Amanda, I use photomatix as well, and even the most well put-together HDR's require just a touch of 're-tweaking' in photoshop or another program in my experience to add back a bit of levels and contrast...HDR can, often, leave an image looking a bit too 'flat' needing some black level added as well as a bit of contrast added. Normally, all the saturation and details are handled in the HDR program.

In photomatix, to get you black levels a bit higher, look towards the center of the adjustments window for the black levels adjustment...default is 0%, I like to set mine around .250% and adjust from there before processing the final image...IMHO, it gives the image a bit more depth.

Thank you James I have played with the blacks on a few of my recent practice things and like it better. Sometimes I see I need to add some whites back though. I do however put the pics in PS to sharpen then run them through my other noise reduction program. I like the look so far but still need lots of work on gettin to where you and the other HDR pros are at

HDR Pros....? ...LOL thanks, but I still need some work too... it's very much an art...but, I've seen a few of your last HDR entries, and IMHO, you're on the right path. Remember,,,the 'grunge' look is over-done...natural look is what hangs in museums. What you want to capture is what the camera can't...the dynamic range the human eye can see and the camera can't...the best compliment you can get IMHO is "that looks great, is it HDR?"

I know nothing of HDR, but i do have a question on the soft, what is the advantage of the HDR soft over normal photoshop?

jcf18252 wrote:HDR Pros....? ...LOL thanks, but I still need some work too... it's very much an art...but, I've seen a few of your last HDR entries, and IMHO, you're on the right path. Remember,,,the 'grunge' look is over-done...natural look is what hangs in museums. What you want to capture is what the camera can't...the dynamic range the human eye can see and the camera can't...the best compliment you can get IMHO is "that looks great, is it HDR?"

Thank you very much! I try to explain to people what HDR is and you said it the best. I just try to explain how the sky will be washed out if you get the ground or subject in focus in bright light or vise versa so it takes the best lighting of all and makes one. LOL They never get it so I'll just say what you said.

Amanda, you are 'getting it'...the camera..as good as it is, can only capture about 9-11 stops....the human eye can see almost 20...do the math...if you want to replicate what you see, HDR is the only solution

jcf18252 wrote:Amanda, you are 'getting it'...the camera..as good as it is, can only capture about 9-11 stops....the human eye can see almost 20...do the math...if you want to replicate what you see, HDR is the only solution

Crap! Theres math involved? Now I'll never understand!

Is a true HDR comprised of at least 3 shots under different lighting and or exposure levels? I am curious about the real art of making an artistic piece of this stuff. Can't the same things be accomplished using Photoshop CS5?

lchappell wrote:Is a true HDR comprised of at least 3 shots under different lighting and or exposure levels? I am curious about the real art of making an artistic piece of this stuff. Can't the same things be accomplished using Photoshop CS5?

Yes...CS5 has an HDR option...it can be 'simulated; using a single shot, however, that is not a true High Dynamic Range image...true HDRs are at least a minimum of 2-3 shots, I have done HDR's using over 9 images to achieve the entire tonal range of the subject.

What you need at minimum from what I have seen, is a shot at 'normal' camera exposure, a shot 1 to 2 stops underexposed and a shot 1 to 2 stops overexposed...from there, you can add additional over/under exposed shots to gain the entire tonal range of the subject.

Thanks jcf, I understand about the series of different shots making up a higher definition of contrast, if you will. In CS5 or PS using them as different layers and applying some assorted blend treatments, is this a way of accomplishing it using Photoshop?

Like your sig tag BTW.