How to achieve this style of processing?

EspressoJunkie

EspressoJunkie

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I have been trying ( fairly unsuccessfully ) to achieve a processing style similar to this guys ( I'm not trying to copy him specifically, it's just the best examples i can find of what I'm trying to do)

https://500px.com/lichtgespiele

Now I realise that it's a type of HDR and that there's multiple shots being used, but does anyone want to hazard a guess as to how to get images to have the subtle tones that he has managed, especially on the interior shots. When I've been experimenting with HDR it either ends up too processed, or barely different from the original!

I'm going to fire him a PM on 500PX and ask, but I thought I'd see id anyone here has any input as well.
 
I don't think those are HDR - much more likely to be careful control of contrast, clarity and curves. The image details also show an exposure time - would they do that for an HDR image? Edit - HDR images DO show an exposure time on Flickr.

Nice work there BTW - glad I could have a look. :)
 
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My guess is that it's from a medium format body/back and not 35mm and also possibly CCD and not CMOS. It looks like, as Lee points out, he's exposed for the highlights and pulled up the shadows giving a different look to the normal ETTR exposure that we're used to seeing.

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
My guess is that it's from a medium format body/back and not 35mm and also possibly CCD and not CMOS. It looks like, as Lee points out, he's exposed for the highlights and pulled up the shadows giving a different look to the normal ETTR exposure that we're used to seeing.

Bob
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From the first image info:
Canon EOS 550D
8-16mm 14mm
ƒ/7.1 2s ISO 100

All I checked (probably 10 images) were shot on Canon. It's quite possible he's using DXO Optics Pro and the filmpack plugin for that very detailed yet subdued look - it gives a different feel to the natural colourful brightness of Lightroom images, and recovers shadows more like this.
 
ancient_mariner said:
From the first image info:
Canon EOS 550D
8-16mm 14mm
ƒ/7.1 2s ISO 100

All I checked (probably 10 images) were shot on Canon. It's quite possible he's using DXO Optics Pro and the filmpack plugin for that very detailed yet subdued look - it gives a different feel to the natural colourful brightness of Lightroom images, and recovers shadows more like this.
Click to expand...
Well there go eh! a crop body, as far as you can get from MF without using a phone.
 
Tbh, I think the beautiful locations have a lot to do with it. And some nice processing, sure.
 
It's not my cup of tea but from my limited use of photomatix I think you could recreate something like this, it's also got some kind of smoothing applied imho :)
 
Canon Bob said:
Well there go eh! a crop body, as far as you can get from MF without using a phone.
Click to expand...
Well, not really...

EspressoJunkie said:
Thanks for the replies everyone.

I've recently downloaded the Nik Collections so I might have a blast with whatever HDR tools it has. As I said I'm going to fire him a message as well so if I get a response I'll report back!
Click to expand...

I don't think this is HDR, I think its simply a case of shadow recovery coupled with some curves adjustment. If it is some kind of multi shot HDR I'd guess its done manually with layers rather than some clumsy HDR one click tool, its too subtle and clean.
 
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My guess is it's a combination of tone-mapped multiple exposures using an HDR process combined with additional work with layers to add back a depth of shadow. They're creatively allowing the highlights to blow and the shadows to block where this works aesthetically.

It wouldn't surprise me if for some of these interior shots they're shooting 5 to 11 exposures at 1-stop intervals but choosing not to use all of them when it comes to the tone-mapping. Plus, layering over a darker exposure (sometimes a lighter exposure) at a moderate opacity where that adds to the shadows (or highlights).
 
odd jim said:
I don't think this is HDR, I think its simply a case of shadow recovery coupled with some curves adjustment. If it is some kind of multi shot HDR I'd guess its done manually with layers rather than some clumsy HDR one click tool, its too subtle and clean.
Click to expand...

IMO this is proper HDR. Making use of high dynamic range functionality without the crazy tone mapping.
 
RichardtheSane said:
IMO this is proper HDR. Making use of high dynamic range functionality without the crazy tone mapping.
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I agree. Though you couldn't call it HDR in the true sense (talking of layers) as you're not using a high dynamic range as such, it's more of a mixture of dynamic ranges :)
 
Looks like a subtle Topaz adjust.
 
odd jim said:
I agree. Though you couldn't call it HDR in the true sense (talking of layers) as you're not using a high dynamic range as such, it's more of a mixture of dynamic ranges :)
Click to expand...

If the dynamic range of the image is higher than the dynamic range of a good DSLR sensor, it's HDR.

Obviously tone mapping it back to standard dynamic range can add some serious artefacts. Far better to view it without tone mapping on an HDR screen.
 
st599 said:
If the dynamic range of the image is higher than the dynamic range of a good DSLR sensor, it's HDR.

Obviously tone mapping it back to standard dynamic range can add some serious artefacts. Far better to view it without tone mapping on an HDR screen.
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Doesn't a high dynamic range simply imply an image is showing dynamic ranges from both extremes whilst still resolving detail at both ends. These aren't doing that really, it's just a type of shadow fill / lift?
 
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About seven years ago I did a few experimental HDR shots, back then having to bracket the exposures manually on a tripod with remote triggered shutter so the images were identical to the pixel. I now have a sensor with a much higher dynamic range and can get the same effect simply by shadow lifting or tone mapping when producing the JPEG from one RAW exposure. It seems a bit odd to me to call the one HDR and the other "just" shadow lifting or tone mapping. Yet the same kind of high dynamic range image is being mapped into a much lower dynamic range by the same kind of process. The only difference is that in the old days I combined a few different exposures to get the same high dynamic range image, whereas now I can just use one exposure from a higher dynamic range sensor.
 
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