Posting this to my blog, please comment

[Photog4Christ]

I would like to put this on my blog in response to inquiries on how I did an HDR image. This is just a draft and not the final copy. I would appreciate comments, feedback, and any editing suggestions.

Thank you.

Since I posted the image of the Huron Lightship last week, several people have asked me how I did that. Well, I have to admit, I am not an HDR expert. I am still learning. I think I have only done one or two attempts at HDR prior to this. I am going to let you in on my secret... Ready? No one else is reading this, right? Just you and me?
I Googled HDR Photography. I also did a search on YouTube for HDR and HDR related terms. There are many tutorials out there written and produced by people that are a lot better at HDR photography than I am. The Internet is full of many great FREE resources. :)
Here is what I did on my image.
The MOST IMPORTANT STEP: SHOOT RAW. This will not work if you are not shooting in RAW. Shooting anything other than RAW when doing HDR images is a waste of time.
I put my camera (a Nikon D200) on a tripod in order to keep the camera steady.
I used a remote shutter release to prevent any camera movement.
I set the camera on BKT (bracket), and set it so that it would take five frames and the exposure ranged from -2 to +2.
I had the camera on Aperture Priority so that the aperture would remain the same. It's okay for the shutter speed to change, you just don't want the aperture to change.
I pre-focused (using the auto-focus of the camera) and then put the camera on manual focus mode. I didn't want the focus to change during the shooting of the five frames.
Set the ISO as low as possible. For the Huron Lightship, I shot at ISO 100. Since I combined five exposures to make the HDR image, it's really like shooting at ISO 500, so now you understand why you want it to be on the lowest possible ISO setting.
I imported all five images into Photomatix Pro, available from HDRsoft (http://www.hdrsoft.com/).
After processing the HDR image in Photomatix Pro, I then used the tone mapping feature.
I imported the finished image into Photoshop CS4 and then used Topaz Adjust to add the finishing touches and voila!

[Photog4Christ]

I would really appreciate some feedback on this.

Thank you,
Neal

[pathfinder]

Neal, what you have listed is the steps most of us do when shooting bracketed exposures, whether for HDR or composite images in Photoshop. Sounds good.


As for processing HDR images, you listed the software you use, Photomatix, which is used by a majority of HDR users, I suspect. That is kind of like saying I process my images in Photoshop. That information really does not begin to explain the steps I take in processing an image.

I, too, like Topaz Adjust, and use it frequently, but you do not need to shoot bracketed exposures to run a file through Topaz Adjust, nor do you need Topaz Adjust to process HDR images. Lots of folks do their curves and selections in Photoshop or other image editing programs, not Topaz Adjust.

This image was an out of the camera snapshot ( jpg, not RAW ) that I grabbed driving from St George to Page. I ran it through Topaz Adjust to make it little grungier:dunno
Tha shadow are deeply blocked without any shadow detail. Reminds me of Kodachrome, kinda!

http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/606647220_4uZBv-XL.jpg

[Photog4Christ]

Thank you for the response. I am still new at HDR myself and have been playing around. I still have more to learn.

I don't really intend on this being a tutorial to photographers. I have had many people ask me how I achieved this image, so I just wanted to give an overview of what I did. :)

[ob81]

Well, I have no clue about HDR at all, and this post did set me in the right direction. I figure that it is a decent start. I know what software to start with. Like the other user said, I really don't know the process just from reading your post.

I do know where to start though, and for me personally, that is good enough for a short post.

[whiteagle]

It's a good start. Have you thought about doing a multi-part series? Perhaps one on exposure and one on post?

[Photog4Christ]

Well, I have no clue about HDR at all, and this post did set me in the right direction. I figure that it is a decent start. I know what software to start with. Like the other user said, I really don't know the process just from reading your post.

I do know where to start though, and for me personally, that is good enough for a short post.

Thank you OB.

As was mentioned, you don't need Topaz Adjust to do HDR. I really need to set aside some time (time?? yeah right!) to do some playing around. In the image on my blog of the Huron Lightship, the HDR w/Topaz Adjust really made a difference. I did try Topaz Adjust just on a single exposure of the lightship and you can really tell the difference, especially in the clouds.

It's a good start. Have you thought about doing a multi-part series? Perhaps one on exposure and one on post?

Haven't thought about it until now. :)

I haven't posted this to my blog yet. I need to refine it before putting it online. I may do what whiteagle suggested about breaking it up into a series.

Thank you for the feedback. :)