Up UP and Away

[Steve Bristol]

Hi All

First real attempt at HDR, I took this during the Bristol Balloon festival.
Shot using Canon 7D RAW, pulled RAW files into ADOBE DNG, open and saved @ -2, -1, 0 +1 & +2 exposure. Then used Photomatix, just tried playing around until I got a shot I looked not too unrealistic.

Any comments or suggestions

Cheers Steve



http://www.photoradar.com/files/imag...l/ballon-1.jpg

[markgozz]

It is very realistic for a HDR but is there any way of getting rid of the noise .

Mark

[Steve Bristol]

Hi Mark


I have reduced the noise a little, (see updated shot), but still some noise there, all I did was use Elements to reduce it from the original upload.

I need I need to look at doing this again from the original raw files.

Maybe HDR is not the way to go with this shot.





http://www.photoradar.com/files/imag...allonn1-v1.jpg

[greenwing]

Noise be ******ed. Too much halo for my liking. Doesn't look like that much contrast that you need to introduce that halo.

Maybe I should say it's not that complicated a scene; you could cut a good balloon exposure out & paste it into a good sky?

Chris

[Steve Bristol]

Sorry Chris, lost me on that one, please explain the halo.

Yes this is a simple composition and I could have easily cut the balloon out and pasted into a another sky, but this was not the object of this exercise I undertook, I was looking to see if HDR on the original RAW image would make a difference. This is my real first real foray into using HDR so was looking for critique and advice.

I will be also looking at combining the exposures normally and seeing how that looks.

Steve.

P.S, I actually like the sky/clouds in this shot, I know they may not be to everyone's taste, but I think there is some interesting shapes and textures there.

What other reviewers think ?
All comments welcome, good or bad.

Cheers Steve

[jimmyosram]

I've done a few HDRI photos using Photomatrix and I can point out a couple of things that may help.

When you select the source images for processing, make sure you select "Reduce Noise on Source, 110%, then pick on under exposed images only, along with any other choices you want to make at that time.

The halo he's referring to is a lightening around dark objects caused by the process. In your case I don't think it's a problem at all.

To add contrast you could increase the blacks in program.

Composition is spot on.

[markgozz]

I'm always a bit hesitant to give critique on other peoples work because I'm relatively inexperienced in photography but I do have an understanding of the processes your talking about and to my eyes the very slight halo around the balloon is negligible and doe's not detract from the image , the sky has some really nice cloud formations and a lovely colouring to them and the composition gives a great sense of scale .

I like it .

Mark

[littlebro]

I dont normally like HDR but I think you have done a nice job and the sky is great, looks as though you are up there over the low cloud base. Dont like the dust spot top left corner.

[Steve Bristol]

Hi all

Thanks for all the input and advice, I will try some of these out later this week to see if I can improve this picture, so thanks there Jimmy.

I'm lucky to live on one on one the highest points in Bristol, so this made it easier to get this perspective.

I did not notice the dust spot, but this has now been rectified with Elements spot healing, thanks for pointing this out.

Cheers



http://www.photoradar.com/files/imag...allonn1-v2.jpg