My first couple of attempts at HDR

Mart61

Mart61

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Martin
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This is my first attempt at HDR. I used a single NEF file, saved as 16 bit TIFs at +2, 0 and -2 stops and then combined the three.

I then tinkered with the tone mapping for a somewhat "over the top" effect. At this point I'm just sitting in my house, on a rainy day, and playing with what I have. I am using Photomatix and I've never used it before

Does it work for you?

p505286230.jpg


p237029183.jpg
 
works for me,
think first shot could do with a slight straighten only noticeable at the base think its the angle of the boat that makes me feel this could be wrong
 
Thanks for your kind words and, now I look at it, the boat does need a little straightening - there's a job for tomorrow..

:D
 
They are stunning shots.

I'm sitting here trying to sort some HDR images for the first time and they are not working for me. Makes me appreciate your shots even more.
 
2nd one for me, the colours work really well. The WB of the first shot looks a bit off, the street lights especially. Great for a first attempt though.
 
WOW! Thanks for the kind words guys!

I have found HDR more tricky than I thought. The first attempts I did were so full of noise they were really bad.

I've found that, as these were all done from 1 shot rather than multiple exposures, the choice of the starting shot was important.

I can't wait to go out and try some bracketed shots (the way HDR should really be done).
 
james_death said:
works for me,
think first shot could do with a slight straighten only noticeable at the base think its the angle of the boat that makes me feel this could be wrong
Click to expand...

There, I used the forward mast as an upright. Looks better I think. Thanks for the input.
 
I'm not the biggest fan of HDR, especially the really painterly/comic book-style tone mapping that most people get suckered by, but these are really nice because they're subtle.

I prefer the top one because there's more tonal range in it (the bottom one for me hasn't got enough tonal range in the water but some great colours nonetheless). The only tweak I'd do on the first shot is to put a bit more black into the skyline on the left - the blue cast to it just looks a little off to me. The big building on the rigt through looks great witht the blue cast because it has the glow of the flood lights to balance it.

Great first atempts and glad you haven't fallen into the trap of doing that ghastly over-the-top tone mapping that first timers with Photomatix seem to lean towards.
 
Spot on. Especially like the second, but both are really nice. Not really much I can think of to improve them, apart from perhaps a slightly wider focal length for the first? Only I find my eye wanting to see more of up river... Second is spot on. :)
 
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