HDR

[ray5]

Hi,
I have never done HDR. Recently I took some bracketed RAW images in Arches NP. The intent was to try my hand at HDR. My exposures are -2,0 and +2 EV. I am also pretty inexperienced in editing, do some minor corrections, warming etc. Could you advice regarding workflow? I have CS5. I would get Photomatix if you feel that is good. I am somewhat familiar with the steps but some questions:
- My RAW images are about 25mb each, do I merge and then edit the resulting image or edit first and then merge?
- If I edit first and then merge do I convert the edited images to jpg?
- If I merge 3 RAW images does the file size become roughly 75mb?
- I prefer the natural look rather than the grungy look.
- I primarily do landscapes on a 5D MK III. Are three exposures optimum or should I do more in the future?
- Is -2,0,+2 correct separation?
Something to start with. Thanks in advance.
Ray

 

[Coldhands]

If you're new to HDR then there's more to learn than can be covered in a single forum post, but I can try to offer some advice and answer your questions.

The main reason to use Photomatix, IMO, is for the tone mapping abilities. If you're looking for a natural look, you'll probably be better off using the built-in HDR functionality within Photoshop (or LR if you have it) and the post-processing the result as you would a normal one-frame exposure. Alternately, you could try learning manual exposure blending, but the learning curve is steep. All of my HDR work now involves one of those two options.

Normally, in my HDR workflow I'd do only some basic adjustments to the bracketed photos (lens profile, CA removal, and white balance), then merge, then finally do the usual toning adjustments. Don't convert your originals to jpeg prior to merging, you'll just be losing data.

The number of exposures and the spacing is hugely dependent on the scene. For most, I find -2,0,2 sufficient, but if you're shooting into the sun, more will likely be necessary. If in doubt, check your histograms - if your underexposures still show clipped highlights, or your overexposures have clipped shadows, then you'll probably want to shoot a wider spread.

I think the best thing currently would be to spend some time watching youtube tutorials for a step-by-step process to get a feel for things until you're confident enough to develop you own workflow.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hopefully you find it helpful.

 

[ray5]

If you're new to HDR then there's more to learn than can be covered in a single forum post, but I can try to offer some advice and answer your questions.

The main reason to use Photomatix, IMO, is for the tone mapping abilities. If you're looking for a natural look, you'll probably be better off using the built-in HDR functionality within Photoshop (or LR if you have it) and the post-processing the result as you would a normal one-frame exposure. Alternately, you could try learning manual exposure blending, but the learning curve is steep. All of my HDR work now involves one of those two options.

Normally, in my HDR workflow I'd do only some basic adjustments to the bracketed photos (lens profile, CA removal, and white balance), then merge, then finally do the usual toning adjustments. Don't convert your originals to jpeg prior to merging, you'll just be losing data.

The number of exposures and the spacing is hugely dependent on the scene. For most, I find -2,0,2 sufficient, but if you're shooting into the sun, more will likely be necessary. If in doubt, check your histograms - if your underexposures still show clipped highlights, or your overexposures have clipped shadows, then you'll probably want to shoot a wider spread.

I think the best thing currently would be to spend some time watching youtube tutorials for a step-by-step process to get a feel for things until you're confident enough to develop you own workflow.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hopefully you find it helpful.

Will do. Thanks for your help.
Ray