OK...I'm WAY out of my comfort zone, but you're a friendly & helpful lot, so I'm going to jump into the deep end and I hope this will be the kind of "class critique" I had in college!
I started a thread http://365project.org/discuss/tips-n-tricks/22287/hdr-merge-raw-images-or-jpg and got a lot of good pointers. I don't want to overload this caption with too much info, but at the bottom of the pix are the three images I used to create the one above. I've learned that I can select any number of finished images and have done so with other pictures.
My Nikon D5000 seems to only have the ability to create 3 bracketed images. (Is that correct if anyone knows?)
I took this series of three before I had asked any questions on the thread, so I was surprised to find the selected image to bracket was, to my eye, too light to begin with.
I really want to learn to do this as well as the many images I've seen with the tag "HDR". The picture of Ashton in the spa with Ken & Ashley was a 2-image "HDR" from the Nikon Coolpix, but I rather liked it IMHO...
Someday I may look at these and say, "What was I thinking!", but I'm open to any real assistance or critique you care to give me and for that, I'll be most appreciative!
@tauras@kannafoot@richardcreese@mittens@paulam@taffy@frankhymus@cabezacoco With thanks for all the help you've offered so far, this is the page I'm up to... I DO understand that I selected what seems to be one of the more typical finishes for HDR, the "Scott...something", but I'm trying different looks with the different photos I've used & one size doesn't fit all, I can see. I don't mean to corner you or overstep my request-limit, but thank you for all you've done so far, and I'm really trying to understand this better and to improve. (I've yet to find anything that comes close to making my pictures look like Taffy's! That Chicago skyline image in B&W was amazing!) OK...thanks ... If I can EVER do anything in exchange, just say what and when!
@Weezilou A bracket of 3 automatically with your Nikon, yes that is true. Watch what people say about "HDR." Some people just like the edge glow effects and call even a single image edited with those gimmicks "HDR." For me, but I know others disagree, I don't like those effects at all, and a successful "HDR" merge/mapping is when the technology doesn't show, just all the luscious detail.
So...the best advice I can give from my experience is to just keeping playing with it. There are, from what I've learned (and I'm no expert at the technical side) two things to sort out. First, how many stops apart you want to set (I set mine on Aperture preferred and let it adjust the shutter speeds, as Frank said we should do -- keep aperture consistent). Second, when combining, using to learn the various sliders to get the base photo outcome you want. I could only learn by doing. I never really 'got' the technical side. When I look at what you have here, the green seems too bright, so I would tone that down -- but AFTER I'd combined them. The details are good in your combined piece and there is no halo which I agree is a good thing to avoid.
@frankhymus What you say is indeed what I'd love to accomplish, but I know I have a long way to go! In the case of most things "artistic" from music to food & all art in between, the ultimate would keep the tricks from showing. You may seem some of the above from me until I understand much much more, but I sincerely DO want to learn. Thank you so much!
@taffy I'll go out tomorrow and use the aperture setting. I understand, too to forget the drop down menu and learn the sliders. I'll go back and adjust the green (which I got because I used the "super saturated" image). I'll keep in mind to avoid the haloing. ... Next comment from you: I use Photoshop CS6. I recall asking you what you were using & looked them up, but with this on my computer, my husband thinks I ought to learn it's intricacies before buying more software (and aren't there a lot of "goodies" out there!) If I can get closer to the level of you and Frank, I might splurge more... (but Ken's wallet is safe for awhile!)
I do appreciate you leaving the information here as I can continue to refer back to it. Thank you so much!
@frankhymus Frank, thanks for those words, because, like my grandkids, I have much to explore and learn. They may develop amazing talents in life, so they'll be my muse and I'll keep in mind that it's never too late! Along the way, "creative play" may turn into accomplishment. You're truly kind to take time for others, as I see you do often on the threads. It means a great deal to us. Thank you!
@Weezilou I don't have Photoshop so I've used the plug-ins. One thing to mention to Ken is that one of these two are good investments for you as they are so easy to learn to use! PS to me seems quite complicated, though I'm sort of thinking of learning it this summer. Good luck to you with the PS version...I'm sure it must work in a similar way.
@taffy I need to apologize to Ken for making him seem tight with the wallet... He and I would both look into these further. I've used the ascending versions of PS so long now (and took lessons one summer in NS from someone who knows at least a bit more than me) I'm familiar with a lot of it, but might never unearth all its intricacies! Your capability astounds me (have I said that before?) so I'm happy to consider anything you wish to share! and BTW, I color corrected the pool, removing the high yellow, and posted it. I'm presently just playing with the sliders to see what combinations I can come up with. I'm of a mind that that dappled sunlight is going to be difficult to keep from looking like a manipulated HDR photo, but I'll keep at it... Thanks again!
@Weezilou I'll take a look...and I'm sorry if I came across criticizing Ken! What I really meant was that they weren't horribly expensive, that you don't need both, and that they were worth it to me since I don't have PS. Now that I've gotten the hang of it, I use one of them after almost every serious photo walk! Anyway, if you do end up getting one of them, I'm happy to help share what I do -- though I am not at all techie about this stuff (which makes me smile every time someone makes a comment about my skill -- as my husband has said on other occasions when I'm the one considered strong on a tech thing, 'now, that's scary!').
@taffy no worries about my lame Ken joke...he's actually generous to a fault, but midst other pursuits in the past, I've overbought and then underused "the supplies". It's me that I have to "self-regulate".
I'll go in search of something architectural tomorrow...not all that easy to find in Orange Cty...not like Chicago for sure! Flowers? We have them! Thanks again for all the help, tips and advice!
@Weezilou Architecture -- think small...when I'm on Beaver Island, architecture can mean a small cabin, the grocery store, an old stone house, etc. Any kind of structure will do. If you have a tripod, that make it even easier to avoid it being off-kilter in processing. Have fun -- I look forward to seeing what you do!
most of my pictures that look like hdr are done by a filter on olympus cameras called dramatic tone. i like processing, but don't have the patience to spend too much time on one picture.
It is something that I have seen others do, especially Aaron, not sure if you follow him, but he is a master of such techniques. I will find his name so you can check him out. I have never attempted this, but I do like your final version.
@digitalrn I've followed a fellow from England named Aaron, but I suspect you know of someone different. I trust Taffy (comments above) that I picked a "troublesome" photo to begin with...who knew?! I haven't mentioned it to Ken yet this morning, but I'd like to go out on a photo shoot this morning...including lunch out :) "Architecture" in the suburbs is a bit difficult to come by...interesting stuff anyway.. @pcarlaw ha Peggy...no tripod...no static scene...no idea what I'm doing...can you tell?! I'm going to take some of Taffy and Franks's suggestions and give it another go... not typically the sort of images I take, but I want to figure this "HDR thing" out!
Thanks to both of you for dropping in to my "art lesson"... Hoping for improvement... (and nowhere to go from here but up!)
I wish I could be of help Louise but I'm not sure. I know how much trouble I have with shots with these challenges. Color correction in Photoshop can only take me so far if I didn't capture it in the first place.
@dgrynn Thanks again, Deb. I typically shy away from the challenges as my photos are more often a photo-journal for myself. In this case, I really want to learn how-and-when to use this technique as it might be adaptable to my images. From what I'm told here by photographers who understand this better, I perhaps didn't chose the best example to begin with! As per Taffy's suggestion, I'm going in search of some interesting "architecture"... It can be my journal-subject-matter in that I'm trying to learn and understand something at this stage along the journey!
With regard to the Photomatix v Photoshop discussion, when I first got Photomatix I got a one months free trial, it meant that the images were all watermarked but a good way for you to see which you like best before buying!
O I wish a could be a help for you. But my knowledge of camera`s and the English language is on both to poor. My system is to take more then one ( often about 10) pic.`s of the subject , choose for the best one and nearly always use Picasa to make out of it how I like it /wanted to be.
If you say then you pic.`s are a lie I`m the first one to say yes.
@pyrrhula NO photo or picture is "a lie"... I feel that as "the creative artist behind the lens" we have every right to share with the public what our vision was for the scene. What better place to see the VERY WIDE possibilities for every photo than here on 365! We're all "a community of liars, if that's the case, but I like to think of us all as "artists" and "magicians"!
@Weezilou O. k. that`s also a vision and as good as mine. But , if you ever visit Holland don`t sears for Holland from my pic.`s. It exists but not as nice as I love to have it. Beside the pic.`s we share I also love the the people I met on 365 and get friends with. I thinks that`s even the number one for me.
@pyrrhula This indeed has been the most amazing and sincere community of talented and helpful people who are also photographers... The "old-times" who might read this know how very special I think they all are...I could never forget the outpouring!
May 6th, 2014
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I do appreciate you leaving the information here as I can continue to refer back to it. Thank you so much!
I'll go in search of something architectural tomorrow...not all that easy to find in Orange Cty...not like Chicago for sure! Flowers? We have them! Thanks again for all the help, tips and advice!
@pcarlaw ha Peggy...no tripod...no static scene...no idea what I'm doing...can you tell?! I'm going to take some of Taffy and Franks's suggestions and give it another go... not typically the sort of images I take, but I want to figure this "HDR thing" out!
Thanks to both of you for dropping in to my "art lesson"... Hoping for improvement... (and nowhere to go from here but up!)
If you say then you pic.`s are a lie I`m the first one to say yes.