HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography

[Foggy]

EV -2, 0, +2, RAW. It depends what you do with the local adaption colour curves.. hence the dark ground.

[administrator]

I've just downloaded the first set of images from my early birthday present (Sony Alpha A100) and I'm amazed at the 'hidden' dynamic range available in RAW images. I took quite a few pictures of our two boys on an aerial ropeway whilst we were on holiday. The conditions for photos were poor. Me on the ground in a forest taking photos of someone above me, so a big contrast range between the bright blue sky visible through the trees and the trees/boys in the shade. I didn't have time to fiddle with the exposure...the boys were moving along through lighter/darker areas all the time, so if I'd tried to be perfectionist I wouldn't have got any photos! So I let the camera make it's own mind up on auto.

I was disappointed looking at the images on the camera LCD afterwards. A lot were very dark because of the underexposure due to the bright background sky. However, I was taking RAW+JPEG captures so I thought I might be able to improve things at home. I haven't played with the RAW image processing software much yet, but just a very quick exposure change makes a big difference to the pictures. The two attached pictures are a very poor original and a processed version at +2EV and (I think) it's amazing how much extra detail is available. I can see that I'm going to have to investigate some software to try processing this a multiple images to get HDR in the same image.

[administrator]

Tweaking (not seriously) some more, and there's plenty more detail available hidden away in the RAW format. The background is very overexposed, but I'd never have guessed looking at the original that I could see this kind of detail.

[daveq]

Chris, that is amazing.  I've never shot in RAW before but I believe that has just changed.

--Dave

[administrator]

A last couple of examples of playing with some HDR software (Qtpfsgui). The full original and then three merged images with -3/0/+3EV adjustments. I'm sure much better will be possible if I experiment a lot more!

[N7XSQ]

Mediachance has a new HDR program that looks like it might be interesting to play with:

http://www.mediachance.com/hdri/index.html

It is $39 and has a free trial that inserts a watermark in the output images.

Steve

[Bashy]

I thought i would give this a try as it looked fairly simple to do...

All i have is the Sony DSC-P10 a little dated but it has a 5mp and can adjust the bracket thingy.
I cannot find the option with regards to RAW though, looks like i will not get the opportunity to
see what that side of it is like...

I used Adobe Photoshop CS3, this has an auto HDR function of which does the whole process for you.
It even aligns the images in the process

Anyway, heres my effort, i do not seem to see much difference with the outcome, hdr1 is the screenshot
of the final outcome of the adobe psd (could not convert/save as jpg). hdr2 was copied and saved in paint.
To be honest i aint sure now why i did 2 and came out with different results, i have forgotten, Had a comp
crash as i was trying to post this up before, so cannot remember anything now lol.......

EDIT: hers a better example

-2.0 0 -2.0   HDR Image

Original HDR fiddled with

I see there is a difference, it makes it darker, is this whats meant to happen, I think i need to have a play with PS

EDIT 2:

Ok had another wee play, although my skill in PS is very limited i did manage to the original dramatically albeit losing
some detail from the clods

Original   HDR

[administrator]

Mediachance has a new HDR program that looks like it might be interesting to play with:

I'll try it out later, but I'm a little puzzled why they don't list the RAW formats that the software supports.

[Bashy]

Had another play with the built in HDR program in Adobe PS CS3 tonight

Whats ya thoughts, have i gone too far, does it look too silly?

Original my effort

Its quite addictive playing with the curves trying to get it how you want it, you get it close then
think it needs a bit more and it totally messes it up so ya have to keep plodding on ti;; its somewhere
near again, took me about 30 mis to get that image 

[administrator]

Don't be upset, but I think the original image is better

[Bashy]

No worries, i dont think i have actually grasped the whole concept yet
and i am sure there is lots more to play with to get it right, or perhaps
thats all there is and i set the curve over the top, I will have another
play when i get my pc sorted though, just formatted and started again
due o WD crashing

Thanks for your honest reply though *Bashy goes and sulks 

Don't be upset, but I think the original image is better

[niko]

Don't feel bad, I played with that Mediachance HDR program (posted above) and couldn't get anything that looked better to me than just slightly adjusting the gamma on a single image. I wasn't using RAW images though...