The option of using HDR - any good?

[Ian]

This is reproduced from one of our other sites (the Olympus UK E-System User Group, or e-group, for short )

About 20 of us visited some old historic sites around Abergavenny in South Wales last Saturday. This is Raglan Castle. There had been some discussion about the merits (or otherwise) of HDR and tone mapping.

I decided to play around with the Photoshop Merge to HDR function (I don't have Photomatix) and wondered what everyone thought. I've included the original camera JPEG of the scene first, followed by my own feel for the scene by adjusting the RAW file, then there are four HDR versions from a five frame bracketed sequence:


Original, un-adjusted camera JPEG


Single RAW file adjusted in Lightroom 2.4


HDR result 1


HDR result 2


HDR result 3


HDR result 4

So which is your preferred result?

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

This is reproduced from one of our other sites (the Olympus UK E-System User Group, or e-group, for short )

About 20 of us visited some old historic sites around Abergavenny in South Wales last Saturday. This is Raglan Castle. There had been some discussion about the merits (or otherwise) of HDR and tone mapping.

I decided to play around with the Photoshop Merge to HDR function (I don't have Photomatix) and wondered what everyone thought. I've included the original camera JPEG of the scene first, followed by my own feel for the scene by adjusting the RAW file, then there are four HDR versions from a five frame bracketed sequence:


So which is your preferred result?

Ian

Hi Ian

I don't think it has worked very well on this image, this could be because you are using Photoshop merge to HDR it is accepted generally its a poor relation to Photomatix for HDR, which is my preferred software.
I have taken your original image and simply darkened the sky and in my opinion it works in this case better.

Patrick

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

I agree that the subject doesn't really lend itself to HDR, but sorry Patrick, but I'm going with Ian's #2 on a "less is more" basis.

[Ian]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

I'm basically just experimenting. I'm completely acquainted with the theory of HDR but haven't had much practice. Photoshop Merge to HDR should be able to produce very good results, although it's much more cumbersome than Photomatix.

Patrick has offered to put my sequence through Photomatix for me for comparison purposes.

I'll also look at refining my own Photoshop technique.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

I'm basically just experimenting. I'm completely acquainted with the theory of HDR but haven't had much practice. Photoshop Merge to HDR should be able to produce very good results, although it's much more cumbersome than Photomatix.

Patrick has offered to put my sequence through Photomatix for me for comparison purposes.

I'll also look at refining my own Photoshop technique.

Ian

I have never managed good results from Photoshop Merge to HD, there is so much more control with Photomatix and the end result need not look like typical HD. I have done some soft natural HD as well as the hit you between the eye variety.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

Here is another go:



What do you think?

Ian

[Ian]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

Here is another go:



What do you think?

Ian

With the benefit of looking at this on my big screen on the office (it was created using my laptop last night while watching TV!) it's not very good. I think I will be recalibrating my laptop screen pronto!

But this is looking much better, I think:



Ian

[Patrick]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

With the benefit of looking at this on my big screen on the office (it was created using my laptop last night while watching TV!) it's not very good. I think I will be recalibrating my laptop screen pronto!

But this is looking much better, I think:


Ian

Hi Ian

I must say first off the original image you posted without the HDR had all the detail both highlight and shadow and could with a little work have produced a well balanced image without HDR.

Here it is through Photomatix

I loaded the 5 different exposure DNG raw files straight to Photomatix without going through Lightroom or ARC.
I have done two versions
The first one I aimed at keeping as natural as possible, and its produced a well balanced picture with all the shadow detail and highlight detail. The sky looks natural not heavy (I admit to liking heavy sky's, more drama) I would imagine much as you saw it, correct me if I am wrong.
The second is a more aggressive version but still not OTT like some we see from time to time (I quite like them sometimes)


I do believe with practice Photoshop's merge to HDR could do a good job but not as good as Photomatix. Its also got to be said my first attempts at HDR even using Photomatix were dreadful, it took time to learn to control it to get what I wanted.

Anyway what do you think of the results?

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: The option of using HDR - any good?

Thanks for this, Patrick. My last effort is less dramatic, but I think probably more natural looking, which is what I was looking to do.

I may well do more experimenting...

Ian