Go Easy on the Gamma!

I have now had some time to experiment with HDR more and am still having fun trying new techniques and finally shooting for HDR.  I have been trying 3, 5 and even 7 exposures.  I have even heard that 9 exposures brings out even more detail.  I went out to Pedernales Falls State Park last week and a lot of fun shooting and came back with some great HDR shots.

When processing your images in your HDR program, Photomatic, Topaz, etc,  go easy with the Gamma setting.  Start with a low setting and bring up you white balance and saturation.  Also try staying neutral on the Color temperature, then warm or cool in small increments to get you what you might desire.

Another Sample of Before and After

From Film to HDR

The original shot was Plus-X shot with medium format Hasselblad. I thought it would make a good candidate for HDr because it has all the zones from Black to White.  It gives the photo an illustrated look.

Original Shot and HDR

The shot of the caboose was taken in Fort Stockton on a trip to Marfa, Texas last spring. The Tone Mapping of the Red color makes the shot jump off the page.  I was surprised at how detailed and saturated the sky  would be. The sun was setting and the light was so fine. We covered it inside and out.

Learning HDR

Chose this image to HDR because it had all the drama, light and an nice vanishing point to make it jump off of the page.  I am just getting started with HDR and am fumbling along.  I am also working with single image photos and making exposure variations in Photoshop.

Cooke Photo’s Blog

High dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques in image processing that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight.

The two main sources of HDR imagery are computer renderings and merging of multiple photographs, which in turn are known as low dynamic range.

Tone mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect.