Just dabbling my toes in the HDR world. These are from Photomatix , hand held 3 exposure +/- 2 EV.




This one I pushed it a little more - maybe too far not sure yet still like it (and hey that is what really matters right)




One more




I have seen some stunning HDR images here and elsewhere - think it will take a bit of pratice and patience something at this point I am willing to put in.

[causey]

Pretty impressive dabbling. I like #1 very much. The skies are spectacular.

[Bob Harris]

Dave, #1 is just enough for me but I know nothing about HDR. I will have to put it on my list to do right after I find my list. thanks Bob

[daacon]

Pretty impressive dabbling. I like #1 very much. The skies are spectacular.

Thanks Stephan so far that's my favorite.

Dave, #1 is just enough for me but I know nothing about HDR. I will have to put it on my list to do right after I find my list. thanks Bob

Thanks Bob, I hear ya make a new list and first order of buisness is to find original list. Software seems pretty flexible, this one (and may others) have free 30 day trials. I need to get better at reconizing what would make a good HDR photo and a tripod of course would help.

[Kammerer]

Dave, #1 is my fav as well. The other two look less "natural", but I like them too. Thanks for sharing.

[charliezap]

Looks like you're on the right track Dave.Keep up the good work.--charliezap

[basquist02]

Nice photos Dave. I have also been experimenting with the HDR in Elements. I think the hard part is trying to keep the photo real without blowing the sence out. Bas

[dcmsox2004]

hdr reminds me of vintage post cards which were, i believe hand tinted, really adds a dramatic pop/definition... dave m

[Sailor]

I haven't taken a crack at HDR for some time - your shots remind me that I ought to try it again.

Jer

[daacon]

Dave, #1 is my fav as well. The other two look less "natural", but I like them too. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Kammerer yep it's pretty easy to get carried away with HDR

Looks like you're on the right track Dave.Keep up the good work.--charliezap

Thanks Charlie , it's just another tool in the aresenal. Just gotta watch out for hittng myself with it.

Nice photos Dave. I have also been experimenting with the HDR in Elements. I think the hard part is trying to keep the photo real without blowing the sence out. Bas

Thanks Bas indeed it will take a while to develop a style.

hdr reminds me of vintage post cards which were, i believe hand tinted, really adds a dramatic pop/definition... dave m

Thanks Dave yeah the color can really pop for sure.

I haven't taken a crack at HDR for some time - your shots remind me that I ought to try it again.
Jer

You should Jer it can be fun (and a real time consumer )

[adr1an]

I found Dave, the best place to 'use' HDR is a scene where you *have* huge amounts of Dynamic Range.... Its the most 'natural' look for HDR because it comes closer to representing 'what you see' if you are there in person. When I've dabbled with HDR, i've tried to always go for Tone Mapping that expands the DR in a scene 'naturally' without creating Tone or Contrast that wasn't really there in the first place...

HDR is very unsettling for a lot because its the big 'thing' that Digital brings to the table compared to Film. Yes Film had a naturally higher DR depending on what you used than a Sensor - but you can push it 10 fold with HDR. This is why some people 'dont like HDR' - its a bit like when a friend first shaves his beard or she stops wearing her glasses - Its unsettling at first till you adopt to it and then you can make a more informed decision if you do or don't like the 'new look'...

The trick is to harness that and avoid giving the treatment to images that really already have sufficent DR represented in them and making them, as they say, "Posterly"...

So a really *crude* example of where HDR would work nice - Shooting in a Church, with both the Interior AND the Windows exposed.
Shooting something that is both full shade and full sun - such as that Railway example I posted a few weeks back. HDR allowed me to present the scene 'as I saw it' rather than limited to the 12 stops of dynamic range I otherwise would have had. The scene needed really 14-16 to get 'close' - hence I went with HDR to allow the signs under the awning to be 'exposed properly' (wrong terminology, but it conveys the meaning ).

Some of the common uses I've seen of HDR done well is inside old abandoned buildings with huge holes in the wall or big windows/roller doors... HDR was then used to produce an image that conveys both the interior EV details as well as the EV needed for the Exterior.

Anyway - as you said - Its a very handy tool - it just about learning when and where to use it best.

[daacon]

I found Dave, the best place to 'use' HDR is a scene where you *have* huge amounts of Dynamic Range.... Its the most 'natural' look for HDR because it comes closer to representing 'what you see' if you are there in person. When I've dabbled with HDR, i've tried to always go for Tone Mapping that expands the DR in a scene 'naturally' without creating Tone or Contrast that wasn't really there in the first place...

HDR is very unsettling for a lot because its the big 'thing' that Digital brings to the table compared to Film. Yes Film had a naturally higher DR depending on what you used than a Sensor - but you can push it 10 fold with HDR. This is why some people 'dont like HDR' - its a bit like when a friend first shaves his beard or she stops wearing her glasses - Its unsettling at first till you adopt to it and then you can make a more informed decision if you do or don't like the 'new look'...

The trick is to harness that and avoid giving the treatment to images that really already have sufficent DR represented in them and making them, as they say, "Posterly"...

So a really *crude* example of where HDR would work nice - Shooting in a Church, with both the Interior AND the Windows exposed.
Shooting something that is both full shade and full sun - such as that Railway example I posted a few weeks back. HDR allowed me to present the scene 'as I saw it' rather than limited to the 12 stops of dynamic range I otherwise would have had. The scene needed really 14-16 to get 'close' - hence I went with HDR to allow the signs under the awning to be 'exposed properly' (wrong terminology, but it conveys the meaning ).

Some of the common uses I've seen of HDR done well is inside old abandoned buildings with huge holes in the wall or big windows/roller doors... HDR was then used to produce an image that conveys both the interior EV details as well as the EV needed for the Exterior.

Anyway - as you said - Its a very handy tool - it just about learning when and where to use it best.

Thanks Adrian - indeed I think the best HDR shots I have seen have been indoor although I remember on of a an empty football stadium that really got me interested in HDR. Good advice and personally I like HDR there are some shots where I can see it just brings more pop (your railway photo) and I do like some of the extreme ones. It is an art for sure and I will have to do some more experimenting before I find what I like - for now it's just fun.

[adr1an]

Absoloutely - and a lot of fun it is! And yes - sometimes that posterly look really does work with the image content.. I was more trying to explain my thoughts on why some people immeadiately start 'disrespecting' HDR images without having spent any time working with them or understanding them - much like say the way RAW gets shunned by those quite happy with JPG's etc...

Sorry - I wasn't critiquing your efforts at all - I really like some of the effects your achieving - I just was feeling chatty and so dumped some dribble into your thread !!

[daacon]

Absoloutely - and a lot of fun it is! And yes - sometimes that posterly look really does work with the image content.. I was more trying to explain my thoughts on why some people immeadiately start 'disrespecting' HDR images without having spent any time working with them or understanding them - much like say the way RAW gets shunned by those quite happy with JPG's etc...

Sorry - I wasn't critiquing your efforts at all - I really like some of the effects your achieving - I just was feeling chatty and so dumped some dribble into your thread !!

No worries Adrian I appreciate the comments as for those may think my efforts (or hate HDR in genreal) are overdone, bad, fake , well I ain't gonna cry any tears , I respect their opinion even though it is obvioulsy wrong