How do you create HDR?

[talan]

Hi at the Sunday meet Haim was able to teach me how to bracket some exposures at Pt Chev.

I know that HDR is about blending the multiple exposures together but how do you actually do it in photoshop (not in those Photomatix type programs)? Is it simply just layering the exposures together, adjusting each one's opacity to taste and flatten then process the blended image as a whole or is there more to that?

What's your HDR process?

Oh one thing is I don't really want that overprocessed kind of look. Just want to make sure I get some nice colours and detail in the image.

Cheers!

[EGD]

have a read here: http://www.vanilladays.com/hdr-guide/#generating

basically, in photoshop, go to file --> automate --> merge into HDR

i have found using photomatix given better result than photoshop. normally i use photomatix to merge and tone maping, and photoshop to finish off with sharpening reducing noise, etc.

[robo git]

Uberl337 manual method that is too much work for me (except when feeling masochistic):

Import all photos into photoshop into the one image, as separate layers in the image.

Choose the one closest to the "normal" exposure as the background image, layer the rest on top.

With only one layer (other than the base) visible, apply a transparency mask - make the whole image transparent, and the areas with the exposure you're after NOT transparent. Using different gray levels on the mask, blend the image so that all areas are at the right exposure level.
Now make the next layer visible... (rinse, repeat for each layer).

If you want to kick that up a notch, you can break it into different colour channels as well and HDR-ize each colour-channel separately.

Or the easy way: Open Bridge CS3, select the photos you're wanting to blend into HDR, "Tools"->"Photoshop..."->"Merge to HDR..." and follow your nose from there :D (this is equivalent to the way EGD outlined)


Another thing with HDR: The more shots at different exposure levels that you take, the more you have to work with - just using bracketing is quite limiting as you're restricted to a max of ± 2.0 Ev (well, you are on the cameras I've used).

EG: Inside a church with light streaming in a window, you'll want (assuming constant ISO and Aperture) long exposure shots to get the detail in the dark areas and VERY quick shots to prevent blown highlights through that window, but there will be a 5 (or MUCH more) stop difference between the dark areas and the view through the window. So you shoot at effective +3 EV (which you need to calculate the shutter speed for). But that brings even the sort-of-dark areas close to blowing highlights, so you increase the shutter-speed to drop a stop to get that exposed nice... then you want to expose for the dark-ish areas so shoot for +1, then the normally exposed at Ev 0, the light areas at -1, the very-light at -2, and you may find that you're still getting blown highlights coming through that darn window at -3 Ev, so it's time to keep the settings there and bust out the ND4/ND8 filters.

When you get to that sort of seriousness, you don't want to then waste all that effort, so that's when you need to bust out the pro programs like Photomatix or Autopano Pro, as they do a significantly better job of tone mapping the photos, but you won't be stuck at your computer for the next month. NB: Photoshop is meant to be getting better tone-mapping algorithms with CS4, but I haven't played with that yet.

[talan]

Yeah upon further reading, I think the easy way might be to get photomatix or the plugin. But i might give the manual way a go first (Y)

[The Mad Hatter Project]

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm

Step by step instructions for the photoshop method by following that link.

:)

[Spacemunkie]

Thanks for the heads-up on the forum Talan ;)

Definitely have a look at the latest version of Photomatix. Tone mapping has been massively improved by the look of it - much less haloing and the ability to create much more natural looking images.

I'm still using an older version, but it's still capable:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3666009649_d0463b321c_o.jpg

[talan]

Thanks for the heads-up on the forum Talan ;)

No problem mate. Thanks for your 2c on the thread (Y)

[Rick0r]

Please Please PLEASE don't just make an image HDR for the hell of it.. it looks horribly overprocessed. If it'll actually add to the photo, then sure. But far too many people are just taking a bracketed shot, throwing them into photomatrix, and have the mindset that anything they produce will be perfect

Just.. no.

Horrible:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2433830425_d8f6682a97.jpg

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7637372.jpg (http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/7637372.jpg)



Actually improves it:

http://www.twentyfortyone.com/blog/img/church.jpg

http://blog.makezine.com/_hdr_20071219.jpg

[Spacemunkie]

Some interesting info on the Photomatix update and other good conversation about tonemapping:

http://www.hdrlabs.com/news/index.php?id=3090771698108409072