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UER Forum > Archived UE Photo Critiques > first attempt with hdr (Viewed 421 times)
renegade98702 


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first attempt with hdr
< on 7/1/2010 1:15 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
hey this is my first time attempting an hrd photo. as u can see i am using the trial version bc i wanna make sure i like it b4 i buy it.

but anyway my buddy and i found this abandoned shipping depot and decided to take some pics of our cars in front of it for fun.

let me know what u think of the general composition/my use of hdr and anything else i can improve on. thanksss



TurboZutek 

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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 1 on 7/1/2010 1:54 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Post the original (non-hdr).

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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 2 on 7/1/2010 2:47 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by renegade98702
let me know what u think of the general composition/my use of hdr and anything else i can improve on. thanksss

Your lazy spelling could be improved upon. cant take u very seriously if u r gonna type like thissss.

The photo, though... It's safe to assume that the sky is never going to be darker than the pavement in a naturally lit scene. That's how you know you are doing it wrong. Ditch the HDR. And as Turbo suggested, lets see the original.

As it is there is nothing interesting or compelling about this photo. Post process it as much as you want, but the composition is just not very strong. It kindof falls on the rule of thirds, but it still feels like the space is used poorly. If you had moved to the right a little, squared off with the building, lowered the camera a bit, stepped forward two feet, moved the Honda closer and angled it to be closer to being perpendicular with the Jaguar it would have been way better.

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renegade98702 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 3 on 7/1/2010 4:34 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I apologize for the spelling, I had a doctors appointment so I was in kind of a rush.

As I said, this was my first time using the program. I got this result based on a tutorial I found on HDR, so I don't know why the sky came out darker than the pavement.

I'm still learning.

Here is the original photo.



aurelie 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 4 on 7/1/2010 4:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I agree with Will, the tonemapping is overdone. Don't buy any HDR or tonemapping programs, there are open source ones for free. Like this one: the new version isn't free, but the old one is: http://qtpfsgui.so...e.net/download.php

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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 5 on 7/1/2010 4:52 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Every time you do an HDR, when you think you're done look at it and compare it to the original. Don't say "Yeah, it looks way cooler!!!1!1!" If that's the original photo then you didn't HDR, you tone-mapped. High Dynamic Range involves using a stationary camera to take at least two exposures (two or more, Steed). These are exposed for highlights or shadows; so they are 'underexposed' or 'overexposed' some. Many people do -2, 0, and +2 EV but you may need a greater range to get details in dark and bright areas. The software then combines all the pictures into one with Higher Dynamic Range and reduced color saturation. THEN tonemapping is ok, because you're carefully putting back color that you lost.

When tonemapping, you're watching out for, as Will pointed out, Wrong Lighting. When the sky is darker than black pavement, it's just not right. When objects have glowing auras around them from the excessive shadow-highlight effect, it's wrong. When textures are eye-bleedingly, obscenely sharp to the point that attention is drawn from the subject to grass/gravel/bricks, it's wrong. Tonemapping done wrong tends to turn photos into shitty painting-like substances. If that's what you're going for, great! Post it to the flickr group who like horrendously overcartooned things. But don't call it a photograph.

I use the old qtpfsgui (Name comes from QTP FS GUI) under Linux and it does a good job. Use the auto-align, if that crashes use the second auto-align. Once you HDR the MULTIPLE exposures, tonemap it with careful adjustments. If you're just tonemapping a picture, don't push it as hard as you did with the cars. Poor things, that pavement would pop any tire.

Just follow the Defaults (Load pictures, align them, then Tonemap). A window will pop up with no picture in it, just click 'apply' to see what you have. By default a small preview is generated, you can make it bigger but then it's slower to generate it. Tonemapping is used to 'recover' a picture from the effects of HDR, and qtpfsgui has several tonemapping techniques. Generally the slider you want to keep low is 'contrast,' and you can raise 'saturation' type sliders some.

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renegade98702 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 6 on 7/1/2010 5:03 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If that's the original photo then you didn't HDR, you tone-mapped. High Dynamic Range involves using a stationary camera to take at least two exposures (two or more, Steed).


I did use three different exposures and combine them into an HDR image using Photomatix, then tonemapped the result. I only posted the original exposure, there are two more.

I guess it just takes some trial and error to get it right.

And yes, I was scared to death to drive my Jag on that gravel not knowing if I would run over any broken glass or sharp objects.

Now that I look at the image more in depth, I do notice the "cartoony" look it has. I can only hope to get better with time.



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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 7 on 7/1/2010 5:05 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by willskith

Your lazy spelling could be improved upon. cant take u very seriously if u r gonna type like thissss.

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sorry couldn't let that one go... but yeah good solid advice non the lessss.



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Yimmy 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 8 on 7/1/2010 5:14 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
You end up making the image look like it was a cartoon rather than a real photo when you tonemap wrong. Also, you've flattened the colours in this picture at the expense of dynamic range. qtpfsgui is a good piece of software for doing HDRs, like AnAppleSnail said.

You can also use Photoshop, where under the File menu you'll find "merge to HDR" under Automate. I wouldn't use Photomatix. I gave it a try once and just hated it.

Don't let HDR become a crutch for you, if you do get into it. A lot of photographers will use it because they can't get in shadowing and contrast any other way. There are better ways to get HDR-like effects (that look better than HDR).

Lastly, I'll mention, HDR on UER is a touchy subject, and almost every time you post one here, you'll get torn apart to some degree =D.

Cheers,

Yimmy
[last edit 7/1/2010 5:15 PM by Yimmy - edited 1 times]

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willskith 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 9 on 7/1/2010 5:37 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by cary054


sorry couldn't let that one go... but yeah good solid advice non the lessss.



Note the quotations... it's a copy/paste from a post made by someone else.

Good looking out, though!

grit your teeth in the face of fear. self repression is the true sign of a coward, toss your inhibitions to the wind.
renegade98702 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 10 on 7/1/2010 5:54 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Ok here is another pic of my friends Civic that I took with absolutely no HDR, only lowered saturation.

Again, subject may not be very interesting. I just thought the location was good for some car shots.




Does this one look at all better than the first pic that I posted?

zero5four 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 11 on 7/1/2010 6:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by willskith

Note the quotations... it's a copy/paste from a post made by someone else.

Good looking out, though!


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AnAppleSnail 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 12 on 7/1/2010 7:12 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by renegade98702
Ok here is another pic of my friends Civic that I took with absolutely no HDR, only lowered saturation.

Again, subject may not be very interesting. I just thought the location was good for some car shots.

http://i8.photobuc...de187/DSC04540.jpg


Does this one look at all better than the first pic that I posted?


Pulling the saturation out is not necessarily a good thing. You might bump the contrast or curve it a bit, but pay attention to the histogram.

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willskith 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 13 on 7/1/2010 7:54 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by renegade98702
Ok here is another pic of my friends Civic that I took with absolutely no HDR, only lowered saturation.

Again, subject may not be very interesting. I just thought the location was good for some car shots.

http://i8.photobuc...de187/DSC04540.jpg


Does this one look at all better than the first pic that I posted?

The tones are really, really flat. Like Apple said, try playing with the levels in post. Composition still needs work, though. You just aren't using space as well as you could be. The subject isn't prominent enough for a strong photo. This composition would be awesome if the car were four feet closer to you...

grit your teeth in the face of fear. self repression is the true sign of a coward, toss your inhibitions to the wind.
digital_me 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 14 on 7/2/2010 12:49 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by willskith
It's safe to assume that the sky is never going to be darker than the pavement in a naturally lit scene.

just wanted to point out that this happens with some regularity around these parts.

but other than that, it's been said already and better.

AnAppleSnail 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 15 on 7/4/2010 10:17 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by digital_me

just wanted to point out that this happens with some regularity around these parts.

but other than that, it's been said already and better.


Then what's lighting the pavement?

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digital_me 


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Re: first attempt with hdr
<Reply # 16 on 7/5/2010 3:27 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by AnAppleSnail
Then what's lighting the pavement?

usually it's afternoon, looking east. sun is behind, perhaps midway between its noon position and its vanishing point behind the mountains. storm rolling in off the plains, massive thunderheads are very dark. the sky will appear very dark against the bright foreground. it's pretty cool, i assume this happens other places too.

UER Forum > Archived UE Photo Critiques > first attempt with hdr (Viewed 421 times)



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