I was reading through the HDR thread regarding normal photos and I was interested in finding out how do combine RAW files using photoshop. After watching a very good tutorial, I found out I'm supposed to use Adobe Bridge and send it via that to Photoshop Always wondered what that program was for

Anywho - it's night time, and I don't exactly have a bunch of things lying around to test photos with. I found an old HR32 plastic model I made yeeaaarrrsss ago, plus I used an old bedsheet as a base/back, yet keeping it ruffled with creases to try to show off any shadows.

Anywho - here's the 3 photos taken with the 350D using the 17-85mm lens I've got.





After mucking around in photoshop and using a plugin from Photomatix (eww watermarks) I came up with this:



So yea...not 100% sure if this is any good to be honest. Unless I screwed around with it so much that I stuffed it? I might try again tomorrow with a better subject!

Im certainly no expert, but from what i researched when i was trying to do it, i found alot of HDR photos to be more impacting... maybe try a different colour car? like reds and blues ? Better than what i got when i tried to do hdr!!

But it does look like the combination of the 3 photos work together to get the HDR effect

Nice work!!

Good idea. I've got a few other die cast model cars with nice paint jobs. Should of started with them first!

#1 Problem is your shot there doesn't really lend it t HDR, HDR is good for shots with a wide dynamic range, lots of bright, dark and mid-range exposed areas.

To learn on some HDR, you're better off walking outside and shooting the neighbours house or across the street, sunlight gives off a wide dynamic range because it's so large it will light a lot of areas bright, but still leave some in shadow, this is what you're trying to capture. The ability to get your subject in the correct exposure you want and still get the sky exposed right too.

i agree with nick try going outside, im giving it a try today with that tutorial

Ok .... apart from realising I definately need a remote shutter button due to a little hand shake, even on the tripod I think I'm slowly getting the nack of HDR editing and putting the photos together.












Sorry...alot of photos there, and not really decent However, again, I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

I've been mucking around with more and I've found out that sometimes the cars panels look like they are all different colors when the pic is taken on an angle. I'm assuming this has to do with lighting and the shading - anyone confirm this?

HDR has to be the worst recent photographic fad, only second to selective coloring.

Done really really carefully they are okay, but only because they aren't meant to look "distinctive". Overdone it just looks like a childrens nightmare world where a rapist clown is waiting around every corner.

Yeah the reason the panels all look different colors is because you're pressing different tones from different exposures into a single exposure. Unless the panels are evenly lit they'll look different because HDR by definition takes the lows, mids, highs and joins them where they're at their strongest.

And using the highest light smoothing and dialing down the strength a little will help with that shadowing in the shot.

Try using the self-timer on the camera, most bodies usually have a 2sec and 10/12sec, your shake should be adsorbed by the tripod in a few seconds so a 10/12 timer would be decent.

Also remember to take 2 stop exposures where there's the least contrast, if the scene has a dramatic different between light and dark, take more exposures at say 1 stop.

Also the obligatory "clean your sensor mate"..

Ah ok - thanks guys. I'll remember that when I next give it another go. Nick - on all those photos I was using 2 difference in the exposures...I guess that was overkill for that time in the day? Was about 4pm. Later on, in the dirt scenes it was starting to get a little darker and because I was shooting in ISO100, I guess that's why the camera movement was really starting to show.

Heres one more I finished editing. I think by far it's my favorite out of the bunch....if only that #$%$@ wooden thing wasn't in the background