I liked it too this way.

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

Well, i think every one's got it's one way of expressing their point of view of what HDR is, and that is indeed more the way i see it
I don't mean by that that the last HDR picture you did wasn't good, not at all ! I really loved it !

[Mescalamba]

After like 4-5 versions I made this.. finally got that right HDR feel into that.. yes, its little bit more "un-real" .. but I think its best that can be made from that photos.. Tough I really hate G1 for having such much noise at ISO 100.. and HDR only increase that..

I like night pics and HDR.. both in which G1 sucks.. aint it great?

[agor]

a bit too much saturation on the roofs for me, nice pic otherwise
dslr with grey filter for smooth river would have been perfect

[Wh!te Sh4dow]

After like 4-5 versions I made this.. finally got that right HDR feel into that.. yes, its little bit more "un-real" .. but I think its best that can be made from that photos.. Tough I really hate G1 for having such much noise at ISO 100.. and HDR only increase that..

I like night pics and HDR.. both in which G1 sucks.. aint it great?

That picture does look really good !
I'm trying to make my own HDR picture, will post it anytime soon