Single Image HDR Processing

TexPhoto

TexPhoto

Apr 15, 2011
1,343
155
21,163
San Juan, PR
#1
I find myself using Phtomatrix Pro 4 to edit some of my images that I did not shoot as HDR. It does work just fine with a single image. (yes, i understand I am not getting as much Dynamic range as if I'd shot more images) I remember a few years ago, you could do this, but you had to use photoshop or something to make 3 images using the original file (hopefully RAW) to make 3 images with 3 different exposures.

I often use this for action photos where taking 3+ photos is not possible.

One thing I've found is I can layer the HDR on top of the original image in photoshop, and just adjust the top layer's opacity until I get a blend that just looks like it pops, but you would not see as an HDR.

Do you do this? What is your Technique / Software? Lets see some examples.
 
#4
Re: Singel Image HDR

This is a bit of a theoretical viewpoint
"High Dynamic Range" is an attempt to get over the inherent DR that sensors have. Expose for the mid-tones, and there's no shadow detail, and your highlights are blown out
HDR is an attempt to get round this by combining 3 or more shots exposed to capture highlight and shadow detail. But, we all knew that, so what's my beef?

"Tone Mapping" is an "Effect which increases local contrast. That's all you can do with a single shot. Applied sensitively, maybe masked with a straight shot as mentioned above, it can add drama and impact(Or be a complete mess if overdone)
Therefore my beef is, I wish people would use "Tone Mapping" when taking about an "Effect" that adds impact, and "HDR" when they are adding detail that their sensor can't quite handle.
 
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#5
Re: Singel Image HDR

Out sailing on a moonless night, 7 days away from land, 2AMish, my friend on watch and me asleep, I was woken by his screaming UFO!, UFO! As I went up on deck, he grabbed at me screaming that UFO was after us. In the distance bright and blinking lights flickered.

I reached for the radio and was soon talking to a Coast Guard Helicopter that explained they were looking for a sunken sail boat in the area.

After about 15 minutes of silence my friend came to me and began to explain that UFO means unidentified flying object, and that what he meant was that he did not know what it was. The helicopter was conducting search patterns.

In any case HDR to me is an image that is enhanced with HDR software or technique.


REX_0897_tonemapped by RexPhoto91, on Flickr
 
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#6
Re: Singel Image HDR

TexPhoto said:
I find myself using Phtomatrix Pro 4 to edit some of my images that I did not shoot as HDR. It does work just fine with a single image. (yes, i understand I am not getting as much Dynamic range as if I'd shot more images) I remember a few years ago, you could do this, but you had to use photoshop or something to make 3 images using the original file (hopefully RAW) to make 3 images with 3 different exposures.

I often use this for action photos where taking 3+ photos is not possible.

One thing I've found is I can layer the HDR on top of the original image in photoshop, and just adjust the top layer's opacity until I get a blend that just looks like it pops, but you would not see as an HDR.
Click to expand...

Photoshop CS5 can certainly do single shot HDR processing, as I have done with the below image.

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=11600.0;attach=36771
 
Upvote 0
#9
Re: Singel Image HDR

celliottuk said:
This is a bit of a theoretical viewpoint
"High Dynamic Range" is an attempt to get over the inherent DR that sensors have. Expose for the mid-tones, and there's no shadow detail, and your highlights are blown out
HDR is an attempt to get round this by combining 3 or more shots exposed to capture highlight and shadow detail. But, we all knew that, so what's my beef?

"Tone Mapping" is an "Effect which increases local contrast. That's all you can do with a single shot. Applied sensitively, maybe masked with a straight shot as mentioned above, it can add drama and impact(Or be a complete mess if overdone)
Therefore my beef is, I wish people would use "Tone Mapping" when taking about an "Effect" that adds impact, and "HDR" when they are adding detail that their sensor can't quite handle.
Click to expand...

Actually, HDR is an attempt to fit more DR in a standard medium; typically and image processed with a standard curve. It can come from a single RAW file since the conversion always clips a few stops, even with a Canon sensor. Tone mapping is how you do it. A quick way is to play with the highlights and the black level in LR, decrease the contrast and increase the "clarity" to otherwise absurd levels. Converting several images and blending them would be better since the LR controls are not powerful enough for tone mapping.

If your image is captured by a Nikon sensor, .... I will stop here because I can see how a few people are jumping their guns already.
 
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#13
Re: Singel Image HDR

I often convert two images from the same raw file with +1/-1 stops of exposure correction, and then combine using HDREfex plugin for PS. Most of the time it replaces the ND split for me. Here is one example from Death Valley:
 

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#14
Re: Singel Image HDR

Hi,
IMHO, may be something like this:
If meter show 1/100s, F4 @ ISO 200, mirror goes up once and sensor took 3 exposure of
1) 1/300s, F4, ISO 300,
2) 1/300s, F4, ISO 600, and
3) 1/300s, F4, ISO 1600.
Combine all this 3 images to give a single shot HDR RAW. To the user, he took 1 shot, but actually the camera took 3 bracketed shots.

Have a nice day.
 
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