First HDR

[kf0rt]

Got the opportunity to play with HDR (High Dynamic Range) a bit last week.

This is a shot of Nederland, CO, taken from the east end of Barker Reservoir. Three exposures (+/- 1.7 stops) merged using Photomatix (I have NO idea what I'm doing). A lot of the popular HDR stuff looks like "velvet Elvis" to me, so I'm a little shy to get into it at all.

http://www.westton.com/misc/Nederland-2-1.jpg

[WØTKX]

I really like Nederland. :agree:

[kf0rt]

I really like Nederland. :agree:

Been YEARS since I've been up that way at all, and I've never even spent any time in the town itself. Had Friday off, and I dropped by Eldorado Springs SP for a couple shots and then headed up Boulder Canyon. Damn, that's pretty country - all of it. Absolutely love Eldo -- don't know a thing about it, but I'd love to live there.

Here's a velvet Elvis shot of a bridge in Eldorado State Park:

http://www.westton.com/misc/Eldorado-1-1.jpg

[WØTKX]

I just got my season's pass for the Mt Evans road. And it's open 24/7.

Time for some 2m/440 mountain toppink, methink!

I love the roads in and out of Nederland. Hairpins make me happy.
Been through there twice since I got the little Miata. Zoom Zoom!

I've been taking pictures, but my little camera is only so-so.

[KG4CGC]

Nice velvet Elvis'.
Is there any free software out there. I hate trial versions. They usually drop a payload on your machine when you, don't go all the way.

[NA4BH]

Been YEARS since I've been up that way at all, and I've never even spent any time in the town itself. Had Friday off, and I dropped by Eldorado Springs SP for a couple shots and then headed up Boulder Canyon. Damn, that's pretty country - all of it. Absolutely love Eldo -- don't know a thing about it, but I'd love to live there.

Here's a velvet Elvis shot of a bridge in Eldorado State Park:

http://www.westton.com/misc/Eldorado-1-1.jpg

Beautiful !!!

But a question. How did you get a full sized picture and not a thumbnail?

[kf0rt]

Nice velvet Elvis'.
Is there any free software out there. I hate trial versions. They usually drop a payload on your machine when you, don't go all the way.

Haven't tried it, but Picturenaut has gotten some decent reviews -- it's "donationware."

http://www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/index.html

[kf0rt]

Beautiful !!!

But a question. How did you get a full sized picture and not a thumbnail?

Host it on the mainland. (That is, not on the Island.) :yes:

[rot]

Note to self.
Nederland,Co.
Cool place on Earth.
Sweet.
rot

[KG4CGC]

Haven't tried it, but Picturenaut has gotten some decent reviews -- it's "donationware."

http://www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/index.html
Thanks :)

[WØTKX]

Yes it is a cool place. Kind of a hippie ski bum town, with a mining past.

Great tunes from them parts. Leftover Salmon hailed from there...

http://www.nedfest.com/

[kc7jty]

The clouds in the first photo don't look right, but maybe they aren't supposed to.
The second photo is very alluring until I see the white thing in the upper left.
Just my toocense wurf.

[kf0rt]

Yes it is a cool place. Kind of a hippie ski bum town, with a mining past.

Great tunes from them parts. Leftover Salmon hailed from there...

http://www.nedfest.com/

Home of Frozen Dead Guy days:

http://www.nederlandchamber.org/events_fdgd-home.html

[kf0rt]

The clouds in the first photo don't look right, but maybe they aren't supposed to.
The second photo is very alluring until I see the white thing in the upper left.
Just my toocense wurf.

I guess that's kind of the point. <shrug>

[W3MIV]

To my mind, too many photogs are using HDR to reach extremes that yield what Rob calls "velvet Elvis." It is, however, a very useful technique when the range of the subject matter eludes the range of today's digital chips. HDR, if properly managed, is an excellent electronic variant on Adams's Zone System manipulation and is very capable of subtly stretching dynamic range to keep high-zones unblocked while opening up the deepest shadows to some detail. Electronic water bath. Most of the "velvet Elvis" effect, IMHO, is the result of over-saturation of the color content. The best subjects for HDR are ones that are impossible to shoot otherwise due to the extreme dynamic range of the scene vis-a-vis the limited capability of the digic/chip to capture it.

I find that the HDR systems built into cameras -- my iPhone even has an HDR setting for its camera -- are inferior to working manually with three separate exposures in, for example, PhotoShop CS5 -- which has an excellent HDR module.

[kf0rt]

To my mind, too many photogs are using HDR to reach extremes that yield what Rob calls "velvet Elvis." It is, however, a very useful technique when the range of the subject matter eludes the range of today's digital chips. HDR, if properly managed, is an excellent electronic variant on Adams's Zone System manipulation and is very capable of subtly stretching dynamic range to keep high-zones unblocked while opening up the deepest shadows to some detail. Electronic water bath. Most of the "velvet Elvis" effect, IMHO, is the result of over-saturation of the color content. The best subjects for HDR are ones that are impossible to shoot otherwise due to the extreme dynamic range of the scene vis-a-vis the limited capability of the digic/chip to capture it.

I find that the HDR systems built into cameras -- my iPhone even has an HDR setting for its camera -- are inferior to working manually with three separate exposures in, for example, PhotoShop CS5 -- which has an excellent HDR module.

Agreed, though I'll admit that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." When done well, I think the oversaturated colors work, but often, it does not. Here's one I was playing with this morning... Boulder Falls.

First, the center shot (metered normally, no PP, just a RAW image converted to jpg in LR3):
http://www.westton.com/misc/boulderfalls2.jpg

Here's the result of the 3-shot HDR:
http://www.westton.com/misc/boulderfalls.jpg

Colors not overly saturated, but the HDR technique sure brings out tons of detail. I've seen techniques where this is accomplished with a single shot in the "electronic water bath." I found this video to be interesting: http://layersmagazine.com/hdr-in-lightroom.html

[NQ6U]

What did the sky look like in the real world?

[n2ize]

The clouds in the first photo don't look right, but maybe they aren't supposed to.
The second photo is very alluring until I see the white thing in the upper left.
Just my toocense wurf.

Clouds look weird when viewed at various angles in mountainous areas. I got some very wierd and ominous cloud effects when i was taking pictures on a cloudy day in the Adirondacks.

[kf0rt]

What did the sky look like in the real world?

Dunno. I was too busy taking pictures. Someday, I hope to develop an "eye" for some of this, but in the meantime, I'm settling for the happy accidents.

Seriously. I'm about 50 years into photography now, but my eye for the art really sucks.

[W3MIV]

Yer eye ain't that bad, Rob. You do well with a high percentage of the stuff I've seen.

[KB3LAZ]

They look like paintings. Its kinda trippy. I like it.

[kf0rt]

Yer eye ain't that bad, Rob. You do well with a high percentage of the stuff I've seen.

High kudos, Albi; thanks!. I do try.

[WØTKX]

OhHai, neighbor. :neener:

[kf0rt]

OhHai, neighbor. :neener:

Yo, dood!

[KC2KFC]

To my mind, too many photogs are using HDR to reach extremes that yield what Rob calls "velvet Elvis." It is, however, a very useful technique when the range of the subject matter eludes the range of today's digital chips. HDR, if properly managed, is an excellent electronic variant on Adams's Zone System manipulation and is very capable of subtly stretching dynamic range to keep high-zones unblocked while opening up the deepest shadows to some detail. Electronic water bath. Most of the "velvet Elvis" effect, IMHO, is the result of over-saturation of the color content. The best subjects for HDR are ones that are impossible to shoot otherwise due to the extreme dynamic range of the scene vis-a-vis the limited capability of the digic/chip to capture it.

I find that the HDR systems built into cameras -- my iPhone even has an HDR setting for its camera -- are inferior to working manually with three separate exposures in, for example, PhotoShop CS5 -- which has an excellent HDR module.

Excellent points Albert. I tend to use HDR on interiors where you need the dynamic range. Click Here for an Example (http://kevinsaky.smugmug.com/Places/Riviera-Theatre/4322651_NrvuU#262587771_NNN9w) The shots of the auditorium were all done using 5 exposures and processed though Photoshop's HDR engine. It would have been almost impossible for me to get the detail in the chandelier while still getting the shadow detail in the various parts of the auditorium if it weren't for HDR.

HDR can be great for landscapes as long as there is little to no wind to blow the leaves and foliage around while you're taking the multiple exposures.

Your shots look great Rob. I need to get out to the part of the country sometime to shoot.

[W3MIV]

Kudos, Kevin. Excellent work. I quail at the thought of trying to do such work in film, even B&W.

[KC2KFC]

Kudos, Kevin. Excellent work. I quail at the thought of trying to do such work in film, even B&W.
Thank you for the kind words Albert. I've seen your work both photo and drawing and coming from you it means something.