The software was really quite easy to use, but to get the best results, one needed to get some specifics done right while out capturing the scene. Over the holiday break, I decided to study some more in HDR, so I set out to see what I can find.
While hiking on the trails at Honeymoon Island, Florida, I came across a scene that I have seen a hundred times before, but never attempted to capture it, for I knew the results would not be as good as I saw them. This time however, I met the challenge head-on. Typically, when one tries to photograph a landscape that has a lot of detail, and if the light is not right, the results look like it was taken with a point-n-shoot that we all have seen.
Yuck! This is how the shot looked with just one exposure
One of the tricks to a successful HDR photo, is of course knowing what you need. So, in this case, I had several tools to call upon to get the shot I was looking for. Those tools of course was my camera, wide angle lens, tripod, bubble level and remote release. The next trick is to set your camera at f/22, ISO 100, and once I get everything set up and the lens focused, switch the lens into manual focus so that is won't change the focus point during your captures.
The reason for all this preparation is that you need to take at least 3 different shots, but the more the better. To do this, there are several different ways to accomplish this. The first, and perhaps the easiest, is to us your cameras AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) setting, whereas you will take 3 different exposures. Another way is to use your cameras Exposure Compensation, where when you take each frame, you expose the scene differently. Lastly, you can take the exposures manually. The end result will be one frame -1, the next at 0 and the last at +1 in exposure reading.
Here are all 5 exposures of the scene
Of course, a steady tripod so that each frame is exactly the same, which is also true for the focal length, so one you get everything set up, the only thing you need to do is expose each frame differently. Also, keep in mind the Rule of Thirds for your composition, for without it, the shot will not be as dramatic!
For my shot, I used 5 frames, -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2, for the more frames you have, the more data you have to work with. Once you take all your shots, you are ready to assemble them in Photomatix.
I took all 5 of my frames (which I shot as RAW files), and ran them through Photomatix. Here, you can tweak the settings to get the desired results, which after you play around with them a bit, you can get the hang of just what they do and how they affect the output.
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View The Result Of My HDR Photograph Of Honeymoon Island
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To learn more about how to use the software, here is a great tutorial on HDR photography that will explain everything. So the next time you want to try something new, give HDR a try, for once you see it's powers, you will be addicted for life!
Robert La Follette
www.robertlafollette.com
