Chat: Monthly competition january - hdr

[kerbside]

May be in with this, got a church thing going on at the moment but there is not a religious bone in my body.

[DigiDiva]

This is what I don't get jeff. It looks like a normal image, not HDR. what am I missing?

[kerbside]

Originally Posted by DigiDiva

This is what I don't get jeff. It looks like a normal image, not HDR. what am I missing?

It's 3 pictures taken at 2 stops under exposed, normal exposure and 2 stops over exposed.

HDR is a range of methods to provide higher dynamic range from the imaging process.

Non-HDR cameras take pictures at one exposure level with a limited contrast range. This results in the loss of detail in bright or dark areas of a picture, depending on whether the camera had a low or high exposure setting.

HDR compensates for this loss of detail by taking multiple pictures at different exposure levels and intelligently stitching them together to produce a picture that is representative in both dark and bright areas.

By doing this you have an exposed image, which if you wish, you can then manipulate and exaggerate the exposure to give "artistic" effects, some people like this, some leave it as an HDR image with no further processing.

In my image the windows were totally blown out and the ceiling detail was not there among other things but by merging the 3images into 1 you end up with an image covering the full range.

Hope this helps, this is how I view it anyway.

Jeff

[Carolpgh]

Hello Jeff

Which programme are you using to merge your images?

I love the church image - not over the top at all, an excellent demonstration of what HDR can be!

The photo below was taken last week just after the first snow, 3 exposures +/-1 EV and tone mapped in Photomatix.

[hssutton]

Originally Posted by DigiDiva

This is what I don't get jeff. It looks like a normal image, not HDR. what am I missing?

HDR essentially increases the dynamic range, giving detail in the highlights and shadow area.

"You can then manipulate and exaggerate the exposure to give "artistic" effects, some people like this,"


To my mind it's this "exaggeration" which often destroys the photo.

Harry

[kerbside]

[QUOTE=Carolpgh;86697]Hello Jeff

Which programme are you using to merge your images?

Using Photoshop CS5 among other things.

[hssutton]

Will have another go at this when I visit the Cathedral during the week.

Harry

[IMG] Chapter_House_Lincoln_Cathedral.jpg by hssutton1, on Flickr[/IMG]

[DigiDiva]

I can see the HDR effect in this Harry, it looks like a painting, however, Jeff, I coudldn't see it in yours, hnce my confusion. When I google HDR images, they all have that difference.

[Jediboy]

Originally Posted by hssutton

Will have another go at this when I visit the Cathedral during the week.

Harry

[IMG] Chapter_House_Lincoln_Cathedral.jpg by hssutton1, on Flickr[/IMG]

Like this. Good work Harry.

[kerbside]

Originally Posted by DigiDiva

I can see the HDR effect in this Harry, it looks like a painting, however, Jeff, I coudldn't see it in yours, hnce my confusion. When I google HDR images, they all have that difference.

Church interiors are difficult to photograph because they usually have huge bright windows and dark nooks and crannies with the rest being a mix of tones illuminated by tungsten light or candles.
Automatic exposure cameras will often deliver a photo with a well exposed interior, but no detail in the windows.
This is where 3 bracketed shots are then taken as already mentioned and merged in HDR program to give a finished picture showing all detail in the shadows, mid tones and highlights like the windows.

I could push my picture to give the same results as Harrys cathedral interior however it was not the look I was after in this particular picture.

Hope this explanation along with the previous ones helps.