Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 16:02 GMT
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Does anybody us the technique Jook Leung calls HDR for Dummies?
360vr.com/HDRforDummies/
I just can't get my head around the steps
If you use it would you share a step by step, action by action description.
I'm trying to get get views out windows to look better
Thanx
Doug Aurand
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vn2009
Posts: 263
Location: duluth mn, United States
Registered: 24 Sep 2009
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 16:09 GMT
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Doug did you get ptgui pro? its all you need. take 3-5 exposures. i do 3 cause my camera cant do 5. +2, 0 , -2. I would love to use +2, +1, 0 , 1, 2. load them into ptgui it will auto detect the images were taken at the same approx time and ask if you want to have ptgui align the images or if there were taken on a tripod it skips the alignment and jsut blends them. use fussion blending not hdr. the result should be very useable.
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tturner
Posts: 214
Location: Dallas,TX, United States
Registered: 28 May 2006
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 18:03 GMT
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vn2009,
Could you post some of your results with this method?
I have not yet upgraded to the lates version of pro.
Thanks,
TTurner
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 2760
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 18:42 GMT
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PTgui produces the same results as any other exposure fusing software.
Enfuse, Tofuse, Photomatic fusing.
There are slightly different settings but the result is the same.
I prefer doing Enfuse with EnfuseGui on the source images as this is a much faster method. With the source images enfused you get better controlpoints in PTGui and can much better use the Batchbuilder for complete automated stitching.
Hans
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 19:12 GMT
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I haven't gotten PTGui Pro yet, but I have more of a problem in still photos than in virtual images.
I was hoping I could emphasize the "window views" that blow out with HDR for Dummies than
Enfuse is limited in what it can do with windows in very high contrast shots when the windows are really bright.
I'll be out of town and offline till Sunday on a shoot of a small lodge in Questa, NM
Thanx guys
Doug Aurand
Albuqueque, NM
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vn2009
Posts: 263
Location: duluth mn, United States
Registered: 24 Sep 2009
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 5 Mar 2010 at 20:20 GMT
updated: 5 Mar 2010 at 20:21 GMT
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i can provide you some examples over the weekend. at work now no access to my home pc. Hans makes a good point about fusing before stitchin. i have not had any issue with good control points while using PTguito fuse them but his logic makes sense. check here when you are back i will give some examples just for the sake of knowledge.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 8 Mar 2010 at 21:12 GMT
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Okay, I sat down and really read the step by step procedures in Jook's HDR for Dummies and I figured it out.
Its pretty awesome
What I've been doing is practicing on a real estate shoot.
I use Photomatix Pro's Exposure Fusion function (it works like Enfuse) to composite a bracket set. As usual the windows are not that good, but the overall Dynamic Range is better.
I then make a composited image using the same set of photos using the HDR/Tone Mapping function. This gives me more Dynamic Range and a much better "window view" but also the Noise that's characteristic of the function.
Then I use the steps in HDR for Dummies to combine those two images and I get a really good window view, but keep the Sharp natural looking color of Exposure Fusion.
When I retry it on the hotel room I wanted it for, I'll put the still photo online and post a link
The Overlay option in Blending Options is pretty cool when you use an Inverted de-Saturated Layer
Later
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 9 Mar 2010 at 19:03 GMT
updated: 9 Mar 2010 at 19:07 GMT
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Okay here are the pics;
This is the photo the hotel is using on Marriott.com for a Suite with 1 King bed
This is what I got using Photomatic's Exposure Fusion which produces result very similar to Enfuse. This was made with 3 shots; +2,0,-2. I didn't bother to correct the perspective
This is what I got making a photo with Exposure Fusion and one with HDR/Tone Mapping. Both were made with +2,+1,0,-1,-2,-3,-4 and -5 stes. Then compositing them together with Exposure Fusion. Then some Photoshop work.
I getting windows that are better than a single shot with Exposure Fusion/Enfuse, but not as good as I want.
Using the HDR for Dummies I get almost the same results as combining the EF and HDR/TM images.
Are you guys getting reall good windows with PTGui Pro?
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Tactus 360
Posts: 1228
Location: Tynset, Norway
Registered: 2 Sep 2010
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 17:26 GMT
updated: 2 Sep 2010 at 20:27 GMT
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Doug,
This really is a good technique and negates the need to buy Photomatrix, which I did, and which has been put into the "Program Bin" as something totally unintelligible by people with a low IQ like me.
The problem is that whilst the images look great in Flash, when they are viewed as a single equi image, they look terribly flat and boring. Am I doing something wrong here? I like to use thumbnails for navigation and with them looking like that, I would be far too embarrassed to show the work to anyone!
Like you, it took me a little time to get my head around what the guy was saying in the pdf file, but the actual technique is, well, extremely good.
Now the question is whether to take the images differently than usual, which is 5 shots at -2 -1 0 1 2, or whether to just take a couple of rows at different exposures, one for the light areas and one for the dark.
Jon
PS If anyone knows of an hdr processing program that actually has a user manual that is not head-up-the-arse and expects everyone to think on the same intellectual level as the author, perhaps they will tell me!
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mediavets
Posts: 1948
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 22:44 GMT
updated: 19 Mar 2010 at 22:48 GMT
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Jon
I still like and use Photomatix Pro alot
I was having a problem with the windows in this hotel suite and wanted to finally figure out HDR for Dummies.
Overall, I'm still getting my best results by, first, shooting a bracket of +2, +1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6 and -7
Then I usually use +2 thru -4 images in to make 2 images, one with the Exposure Fusion and one with the HDR/Tone Mapping function.
I sharpen and add some contrast to the HDR/TM image in Photoshop, then use Exposure Fusion to composite them together.
The HDR/TM process has a much higher Dynamic Range than Exposure Fusion or the Enfuse Droplets I used to use. Thats how I can usually get the bright windows and blown out light fixtures to show up.
Exposure Fusion and Enfuse just can't pull in the bright windows and light fixtures as well.
Finally, I do a little fine tuning in Photoshop, adding some Contrast and using Unsharp Mask to crisp up the scene.
I just wasn't getting the windows and lights the way I wanted them in these stills of the Residence Inn suites, so I wanted to finally figure out the HDR for Dummies so I'd have one more way of getting better lighting range.
Whats really cool is that the process of Zero Saturation, Invert and Blend Layers with Overlay helps even when don't have a "dark" shot blended in first.
As far as how big bracket to shoot, I'd make sure you have more range than you think you need.
When I've been shooting hotels, I'm usually 100 to 500 miles away on a paid shoot and there's no practical way to go back if I don't have enough range. After all, its just space on a memory card. Don't try to be too thrifty with card space
Later
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 23:01 GMT
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mediavets said: Mathrafal said: PS If anyone knows of an hdr processing program that actually has a user manual that is not head-up-the-arse and expects everyone to think on the same intellectual level as the author, perhaps they will tell me!
Maybe?:
www.mediachance.com/hdri/
www.mediachance.com/hdri/help/index.html
Andrew,
Have you worked with Mediachance?
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Tactus 360
Posts: 1228
Location: Tynset, Norway
Registered: 2 Sep 2010
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 3 May 2010 at 13:44 GMT
updated: 2 Sep 2010 at 20:27 GMT
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Hmm
Despite some success, I am not sure now about this technique and would ask if anyone else has managed to get a hard line at the join between the right and the left parts of the equi . . .
It seems to occur more with darker images, but I am not too sure.
Any ideas? Particularly Doug, who seems to have had a lot of success with this.
Jon
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 2760
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: HDR for Dummies
Posted: 3 May 2010 at 13:49 GMT
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Are you sure you have flattened the images first.
If you have the background panorama as a layer you will easy get this line.
Hans
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