Tag Archives: HDR techniques

HDR – Variations on B&W Conversions – CM

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Many HDR images are being converted to Black & White to present typically tone mapped shots in a more “artistic” way.  I’ve seen some beautiful work and, since I originally started with black and white photography, darkroom and all, I am particularly drawn to it. It’s obvious that many photographers are doing very simple conversions using Adobe Photoshop without taking advantage of the great variations that are available as presets. An interesting thing about the software is that there are many ways to convert color photos to black and white. I am going to present a couple of different ways to do the conversions.

This post will deal with using the Channel Mixer presets. You will see what seem to be identical images at first glance. But, looking closely, the variations will be obvious.

I’ve started with this High Dynamic Range image that has quite a bit of tonal latitude; extreme light to very dark and everything in between. It was initially processed using 7 images loaded into Nik HDR Efex Pro for tone mapping and control point enhancements on certain areas. Final modifications were made in Photoshop.


I will now present and describe the Channel Mixer Preset variations for B&W conversion in Photoshop.

  • Channel Mixer – Startup

The Channel Mixer tool is accessed using Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer as shown below.


The initial display defaults to “Preset = None” with the Output Channel set to red at 100%. The variations that I’m presenting are the “out of the box” presets in Photoshop.

Not all of the presets do well without further modifications of the RGB color sliders.  But I’ll let you be the judge.

  • Channel Mixer – Presets at a Glance


The nice thing about the presets, as you can see in the comparisons above, is that they can satisfy just about any preference. Kind of like “clicking according to taste.”  But, some of the presets do more harm than good to the overall tonality of the image as I’ll describe below.

Infrared

As expected with the Infrared preset, certain areas are lightened beyond reality. Notice the plants along the wall on the lower left. If this shot had been taken in summer, the trees would show more of a whitish cast and any reds would be black. Notice that the light orange mulch area in the lower left is very dark and much of the contrast for that area is lost.

 Blue Filter 

This filter causes much higher contrast but in the wrong places. The lower left area is similar to the Infrared effect but the lighter green plants lining the wall are now too dark to be noticed. The shadow and sunlight areas on the lawn at right are now merged into darkness with very little contrast to show that the sun is shining through. If you like more surreal effects for black and white, this filter and the Infrared preset are what you will want to work with.

Green Filter

The green filter seems to get pretty close to “real life” for this image.  A bit of depth is lost in the lower left but the contrast with the wall, plants, shrubs and mulch is enough to keep things separated. The green lawn areas have a natural look as do the sky, clouds and Washington Monument in the distance.

Orange Filter

More contrast in all areas. The shrubs at lower left stand out much better and the shadows and highlights on the lawn and sidewalk are more distinct. But, notice that the plants along the wall get swallowed up in the tone of the mulch.  And the top of the Washington Monument gets lost in a darker sky. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed in further post-processing though.

Red Filter

This filter gives even more contrast but sacrifices some of the lighter areas. And the red stripes in the flag (look closely) are almost too light to be seen. But, I must admit that this is a more dramatic representation of the scene.

Yellow Filter

This is another almost “real life” filter. The results are very close to the Green Filter but with less contrast in some areas and more in others. The image gains more contrast by sacrificing some of the natural tonality of the original Color image.

  • Channel Mixer – What’s your pleasure?

All of these presets have strengths and weaknesses. And personal preference, what I would also call “subjective perspective”, makes each a good selection. It depends on what you want. I find that I’m most drawn to the “real life” examples with the Green Filter being my favorite. Here it is in Living Black and White.

 

HDR – Monochrome Schlumbergera Truncata

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Just spending some quality time at the computer today and thought I’d dig into my HDR image archives. This photo is from a color version that I posted a little over a year ago in an article about “The Art of Technique” that details a few methods that I use for more artistic, photographic results.

For today, I created this monochrome version which kinda goes along with the day here in Eastern North Carolina . . . cool, cloudy with lots of rain.  Oh well!

HDR Imaging – What Is It

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A lot has been written about HDR Photography in recent years.  Many photographers have become quite prominent using HDR techniques. Having used Adobe Photoshop for quite a while, I became intrigued with using my old, trusted tool for High Dynamic Range photography. And since starting my exploration into HDR imaging, I’ve also incorporated Nik software into my processing work flow.

This definition from Wikipedia gives a brief overview of HDR or HDRI:  “High dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight, and is often captured by way of a plurality of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter.”  For more information, please check out the full article or just go to the web and search for “HDR photography techniques” for more than enough information.

Some have mentioned that the ultimate HDR expressions are achieved with software specifically designed with a unique approach to digital imaging.  That usually refers to specific tone mapping algorithms that have been developed to give an image a look that is not quite realistic.  But, by using a more conservative approach, extremely realistic images can be produced; images that portray reality much better than straight, right out of the camera photos.

I have been using various techniques and have found that, despite what some purists say, very acceptable, well balanced HDR images can also be produced with only one raw image. It’s almost like using a well exposed negative and using dodging and burning techniques in a darkroom – A reference to the old days. :-)

I am currently shooting camera raw images with .5 to 1 f stop (ev) ranges between shots.  I have used up to 9 images, 4 evenly spaced below normal exposure and 4 above with interesting results.  But, the 3 shot technique that most photographers use, seems to work well also. For most of my work, I prefer using 5 or 7 images to get slightly smoother tonal variations.

This is a simple example of a 3 image, realistic High Dynamic Range photograph. Yes, the color is that intense. The HDR technique allowed me to maintain lots of shadow detail and left enough highlight and shadow to manipulate the final results for a well balanced image.

The image below was created with nine exposures at .5 ev increments from -2 to +2 ev. Notice the very smooth tonal presentation.

HDR – Hibiscus in Red

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Our Hibiscus plants were just about bare for this year but I managed to find one last bloom for this HDR image. It’s been about a week since I shot this one and I’m sad to say that the limbs are empty. Oh well, next spring will bring more beauty.

Processing: This photo is about 60% of the original which accounts for a slight lack of sharpness and definition. But with a subject like this, the softness isn’t always a negative.  For some unknown reason (to me anyway), flowers usually need additional work when doing HDR imaging. The tones and shadows seem to get swallowed up with my Nik HDR Efex Pro software so I used the File > Automate > Merge to HDR Pro process in Adobe Photoshop CS6. With three exposures, I was able to get the limited tonality that I needed while still maintaining the shadow and highlight details. After creating my image, I used Camera Raw for sharpening and adding luminosity. My final step was to do some very subtle dodging and burning on selected areas for more depth.

For the monochrome version, I used Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 and increased the overall structure for a more textured look.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 lens at f/22, ISO 800. Manfrotto/Bogen tripod and ball head.

HDR – It’s A Natural

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A completely natural High Dynamic Range image for today, this street scene from New Bern, North Carolina features one of the New Bern Bears. They seem to be everywhere and this one is particularly impressive as he stands in front of the Mitchell Hardware building. The building has been there since 1898 but the bear is relatively new.

This is a five exposure image that I worked in Nik HDR Efex Pro 2 to make it as realistic as  possible. No funny colors, no ghosting, no halos, no over the top sharpening and no over saturation, just that beautiful, dynamic range that can only be had by using HDR techniques. After a little bit of polishing up in Adobe Photoshop, I was happy with this result.

Since acquiring Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, I’m having a hard time not doing monochrome conversions just for the fun of it. So here’s the latest. I must admit that the “Silver” software is really fun to experiment with. This one started with a clean conversion and after lots of sliding and tweeking ended up like an old Panatomic X print.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 35mm, f/11, ISO 400.

HDR – Southern Sepia

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For today, I’d like to revisit a time before HDR imaging as we know it today and even before digital imaging. Anyone remember the old brownies (cameras)? And those glossy black and white pictures that were returned with each shot attached to those little plastic comb binders?

I know, I’m really reaching way back and most of you will be scratching your heads wondering what I’m talking about. Well, I’m referring to ancient times. And I processed this image in remembrance of that grand old period when young photogs ventured out with their Kodak, roll film cameras. Some of the more affluent would be toting an Argus. And the elite? Well can you say Leica, Zeiss, Nikon (RF), Linhof, Rollie, etc.

Ah, those were the days for the young future photog arteests . . . no clue about shutter speeds, f stops, film speed or focus. Just point and shoot and enjoy the endless depth of field and incredible contrast of those prized images, always making sure that the subjects were well lit by the sun with big smiles and squinty eyes.

Processing: This image is of a more modern era . . . couple of weeks ago. I decided to give a nostalgic look to the Howard House in New Bern North Carolina with a little sepia tone and an antique boarder for the old timey effect. All complements of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. I started with nine images that were spaced .5 ev apart for a nice tonal blending. I used just a little Curves in Adobe Photoshop to get the right contrast levels.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 35mm, f/5.6, ISO 400.

HDR – Just a Little RuRex

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You can find lots of UrBex HDR photography but it’s rare to find anything called RuRex. I don’t think the concept has caught on yet. So, this is my contribution to the pool of RuRex photography. I found this “one of many” circular concrete supports while exploring the South Tar Greenway in Greenville NC. There are quite a few of these spaced pretty evenly across the area. They look like some sort of support for a string of power poles. That’s my guess anyway.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens set at 32mm, f/11, ISO 1600.

HDR – 309 Middle Street with Some Pizzaz – HTDS

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My HDR “How To Do Stuff (HTDS)” this week is a little different. The various expressions of exposure blending are subtle but distinctive. Today, I’m looking at Nik, Adobe and a little bit of post processing with Gimp.

I decided to give this image a little HDR, “Just Beyond Reality“, punch since the tones and textures just seemed to jump out of the scene. This is what’s inside 309 Middle Street in New Bern NC.

When I first saw my brackets, I got pretty excited. All those highlights and shadows in nine exposures to play with. I usually shoot at full stop intervals. But for these, I chose half stops to gain a little finer transition in light and tone.

  • The Same but Different

I’m starting to enjoy the flexibility that I get with more, closely spaced shots. My workflow is a bit slower but the results give me much more to work with in post processing. I can now increase the blending of transitions in my highlight and shadow areas without risking those abrupt distinctions between them.

The two combined exposure examples below are from Nik HDR Efex Pro and Adobe Photoshop. If you look closely, the Nik version is much more vibrant to start with. But, the Photoshop example has more balance in tonality and lighting. For a purely realistic image, either of these work beautifully, depending on taste. And they’re both perfect for further processing to bring out the personal preferences of the artist. . . like my starting image. As I said, both of these images are pretty nice and if I wanted the most realistic HDR image, I wouldn’t need to do anymore processing. But not today.

  • The Nuts and Bolts of Post Processing

Processing: I used the Nik version and made lots of tone mapping enhancements in Nik HDR Efex Pro. As you can see, the colors and visual tonality are pretty far from both of the clean, (out of the box) versions above. I especially concentrated on Structure to get the details that I wanted and used many Control Points to manipulate the lighting and details of the scene. Very little was necessary in Photoshop. Mainly final Curves adjustments and High Pass Filter.  And to top it off, I used Transform to get a realistic perspective. Yes, I lost lots of image. But I shot the original knowing that I would be correcting the lines.

The nice thing about working an image like this is that many people would accept it as an un-manipulated photograph.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, 20mm, f/4.8, ISO 3200. Handheld.

  • One Last Hurrah!

You don’t hear much about the freeware called Gimp. So, I decided to throw the blended, Photoshop version, into Gimp and do a little enhancement work. Though the software is a little less intuitive, and, in some ways, much more sensitive than Photoshop, it can produce some pretty nice results.

I also managed to remove quite a bit of distortion with Gimp by adjusting the perspective and cropping a bit. It’s actually a pretty good tool.  And free at that!

HDR – Sunny Sidewalk at St Peter’s

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Well, kinda sunny. This side entry into the cemetery at St Peter’s Episcopal church in Wasnington, NC posed a particularly interesting challenge for HDR imaging.

Processing: This pic was produced with seven shots from -1.5 to +1.5 ev at half stop intervals. To balance the shadow areas and the light streaming into the breaks in the trees, I had to do quite a bit of Control Point work in Nik HDR Efex Pro. But, the control in that software is pretty fantastic. After applying a slight curve, I adjusted the colors in Adobe Photoshop using Hue/Saturation.  This image was shot at the 20mm setting on my wide zoom. So, I used the Adaptive Wide Angle filter to produce this more realistic image.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 set at 20mm, f/16, ISO 1600. Handheld.

HDR for Real – River Storm

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The nice thing about the weather at the Inner Banks of North Carolina is that it’s always changing. And, for High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, the changes are perfect. My last visit to Washington, NC was a real challenge since scenes like this were the norm. . .one minute clear skies with clouds in the distance and the next, rain. Check out those drops hitting the water. Is that cool or what.  :)

This image was produced from seven shots, -1.5 to +1.5 ev. I usually space my shots at 1 ev apart but decided to try something a little different this time. And I think the tighter variation seems to make a difference. Even though my total range is smaller, the fine placement and tonality gave me a bit more tonal gradation to work with. At least it seemed that way.

Processing: The seven shots were loaded into Nik HDR Efex Pro for tone mapping.  I added quite a bit of structure in the water to get that smooth texture along with the more pronounced lighting variation. . .more realistic than what the camera with only one shot can produce.  I didn’t do anything with the sky/clouds. Yes, they really look like that at the inner banks. For the final polish, I used Curves and Shadows/Highlights in Adobe Photoshop CS6. I’ve started using the Filter > Adaptive Wide Angle function but found it to be too croppy for this image. For perfectly straight verticals, I would need to eliminate much of the foreground dock and a large part of the right and left sides of the image. I felt that it would ruin my original composition. (Spoiler) – I’ll be doing a post next week describing how the Adaptive Wide Angle tool really comes in handy.

Equipment used: Nikon D700 with 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 set at 20mm, f/14, ISO 400.  No tripod.