Julie (HDRi)

[Benny Pedersen]

Julie - About your reply to URL:

Opened all 3 RAW files in psE ACR plugin as 16 bit.
Saved as PSD (would become 16 bit psd files).

The underexposed was opened 3 times (recovery 100), expose: -4, -2, 0 EV.

Photomatix Pro proceeded all 5 PSD files
(Since recovery was used, don't use psCS because its
computing Camera Response Curves thing would failure).

under exposed -4EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed -2EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed +0 PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
neutral exposed +2 PSD (source was _MG_9179.CR2)
over exposed +4 PSD (source was _MG_9181.CR2)

PM-PRO would read all 5 PSD files, but can't save the result as PSD.
While in PM-Pro, tonemap the HDRi and save the work as a 16 bit TIF file.

Open the TIF file, save as PSD. Export one TIF file to be opened in LZ.
Saved two 16 bit TIF files, one Zonemapped (not Tonemapped),
and another with MT Green sharpen + BW Blue filter, from which

one concluded that even it's mathematical demonstrable that an average
is always better than the worst of both limits, it's not always that true!
Anyhow: More time used (lets say 7 hours instead of 5 per image) would
give a better result (as long we avoid the inexact (inaccurate ?) masks
in psCS, Levels, and etc... ofcause (use LZ instead).

Mix all layers in psE, or psCS.

As you know, underexposed files are used to create
the highlights, and the overexposed for the shadows.
In this case, I couldn't get enought details in the
hightlights from one RAW file "_MG_9180.CR2".

Tips: If the 5'th image (the +4 one) was shaked, then
one could see what is "_MG_9178.CR2" (maybe the last photo in a previous shoot sequence).

One could also construct the +4 one with the "_MG_9179.CR2" raw opened
in ACR, Exposure +2.00 (Recovery is 0 because nothing good is recovered from
a bright source anyway) -- Prefer real shots overexposed with less noise...

Benny,
PS. Sometimes one had better results from the psCS "Merge to HDR" thing,
but in this case, "Photomatix PRO" did it better...

BTW.
If using the "Exposure and Gamma" method in psCS
when converting the HDRi file from 32 to 16 or 8 bit after
tonemapped 32 bit with PM 1.2 plugin, it's important that
one specify exposure setting 0 (zero) in the HDR Conversion box.
A bug in psCS distorts your image even if a bit exposure change
-0.01 or +0.01 were specified...

I also found bugs in the Photomatix 1.2 plugin - it can't read its own XML files, etc...
but since you can't specify the EV for each image in psCS, etc... I would prefer PM PRO instead.
Lots other HDR software was tested but they should better give money for downloading
such garbage than reciving payment, instead...

[JulieM]

Hi Benny,

It's really nice of you to provide such a complete answer to my query about the exposures used for the HDR.

I've been doing HDRs with 5 exposures - -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2. But, I have wondered whether for some light situations it might make sense to go more heavily on the under or over-exposed as you have here.

I was with you in your step-by-step through the tone mapping in Photomatix. I lost you a bit when you took the .tif into Lightzone (really lost actually because I'd never heard of Lightzone before). I gather that it does something that CS3 or PSE can't do?

Anyway, your result is great and I really appreciate you taking the time to give your steps. Your process helps me see ways I can experiment more with HDR...

[Grant]

Julie

Lightzone is a really nice program. While it doesn't replace Photoshop for a photographer it may be all you need. In any event it is worth a look at!

.

[Daviskw]

Hi Julie

Good info in the thread I see but I noticed you discussing the number of exposures you were using. You said 5 I believe and Benny 3 with 2 stop steps.

Here is another alternative, a little time consuming, to figure how many you need.

All proposed HDR photos have different requirements according to the lighting conditions. I make note by checking the exposure of the brightest area of the shot…then checking the darkest exposure… then my best estimate of my main subjects exposure. I then actually count the stops in between. I then decide how many stops in the bracketing I want to use…1 1.5 or 2. They may be uneven…otherwise I may need 2 stops brighter and only 1 stop darker to cover all the proper exposures.

I’ve found spending the time, if I have it, to check the range of the proposed picture gives me better results.

Butch

[JulieM]

Originally Posted by Grant

Julie

Lightzone is a really nice program. While it doesn't replace Photoshop for a photographer it may be all you need. In any event it is worth a look at!

.

Hmmmm......

It looks like Lightzone's ability to edit in 16 bit is better than PSE's.

It might be a nice companion to Lightroom. I will have to download the trial version...

Thanks, Grant.

[Benny Pedersen]

Originally Posted by JulieM

Hi Benny,

It's really nice of you to provide such a complete answer to my query about the exposures used for the HDR.

I've been doing HDRs with 5 exposures - -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2. But, I have wondered whether for some light situations it might make sense to go more heavily on the under or over-exposed as you have here.

I was with you in your step-by-step through the tone mapping in Photomatix. I lost you a bit when you took the .tif into Lightzone (really lost actually because I'd never heard of Lightzone before). I gather that it does something that CS3 or PSE can't do?

Anyway, your result is great and I really appreciate you taking the time to give your steps. Your process helps me see ways I can experiment more with HDR...

LightZone by www.lightcrafts.com is a software that I found recently.
It also seems to be "the missing link" for better results...



Benny,
PS: Yes, 16 bit and real colors, etc.....

[JulieM]

Originally Posted by Benny Pedersen

LightZone by www.lightcrafts.com is a software that I found recently.
It also seems to be our "missing link" for better results...



Benny,
PS: Yes, 16 bit and real colors, etc.....

Benny, I LOVE that one!

Do you know if the trial version of LightZone is fully functional and/or watermarked?

[Benny Pedersen]

Originally Posted by JulieM

Benny, I LOVE that one!

Do you know if the trial version of LightZone is fully functional and/or watermarked?

Don't remember because I paid for LZ the day after, but I think it was fully functional with a little watermark in the lower left corner (unsure).

Benny,
PS: today I edited the "I LOVE it" photo a bit (gaus blur removed noise) - hope you still love it

[JulieM]

Still beautiful, Benny!