HDR - What do you use ?

the_monkey

Hi
Attempted HDR and it was RUBBISH!!! , I used photmatix 4.0 but the result was blurry crap, should I use a tripod when taking the shots ?

kelly1

Hello, It's essential to use a tripod and aperture priority or manual mode. 5 or more exposures 1 stop apart is recommended.

Borderfox

Tripod - yes
Photomatix - yes
ev spread - 2/3rds
shots to take 3+ more the better

the_monkey

Thanks, I think with the 5D MKII you can only take 3 bracketed shots....

Borderfox

You can do it manually if your quick enough

Fajitas!

Safety goggles.

Trigger76

HDR Efex Pro is decent

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Hdr+Efex+Pro

DK32

If you are doing a landscape with almost no movement. Tripod is a must anyway, but you can also bracket manually both + & - so you get the full exposure range.

bullpost

Use exposure fusion (available in photomatix) instead of HDR for better results - certainly more natural:

http://kevinmcneal.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/exposure-fusion-best-way-to-blend-images/

charybdis

The most important thing to use when attempting HDR/tonemapping is your sense of tasteful restraint.

Does they scene you're exposing genuinely need more than the 7 or so stops (or more) of usable dynamic range your DSLR can provide? Are you shooting in manual exposure mode with spot metering and using your camera's histogram viewer? Will this scene be appealing or make visual sense with a highly compressed dynamic range?

CabanSail

Am over the HDR Fad. Generally an image slightly over exposed will have enough dynamic range in the RAW file for me. On occasions there are things I have shot which have a higher dynamic range than I can capture and there was little or no movement in the scene. In that case I have shot two or three RAW files Normal plus a -3 Stops and/or +3 Stops. Have then set these up as layers in PS and combined them manually via masks. It allows full control and you can blend in just the detail you want. The good thing about doing it this way is that nobody looking at the image has any idea it was HDR. I have used this method successfully without a tripod.

toe_knee

My first attempts at HDR were done using NO tripod even though I would recommend using one. Photomatix has a built in feature to match up the photos you are trying to merge but you need a very steady hand and take your shots quickly.
I found that with the older photomatix pro v3 I was getting better results than using 3.x or 4. Photomatix has a built in feature to match up the photos you are trying to merge.I over done the HDR on these pics but I liked them.
http://pix.ie/tonycomerford/album/347012

ThOnda

Layers in photoshop and eye-drops while browsing on-line galleries.