Dec 12, 2008, 01:44
We all find ourselves in situation where the dynamic range exceeds the sensitivity range of the camera. HDR technique seems like an obvious solution and some people produce exceedingly good and even great photos using this technique. However there are also problems. Colour shifts, halos outlines are common, although many HDR hands seem to learn to avoid or minimize these pitfalls. Another problem is a lack of contrast and HDR photos or parts of these photos often seem lifeless and bleached out. I am also bothered by a frequent absence of shadows, which I consider very important visual clue and a tool to enhance the emotive component of photos.
My lack of skills with HDR led me to experiment with an alternative. I import the bracketed images (as in HDR) into PS as different layers. I adjust each layer to contribute a segment of the overall image using blending and the erasor tool. To my eyes, there are no artefacts noticeable, the shadows and contrast are preserved and to finalize one image may not take any longer than it does with HDR. Check my flicker site and identify the 2 to 3 photos where I used this and see if you can notice artefacts not caused by my sloppiness. I used this approach even for some high contrast, complex colour single (unbracketed) photos and it worked too.
Am I giving up on HDR? Absolutely not! I want to figure out when one approach is better than the other. I would say though that the cut and blend approach is simple and intuitive and worth trying out as an alternative to HDR at least in some situations.
Comments/views are very welcome
Pavel
My lack of skills with HDR led me to experiment with an alternative. I import the bracketed images (as in HDR) into PS as different layers. I adjust each layer to contribute a segment of the overall image using blending and the erasor tool. To my eyes, there are no artefacts noticeable, the shadows and contrast are preserved and to finalize one image may not take any longer than it does with HDR. Check my flicker site and identify the 2 to 3 photos where I used this and see if you can notice artefacts not caused by my sloppiness. I used this approach even for some high contrast, complex colour single (unbracketed) photos and it worked too.
Am I giving up on HDR? Absolutely not! I want to figure out when one approach is better than the other. I would say though that the cut and blend approach is simple and intuitive and worth trying out as an alternative to HDR at least in some situations.
Comments/views are very welcome
Pavel