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HDR and Photomatix

ustein

Contributing Editor
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

>A true High Dynamic Range image just looks very dull and grey.

Not sure what you mean by this? A real 32 bit HDR images can neither be printed or viewed without tone-mapping. It looks especially gray and dull using some simplistic linear tone-mapping. Please do not confuse it with the original HDR image.

Note: Photomatix also sometimes can create grayish whites (clouds). They have an extra control to compensate for it. Don't see this effect with Unified Color HDR Expose/Express though.

Here is my original article on Dynamic Range at DPReview:

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Guides/The_art_of_HDR_Photography_part_1_01.htm
 

ustein

Contributing Editor
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

>Any thoughts???

Both nice images. But this is also not a scene where you have a real need for HDR anymore (cameras improved a lot).
 

Graham Mitchell

New member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

Not sure what you mean by this? A real 32 bit HDR images can neither be printed or viewed without tone-mapping.
Yes it can, but when viewed on a device with a much lower DR, such as a monitor, it will appear dull and grey - that's my point. Tone mapping improves the appearance on lower DR media, as would a simple high-contrast curve.
 

ustein

Contributing Editor
> it will appear dull and grey - that's my point.

Without any tone-mapping it will show clipped.
 

dick

New member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

Non HDR normal shot:


HDR with tonemapping by Photomatix shot:


Any thoughts???
Very nice, Tareq...

...but was the "Normal" shot as captured, or as optimally enhanced using curves, recovery and fill in Phocus?

Does HDR/Photomatix only work on images that Phocus could have sorted?

I have used blending by making a grey-scale mask using select colour range on the sky... but it involved lengthy manual editing of the mask where the sky was reflected on the vehicle roof... see attached.

Is there not a program that will automate this process... and let you manually merge the layers and/or edit the masks if you want or need to?

Jack's down-res action has lost most of the purple fringing in the tree... but this was taken on a windy day, and you can see that many small branches appear twice, in light and dark versions! Even branches four inches diameter had moved five pixels!

P.S. I have looked at the original images again, thinking of trying HDR, and Phocus now produces a great picture from the darkest image (with the detail in the sky).
 
Last edited:

Professional

Active member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

Very nice, Tareq...

...but was the "Normal" shot as captured, or as optimally enhanced using curves, recovery and fill in Phocus?

Does HDR/Photomatix only work on images that Phocus could have sorted?

I have used blending by making a grey-scale mask using select colour range on the sky... but it involved lengthy manual editing of the mask where the sky was reflected on the vehicle roof... see attached.

Is there not a program that will automate this process... and let you manually merge the layers and/or edit the masks if you want or need to?

Jack's down-res action has lost most of the purple fringing in the tree... but this was taken on a windy day, and you can see that many small branches appear twice, in light and dark versions! Even branches four inches diameter had moved five pixels!
Yes, it is, but by Photoshop not Phocus, they are Canon shots and even i can open by Phocus but i still use DPP and PS for Canon RAWs.
 

gurtch

Well-known member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

There are several different methods of creating high dynamic range images in CS5. There's the Automate, "HDR" function, but having tried it only a couple of times, I can't say I've ever managed to get a decent image with this method.

Next, there's the layer mask method of which I spoke before. Once you understand this process, it's pretty easy to create very natural-looking "HDR" images. I'm not much a fan of creating lengthy Photoshop tutorials, but I did find a link that, if you're not familiar with layers and masks, should point you in the right direction. If you have questions after this, feel free to post them or PM me.

http://www.tutorialized.com/view/tu...toshop-Creating-and-editing-layer-masks/66901

And, well, with respect to the images posted, I stand by my original statements. Perhaps 1-2 of them actually embody a "natural" feeling, while most all of the others have either crazy local contrast "halos" or diminished contrast with an "ethereal" feeling. The way I see it, Photomatix HDR is the modern day equivalent of the kitschy '70s velvet paintings.

To each his/her own, though.
Thank for the link..I will check it out.
Dave
 

Anders_HK

Member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

Yes and you don't even have to have multiple files or leave raw. Assuming:
- you're using a camera with good dynamic range and low noise
- you're using Capture One :)

Capture One HDR

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
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Doug,

Above is the most simple and perfect way.

C1 rocks :thumbs:

Regards
Anders
 

Jan Brittenson

Senior Subscriber Member
Re: HDR and Photomatrix

And, well, with respect to the images posted, I stand by my original statements. Perhaps 1-2 of them actually embody a "natural" feeling, while most all of the others have either crazy local contrast "halos" or diminished contrast with an "ethereal" feeling. The way I see it, Photomatix HDR is the modern day equivalent of the kitschy '70s velvet paintings.
Lets rephrase this: Photomatix Pro is a good tool to blend exposures into HDR. Its tone mapping is so-so; it's useful if you apply it with care, but in general plain old dodge-and-burn will produce better results, perhaps combined with some very light tone mapping. In the end though, an HDR image encompassing 10-20 stops will look like color neg; like Uwe points out, this is unavoidable and this needs to be taken into account when visualizing the result (before snapping away). It will look either flat or clipped, take your pick. It needs much higher contrast lighting to look good without dodging and burning. Tone mapping can never get around this.
 
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