My first go at HDR, plus playing with Calculations

PardonTheWait · 27 Jan 2008 at 19:12

I had my first bash at HDR today:

Then I decided to have a play with Calculations in PS, after a guy who comes into work and me had a really long chat about photography and he showed me a load of stuff, including using Calculations to make saucy B&W shots.

C&C welcome

gord · 27 Jan 2008 at 19:18

Theres something i dont like and i cant attribute it to one thing.. it could be one of:

The grass is sloped, giving the bottom of the image a slant.
The plane trail across the sky is opposite to this slant and is white, cutting the image behind the tower.
The top of the tower is darker than the base and the light seems to be around the base of the tower, which just seems odd.
The gap on the left of the tower is bigger than the gap on the right.

Not a bad photo though, just something my mind disagrees with in there.

todd flanders · 27 Jan 2008 at 19:39

I just downloaded Photomatrix to have a go at one and it costs $99 to unlock. Has everyone paid that or is there an alternative way?

PardonTheWait · 27 Jan 2008 at 19:56

I obviously did it in an entirely legitimate way but yes, from what I hear from rapscallions, cads and bounders, there's another way.

Sic · 27 Jan 2008 at 19:59

as I said before, I like them and I think the HDR has improved them - it's reduced the size of that blown out bit! I can see what gord means about the wonky grass, but that doesn't take anything away for me

cleanbluesky · 27 Jan 2008 at 20:03

I think its too much in the photo - the sky, ground and tower all have different complex textures, and it reduces the simplicity of the photo - particularly when the shadows seem so variable. I'm not sure if filling the frame with the tower is a good idea.

Jotun · 27 Jan 2008 at 20:20

The photo is nicely exposed and I think the processing looks good in the colour version, but in the B&W one the tower goes considerably darker half way up which looks unusual. Possibly the composition could be improved a bit too. As CBS said, the tower takes up too much of the frame, and I think if you'd composed it perhaps as a landscape shot with the tower on one side of the photo it might work better.

todd flanders said:
I just downloaded Photomatrix to have a go at one and it costs $99 to unlock. Has everyone paid that or is there an alternative way?

If you're a student you can get it for $40, or $47 for the photoshop plug-in as well

divine` · 27 Jan 2008 at 20:27

todd flanders said:
I just downloaded Photomatrix to have a go at one and it costs $99 to unlock. Has everyone paid that or is there an alternative way?

Photo M A T I X

Note the lack of R, Neo has nothing to do with it

PardonTheWait · 27 Jan 2008 at 20:55

The tower actually does get considerably darker higher up which is a pain

I have one of it in landscape, I shall try it again. This was basically my first play with HDR/Calculations and I'm pleased with it for that though, served its purpose

Scam · 27 Jan 2008 at 20:56

What's Calculations? :confused:

PardonTheWait · 27 Jan 2008 at 21:00

Calculations basically can produce a big load of different B&W images from colour images, by 'adding/subtracting' the colour channels from each other, alongside blending modes and so on. He did explain properly how it worked but it was a bit deep so I just sort of glazed over, but playing with it makes some really nice effects. It's under Image in PS, try it

gord · 27 Jan 2008 at 21:00

Mohinder said:
The tower actually does get considerably darker higher up which is a pain

I have one of it in landscape, I shall try it again. This was basically my first play with HDR/Calculations and I'm pleased with it for that though, served its purpose

It is causing my brain problems. I like the photo, but dark at the top of the tower, especially in B&W just makes my mind go flerrrrbllburbl... it should be lighter!

robmiller · 27 Jan 2008 at 21:44

Mohinder said:
Calculations basically can produce a big load of different B&W images from colour images, by 'adding/subtracting' the colour channels from each other, alongside blending modes and so on. He did explain properly how it worked but it was a bit deep so I just sort of glazed over, but playing with it makes some really nice effects. It's under Image in PS, try it

You can probably do this more effectively by making a new channel mixer layer.

GSXRMovistar · 27 Jan 2008 at 21:48

Funny enough I was also playing around with Photomatix today with a first attempt at an HDR image. It was getting late and all I had to play with was a quick picture from the back garden whilst it was getting dark (jpg images using AEB).

The image itself was rubbish in terms of content but I was amazed by the amount of colour that could be pulled out of such a poor shot. (Image http://www.bakersplace.co.uk/Photography/content/Photography/Miscellaneous/HDR_Test.jpg)

ISO also up too high on that shot so the final HDR image came out very noisy after processing. But I'm liking the effects possible and definitely want to experiment with this some more.

todd flanders · 27 Jan 2008 at 21:58

GSXRMovistar said:
Funny enough I was also playing around with Photomatix today with a first attempt at an HDR image. It was getting late and all I had to play with was a quick picture from the back garden whilst it was getting dark (jpg images using AEB).

The image itself was rubbish in terms of content but I was amazed by the amount of colour that could be pulled out of such a poor shot. (Image http://www.bakersplace.co.uk/Photography/content/Photography/Miscellaneous/HDR_Test.jpg)

ISO also up too high on that shot so the final HDR image came out very noisy after processing. But I'm liking the effects possible and definitely want to experiment with this some more.

I find it incredible how those three photos can produce that one image. I plan on hauling my camera and tripod around the local sights and giving this program a good blaston my week off next week :cool:

cleanbluesky · 27 Jan 2008 at 22:13

GSXRMovistar said:
Funny enough I was also playing around with Photomatix today with a first attempt at an HDR image. It was getting late and all I had to play with was a quick picture from the back garden whilst it was getting dark (jpg images using AEB).

The image itself was rubbish in terms of content but I was amazed by the amount of colour that could be pulled out of such a poor shot. (Image http://www.bakersplace.co.uk/Photography/content/Photography/Miscellaneous/HDR_Test.jpg)

ISO also up too high on that shot so the final HDR image came out very noisy after processing. But I'm liking the effects possible and definitely want to experiment with this some more.

Looks like a shot of Half Life 2

Neil79 · 27 Jan 2008 at 22:13

GSXRMovistar said:
ISO also up too high on that shot so the final HDR image came out very noisy after processing. But I'm liking the effects possible and definitely want to experiment with this some more.

These are HDR from a late evening

However while i was fine tuning the images you can go too crazy in making it a nice hdr image and it ruins it , thankfully you can always undo those changes

robertgilbert86 · 27 Jan 2008 at 22:22

todd flanders said:
I just downloaded Photomatrix to have a go at one and it costs $99 to unlock. Has everyone paid that or is there an alternative way?

There is no 'r' in Photomatix.

PardonTheWait · 27 Jan 2008 at 22:31

robmiller said:
You can probably do this more effectively by making a new channel mixer layer.

He showed me stuff that was new to me with that too, you can get great things out of both.