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Much much much much better. No halos either. Halos are worse than noise, to me. Give them a (small) saturation boost and hit them with the smart sharpen filter at about .8-1, and you should have some nice images there.
 
so is this some kind of program you buy to edit the picture to get them to look this way? I really like a few of these. Especially the Chicago one. Nothing jumps out at me in it. Looks as if it should be that way. I also like the one with the mowed lawn and mail box, but the cedar tree to the left seems really bright around the edges.
 
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Lookin' good. I think you're getting it!

so is this some kind of program you buy to edit the picture to get them to look this way? I really like a few of these. Especially the Chicago one. Nothing jumps out at me in it. Looks as if it should be that way. I also like the one with the mowed lawn and mail box, but the cedar tree to the left seems really bright around the edges.
You need a camera capable of bracketing the exposure. Ideally, you'll want to bracket using the shutter, not the aperture. Bracketing takes a set of images (usually 3 or 5) by holding down the shutter in bracketing mode (on my Canon, it's the AEB setting). Generally, I bracket using -2, 0, and +2. This will give you an underexposed image, and normally exposed image, and an overexposed image. You use a HDR program to combine and tone-map the images.

What happens here is you are taking the stuff in the overexposed image that would normally be black due to shadowing, and bringing the details out. Then you are taking the stuff in the underexposed image that would normally be blown out highlights, and bringing those details out. All of those details are essentially added to the main image, and you get a higher dynamic range than possible with a single photograph. You then tone-map that image to bring it down to a resolution that normal computer programs can work with. When tone-mapping, there are many options and you can come out with wildly surreal images, or ultra-realistic, depending on your settings.

That's it, in a nut-shell. Dynamic-Photo HDR is a great program to start with.
 
Lookin' good. I think you're getting it!


You need a camera capable of bracketing the exposure.

Just about all cameras can bracket.

Ideally, you'll want to bracket using the shutter, not the aperture. Bracketing takes a set of images (usually 3 or 5) by holding down the shutter in bracketing mode (on my Canon, it's the AEB setting). Generally, I bracket using -2, 0, and +2.

You don't have to have a camera do it for you.

Set up on a tripod, manually change exposures. This is far superior to hand holding the camera even if the camera can take 5+ FPS because the camera WILL move.

What happens here is you are taking the stuff in the overexposed image that would normally be black due to shadowing, and bringing the details out. Then you are taking the stuff in the underexposed image that w

Yeah, HDR is almost a necessity because of the limited range of the digital format.
 
Just about all cameras can bracket.



You don't have to have a camera do it for you.

Set up on a tripod, manually change exposures. This is far superior to hand holding the camera even if the camera can take 5+ FPS because the camera WILL move.



Yeah, HDR is almost a necessity because of the limited range of the digital format.
True, any camera with any type of manual mode can be set to bracketing, but if there's not an automatic exposure bracket, the camera will probably get moved while changing settings, unless you have a good tripod.

I've done HDR's handheld, even with my heavy 5D. A tripod is definitely preferred, but with a steady hand, it can be done, especially if you kneel on one knee and use the other as a support.

No matter what equipment you have, if you have the will, you can do it. But using a tripod with automatic bracketing is a sure way to get the best results.
 
True, any camera with any type of manual mode can be set to bracketing, but if there's not an automatic exposure bracket, the camera will probably get moved while changing settings, unless you have a good tripod.

Yeah, but people needed to know there was / is an alternative to getting a new camera body that 'auto brackets'.

About the camera moving while on a tripod, well, first you need a tactile sense and not be ham fisted. :shrug: Second, you buy junk you get junk, Sort Of.

I suggest getting a good head (I use a Bogen/Manfrotto two ball) and getting even a cheap (Walmart?) video tripod that will accept the head.


No matter what equipment you have, if you have the will, you can do it. But using a tripod with automatic bracketing is a sure way to get the best results.

All it takes is knowing a bit of camera theory and the ability to apply said theory.

Wow there is alot to this stuff. I would love to learn how and get some starter equipment. Any good forums/websites for a beginner? B/c just reading this makes it seem very overwelming.

?

Everything looks overwhelming at the beginning.

Back in '84 when I took a year of Photography at a College of Art there was a lab assistant working on HDI with film. The note taking, her having to remember every mask, dodge and burn with each negative on each print, the minute adjustments between prints ...

Now HDI is done with specialized programs and mouse clicks with instant feedback and 250 undo steps. It's all become pretty painless.

I guess overwhelming is contingent on ones point of view.

And you don't even need a specialized program, any half assed graphics editor with layers can be used.

And with a tripod it's a simple copy paste to a new layer with little worry about "alignments" :shrug:

Since your a beginner your first step is to set the camera to manual and learn how to manipulate exposure time and stop and their direct relationships (use only 'true' stops, f- 2,2.4,4,5.6,8,11,16,22,32,44,62, WTF is f-7? f-9??)
 
I've seen side-by-side comparing video from the T1i (a sub $600 camera body) to the 5D MKII (a $2700 camera body) and not only did the T1i look as good, in some areas, it looked better!