HDR technique

[daq7]

I have been noticing an unacceptable amount of noise in HDR shots I try to take at night. Should I be trying to find the fastest possible ISO to reduce shutter times? I wonder if the long shutter times are just letting too much noise accumulate and I would be better off with the graininess of a higher ISO speed to limit the amount of time the CCDs have to accumulate noise.

Any suggestions. Yeah I guess I could just go try it, but I kind of want to hear what you think.

[vmlopes]

Got some samples with the settings for us to look at

[OldClicker]

It is my understanding that most of the noise is going to come from the shadow areas of the individual images that will make up the HDR. Make sure that your longest exposure puts the darkest part of the image at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up the histogram. This gives the software non-noise data to work with at all tones - even the darkest.

Another thing is that many of the 'night' images are shot well before it is totally dark.

TF

[daq7]

Excellent Clicker. Thanks! It is truly amazing what brilliance is available for free on the web.

[Shebang]

LOL -- for real.

[freygr]

HDR is not designed for Night Time shots! Night time shots you are going to get noise. If you use digital or film night time photography will give you noise.

[Shebang]

So what type shots are best suited for HDR? Landscape and interiors? How about portraits or still lifes?

Is HDR a Photoshop thing -- or is HDR a technique that can be found in various softwares? I believe Frog mentioned Photomatix on another thread -- is that different than Photoshop?

[Frog]

Photomatix is a program specifically for HDR.
Some just combine their shots with photoshop but from what I understand it is more difficult and with iffy results.
Here is a link for Photomatix with a free trial. Any trial shots will have the photomatix logo imbedded in them. http://www.hdrsoft.com/

[armando_m]

If you try photomatix and then decide to buy it , there are a few discount schemes they have, if you do not fit in any of their discount categories, here is a tutorial , it includes a discount code

click here: http://beforethecoffee.wordpress.com...-the-pictures/

[freygr]

So what type shots are best suited for HDR? Landscape and interiors? How about portraits or still lifes?

Is HDR a Photoshop thing -- or is HDR a technique that can be found in various softwares? I believe Frog mentioned Photomatix on another thread -- is that different than Photoshop?

HDR just adds dynamic range and can be over done, (my complaint). But if it moves HDR doesn't work is the only restriction I can think of.

[stu-52]

In the limited time that I have done HDR with Photomatix, I have found that almost any picture can be used. If you have one with moving things in it, then simply use a single RAW image to start and then use PS or GIMP to create different exposures of the same image. Then take those different exposures and put them into Photomatix. Finally, you can use some kind of de-noise software like Noiseware to reduce the noise left over from the HDR process. If you want more information, go to this website for a tutorial on using the above software (and others) to get HDR images: http:\\stuckincustoms.com

Also, take a look at this thread that I started.

[Shebang]

Hmmmm......interesting. Thanks!

[Frog]

I tried doing the photoshop thing making different exposures and then combining in photomatix. Turned out lousy. I guess I'll try it again when I feel the urge.

[stu-52]

I tried doing the photoshop thing making different exposures and then combining in photomatix. Turned out lousy. I guess I'll try it again when I feel the urge.

Go check out the Photomatix tutorial in Stuck In Customs for information on how to do it. It takes some practice, but the results can be well worth it.

[Frog]

Thanks, stu. Never thought of that.

[daq7]

This is a shot of my wife's motorcycle helmet I did with HDR. I use photomatix and like it a lot. It is pretty flexible once you learn to use it.

It does have a moving element, and HDR can deal ok with SOME kinds of movment. Water ripples or flowing water for example, but as someone said, since a single raw file encompasses a huge dynamic range itself, you CAN just make multiple exposures from that and tone map them.

I do understand the criticisms of HDR, but I vastly prefer to tone map when I can.l It is like having a graduated neutral density filter on every pixel.

Photoshop does do a merge to HDR, but as of CS2 it sucked. I understand it has improved but still isn't as good as photomatix. I suspect that eventually photoshop will dominate this too, but they have no incentive to make it perfect right away.