More HDR Adventures

Here's another shot at HDR. I am after a particular look for these and this is getting closer. What do you guys think? All comments happily received, good or not so good!
[IMG]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff250/johnriley1uk/003-Haddon-Hall.jpg[/IMG]

John,

The overall look is good, however there are two points that draw my attention: 1) Bottom right corner appears to lack contrast (in fact this seems to happen in other areas of the picture too) and 2) top right there appears to be some ghosting over the window, almost looks like a reflection in glass.

I've just started experimenting too, John, so I know what you mean. I agree that the bottom right-hand "triangle" is a bit lacking, but I'm more interested in how the clouds seem to "overhang" the castellation and the trees to a lesser extent?

I'm in a very early stage myself, so I wouldn't dream of commenting further, except to add that I'm also after a "particular look," so good luck in finding it.

I put a puny effort up in the gallery earlier on (Eastbourne HDR).

Ray.

John,

you still have an alignment problem between images. Are you using multiple versions of the same image, or separately exposed images ?

This one was different images, shot on a tripod. There is very likely some wind movement between shots, but I don't understand the apparent overlap of clouds.

It makes it look like the clouds have been blended in from another shot, but they haven't.

Now that I've had another good look, the bottom left bush seems to be a bit "flattened" and there's an almost horizontal line halfway up the left-hand side, at the top of this "flattening." That looks like a software problem to me, which might also explain the clouds.

Ray.

OK, so here's a new attempt and although I will freely admit it is way over the top as an image it is getting the fantasy world feel I was looking for. Opinions, either on the technique or the image as an image, will be welcomed, as always.
[IMG]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff250/johnriley1uk/005-My-Dream-World.jpg[/IMG]

Much better. I like it, Surreal to the extreme. All it needs now is a ghostly Boris Karloff lurking somewhere.

The "look" is not now playing second fiddle to the technique! That's much better - what was the difference in the process (if you can put your finger on anything)?

Ray

On the first one the two shots are not aligned at all. The crenelated roof edge is on the image twice, once just above the tops of the windows and again where it is supposed to be as if the camera dropped between shots. Plus the sky is blended with the building in that area.

*confused*

Hello there!

I have experimented only a little with HDR. At some point last year I actually got into it a lot and came to the conclusion that there is no point trying to allign different images.

What I figured was the best thing to do, was to shoot in RAW, develop 5 shots +/- 1 and +/- 2 stops and the correct exposure. Save them all, and open them in photomatix giving the correct values of exposures.

After the merging, the tone-mapping is very important, and I think the best wasy to go is the lowest possible HDR range, because the rest can be re-worked on photoshop. So save the file, with the "not too weird looking" HDR in jpeg, open it in photoshop, and adjust contrast, saturation, and all these to give the proper look desired.

This is an example.

http://www.woophy.com/download/444738

(Honestly I've tried everything to upload images to this comment, but I can't manage to do it. Either from another site, or even by uploading the photo to my profile here... If anybody can help with that, i'd be grateful!)

Nathan

John - isn't the issue that you're taking shots containing movement? The plants, trees and clouds are all moving so the poor old alignment software is struggling. Also I assume the alignment software uses some hard edges to align on and in your shots there is so much detail it will surely struggle to latch onto a suitable hard edge.

I tried some HDR on a still life and the alignment semed fine but the result was totally pointless! I was inspired to try this by a guy on photosig who does some remarkable interior HDR shots and by sheena on the same site who used HDR for a commercial interior shot where she managed the exposure for the extreior seen through the windows, the dark corners and the well lit areas. It was very effective and natural looking closer to the way your eye would see it.

I wonder if you're not diving in at the deep end and consequently suffering for it?

Nathan - somewhere (I thought it was on this forum) I read that using PP to adjust the exposure won't generate true HDR as you need the different exposures for the different light levels to give the s/w a chance to patch the different dynamic ranges from each exposure in camera. Poorly expressed compared to the original post I am trying to recall.

Mike

Thanks to all for the helpful replies.

Nathan, you need to hotlink to an image on a hosting site such as Photobucket. Then copy and paste the URL they provide for forums and bulletin boards.

If you restrict the image size to around 800 pixels on the longest side it will display better here.

MIke,

You've repeated exactly what I said; Shoot in RAW, open a RAW image sofware, save DIFFERENT EXPOSURES of the same photograph in JPEG files.

THen use photomatix to allign the DIFFERENTLY EXPOSED shots, tone mapping, save new file.

THen Photoshop to adjust all further settings.

John:
I have uploaded the photos on photobucket. Can you tell me in simple words, what I have to click on, what I have to copy, in order to view the images. And if the whole process is right, should I be able to see the photos when I click on "preview Comment"?

I've tryed both the link button, the image, the image beefore and after, only the link, but nothing appears in the preview.

And honestly this is possibly the most complicated way of uploading photos in the world... I've been redesigning my whole website for the past 2 days, and that is a joke compared to this...

Cheers,
Nathan


Nathan

AHhhhhahahahaha I got it! YAY!!!!

Well here's the example:


[IMG]http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/nathanever82/waterhDR2.jpg[/IMG]