Hdr?

[jreimers]

I edited this photo on Google's Picassa using the shadow, highlights, fill light, sliding bar to modify the photo. I saved four copies of the photo with different light levels and then superimposed them on top of each other using the collage function of picassa. Is that HDR...or just a really big waste of time?? This is a personel photo...

[GB1]

I would say that this one looks like something has been done to it, but I think that hard core HDR software like Photomatix or Photoshop CS5 would probably do a better job.

Note that it's hard to get true dynamic range when using one image. You simply don't have the information in the image to do it. They say that a RAW image does have enough info to get a limited HDR; I haven't tried it yet to know.

Welcome to the forum BTW!

G

[n8]

I've found a single raw exposure to often be quite effective. Some times you're not thinking hdr at the moment or bracketing a moving object just isn't good.
As far as this one goes, I'd say the process could me considered similar, but the result rodent look it, especially with the sky being so bright.

[WesternGuy]

I doubt that the purists would consider it HDR. Traditionally, HDR imagery is created using software such as Photomatix Pro, CS5 HDR Pro, HDR Efex Pro or some other type of software designed to merge images taken over a range of exposure values, eg., +2, 0 and -2 EV using settings controlled by the camera. Some cameras can take as many as 7 to 9 different images at different exposure values which can then be processed through HDR software to produce an image that is then tone mapped to produce a final image. Most of the HDR software programs allow you to do limited editing of the final image as well. There are some who say you can take a single RAW image and produce 3 TIFFs from it and then run these through HDR software to produce a final "image". I have not tried this yet, but I should, and will, in the not too far distant future - just have to find a suitable image...

You did not say if your original image was a RAW image or a jpeg. If it is/was RAW then you have made an initial attempt, if it was a jpeg, then the final image is not HDR. Regardless of how you took the original image, if this was HDR, I would expect to see a lot more detail in the sky than what is shown in your image. Check this out...

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008...-hdr-pictures/

It will give you some idea of the kind of detail that you should be able to get from using HDR photography and software. If you have a DSLR, then this link should give you some ideas on setting up your camera and equipment to take HDR pictures.

http://www.digital-photography-schoo...r-hdr-shooting

Please take these comments as they are meant - in a friendly way I would encourage you to take a run at HDR imagery and even buy some of the software to process your images. I have both Photomatix Pro 4 and Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro and can also access the HDR Pro processing in CS5. I do all my accessing of each of these software programs from Lightroom 3, although they can all run in some form of stand-alone mode. Both Photomatix and Nik have various "discounts" available (software is relatively inexpensive even without discounts) if you do some search on the web, in fact if you attend one of Nik's webinars on their HDR software they will offer you anywhere from 15 to 30% off. Go here...

http://http://www.niksoftware.com/index/usa/entry.php

click on learn and live training for a schedule of their webinars and you will find one for HDR Efex Pro - well worth watching, not only for the product information, but also for the general overview of HDR that it provides. To find out more about Photomatix, just Google it and you will get all sorts of info including the home page. If you Google "HDR Photography" you will find a wealth of information on the subject.

I hope this helps a bit, but if you have anymore questions, then post back and someone will answer them (hopefully).

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[Don Schaeffer]

It's HDR in principle. Keep practicing. You can treat the merged photo as a photo and continue processing it.

[jreimers]

Thank you for the information. I'm really new to photo editing in general...I would consider myself a moderate hobbyist. I appreciate all the information and will look deeper into what you all have suggested. HDR is something I'd like to get more engaged and educated on.

While I take a lot of photos for my job (I'm the Marketing staff member of a non-profit) its a "side" note. This forumn has been a great resource for me to develop and learn much about photography!

Thank you!