Since we have a thread discussing HDR techniques and how to achieve them, we might as well have a thread dedicated to showing off the results. I've been working with varying degrees of processing with them to get different effects, so I thought I'd post a couple I recently finished up. Feel free to comment & critique them, because I'm still new at this stuff too. I can post the originals if anybody is interested to see the difference the HDR treatment made.
Love these Vic. Since the first post in the HDR Techniques I've been playing a lot. I wouldn't say I'm good at it by any stretch, but compared to my first attempts I've come a long way. Here's my latest and best effort to date. Still learning and invite your comments.
Just wanted to say; i love you guys. Most of the time i open these threads ("HDR") preparing myself for those awful one exposure contrast heavy ugly photos. You guys showed actual HDR, and i am so happy for that !! Thank you and props, all great looking photos !
I'm sure some of you have seen these before. But I haven't looked at them in a long time. Nor have I shot any new pics for various reasons... so here's what I got.
From our friends at Wikipedia In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight. The two main sources of HDR imagery are computer renderings and merging of multiple photographs, which in turn are known as low dynamic range (LDR) (also called standard dynamic range (SDR)) photographs. Tone mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect.
Where would one go to learn to dabble in HDR image manipulation, short of doing a web search on the subject?
This site seems to have a lot of well written tutorials, 70+ Stunning HDR Photography with useful Tutorials @Smashingtips .
I really like this one. Personally, I don't like the overdone HDR photos. This one is just right. (Where's the HDR discussion thread?)
To translate ... You know how, when you take a photo (without a flash) of someone standing against a window that their face may be completely dark and the window light in the background is fine, but then at other times, the face is fine, but then the window light is so bright and washed out? Well, what if you could combine the two photos so that the exposure of the window and the face are fine? That's kinda what HDR techniques do.
Thank you. I have always loved being able to show people how the world looks to me. There are many reasons I say looks to me. One of which, to put in in simple terms, I have very sensitive eyes. I see a larger range of color that the some people and it's very vibrant. I guess you could say it's like the opposite of color blindness. LOL Then of course there's just the being an artist. But as Ofioliti said, it can also be over done. The thing that HDR allows us to capture is the same thing that painters usually try to achieve. Which is that perfect blend of light and dark that really is only seen as you shift your vision from point to point. Your eyes will automatically adjust and then you can see. A regular camera shot only sees a moment in time at a certain setting. What used to take days in a dark room combining F stops and burning and dodging, now can be done in hours. Not necessarily changing what has ever been done in photography. Just refining it and making it more efficient.
Photoshop has some HDR processing capabilities built in, and not to start a religious war here... Photomatix is generally regarded as one of the top HDR processing packages out there. Not very expensive and has so many features. I'm with Ofioliti, I don't like overdone HDR and from my own experiences it is easy to go down that route when you first start. I've pulled myself back and try to create more "realistic" looking HDR photos. It is a fun addition to a photographer's tool chest and the tutorials noted above are a great resource to get started.
I should have mentioned this guy. His work is very nice and he has a great tutorial as well: HDR Tutorial | High Dynamic Range Tutorial This guy has a good tutorial here as well and he used one of my photos of Midtown Atlanta as an example