My First HDR Image

[Mike4AU]

A 5 shot high dynamic range image, processed with Photomatrix. Hope you like.

[droht]

Beautiful shot Mike. Is that how you power your HT???

Can you save me the Googling and give a 30,000 foot view on what exactly a "5 shot HDR" is? Thanks.

[Mike4AU]

Probably the best way to understand what an HDR image is this. Each shot (5 different shots) was taken with different settings, then the best is taken from each of those shots and merged into 1 image. Then that image is "tone mapped" (in this case, I used Details Enhancer in Photomatrix). And further processed in CS4.

I have a couple of more and will post later on.

Oh, I used a D300 and a Nikkor 18-200 VR lens.

This HDR stuff is way cool!

[Mike4AU]

One more:

[uw69]

Wow, very nice!

[Mike4AU]

Here is a painting that I did of #1. IIRC I used 5 different programs to produce this. Hope you like.

[Uncle Paul]

Spectacular indeed.

This is something new to me.

Thanks for sharing:thumbsup:

[etcarroll]

Wow!

Never heard of this process, but it gives a 'near 3_D' effect.

Very sharp looking!

[quadman]

Mike.... you DO realize I'm on a dial up right? It'll be next week before these images finally load up! :p

[ben9732]

Now John it didn't take that long.

Mike that's nice work.

[quadman]

And, why are you shooting the messenger? :jiggy:

Ummm.... because I love to leave myself open to merciless ridicule? :scratchchin: :nervous: :boom: :yes:

[bp2007]

A 5 shot high dynamic range image, processed with Photomatrix. Hope you like.

Absolutely beautiful Mike. Thanks for sharing.

BTW, you give all of us complex by posting these beautiful shots. :)

[the7comeback7kid]

This is a wild photo...I really like it. Any chance of getting a hi res version? :-) Would make a sweet desktop.

[Mike4AU]

Absolutely beautiful Mike. Thanks for sharing.

BTW, you give all of us complex by posting these beautiful shots. :)

BP, good to see you over here. Thanks for the kind words. I am really excited about shooting HDR's. BTW, I found a good video on how to set this up on a D300. Let me know if you would like a link to it.

I have had several folks wanting to buy a print of this. I may do a limited run and let my youngest daughter sell them (and she can keep the money). Don't know yet.

I am planning several other opportunities for HDR shots in the spring, when the flowers are in full bloom. I may *need* to get a 70-200 VR lens with a 1.4 or 1.7 TC to do the shots I want.

It's all fun.

Mike

[bp2007]

Can you save me the Googling and give a 30,000 foot view on what exactly a "5 shot HDR" is? Thanks.

One way to look at HDR is ...

HDR or High Dynamic Range Imaging is a technique where you combine multiple pictures taken to overcome the high dynamic range of
a scene, which otherwise is not possible to capture due to limitations of digital sensors. For example, if you are trying to shoot something
which has lot of details in shadow areas as well as some very bright parts too (something which may have bright sunshine and a lot of shaded
areas in the same scene), typically it is not possible to capture it accurately on single frame, as you will most likely end up either under exposing
shadow areas (and get lot of noise in the picture) or end up overexposing brighter parts of the scene (and loose details in blown
highlights). This is specially a limitation of all current day digital sensors irrespective of make/model. To overcome this issue, what
you do is that you take multiple pictures with exposure bracketing, for example take 5 pictures with 1 picture at correct exposure
setting and and 2 each on over and under exposure side. They will be something like exposure setting at -2EV, -1EV, 0EV (correct
exposure per camera's exposure metering or you own manual metering using light meter), +1EV, +2EV. After these you get these on
computer and merge them using a software like what Mike used Photomatrix or Photoshop etc and results are beautiful like the one Mike has posted.

Simple. Isn't it? :)