First attempt at HDR, critique please...

[returnofsid]

I've made my very first attempt at photographing and creating an HDR photograph. I'd like some opinions please. I've never attempted this before and did a very quick study, to figure out the basics. This is a barn that I've photographed, over the past 5 years, on vacations to Montana. It's been interesting to watch it slowly deteriorate. This trip, I decided to do something different, and create the HDR. As I said, I've never attempted any HDR photography in the past so thought I'd give it a shot. To be honest, I'm not very sure I like the results and I obviously need to do a lot more learning and practicing.

Using a tripod, I took 3 photographs, all on manual, all in RAW. One is properly exposed and then by adjusting the shutter speed, I took a photographs at approximately +2 and -2.

I made no adjustments to the RAW photographs, converted them to Jpg and then, using Photoshop, Merged to HDR, 32 bit.. Once merged, I made some slight Gamma and then Exposure adjustments, not really knowing what I was doing...then I fiddled with Curves, slightly, again, without any idea what I was doing...lol.

I then converted the photo to 8 bit and saved.

Please critique not only the finished HDR product, but also the process that I used.

I'm not at all sure how to go about posting these critique requests so I'm going to post all 3 photos and then the HDR.

Proper Exposure

+2 Exposure

-2 Exposure

Final HDR product

 

[Tinola]

I usually hate HDR, but this one is nicely done.

 

[returnofsid]

Thank you. A lot of HDR photography is taken to an extreme, creating a very 'metalic' or even a comic look, something like a water color. I see very few of those that I actually like. I tried to make very minimal adjustments.

For those of you who are wondering what HDR photography is all about:

Our eyes can see much more than a camera is capable of. When we're taking pictures with contrasting brightness and shadowed areas, we usually have to make a compromise. If we expose for the bright areas, the dark areas are too dark. If we expose for the dark areas, the bright areas get blown out, from over exposure.

HDR photography is where you take a series of identical photos, with the only difference being the exposure. You take a 'normal' photo and a series of under and over exposed photos. Then you merge them all into a single photo. The end result is supposed to be a photo that allows you to have proper exposure without losing detail in the dark or bright areas.

This is my very first attempt and it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm begining to think that there are certain types of scenery that lend themselves to HDR, better than others. This scene wasn't very 'contrasty' to begin with so you don't see much of a difference between the properly exposed photo and the HDR photo.

 

[Reefltx]

Honestly, the original looks better. The HDR version is too dark for my liking. May I ask what program you using for the hdr?

 

[returnofsid]

Honestly, the original looks better. The HDR version is too dark for my liking. May I ask what program you using for the hdr?

I've actually posted this same thread on a couple of photography forums that I belong to. So far, several people are agreeing with you...lol.

I used Adobe Photoshop CS5. Still have a lot to learn about it.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm a huge fan of upping the 'detail' slider on barns and the like. If it were me, I'd up the brightness a bit and add some detail. You might test drive photomatix as well. It took me a bit to figure out, but it's hands over heels better than CS5 when dealing with HDR. For most things, I like a pretty realistic look. Trains, for some reason, are one of the few that I really like with the 'cartoonish' look. Overall, I think you did well not letting the sliders tempt you.

 

[returnofsid]

I'm a huge fan of upping the 'detail' slider on barns and the like. If it were me, I'd up the brightness a bit and add some detail. You might test drive photomatix as well. It took me a bit to figure out, but it's hands over heels better than CS5 when dealing with HDR. For most things, I like a pretty realistic look. Trains, for some reason, are one of the few that I really like with the 'cartoonish' look. Overall, I think you did well not letting the sliders tempt you.

HAHA, only because I have absolutely NO idea how to even find MOST of the slides, nor any idea how to use the ones I can find!

I completely agree with you about trains! I've seen the most amazing HDR photography of trains, all 'over done.' I've read a lot about Photomatix, in the past couple of days, all saying it's THE BEST, for HDR work.

THANKS!

 

[Reefltx]

I'm a huge fan of upping the 'detail' slider on barns and the like. If it were me, I'd up the brightness a bit and add some detail. You might test drive photomatix as well. It took me a bit to figure out, but it's hands over heels better than CS5 when dealing with HDR. For most things, I like a pretty realistic look. Trains, for some reason, are one of the few that I really like with the 'cartoonish' look. Overall, I think you did well not letting the sliders tempt you.

I was actually going to recommend Photomatix, but you beat me to it. I never liked the built in HDR mode in Photoshop.

 

[returnofsid]

Here's what took me all of 5 minutes, in Photomatix, using only a couple of the presets offered, after quickly downloading a trial and not reading any instructions...lol. This particular photo is uncropped. The first HDR was cropped. My first impression is that the front wall is too dark and the mountains are too blue.

 

[clowns101]

Here's what took me all of 5 minutes, in Photomatix, using only a couple of the presets offered, after quickly downloading a trial and not reading any instructions...lol. This particular photo is uncropped. The first HDR was cropped. My first impression is that the front wall is too dark and the mountains are too blue.

I honestly liked the original if it was just a bit brighter, I think the one above is TO extreme.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I think once you play around with photomatix a bit, you'll nail it. I actually like this one a bit more, though it wouldn't hurt to drop the saturation down a bit to tone down the green grass and blue haze.

OT but this would be an awesome flashlight shot if you're still around it. Go out at night and 'paint' the barn with a flashlight using a really long shutter speed. Having some stars in the sky adds to it as well.

 

[returnofsid]

I think once you play around with photomatix a bit, you'll nail it. I actually like this one a bit more, though it wouldn't hurt to drop the saturation down a bit to tone down the green grass and blue haze.

OT but this would be an awesome flashlight shot if you're still around it. Go out at night and 'paint' the barn with a flashlight using a really long shutter speed. Having some stars in the sky adds to it as well.

Well, I'm not still around, back home now. However, next time we're over there, I'll try to plan to be there at night! That sounds like a fantastic idea!