Hdr??

[thebrain74]

Ok, newbie warning. I was working in Photoshop CS3 the other day and I noticed the HDR automation. The meager scraps of info I've picked up on HDR, lends me to think that it combines separate images each specialized with a different part of the light spectrum (i.e. one for shadows/darks, one for lights, etc). Feel free to correct me, I'm treading pretty lightly right now. So I wanted to know how exactly does one shoot for HDR? and equally important, does it need to be done in RAW and/or with a DSLR. Right now I am working from a sony cybershot dsc-s90 with 4.1 MP.

thanks for the help

 

[M@lew]

The simple explanation of HDR is that everything is properly exposed.

You don't have to have a DSLR or shoot RAW to be able to do it. What you would need to do is get 3 photos, each at different exposures. One overexposed, one underexposed and one normal. Then blend them in Photoshop and Tone Map them and there you have your HDR.

 

[Doylem]

HDR is an interesting technique; the trick is to know which shots will be improved, and which won't. You basically shoot three (or maybe five) shots, identical except for a change in exposure. One 'correct' exposure, one or two 'under', one or two 'over'. It helps if you have a camera with auto-bracketting, 'cos you really don't want to be touching the camera between shots. And you'll definitely need a camera and cable release. I use Photomatix software, which does a great job of combining the shots into one. I'm still learning what to use HDR for. I guess it's where a shot has extreme lighting. As a landscape photographer this means a scene with very bright sky, or woodland shots, or interiors. I shoot RAW. with a Nikon D200. Some results I'm happy with, others not. It's easy to create something rather 'unreal' (and not always in a good way). Google 'HDR'; there's loads of info and step-by-step guides on the web. With CS3 you already have what you need. Good luck. Here's a shot that seems to work with HDR...

 

[khollister]

Photomatix (http://www.hdrsoft.com) is pretty much the gold standard on this. Photoshop can do some of the operations, but is somewhat cumbersome compared to Photomatix. Here are a couple additional links with info:

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_a106/essay.html
http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

Keith

 

[Cooknn]

The other day I was looking out the window at a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds and at the same time my peripheral vision caught the inside area surrounding the window. Of course my eyes handled the range of lighting perfectly. It would have taken about 4 exposures at 3 stops apart to pull it off on my camera. I long for the day when there is a camera that can do this. Even today's most expensive "HDR" cameras don't even come close, IMHO

Anyways, I do my HDR stuff by hand. Don't like the look that automated software solutions produce. I drop one exposure (usually the lighter one) on top of the next (darker) exposure in Photoshop then with a layer mask I either brush or use the polygonal lasso tool (then brush with black) to bring out the layer below. I repeat with each exposure until satisfied.

 

[termina3]

I long for the day when there is a camera that can do this. Even today's most expensive "HDR" cameras don't even come close, IMHO

There is. It's called a D70 + SB-800. I figure if you have the time to do all that photoshop editing, you also have the time to get a perfect flash exposure. Now, of course this doesn't apply to landscapes...

 

[Cooknn]

There is. It's called a D70 + SB-800. I figure if you have the time to do all that photoshop editing, you also have the time to get a perfect flash exposure. Now, of course this doesn't apply to landscapes...

Nor does it apply to interior panoramics shot with a fisheye. At least not in my experience. I neglected to mention my application, but great point. A flash definitely brings the inside light much closer to the outside.