Through my journey this year I have discovered HDR and the love/hate relationship that exists in the photographic world for it. Personally I'm a lover.
I've recently been googling more about it and now want to learn more about HDR and taking great HDR shots. My question is in relation to Photoshop fpr those who are into HDR. Currently I do not have Photoshop. I have Lightroom 4 and the Nik complete collection.
Upon googling and reading the HDR one online magazine I see a lot of people seem edit there photo's in lightroom/ps then NIK HDR or Photomatix and then adjust layers in Photoshop.
I'm not familiar with ps or what adjusting layers is. So my query is, as I noticed a lot adjusting layers in their HDR shots, what does it do and just how important is it in the end result? Assuming composition, noise, subject and technical aspects are all good can it make a good shot a great shot?
To put out great HDR shots do I need photoshop to adjust layers?
grrr HDR - shudder. I used to use http://www.oloneo.com/ which was ace, bespoke software about $95 a year, but you used to be able to get a free month to try it. I have an old PS which doesn't do it.
I often use layers in Photoshop Elements to merge a HDR image back with one of the original shots so I get the HDR effect in the areas I like it, and not in other parts.
I do this with Topaz Adjust too.
I think Trey Ratcliffe talks about this on his Stuck In Customs HDR site. Will try find a link later.
@vorka In a word. Yes. You need Photoshop (or Elements or anything that can do layers. Pixelmator on the Mac is a great/cheap alternative). My advice would be to go over and have a look at http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/ - Part 3 of the tutorial will tell you all you need to know.
@pizzaboy Mick, I don't get it. What do you mean by the original image. When I do HDR shots I take 3 or 5 images at different exposures and merge them...I don't have an öriginal image". Maybe I'm just dumb...
@swilde Oh, OK, you're not dumb :), maybe just one or more of the original exposures, or maybe the outcome of the HDR process before it's been crzied up by additional software. My recent approach has been to produce a fairly tame output from the HDR software (LuminanceHDR) and then increase the local contrast, saturation etc. using other software (GIMP, Topaz Adjust). I would then use layers to merge the more "extreme" image with the less extreme one. A layer mode like Soft Light can work really well, or else the default layer mode and brush in areas of the image.
Something else I've been trying a fair bit is to desaturate the background parts of the image, to increase the apparent saturation of the subject (i,.e. my truck image I linked above). I tried the complete opposite for this one, with the elephant being desaturated and the background elements highly saturated: http://365project.org/pizzaboy/2012/2012-12-05
I use Photomatix to merge my shots then I finish editing in PS5. I use Layers just about every time to highlight and tone down. I think if you are really serious about quality editing, you can't beat PS. Here is an example
These most recent of mine are HDR. I use Nik to get the initial image. I then, sometimes, add one or more layers of the original files. Or parts of said layers. Then variious adjustments after. Depends, each image is its own. HDR is simply the beginning of the process.
@vorka I think it is the over processed shots that give it a bad rap. If you can make the image to look the same as you would see it with your own eyes then you are on the right track.
@agima I agree, and thats what I find myself doing. Processing the shit out of it. The above images are more of what I'd like to get to. PS sounds intimidating and time consuming and because of that I have shied away. I think I just have to suck it up and jump in. Nice shots of yours too, well done.
@vorka Thanks. I know the path you are walking as I walked it myself.
HDR was mind blowing when I first saw it and have come to use it more and more as I find myself in situations where I can not get the complete exposure across the image.
I think if you can produce a HDR and people dont know it, then you have succeed.
I see a lot of Trey images and they are a bit over the top but he still has a very very large following. For my taste it is not me, but that is the great thing about art... Personal taste. :)
I used to love it and did it all the time on holidays because i loved the surreal aspect that it gave... now though, its really not something i like and i find myself gravitating to filters. I use photomatix pro on these to combine the images and then LR for adjustments
HDR examples
Filter stuff :
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
I do this with Topaz Adjust too.
I think Trey Ratcliffe talks about this on his Stuck In Customs HDR site. Will try find a link later.
Merge images to get HDR
Then go back and merge parts of the 3 or 5 orginal images into the HDR image.
Here are some HDR I have posted:
I think in short, you need Photoshop if you are going to create really nice images. You can do it without but the quality suffers.
I use Photoshop to do my HDR and then I post process them again in Photoshop.
I then finish them off using OnOne.
Something else I've been trying a fair bit is to desaturate the background parts of the image, to increase the apparent saturation of the subject (i,.e. my truck image I linked above). I tried the complete opposite for this one, with the elephant being desaturated and the background elements highly saturated: http://365project.org/pizzaboy/2012/2012-12-05
Looks like I need to get PS and learn how to use layers. Thanks for your input and time :)
Dean.
@lilbudhha Love your last shot. Well done.
HDR was mind blowing when I first saw it and have come to use it more and more as I find myself in situations where I can not get the complete exposure across the image.
I think if you can produce a HDR and people dont know it, then you have succeed.
I see a lot of Trey images and they are a bit over the top but he still has a very very large following. For my taste it is not me, but that is the great thing about art... Personal taste. :)
HDR examples
Filter stuff :