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UER Forum > Archived UE Photo Critiques > How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR (Viewed 1143 times)
ahhntzville 


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How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
< on 9/19/2013 2:16 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
This isn't so much a photo critique request (I'm happy with the composition and find it to be frankly unassailable) as it is a request from a relative Photoshop n00b as to how I can better execute the post production on this photo. It's a dim corridor with ~90% of available light coming through a ceiling skylight which has some debris and stains on it that I want to include in the final image. I took four exposures, all at f2.8 because I was being stupid and lazy and possibly was intoxicated. Try as I might with the sliders in the HDR merge and burning in the skylight, I can't for the life of me get this image to look convincingly natural. The biggest problem seems to be the glare that extends beyond the bounds of the actual skylight. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.


[last edit 9/19/2013 2:19 AM by ahhntzville - edited 1 times]

sirpsychosexy 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 1 on 9/19/2013 8:51 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I'd go for manually blending at all times. Stack them in Photoshop, mask out what you don't need from each image and voila, total control. Takes some time but it's worth it.

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La Cigale 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 2 on 9/19/2013 12:16 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I agree with the former post, blending images in Photoshop is going to be much more effective method of operation. Also, it's a good thing that you change the shutter speed and not the aperture as a change in the latter will result in the depth of field changing making the blending a lot more noticeable. But if you're gripe was with 2.8 over shooting them all at f11, then, well, I like whisky too.

I don't think you did too bad of a job here though. If anything I would try and bring back some of the contrast into the image. The door, especially sections at the bottom corners of the door could do with some more contrast.

Keep up the good work.

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randomesquephoto 




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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 3 on 9/19/2013 12:30 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Doesn't look like a keeper to me. Junk it.

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yokes 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 4 on 9/19/2013 1:32 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Can you post the original frames?

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ahhntzville 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 5 on 9/19/2013 2:38 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I can post the original frames tonight. I haven't tried bracketing and blending yet even though I've been shooting multiple exposures for years with this in mind. You're probably right that that's what I need to do here.

Posted by randomesquephoto
Doesn't look like a keeper to me. Junk it.

Thanks, that's helpful.


FloodSpectre 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 6 on 9/20/2013 10:19 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
It looks like you blew the highlights at the top even in your darkest exposure, which is a mistake I've made many times. Your best option in that case would be to re-shoot this and make sure you've exposed properly for the highlights (an even faster shutter speed) while you're right there shooting.

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ahhntzville 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 7 on 9/21/2013 3:11 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by FloodSpectre
It looks like you blew the highlights at the top even in your darkest exposure, which is a mistake I've made many times.

I dunno, I don't think so but let me know what you think. Going the HDR route the biggest problem seems to be the glare bleed beyond the bounds of the skylight. Here are the four original exposures unedited.









yokes 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 8 on 9/21/2013 3:30 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I dropped images 2, 3 and 4 into Photomatix and used Exposure Fusion (never Tone Mapping). By not using image 1, you reduce the glare, because that's the image with the most of it. No additional editing.



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yokes 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 9 on 9/21/2013 3:34 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If you use Lightroom 5, you could probably the RAW for #3 or #4 into lightroom and get a great result from the shadows and highlights sliders.

"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel
tiffers 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 10 on 9/21/2013 3:12 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I prefer Photomatix over ANY HDR program. It's cheap, only at $100, and it produces better HDR images than the Photoshop HDR Toning, for sure. I was also going to mention the blowing out of the highlights. Do you have 'blinkies' on your camera? If you're not super familiar with exposure and such (like me), blinkies are super, super helpful to determine what whites are blown and what are not.

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NotLost 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 11 on 9/29/2013 6:13 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Me giving photo suggestions in this thread is akin to giving Arturo Sandoval trumpet lessons (sorry, reference prob lost), but, figured it would be good to hear others thoughts on the pros and cons of the technique.

To bring out details, and flatten the overall contrast of a shot, an overlay that’s de-saturated, inverted, and blurred reveals details that I don’t even remember seeing when there.

Forgive me if I’m stating the obvious or repeating, I don’t understand half of what you guys were talking about – was actually browsing this thread to learn!


sirpsychosexy 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 12 on 9/30/2013 6:33 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
The last two images of the bracket are the only ones you need. Mask them and it will be good. But just like yokes mentioned, I'd probably just use the second to last one and burn the skylight (if it's RAW), or use it like it is because the crap on the skylight isn't all that interesting anyways. But if you have enough time on your hands, blend it

Here's a quick example of the manual blending result, I hope you don't mind me fucking with you photo.


[last edit 9/30/2013 6:39 PM by sirpsychosexy - edited 1 times]

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ahhntzville 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 13 on 10/2/2013 2:22 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
That looks great, thanks. I appreciate all the input.

yokes 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 14 on 10/2/2013 2:24 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by sirpsychosexy
The last two images of the bracket are the only ones you need. Mask them and it will be good. But just like yokes mentioned, I'd probably just use the second to last one and burn the skylight (if it's RAW), or use it like it is because the crap on the skylight isn't all that interesting anyways. But if you have enough time on your hands, blend it

Here's a quick example of the manual blending result, I hope you don't mind me fucking with you photo.

http://i.imgur.com/CD8P5TO.jpg


That's much better.

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nb198 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 15 on 10/7/2013 2:23 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 

The last two images of the bracket are the only ones you need. Mask them and it will be good. But just like yokes mentioned, I'd probably just use the second to last one and burn the skylight (if it's RAW), or use it like it is because the crap on the skylight isn't all that interesting anyways. But if you have enough time on your hands, blend it

Here's a quick example of the manual blending result, I hope you don't mind me fucking with you photo.


Hey, that looks a lot better. Are you able to give me a quick blending tutorial or maybe link me to one? I can only seem to find ones that either use the auto-blending function or ones that tell me to use a gradient.


sirpsychosexy 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 16 on 10/8/2013 7:15 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
There's one slightly automated method described on this forum here, but what I do is load two or more exposures in Photoshop and stack them as layers. You give each layer a mask, and on each mask you paint the parts you don't want in your final image black with a soft brush. How the masks work is described more detailed in the link above from figure 15 onward. You must play with the opacity and size of the brush a bit. It's a lot of work sometimes but it pays off. Old fashioned handwork

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nb198 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 17 on 10/12/2013 12:24 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 

There's one slightly automated method described on this forum here, but what I do is load two or more exposures in Photoshop and stack them as layers. You give each layer a mask, and on each mask you paint the parts you don't want in your final image black with a soft brush. How the masks work is described more detailed in the link above from figure 15 onward. You must play with the opacity and size of the brush a bit. It's a lot of work sometimes but it pays off. Old fashioned handwork


Thanks! That is a very helpful tutorial. It is exactly what I was looking for.

cdevon 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 18 on 10/12/2013 4:47 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
jeebus, i suck at editing... carry on.

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Radical_Ed 


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Re: How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR
<Reply # 19 on 10/13/2013 11:20 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 


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UER Forum > Archived UE Photo Critiques > How to make this HDR look less obviously HDR (Viewed 1143 times)
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