HDR?

chacoansun · 07-17-2012, 11:12 AM

I have been seeing photos in the forum stated as HDR. Might be a dumb question, but what exactly is this. I shoot with a K10 and is this something that is done postprocessing through photoshop or are these images done in the camera. Thanks

Docrwm · 07-17-2012, 11:27 AM

No dumb questions. It can be done either way with the new Pentax dSLRs. The K-x, K-r, and K-5 that I have owned have in camera options for HDR processing of JPG photos. It can be set to Auto, or one of 3 specific intensity settings. You can also take a series of bracketed photos and put them through post-processing in any number of programs to generate an HDR image.

CraneGuy1 · 07-17-2012, 11:28 AM

It can be done in some cameras, but mostly post processing. It stands for high dynamic range. It can be accomplished with one picture, but it works better if you have 3 to 5 to work with in layers.

chacoansun · 07-17-2012, 12:31 PM

Thanks for info. I don't believe my K10 has that. Definitely a lot more work to be done after taking the picture

Docrwm · 07-17-2012, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by chacoansun

Thanks for info. I don't believe my K10 has that. Definitely a lot more work to be done after taking the picture

I think that there are some freeware programs that will take 3-5 images and produce an HDR if you are interested. Sorry, I got into dSLRs with the K-x, does the K10 do bracketing with +- exposure control?

chacoansun · 07-17-2012, 01:01 PM

I do believe it does. It is one of those things I need to look into.

**blackcloudbrew** · 07-17-2012, 01:05 PM

HDR (high dynamic range) photography (generally) is the process of expanding the range of the sensor well beyond the ability of one image to display a scene. What's typically done it to take multiple exposures of the same subject each one a bit different and then to combine them via software to one image by essentially taking the best parts of over and under exposures to form an image more like our eye sees. I refer to it as seeing into the shadows.

The best example of this is one I did several years ago. Here is the non-HDR image.

Here is the same image (taken on my K20d) with 5 images in a sequence 0, +/-1ev, +/-2ev.

The difference here is that the HDR shot lets you see into the shadows so to speak.

In 2008, when I got my K10d, I began to learn about HDR and did a lot of it with my K10d. Basically you use auto bracketing (check your manual) to take a series of image in sequence. You then combine these with a program like Photomatix (hdr.soft). It helps it you shoot in raw but it's not essential either.

Your K10 cannot do HDR in camera, the K7 was the first to do that however, I'm venture that most people do their HDR work in post processing. There is a lot of information online about it and numerous books too. I've been doing it off and on since 2008 and I really enjoy the process. It's good for some things and not good for others. Like any technique, it's a creative tool to have in your photographer's tool box.

Note: I've read that the original technique dates back to something like the late 1920's. Digital photography has made this a lot easier though.

D4rknezz · 07-17-2012, 01:05 PM

Google "HDR before after"

will make it a lot clearer.

D4rknezz · 07-17-2012, 01:08 PM

Oops BlackcloudBrew replied first. His example is an example of HDR done right - and when done right, its difficult to spot. Going too liberal with HDR will give you results as the ones you can see in google search.

tuco · 07-17-2012, 01:09 PM

I don't see how you can get HDR from a single exposure unless your camera is exceptional at capturing a large range of light. You may get the fantasy color look with one exposure and post processing but you will not get more detail in the shadows or highlights than the camera can do with a single exposure but you can with exposure bracketing which is what HDR is all about even though we can only view HDR on low dynamic range devices.

LeDave · 07-17-2012, 01:11 PM

I agree with d4rknezz, when you do HDR, it's hard to not overdo yourself and over-post process the pictures.

Mareket · 07-17-2012, 01:52 PM

It's the new colour isolation. And as said, there are programs you can put bracketed JPEGs or RAWs into to get an HDR image.

At the basic level it gets the highlights from the under-exposed image, the shadows from the over-exposed and combines them all together to give you a picture with little or no clipped shadows or highlights. More sophisticated software then "tone-maps" it (digital sorcery) and makes it look all contrasty and punchy. Without the tone mapping they tend to look rather flat, as they should, because of the greatly reduced contrast from squeezing all the dynamic range in.

Dynamic range, if you didn't know, is the difference in exposure between the lightest possible point and the darkest possible point in a photograph before those points just turn to white or black respectively. Obviously, expanding this means you get much more information in your shot.

Some people love it, others rather less so.

07-17-2012, 11:12 AM	#1
chacoansun Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 70	HDR? I have been seeing photos in the forum stated as HDR. Might be a dumb question, but what exactly is this. I shoot with a K10 and is this something that is done postprocessing through photoshop or are these images done in the camera. Thanks

07-17-2012, 01:09 PM	#10
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,029	I don't see how you can get HDR from a single exposure unless your camera is exceptional at capturing a large range of light. You may get the fantasy color look with one exposure and post processing but you will not get more detail in the shadows or highlights than the camera can do with a single exposure but you can with exposure bracketing which is what HDR is all about even though we can only view HDR on low dynamic range devices. Last edited by tuco; 07-17-2012 at 02:41 PM.

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07-17-2012, 11:27 AM	#2
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	No dumb questions. It can be done either way with the new Pentax dSLRs. The K-x, K-r, and K-5 that I have owned have in camera options for HDR processing of JPG photos. It can be set to Auto, or one of 3 specific intensity settings. You can also take a series of bracketed photos and put them through post-processing in any number of programs to generate an HDR image.

07-17-2012, 11:28 AM	#3
CraneGuy1 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 102	It can be done in some cameras, but mostly post processing. It stands for high dynamic range. It can be accomplished with one picture, but it works better if you have 3 to 5 to work with in layers.

07-17-2012, 12:31 PM	#4
chacoansun Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 70 Original Poster	Thanks for info. I don't believe my K10 has that. Definitely a lot more work to be done after taking the picture

07-17-2012, 12:33 PM	#5
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Originally posted by chacoansun Thanks for info. I don't believe my K10 has that. Definitely a lot more work to be done after taking the picture I think that there are some freeware programs that will take 3-5 images and produce an HDR if you are interested. Sorry, I got into dSLRs with the K-x, does the K10 do bracketing with +- exposure control?

07-17-2012, 01:01 PM	#6
chacoansun Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 70 Original Poster	I do believe it does. It is one of those things I need to look into.

07-17-2012, 01:05 PM	#7
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,461	HDR (high dynamic range) photography (generally) is the process of expanding the range of the sensor well beyond the ability of one image to display a scene. What's typically done it to take multiple exposures of the same subject each one a bit different and then to combine them via software to one image by essentially taking the best parts of over and under exposures to form an image more like our eye sees. I refer to it as seeing into the shadows. The best example of this is one I did several years ago. Here is the non-HDR image. Here is the same image (taken on my K20d) with 5 images in a sequence 0, +/-1ev, +/-2ev. The difference here is that the HDR shot lets you see into the shadows so to speak. In 2008, when I got my K10d, I began to learn about HDR and did a lot of it with my K10d. Basically you use auto bracketing (check your manual) to take a series of image in sequence. You then combine these with a program like Photomatix (hdr.soft). It helps it you shoot in raw but it's not essential either. Your K10 cannot do HDR in camera, the K7 was the first to do that however, I'm venture that most people do their HDR work in post processing. There is a lot of information online about it and numerous books too. I've been doing it off and on since 2008 and I really enjoy the process. It's good for some things and not good for others. Like any technique, it's a creative tool to have in your photographer's tool box. Note: I've read that the original technique dates back to something like the late 1920's. Digital photography has made this a lot easier though.

07-17-2012, 01:05 PM	#8
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Google "HDR before after" will make it a lot clearer.

07-17-2012, 01:08 PM	#9
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Oops BlackcloudBrew replied first. His example is an example of HDR done right - and when done right, its difficult to spot. Going too liberal with HDR will give you results as the ones you can see in google search.

07-17-2012, 01:11 PM	#11
LeDave Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minneapolis - St. Paul Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,067	I agree with d4rknezz, when you do HDR, it's hard to not overdo yourself and over-post process the pictures.

07-17-2012, 01:52 PM	#12
Mareket Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Chester Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 719	It's the new colour isolation. And as said, there are programs you can put bracketed JPEGs or RAWs into to get an HDR image. At the basic level it gets the highlights from the under-exposed image, the shadows from the over-exposed and combines them all together to give you a picture with little or no clipped shadows or highlights. More sophisticated software then "tone-maps" it (digital sorcery) and makes it look all contrasty and punchy. Without the tone mapping they tend to look rather flat, as they should, because of the greatly reduced contrast from squeezing all the dynamic range in. Dynamic range, if you didn't know, is the difference in exposure between the lightest possible point and the darkest possible point in a photograph before those points just turn to white or black respectively. Obviously, expanding this means you get much more information in your shot. Some people love it, others rather less so.