hdr effect from raw files?

lexie

lexie

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keith
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can someone help me with creating hdr-look images using a single image in raw form? i read a tutorial which suggested taking a raw image and adjusting the exposure compensation to give differing exposures to then combine using the
automate > merge to hdr function in cs4

my problems start when it gives me a warning that the individual images might have been taken with different cameras(they obviously haven't since they came from the same file), and also that the resulting image looks rubbish.

can anyone advise me on how to get back on track with experimenting with hdr? should i just try taking 3 independant exposures in-camera instead?
 
I've used it on some of my older photos, which weren't taken with HDR in mind. Generally works very well - obviously means they align perfectly, and can easily get from -2 to +2 exposure from a single photo.

I've not done it in Photoshop, but use the free alternative EnfuseGUI (for Mac) - but it's just a front end for Enfuse, and Google will be able to point you to Windows-based alternatives if you need that.

Not got any examples to hand, but it's very quick and easy and tunable if the defaults aren't quite right. Takes all of 30 seconds to produce the initial HDR image you can then refine as necessary. I only use it for "natural" HDR, usually just balancing the exposure of the sky with the foreground - no idea how well HDR from a single image would work if you like the more extreme / artificial HDR look.

David
 
To be honest photoshop isn't the best program for hdr, even with the new interface it's still not the simplest and it's not easy to get a natural looking result IMHO, try the trial version of photomatix with a single raw.
 
Dave doesn't picturenuat require 2 raw files (or more) to work?
 
Yes, Ive been trying out, Changing the exposure of 1 file in CR, 1 as shot saved as a Tiff, then -2 exposure from the original file, saved as a tiff, then +2 saved as a tiff, then combined in picturenuat :thumbs:
 
Just Dave said:
Yes, Ive been trying out, Changing the exposure of 1 file in CR, 1 as shot saved as a Tiff, then -2 exposure from the original file, saved as a tiff, then +2 saved as a tiff, then combined in picturenuat :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Which method are you using to tonemap them in PN, photographic or one of the others?
Wayne
 
Yes photographic, to be honest Ive only just started playing around with it about 3 weeks, but not done that much really, I usually use photomatix, but bee trying it out and making comparison
 
Paint SHop Pro X2 open the image, click enhance photo >, then Clarify, set how ridiculous you want it to look, hit OK, and you're done!

Usually you'll want to boost the saturation afterwards too as messing around with the local contrast like that washes the colour out a fair bit usually,

Works best if the images are a tad underexposed, say around 0.7EV

Incidentally why do people call this HDR? It isn't HDR at all, it's simply boosting local contrast.(Ok I know that's long winded but...)
 
You can get a sort of hdr look in camera raw itself.
Take clarity recovery and fill all the way right, then drag black right till your happy, do the same with viberance. Lastly ajust exposure or brightness to suit your image.
It'll look a bit like the over the top hdr you see.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
... set how ridiculous you want it to look, hit OK, and you're done!

... messing around with the local contrast like that washes the colour out a fair bit usually,

Incidentally why do people call this HDR? It isn't HDR at all, it's simply boosting local contrast.(Ok I know that's long winded but...)
Click to expand...

What you've described definitely isn't HDR, you're right. But you're describing something entirely different to everyone else in this thread so far.

What everyone else is describing is exactly what the name says - increasing the dynamic range of the image, the difference between light and dark areas, so that both can retain a good level of detail. If yours looks ridiculous, or washes colours out, then you're doing something wrong. Yes, some people do go waaaay over the top and it does look stupid in many cases, but that isn't all that HDR can or should be used for.

David
 
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