Question about "Merge into HDR"

B
Posted By
BD
Dec 13, 2005
Views
509
Replies
13
Status
Closed
Hi, all.

I’ll be taking some shots soon in some caverns in New Mexico, where the lighting is very inconsistent – I’m expecting some areas to be very underexposed.

I got a tip to try the HDR merge tool in CS2. (as in
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/hdr.shtml). The thought is that I’d take a shot of the same area at different exposures, and use HDR to bring out the best parts in each.

I’ve done some cursory reading on the group about HDR, and some people seem to like it and some don’t – seems it only operates in 8- or 16- bit mode. That doesn’t _really_ bother me, because my goal is for a poster-size print, and the hardware only handles 8-bit.

I’m curious how ‘smart’ this plugin is, in terms of aligining the source images correctly. If my camera moves a teeny bit between exposures, am I SOL? Will I get a muddy mess after the merge, or does PS have the brains to align the images before doing the dynamic range extraction?

Also – what’s the verdict on this tool? Is there a more manual method that people have had better luck with? Maybe just layer masks, and manually selecting which sections of which exposures are best?

Thanks for all feedback!

BD
Related Tags
hdr merge question

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

R
Roberto
Dec 13, 2005
Your images will have to align 100% or you will see ghosting in your finished image. I recommend using a tripod with a remote shutter release or at least set your camera for the timer delay so that you can press the shutter release and get your hand away before it takes the picture.

I have only played around with the HDR feature using the bracketed shots. That is it takes one shot under exposed by one top, over exposed by one shot and one at what the camera says is right on the money. In with this limited range I see a difference.

What I don’t like is the limited tools available for further adjusting the exposure and color. I miss having levels. The tools Adobe provides for this in the 32-bit mode just suck and it seems a shame to covert down to 16-bit and loose all of that data. But, that is what I have to do.

Robert
B
BD
Dec 13, 2005
Your images will have to align 100% or you will see ghosting in your finished image. I recommend using a tripod with a remote shutter release or at least set your camera for the timer delay so that you can press the shutter release and get your hand away before it takes the picture.

I will have a tripod, a remote, and will also use a mirror delay so that the shutter waits for the camera to stop shaking after the mirror flips back.

My concern is that I will have to touch the camera to adjust the exposure setting between the shots. I fear causing the orientation of the camera to change in the process, even minutely.

But, my tripod is a good solid Manfrotto, and I figure as long as I treat the camera with kid gloves while I’m adjusting the exposure setting for a specific scene, I’ll be alright.

And, if I have to zoom in to the Nth degree in post and crop the images a the pixel level in order to ensure they orient correctly, it won’t kill me. 😉

Thanks for the tip!
JF
John Forest
Dec 13, 2005
I saw a write-up on that feature that says there is an option to have the software attempt to align the images for you if you think the camera may have moved between exposures. I haven’t used this feature yet, but saw a demonstration, and it really does a great job of bringing out the detail in what would otherwise be areas of pure black or pure white.
LI
Lorem Ipsum
Dec 13, 2005
"BD" wrote in message

I will have a tripod, a remote, and will also use a mirror delay so that the shutter waits for the camera to stop shaking after the mirror flips back.

My concern is that I will have to touch the camera to adjust the exposure setting between the shots. I fear causing the orientation of the camera to change in the process, even minutely.

You should only change shutter speeds, not aperture, for consistent results.

If you want to appreciate how much Adobe simplified HDR, or you want minute control, then get the pioneeering, free HDR from Stanford (or wherever it is now) or get back to me. I still have it on my PC.
B
BD
Dec 13, 2005
If you want to appreciate how much Adobe simplified HDR

Interesting. I’ll look for that, and email you offline if I can’t find it. Thanks!
B
BD
Dec 13, 2005
get the pioneeering, free HDR from Stanford

Is this the software you’re referring to?
http://gl.ict.usc.edu/HDRShop/
LI
Lorem Ipsum
Dec 13, 2005
"BD" wrote in message
get the pioneeering, free HDR from Stanford

Is this the software you’re referring to?
http://gl.ict.usc.edu/HDRShop/

Yes. Dig around. You want just the High Dynamic Range stuff, probably. See the ‘introduction’ from their home page.
B
BD
Dec 13, 2005
Dig around.

Yup, I spotted the bit of functionality where it creates one image from many. I’ll give it a whirl. 😉
B
BD
Dec 13, 2005
Yes. Dig around.

I just spotted the v1 versus v2 distinction. I trust v1 still does a decent job of the HDR merge?
B
babalooixnay
Dec 14, 2005
By chance I was trying out the HDR geature for the first time this evening. After choosing the images from a folder, selecting them and then seeing their names come up in the next window I hit the OK button. The previews come up blank white and a message tells me their isn’t enough dynamic range. Which makes sense if the previews are all white. I’m choosing the folder with the images from my Mac desktop. They open fine in Bridge and PS CS2 but don’t seem to open in the merge function. Any experience with this, anyone?
F
fuzzy
Dec 14, 2005
Are you shooting film or digital? As pointed out by others, a precise registration between images is essential. If you are shooting film, tripod will help but won’t guarantee precise registration: the film scanner can introduce mis-alignments. If you are shooting digital, I think that you can create different exposures from a single frame in raw for the precise registration.

Long before PS CS2, there is HDR. Try the postings by Don in the scanners ng.

BD wrote:
Hi, all.

I’ll be taking some shots soon in some caverns in New Mexico, where the lighting is very inconsistent – I’m expecting some areas to be very underexposed.

I got a tip to try the HDR merge tool in CS2. (as in
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/hdr.shtml). The thought is that I’d take a shot of the same area at different exposures, and use HDR to bring out the best parts in each.

I’ve done some cursory reading on the group about HDR, and some people seem to like it and some don’t – seems it only operates in 8- or 16- bit mode. That doesn’t _really_ bother me, because my goal is for a poster-size print, and the hardware only handles 8-bit.

I’m curious how ‘smart’ this plugin is, in terms of aligining the source images correctly. If my camera moves a teeny bit between exposures, am I SOL? Will I get a muddy mess after the merge, or does PS have the brains to align the images before doing the dynamic range extraction?

Also – what’s the verdict on this tool? Is there a more manual method that people have had better luck with? Maybe just layer masks, and manually selecting which sections of which exposures are best?
Thanks for all feedback!

BD
B
babalooixnay
Dec 14, 2005
Shooting digital and different exposures. PS recommends against creating different exposures from one raw image. When viewing this process on video tutorials the thumbnails briefly show the image as each thumbnail is layered. All of my thumbnails are blank white. For kicks I entered the same images into Photomerge (a panoramic program) and the thumbnails showed the images as they were layered and the image blended with a diagonal of lower exposure images on top and heavier exposure images on bottom.
LI
Lorem Ipsum
Dec 14, 2005
wrote in message
Are you shooting film or digital? As pointed out by others, a precise registration between images is essential. If you are shooting film, tripod will help but won’t guarantee precise registration: the film scanner can introduce mis-alignments. If you are shooting digital, I think that you can create different exposures from a single frame in raw for the precise registration.

Never create different exposures from RAW for merged HDR. It is not the same thing as making different in-camera exposures. And never vary the aperture, only the speed.

I’ve not had problems with scanning film for panoramics. Do the pictures properly in-camera and you are okay. If you want to be freakish about the thing, put fudicial marks in the camera.

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections