HRD using Photomatix

[tonymidd]

Photomatix is the HRD blending programme, the tone control is simply fantastic. This was blended from four shots in 1.5EV steps to takein the whole of the subjects tone range. A handheld 1* spot meter is useful for accurately measuring this range.

[pjcaver]

Hi, pjcaver here. I just saw your posting on HRD (did you mean HDR for High Dynamic Range?) and saw your shot. Great tonal range and a great shot as well. Exactly what is Photomatrix? I work primarily in Photoshop 7.0 and work a lot in highly-contrasty cave images. I can get photos blown out on both ends of the spectrum (as one would expect from shooting in a cave) so I mostly try to keep the highlights from being blown and then just live with the fact that caves are essentially dark places. I do bracket the shots and occasionally cut and paste portions to improve the overall tonal range, but I do not have CS2 to work with. I'm thus interested in Photomatrix, if you don't mind telling me what it is and where to get it. Thanks in advance.

pjcaver

[pegasusl]

Hi Guys

By the way really nice image Tony...better than my 1st go with the subject.

This program is great, and PJ the trial is free. I my opinion its worth spending on the full package though! Its really simple to use, (much easier than the CS2 HDR feature!!!!!) but if you get stuck I know of a good tutorial posted on another forum site. If I get relevant permissions I'll stick a link in here...(If thats OK with Stemmy).

You can read about and download the program from here...

http://www.hdrsoft.com/index.html

here's my 1st go...
PS Stemmy, not sure about sizes so let me know if it needs resizing!

Pegasusl
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f137/pegasusl/HDR/Ruddlan-Castle.jpg

[tonymidd]

This is a series of shots, 6 in total, each of which had 5 exposures starting with one exposed for the sky highlights and the reducing by 1EV for subsiquent shots. Each set of 5 shots was blended using Photomatix. They were then tone mapped using the same settings for each frame. The resulting 6 images were stitched using PanoramaFactory.
D200 with 15-30EX Sigma at 15mm end hence the occasional flare. Obviously one has to use a tripod for this sort of thing.
Beware if you try this, you are using 16bit images resulting in either a 48 or 24 bit HDR blend which you convert back to 16 or 8bit. It takes time and RAM.

[tonymidd]

you can get some interesting effects using Photomatix's tone mapping on a single image. take any RGB image and convert it to 16bit.
Using either the tone mapping plugin for PS CS2 or preferably the tool in Photomatix apply tone mapping. The settings really are trial and error.
Here's a before and after taken at Inversnaid Photo Centre. The doctored version looks great as an A3 on MX2's canvas paper. Forgot to say the mapping was applied 4 times to get this result, that's another bit that gets long winded.
PS I can't wait to try one of these mapped images on a club judge, wonder what process he/she will tell me I've used.

[pegasusl]

WOW love the Pano Tony....

Just makes me want to keep practicing and improving...

Also, the only stitching program I have is ULEAD 360...but I find it doesn't match very well in certain images. Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent one (fairly easy to use, and good stitching match) that doesn't break the bank.

Would be really grateful

Pegasus

[tonymidd]

WOW love the Pano Tony....

Just makes me want to keep practicing and improving...

Also, the only stitching program I have is ULEAD 360...but I find it doesn't match very well in certain images. Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent one (fairly easy to use, and good stitching match) that doesn't break the bank.

Would be really grateful

Pegasus

Hi I use PanoramaFactory details here
http://www.panoramafactory.com/
cost is $70 or try Autostitch which is free at the moment.
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

[tonymidd]

Exactly what is Photomatrix?
pjcaver
Hi sorry for the delay in replying, I've been away for a week or so and it's been manic since I returned.
Photomatix is a HDR belnding and tone mapping programme, full details here
http://www.hdrsoft.com/index.html
Cost is $99 or ?79 for the full stand alone version which I'd recommend getting, PS plugin is $69 or ?55, quite frankly the extra cost for the full one is worth every ?.

[Stemmy]

The landscape Tony !!!!

Easily the best picture you have posted here to date. Stunning !!!

Its almost 3D !!! as if you can just walk into the picture.

Would you be tempted to dodge out the highlight a tadge in the middle ???

I an deffo going to try this technique.

When I have a moment.

Soon

[tonymidd]

The landscape Tony !!!!

Easily the best picture you have posted here to date. Stunning !!!

Its almost 3D !!! as if you can just walk into the picture.

Thanks Martin, in my book it's just a good landscape. It does not really say anything other than good technique.

Would you be tempted to dodge out the highlight a tadge in the middle ???

Um, I wondered about this but those rays of light make it a bit too time consuming.

I an deffo going to try this technique.

When I have a moment.

you'll need more than a moment:acute:

[pegasusl]

thanks tony! autostitch looks loads better than ULEAD 360...will have a play!

[automaton2]

hi
i just started with hdr
having a ball:stop:
hope this helps:driving:


http://www.naturescapes.net/072006/rh0706_1.htm

http://petemc.net/hdr-guide/



photomatix manual ] http://www.hdrsoft.com/resources/Manual_PhotomatixProMac.pdf


http://infinitisimo.typepad.com/hdr101/images/HdrTutorial.pdf

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/3038/how-to-create-high-dynamic-range-images.html

http://backingwinds.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-create-professional-hdr-images.html

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm