Welcome to our HDR learning center, produced in partnership with HDRsoft (makers of Photomatix).
[tabby title=”Get Started”]
- Read our HDR Primer.
- Download a free trial of Photomatix.
- Review a list of Auto Exposure Bracketing settings by camera model.
- Get inspired by great HDR photographers!
[tabby title=”Tutorials”]
Six tips to improve your beach sunset shots - It is summertime and you are off to the beach. Here are some tips to improve your sunset shots. Bracket Sunset exposures can be tricky. With bracketing, you have a better chance of getting a properly exposed image. Or you may decide to merge images by blending layers or using HDR software such as Aurora HDR. Spot meter on the sky, not the sun. If you don’t want to bracket, slightly underexpose your images to bring in richer colors. Move around, get your feet wet Don’t just stay on the dry part of the beach. Wear water shoes or waterproof boots and walk a little closer on the sand toward the water, so the surf tickles over the top of your feet. Turn around. Look for images behind you and to the side. Check out reflections on the sand, people, animals and landscapes. Stoop low, shoot up. Stand high, shoot down. Change the horizon line. Keeping it in the middle can get pretty boring. Switch your lens, based on your subject. A big sun, go telephoto. A vast landscape considers wide-angle. Experiment with filters In particular, graduated neutral density and neutral density. Graduated neutral density filters are gray on the top half and clear on the bottom. They darken the sky while allowing you to expose for detail in the shadow areas in the lower part of your image. Neutral density filters reduce light over the whole image, so you can slow down your shutter speed thus softening and blurring the water. Stack filters — use more than one. Your shutter speed might get pretty slow, so don’t forget your tripod and cable release. Try filters with different stops, to see how the stops affect your image. Graduated filters typically come in 1-4 stops. Neutral density filters come with many more stops, up to even 20. Or you can get a variable neutral density filter with a number of stops. The key is to experiment. Have fun trying different settings, filters and combinations of filters if you stack them. Come early, stay late Plan on arriving at least 45 minutes before sunset and leaving 45 minutes after. Look for the beach action before the sunset, and the deep, saturated colors after. Many times the colors are better if you patiently wait a while after the sun has dipped below the horizon. And always look for clouds. Dramatic clouds can make or break an image. Look for an anchor point Find something in the foreground. Rocks, a surfer, a silhouette, whatever pulls your interest. Pay attention to the timing of waves, as they move in and out, cresting high and low, and how the waves affect your anchor point. Wait and be prepared for the wave action you visualize for your image. Safety always comes first. Protect your eyes — don’t look straight into the sun through your lens. Don’t stand close to or in the water when there are dangerous riptides, rip currents or undertows, or where a wave could wipe out you or your equipment. Protect your feet with shoes or waterproof boots. Rocks and shells can cut the bottom of your feet, and stingrays sting. Protect your equipment. Keep it in a camera bag unless in use. Don’t leave equipment on the beach. Sand is bad for a camera plus the incoming tide might cover it with water. Use rain protection for ocean spray. Be mindful of dangerous weather conditions and listen to lifeguard warnings. Always pay attention to your surroundings and the incoming waves. Use common sense when dealing with Mother Nature.
Master Photomatix Pro Version 6 — Free HDR Hangout Today - Don’t miss today’s free event! Join us for an in-depth look at all the new features in Photomatix Pro version 6. Photofocus publisher Rich Harrington is joined by professional photographer Ron Pepper. Both have used Photomatix Pro for years, and Ron is an expert who regularly provides support to other photographers. When: TODAY, June 8 @ 2 pm ET Where: Watch it right here in this blog post or on YouTube We’ll tackle all the new features including: More style choice for realistic results. A new HDR rendering method called Tone Balancer adds more options and presets for realistic looking results. It is well suited to real estate and natural style landscapes. Refining with more control on colors. With the new interactive brush tool, users can make color changes to just parts of the image, by painting over those areas. They can also fine-tune the saturation, hue, and brightness of individual colors in an image. This is especially helpful for removing color casts and enhancing skies and other image features. Images can also be cropped to easily remove distractions or improve the composition. Avoiding overdoing it. For a more realistic look, users can blend an original photo with the rendered image, either globally or using a brush to select specific areas. Removing distortion from your photos. A new distortion correction tool makes it easy to straighten photos that aren’t level and fix perspective issues where lines don’t look parallel when they should. These are especially helpful features for architectural and landscape photographers. Join Us for Our Next HDR Hangout and Learn What’s New in Photomatix Pro Version 6 - Join us for an in-depth look at all the new features in Photomatix Pro version 6. Photofocus publisher Rich Harrington is joined by professional photographer Ron Pepper. Both have used Photomatix Pro for years, and Ron is an expert who regularly provides support to other photographers. When: Thursday, June 8 @ 2 pm ET Where: Watch it right here in this blog post or on YouTube We’ll tackle all the new features including: More style choice for realistic results. A new HDR rendering method called Tone Balancer adds more options and presets for realistic looking results. It is well suited to real estate and natural style landscapes. Refining with more control on colors. With the new interactive brush tool, users can make color changes to just parts of the image, by painting over those areas. They can also fine-tune the saturation, hue, and brightness of individual colors in an image. This is especially helpful for removing color casts and enhancing skies and other image features. Images can also be cropped to easily remove distractions or improve the composition. Avoiding overdoing it. For a more realistic look, users can blend an original photo with the rendered image, either globally or using a brush to select specific areas. Removing distortion from your photos. A new distortion correction tool makes it easy to straighten photos that aren’t level and fix perspective issues where lines don’t look parallel when they should. These are especially helpful features for architectural and landscape photographers.
Cheating Blue Skies in Lightroom - We all know that there’s a right way to do things and a “cheating” way, but it doesn’t matter which one you use as long as the end result is the same, right? A few months ago, I was on Zuma Beach in Malibu for sunset. Even though the dynamic range is incredible on the Sony A7r II, I still opted to shoot bracketed images “just in case”. After I merged them into an HDR image using Photomatix Pro, I needed to fix the sky. It looked dark and weird, compared to the blue sky I saw during sunset. Maybe it’s the LA smog, but I need to fix it. Without wanting to deep dive into Photoshop, I decided to make use of Lightroom’s Graduated Mask tool. By dragging it over the sky (and a little into the sand), I instantly created a mask. Next up – tweak the settings. Knowing that I wanted the sky bluer, I first tried increasing the saturation. Unfortunately, that didn’t work because the sky was so discolored coming out of Photomatix. Not thinking any of the options would work, I started playing with the sliders in the mask options and got the look I wanted by changing the white balance. Makes sense…I want bluer skies, so let’s cool down the white balance. Notice in the screenshots that it didn’t take much to get the results I was looking for. As with anything, there are other ways to do this inside of Lightroom. I could use the HSL panel and adjust the blue luminance and saturation or I could use the adjustment brush and paint the sky. Regardless, maybe tweaking the white balance is cheating…but it worked quickly and easily. It won’t always, but it’s a nifty trick to keep in your pocket.
Photomatix Pro Version 6 is Now Shipping - I’m super excited that a new version of Photomatix Pro is now shipping. The application is a welcome update that adds a bunch of useful features that make it easier to start and finish your HDR photos. My favorite aspect is that the application truly focusses on natural looking HDR. What is Photomatix Pro? In case you haven’t tried it, Photomatix Pro is software that helps you maximize the dynamic range of a scene. That means you can see the most information for a shot including bright highlights and rich shadows. Sometimes this means using multiple shots to accomplish this. Photomatix Pro can create true HDR images from several photos with varying exposures that are merged together for more detail and tone information than conventional photography. But it’s also possible to use a single raw file to bring out even more depth and detail than traditional photo editing applications. HDRsoft released the first version of Photomatix Pro back ion 2003. Each release has come with huge technical jumps in quality and features. What I like is that the company releases software when it’s ready, not as a regular time release designed to keep revenue flowing. The company’s founder pioneered HDR photography software with the introduction of Photomatix. Who Needs It? Through the years HDR has gotten a bad rap from a lot of folks. Often because it was done badly or over the top. We have a whole learning center here on the site to give you ideas. I think HDR, especially the natural styles that Photomatix offers, is perfect for these types of photography. Landscape photography Architectural photography Product photography Black & White photography Urban exploration photography Fine art photography But many creative folks have used it in many ways. What’s it Do? Photomatix Pro offers nine different rendering methods to create HDR methods. Photographers of all styles will find methods that support styles from real estate and architecture to landscapes and street photography and even portrait. These range from stylized versions to very subtle options. Photomatix is loved by real estate photographers for its ability to show the details on interiors and exteriors simultaneously. I personally use it on my landscape photos ALL the time. A welcome addition to the new release is a new HDR method called Tone Balancer. It’s optimized to show depth and natural details. I really like its ability to look natural while going well beyond what the camera can capture. Remember, most Raw files stop at 10 or 12-bits of color depth. an HDR file can go to 32-bits though merging which goes beyond what even most human eyes can see. You don’t have to use all that information, but think of it as the worlds best Shadow/Highlights and Clarity sliders that you’ll ever find. “What’s unique about Photomatix Pro is the wide range of styles it offers to render HDR photos, and version 6 makes this even better,” said Joffre. “Unlike other apps which rely on one method, we have several different HDR methods. Each algorithm can give a completely different look at enhancing tones and details or fusing multiple exposures together. Photographer will find it useful to have several alternatives for processing HDR photos as things change with different subjects or lighting conditions.” What Else is New? Photography enthusiasts and pros alike will find useful improvements in Photomatix Pro 6. The new release focusses on getting great results in less time with less effort. Key benefits include: Create natural looking images with increased dynamic range. With the new Tone Balancer method, HDR images show depth and natural details. This realistic method is well suited for real estate and natural style landscapes. Avoid overdoing it. If you’re looking for a more realistic look, the original photo can be blended with the processed image. You can globally blend or use a brush to add back in specific areas. Remove distortion from your photos. Quickly correct for a tripod that’s not level or a handheld camera by straightening the horizon. If your image has perspective issues, you can tilt the photo in 3D-space to correct it quickly. Architectural and landscape photographers will love these powerful corrections. Work even faster. Loading images is even faster with a streamlined workflow. Get your images open in fewer clicks with the intuitive workflow so you can start editing sooner. Discover a new look. Useful presets make it easy to browse the many creative and technical options in Photomatix Pro. The extensive collection of presets is expanded with more options that are easy to browse. Refine with total control. You can easily fine-tune the saturation, hue, and brightness of individual colors in an image. Quickly remove color casts, enhance the sky, or bring out the details in the landscape without ever leaving Photomatix Pro. Quick selection controls can affect specific color ranges, or you can affect just parts of the image with precise brush strokes. Images can also be cropped to easily remove distractions or improve the composition.. Availability Photomatix Pro 6 is available now for $99 USD for a single-user license. This can be used by one photographer and as many computers as they need. Customers who recently bought Photomatix 5 as a new purchase will receive a free upgrade. All other owners of earlier versions of Photomatix Pro can upgrade for $29 USD. Photomatix Pro works as both a standalone application and includes a plugin for Adobe Lightroom. For more information and to download a free trial version, please visit www.hdrsoft.com. THE BOTTOM LINE: Whether you shoot bracketed photos or even just single raw images, this software does amazing things at a very reasonable price. Try the free demo today. 
Creating Long Exposure Photography with Expanded Dynamic Range - People are often mesmerized by long exposures. Smooth water, the movement in clouds…it creates an artistic look in photographs that many people desire. About a year ago, I started to take my long exposures to the next level, by using neutral-density (ND) filters during the day. It allowed me to create photographs that had significantly longer exposures than I would have otherwise been able to take. But sometimes, even using ND filters aren’t enough. Recently, I started playing around with using bracketing alongside my ND filters, to create long exposure HDR photographs. The technique is simple. It combines bracketing — something I rely on heavily while shooting daytime architecture scenes — and long exposures. During the day, this allows you to create photographs in the bright sun that wouldn’t normally be possible. At night, it allows you to capture multi-minute exposures to really create a surreal look. I went out and decided to shoot the Grand River in Grand Rapids, MI, in the afternoon. It was a (rare) sunny day, meaning I knew I’d get some cool building shadows to accompany the smooth water effect I was going for. I started out by using a 10-stop Vü ND filter on my Tamron 24-70mm lens. Vü has long been my company of choice when it comes to filters, as they’re high quality and relatively inexpensive. From there, I locked my ISO in at 100, and my aperture at f/11. For me, f/11 seems to be the sweet spot on my Nikon D750, but feel free to play around with higher apertures as well, especially if you want an even longer exposure time. I played around with a few different exposure times, but the most successful were when it was bracketed at 6 seconds, 13 seconds and 25 seconds. Combining these would make for a 44-second exposure in the bright sun. I brought these photos into Lightroom and did some basic editing to them, boosting the contrast slightly as well as getting rid of any minor spots. Next, I send them over to Photomatix Pro, my tool of choice for HDR photography. My goal here was to create a surreal photograph of the city’s skyline, with the river in the foreground. I decided to go with the Soft 3 preset, which put a slight vignette around the photograph. It looked realistic but was still surreal enough that I could create a dramatic photograph. I took down the color saturation slightly, knowing the skies were a bit too blue. Ideally, I would have some clouds up there…but in Michigan, in late March, you can’t exactly be picky! I also lowered my white point slightly, to take care of the white highlights at the bottom of the brick building on the right. Finally, I bumped up the saturation shadows a bit, to bring back some of the blue reflection on the taller buildings. Satisfied with my results, I saved the photo and imported it back into Lightroom. Once here, I straightened out the image, and also took care of a few remaining spots at the top of the frame. I also added a bit more vignetting and cropped out the rock in the lower left corner (it was barely visible anyway). I also boosted my black levels a bit. This technique is especially good for selective editing on your HDR images. The image below has three photographs associated with it, but not all three take up the full frame. The areas surrounding the road are only two images together, while the street contains parts of a third image as well. This was utilized in order to get the police car lights shining as the car turned left. You could use the same technique to selectively light trees or other elements as you see fit. Every so often I stumble upon a technique that is just plain cool. HDR long exposures is definitely one of those techniques. Whether it’s creating a long exposure in the bright sun, or selectively exposing certain elements of a photograph, it’s one technique I’ll continue to use with architecture and cityscape photography.
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How to Make Distortion Disappear with Lightroom’s Transform Tools - Sometimes you look at a photo and you know something just isn’t right. If there is one thing that will cause that uneasy feeling, it is unfixed lens distortion in a photo. Our brain knows buildings have straight lines, faces have certain proportions, and animals don’t lean as they are standing. Curved trees, crooked buildings, or pinched faces – they all subconsciously scream “unnatural” to our brain. Fortunately, there are many ways to fix lens distortions within the digital darkroom. In just a few clicks, using Lightroom‘s Lens Correction and Transform Panels, you can correct curved cathedrals, fun house faces, or bent buffalo! Lens Distortions A lens distortion causes straight lines in your photo to appear as curved. This occurs most often in wide angle lenses and in lenses with large ranges (especially at the far extremes), but can occur in any lens. The distortion is a factor of the physical construction of the lens, but can be exaggerated by the sensor size of your camera, and the focal length you are shooting at. The two most frequent types of distortion are barrel and pincushion. Barrel distortion is when the straight lines in your photo curve out from the center toward the edges. This gets its name because your photo looks like it has been wrapped around a sphere or barrel. Pincushion distortion means your lines curve in toward the center. Think of it like pushing your finger, or a pin, into fabric. The cloth moves in toward the point you push. In the case of both distortions, the effect is usually symmetrical, and becomes more extreme the further you get away from the center of your shot. Examples of extreme distortion… I just couldn’t do this too anyone else but myself. Sorry, I know you can’t unsee something like this. Lens Corrections Lightroom includes a library of lens specific profiles within the “Lens Correction” panel, applying the correct one based on the metadata embedded in your photo. These profiles fix a variety of issues, including vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and lens distortions. While they do a good job overall, I am a firm believer in knowing when to take control away from the computer, whether it’s the one in your camera or the one you process your photos on. These silicon brains do some things extremely well, but when it comes to lens distortions, the adjustment often is not the right amount. The Two Click Transform New to the Creative Cloud versions of Lightroom is the Transform panel, which provides what Adobe calls the Upright Tool. This tool allows you to transform your photos in many ways, changing perspective and scale. The Upright Tool has a total of six buttons. Four of the buttons are for automatic perspective correction: Auto, Level, Vertical, and Full. When you click one of these, Lightroom will run a calculation on your image, and try to fix any perspective issues it calculates. There are also a number of sliders below these buttons you can use to tweak or override what Lightroom comes up with. The Off button turns off any transformations which have been applied, whether automatic or manual. But, it’s the Guided button that is my favorite. This allows you to choose exactly how the correction is calculated by clicking reference points in your image. To use this option, either click the Guided button or the “Upright Tool” icon in the upper left of the panel. Then choose something that has a strong line, like a building or tree, near the center of your photo. Click near one end of the object, and drag to the other end of it. Now choose a different line or object near the edge of your photo. Again click and drag from one end to the other. After you set the second guide, you will see your photo corrected according to the guides you just placed. Lightroom compares the difference in angle between the two guides, and makes a correction and crop to adjust the distortion in your image. You can adjust this correction via the sliders just as you can with any of the other options. If it still doesn’t look quite right, you can click the Upright Tool again to move, delete, or add new guides. Testing the Transform Tool Options Most of the Automatic options make only minor adjustments, looking fairly similar. The Guided option changes the perspective the most, and is the most accurate in this instance. Photo: Sunrise over the Ochlocknee River in the Florida Panhandle. Processed through Lightroom and Photomatix Pro. Gear: Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC / Canon EOS 5D Mark III Images with reflections are perhaps the easiest to correct. In my article “Straighten Your Photos with a “Reflection Correction“, I showed just how fast and easy it is to use reflections in your image to straighten a crooked photo. The same holds true for fixing lens distortion. When you place your guides, click at the top of an object, and drag to the same point in its reflection. This will give you the most accurate and level results! Darkroom Disclaimers According to Adobe, and from what I have found using these tools, you should apply the Lens Correction profile before you use the Transform feature. This sets a baseline for the calculations, producing better results. As you click-through each Transform button, it will reset anything you have done with the Transform tool so far. It may also reset any cropping you have done, so cropping and straightening is best left until after you have made any distortion corrections. The main problem with fixing a lens distortion is you are going to lose some of your original image. To deal with the distortion, Lightroom will stretch or shrink your shot, resulting either in it creating data to keep the original size, or cropping your photo to remove any extra canvas it adds. While this usually goes unnoticed in
HDR and the Traveling Photographer - Note: To learn more about HDR visit our HDR Learning Center produced in partnership with HDRsoft. I have learned, as a traveling photographer, that no matter how much planning I do to prepare myself for a trip, there will always be unknown factors and surprises, good and bad. Certain factors, such as light, clouds, weather, location, and the time of day may complicate the camera settings necessary to properly expose the subjects I am photographing. My camera may not be capable of capturing the range of light in just one image. Extreme brightness ranges For example, at sunrise and sunset the sky is usually much brighter than the landscape below. How much brighter and how the clouds and color of the sky come into play depend on the moment. The narrow, winding streets of a charming village are usually darker than the sky, shadowed by the buildings on either side. The nature of the light may depend on the time of day, weather, and how the light reflects off the buildings and pavement or cobblestones. The mid-day sun, unobstructed by clouds, creates strong shadows and contrast, although my visualization for my photograph includes softer shadows. For these examples, a blending of images bracketed at different exposures may be required to extend the dynamic range of the final image. High Dynamic Range HDR photography, the blending together of the bracketed images, provides the means to bridge the gap between huge differences in brightness between shadows and highlights, thus creating greater photographic opportunities. When you are traveling, and only visiting a place for a limited time, it is very important to take advantage of these greater opportunities, expanding your options and in turn your artistic vision. Minimize camera movement To create successful HDR photographs, your bracketed images should be sharp and in perfect registration with each other. It is thus essential to put your camera on a support such as a tripod or to use good technique to handhold your camera. When I am hiking a long distance or spending an entire day sightseeing around a city I am less likely to carry a tripod or other support. When my travel companions are not photographers, and I am shooting with a handheld camera, I am less likely to pay close attention to proper technique. Based on my experiences, I recommend practicing handholding techniques for bracketing before leaving on your next trip, so that you don’t have to think about what you are doing. Proper technique should be instinctual. (For further discussion on handholding your camera while bracketing, take a look at my previous article on this subject.) ND filters v/s HDR In the past, I always carried graduated neutral density filters when I traveled. I attached one or two to my camera lens to darken the sky on a high contrast day, particularly for my sunrise and sunset shots. Now, I rarely take the filters with me. I bracket my images to darken the sky and perfectly expose the landscape below. Not only do I lighten my load and create extra space in my bag by not carrying filters, but I have greater flexibility in creating my images. The graduated neutral density filters determine where the gradation of light and dark begins, in a straight line. By blending my images, I can decide where the gradation should begin and end. HDR photographs can look realistic, or not, depending on the choices made in processing your images and blending them together. It is thus very important to take the time to learn how to correctly use the software necessary to blend your images. I suggest practicing blending techniques before leaving on your travels so that you are aware of the possible results, and the presets available on third-party applications such as Photomatix. Pre-visualizing the scene Knowing how your processing methods can affect your final image is part of the pre-visualization process advocated by many photographers. Pre-visualization is imagining what your final image will look like, after capture, processing, and printing, before you have clicked the shutter release button. By knowing in your mind’s eye how you want your final print or digital image to look, you can better adjust the camera’s exposure settings and the composition of your images before you make the exposure. This concept is very important with regard to proper bracketing of your images for HDR photography, as you will need sufficient bracketed images with appropriate exposures to create the final photograph you have visualized. Planning artistry How you visualize your photographs is a direct reflection of your artistry. Your vision may be a realistic representation of the places you are visiting in your travels, or it may be over-expressive, at times bordering on fantasy. It doesn’t matter what your idea of the reality is if it is what you see as an artist. In this regard, my article on using HDR photography to augment your artistic vision may be of interest to you. I consider myself relatively new to HDR photography, compared to the number of years I have been doing photography in general. The more I work with HDR imagery, practicing techniques and processes, the greater the improvement I see in my HDR photographs, and the fewer disappointments. I am excited by the expanded opportunities available to me as I create photographs during my travels. To learn more about HDR visit our HDR Learning Center produced in partnership with HDRsoft.
Toning Down the HDR Look with Photomatix Pro - What do you think of when you think of HDR? Over-sharpened, bright photos? The majority of HDR photos I’ve seen — you know, the ones you always see on real estate sites — are over-contrasted, too bright and just unappealing. But there’s a different side to HDR, one that’s more realistic to a natural-looking photograph. Why Use HDR? HDR is really just the practice of blending photos together. Usually this involves bracketing, taking into account a different shutter speed and exposure settings as you’re shooting. Doing so can boost shadows, help lower bright highlights and overall make for a more appealing photo. Before I even get started with the blending of my photographs, I apply basic edits to them in Lightroom — mainly boosting the contrast and adjusting white balance if necessary. I also tend to alter my white and black levels ever so slightly. I don’t touch the exposure slider, as I know that Photomatix Pro will take care of that. Photomatix Pro Processes and Methods For me, I like ultimate control over the final output of my images. Photomatix Pro has some great presets, but often I like to take things a bit further. I’ve written about using the Details Enhancer method before, which really helps to boost those details while still keeping the reality of the image present. But what I found is that oftentimes, enhancing the details can mean losing a bit of contrast, which makes for somewhat of a flatter image. Recently though, I’ve started to use two different processes, depending on the type of photograph I’m using. Both tend to boost the details while still keeping the contrast, making for a more artistic and dramatic image (while still looking realistic). Tone Mapping Process, Tone Compressor Method The Tone Compressor method really helps in keeping the depth of an image. Out of the box, this method gives you an attractive image, but one that can be taken one step further with just a few tweaks. The most dramatic changes I make involve the “Tonal Range Compression” and “Contrast Adaptation.” By shifting up the “Tonal Range Compression,” I can shift the shadows and highlights more toward the midtones. Likewise, by boosting the “Contrast Adaptation,” I can adjust the contrast in relation to the brightness, making for a more even looking photograph. For this slider, I usually boost it as far as it’ll go, at 10.0, or close to it. From there, my last change is to change the color temperature. In the image above, this starts off with a very blue tone, and by shifting the slider to the right, I lessen that cool look and make the image warmer. Exposure Fusion Process, Fusion/Interior Method The name of the process is key here — this really helps you in a pinch when you’re dealing with exposure problems. Say you forgot your neutral density filter, polarizer, and tripod, and it’s a super bright, sunny day. Talk about being unprepared, right? Well, not quite. By bracketing this shot, I was able to capture different exposures. While this series was altogether three photos, I only brought two into Photomatix Pro, as the brightest exposure was way too bright to use. In this case, I lowered the “Highlights” slider as much as it would go, to -10. I slid “Local Contrast” down to 0 as well. These two steps made a dramatic difference in the photo, but to me, the sky and white building still looked over-exposed. From there, I slid the “Brightness” slider down to -8, which created a lot of shadows on the black building. To get around this, I bumped up the “Shadows” slider to 5, which seemed to level out the shadows while not taking away the contrast. With the sky still being too bright for my liking, I bumped up the “Highlights Depth” slider to 5. This brought back a lot of blue in the sky, enough where I was satisfied. For me, when I look to an HDR program like Photomatix Pro, I aim for realism. I don’t want harsh colors, contrast and sharpness…I’m looking for that program to replicate my in-camera vision. And by focusing on highlights and shadows, rather than “effect,” you can bring an otherwise lost photograph back to life.
HDR 101: Shooting Brackets - Human eyes are incredible for viewing the world and seeing into shadows and highlights all at the same time. The basis of HDR photography is making several exposures at varying brightnesses and combining them in a powerful software app like Photomatix so we can view a photograph the same way we view the real world–into the shadows and highlights at the same time. We call it “bracketing” or “shooting for HDR” or “shooting brackets.” Every interchangeable-lens camera I’ve seen for sale in the last seven years offers automatic bracketing, but many cameras only offer the option to bracket with three exposures (this works on DSLR‘s and Mirrorless Cameras, and in this article I’m demonstrating with the Lumix GH4 (but the GH5 replaces it)) . Let me show you how to shoot as many brackets as you like, and some of the times when you’ll want to shoot brackets. Which Kind of Bracketing Should You Use? Your camera may offer a few different kinds of bracketing, like Exposure, White Balance, or Aperture. When we’re making HDR images, we’re most interested in Automatic Exposure Bracketing. You can activate this in your menu, but there’s possibly an option in your quick menu or even a dedicated button on the outside of your camera (it’s the “BKT” button on Nikons). *Note: It’s called bracketing because the darker and lighter exposures surround the normal middle exposure, like [brackets]. *Note: Don’t use your camera’s HDR setting because this will combine the exposures inside the camera and the result will be a jpeg file. This limits your options and you won’t have as many options as when you use Photomatix. Which Options Should You Use? When you set up the brackets, you’ll choose how many pictures to make and how much difference in brightness between each frame. This picture shows that the camera will make 7 frames, and they’ll each be 1 stop brighter/darker. Some cameras offer more than a single stop between exposures. When you shoot, you simply set your camera so that the exposure meter is at zero, or in the middle. This will be the middle exposure, and the others brighter and darker will be measured against this one. One other setting you’ll want to check on is the sequence in which your pictures are recorded. The default for many cameras is to record the middle exposure first, then the darkest to the brightest. You should change this so that the darkest is recorded first and the brightest last with the middle exposure in the middle. That way, when you’re in Lightroom or another picture organizer, you’ll be able to clearly see the whole sequence from dark to bright and it’ll be simple to select the right pictures to send to Photomatix for compiling. How Do You Shoot More Brackets Than Your Camera Offers? Many cameras only offer three frames in the bracketing settings. With one stop between each frame, this is often enough latitude to record the scene. But in extreme lighting situations (which are common), you’ll need more dynamic range (examples in the next section). To get it, all you really need to do is understand how the automatic bracketing works in your camera. All it does to change the exposure between frames is change the shutter speed faster or slower. Faster makes the picture darker, slower makes the picture brighter. Knowing this, you can bracket manually almost as fast as your camera can automatically. Get your camera in your hands as you read this so you can try the settings I’m explaining. When you want to bracket your exposure, you can do it a couple of good ways. Firstly, you can shoot in Aperture mode and choose the aperture you want to have the depth of field you need for your shot. To manually bracket, you just need to change the Exposure Compensation. Pay attention to your light meter in the viewfinder and set the shutter speed so that the meter is in the middle. Now, just press the Exposure Compensation button (looks like +/- ) and turn it to it’s lowest setting, which is probably -3 stops. Fire the shutter, then set it to -2 (three ticks of the wheel), then -1, then 0, then +1, then +2, then +3. Now you’ve got seven frames one stop apart. Similarly, you can do this in Manual mode, too, and you can go way beyond seven frames easily. Choose your aperture, then choose the shutter speed that puts the light meter in the middle. Each time you turn your shutter speed wheel, you’re probably adjusting the exposure 1/3 of a stop. That means every three ticks of the wheel is one stop brighter or darker. With the light meter in the middle, tick the shutter speed faster three times, then three more, then three more. Now you’re three stops darker than the middle exposure, -3. Fire the shutter, tick it three times slower to make an exposure at -2, then three more times to -1, and so on. Using Manual mode, you can shoot as large an exposure range as you like. Some cameras include as many as nine frames for HDR, but Manual mode makes it possible to shoot 21 if you like. In fact, I don’t know why camera companies limit this; I think they should let us shoot as many as we like with automatic settings. Naturally, you’ll want to do this on a tripod, and you’ll need to practice at home so that you can do it quickly before the scene in front of you changes. Why Do You Need More Than 3 Frames? If the sun is shining from behind you, then three frames are probably enough to record the scene. But, there are many times when the scene in front of you has more than 3 stops of light visible. Whenever you include the sun in the scene, it’s a good bet you’ll need more than three frames. With fewer frames, you’ll have a hard
Handholding your Camera for HDR Photography - With proper technique and the right camera, it is possible to get good HDR images even though you aren’t using a tripod or other camera support. Here are ten tips for handholding your camera: Use a camera that has an automatic bracket function, so that when you push the shutter release your camera automatically and quickly takes more than one photo of the same subject at different exposures. Use this function when you don’t have a tripod. Read about automatic bracketing in your camera manual, to be sure you are doing it the right way. Properly hold your camera. Scott Bourne wrote a very good article on this subject a few years ago. Keep very steady, leaning against a wall, column or post, if possible. Shoot in Aperture Priority or in Manual mode, maintaining the same aperture for each image in a sequence. It is important to maintain a constant depth of field. Use an appropriate shutter speed for each image photographed in a sequence, paying particular attention to the slowest shutter speed. The rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should be at least 1/the focal length of your lens. If your lens is a zoom, use the focal length at its longest point. For example, if you are using a 70-200mm lens, your shutter speed should be 1/200 or faster. If your camera is not full frame, take the crop factor into account. If the crop factor is 1.5, a 200mm lens becomes a 300 mm lens. Despite the rule of thumb, I try not to shoot slower than 1/100. Increase ISO to maintain the appropriate shutter speeds. Better to have noise than blur from camera shake (unless blur is your intention). A higher ISO may be problematic if your camera does poorly with noise, and you may decide to take a chance and opt for a slower shutter speed. Keep your focus set to a single shot, not continuous. I usually focus manually, so that the camera will not change focus between images. If you are not focusing manually and your camera has a focus lock button, depending on your camera, you may be able to maintain focus if you keep your finger on the button throughout shooting a sequence. Use a prime lens, if you have one. They are typically smaller and lighter enabling you to keep your camera steadier. They also tend to have wider apertures than many zoom lenses, allowing you to shoot at a faster shutter speed. An alternative would be to use a lens with vibration reduction, which may, depending on the focal length of the lens, enable you to shoot at a faster shutter speed without noticeable blur. Don’t forget to align images when processing in Photomatix or other software. Also correct for ghosting. If your editing software allows for manually de-ghosting I suggest manually de-ghosting to have greater control over the look of your final image. If possible take more than one sequence of the same subject, just in case you moved between images. I still recommend using a tripod, or other camera support, for HDR images, however I also know that sometimes a tripod is just not possible. I have had many successes handholding a camera, but only if I am very mindful with regard to my technique.
The Photofocus InFocus Interview Show | Photofocus Podcast January 21, 2017 - This is the PhotoFocus InFocus Interview Show FOR JAN 21ST, 2017. I’m your Host Rod Harlan. We have an all new quick & condensed, all the stuff with none of the fluff format for 2017, so let’s get started. On today’s show we have: Peter Treadway & David Williams interviewed by Levi Sim – Wedding and Travel Photography – how competitive they are with each other – their disagreement about the value of getting your name attached to some work – and how hard it is to make money as a professional photographer along with some tips on how to succeed Glenn Dewis interviewed by Chamira – and what a pleasure it has been for me watching his career blown up in a massively successful way this decade, – Glenn talks about putting in a effort to find your style, – and to try copying other people’s work until you find your own style, among other great insights Amanda Powell (a wedding & boudoir photographer) & businessman Dave Moser interviewed by Levi Sim – where they discuss helping women look and feel their best…… in a very casual and fun interview The PhotoFocus InFocus Interview Show is brought to you by the Generous Support of: HDRsoft – makers of Photomatix software and where right now you can go to the Photofocus site and get 44 FREE presets. Perfectly Clear by Athentech – the software that makes our pictures look GREAT with minimal effort. Drobo – makers of storage devices that protect our livelihood B&H – providers of quality gear at great prices. Each week we have new and dynamic podcasts for you here at Photofocus, so make sure you tune in every week. I’d love to know what you thought of the show and you can always give me Feedback @RodHarlan on Twitter or in the comments section on the Photofocus podcast post page for this episode. Until next time, this is Rod Harlan encouraging you to get out there and Be Creative! Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Don’t forget to post a review on iTunes.
Photomatix OneShot Makes Photos POP! - There are hundreds of filters and presets available for making photographs into “something else” in Photoshop, Lightroom or with other software packages. One of my favorites comes from from HDRsoft the maker of the outstanding HDR converter Photomatix Pro. Allow me to introduce you to Photomaitx OneShot. HDR effects for single images Traditionally, High Dynamic Range or HDR, requires at least three exposure bracket of photos two or more stops apart. The information in the bracketed set of pictures provides the HDR conversion software an extended data set to process into a finished photograph. The effect can range from natural to surreal and beyond. Photomatix OneShot emulates these looks. It works with most RAW files from popular DSLR cameras and with JPEG files. It will not read TIFF in either 8-bit or 16-bit modes. To me, this is strange since RAW is a form of TIFF. Ah, well… The best part is there is no multiple image dance to do. Open a file in Photomatix OneShot and have fun exploring. Getting started Drag a JPEG or a RAW file onto OneShot’s default window to open it. I use Bridge to choose photographs I want to “OneShot.” I drag it from the Content pane on to OneShot’s dialog. Another option is to click Browse… then navigate to the location of the photo on your computer then click Open. OneShot displays a preview of the image. Presets are shown on the right hand sidebar. Click one to see its effect. Click Show Original to see that version. I wish there was a side-by-side view of the original and the new version. No matter. It’s still lots of fun. The presets in One Shot are similar to those in Photomatix Pro. Each has adjustments to tweak the look. Presets can be shown by category or all together. Choose a category to show its presets. Once a preset is selected, it can be modified using the settings. By default these are hidden. Click the Show Adjustments button. It’s located where Hide Adjustments is in the screenshot above. Two additional adjustments, Denoise & Finishing, are in menus below the Settings adjustments. There is a lot to explore. Let’s have some fun with this photo I made in Manila, Philippines. [envira-gallery id=”74093″] Row one: Original, Grunge preset modified, Enhanced preset medium contrast Row two: Enhanced preset strong contrast, B&W1 preset add saturation & medium contrast, B&W3 preset strong contrast Available now for Macs Photomatix OneShot is available now as a free trial from HDRsoft. The free version applies a watermark until the software is licensed. Photomatix OneShot is available on the App Store.
HDR 101: How To Keep Important Details in HDR’s - Shooting a set of pictures with bracketed exposures and combining them in HDR software is the best way to record all the details in a scene, even in very dark and very bright areas. The software, like Photomatix, does a great job of making all the details visible. However, there are times when the details included with the HDR are not what you want in your finished photograph. HDR photos of people are often not flattering because there’s too much skin detail, and even landscape details may not be what you wanted to emphasize in your finished picture. In these cases, we can use Photoshop to combine pictures and create the perfect combination of exposure and detail. It’s simple to do, and I’ll use this photograph of Punch Bowl Falls to show you how. First, I made three panoramas of the falls. Each panorama is one stop different in brightness (done by changing the shutter speed). Then I combined these in Photomatix using the Natural preset. (I tried making the HDR’s first then merging the panos in Lightroom, but Lightroom couldn’t handle the big files.) The HDR version keeps the waterfall from being too bright, but it lacks the smoothness and star-like water pattern of the brightest picture, which also had the longest exposure. Let’s bring that smoothness back and show that radial pattern in the water. Simply open the HDR and the brightest pano together as layers in Photoshop, and put the HDR layer on the bottom. Next, add a black Layer Mask to the top layer by holding the alt/option key while clicking the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette; this hides the top layer. Choose the Brush tool and press D to set the colors to black and white, and press X to set white as the foreground color. In the brush settings at the top of the screen, make the edges of the brush very soft so it blends easily, and reduce the flow to something like 5% so you can build up the effect very gradually. Lastly, set the Layer Blend Mode to Screen which will help ease the edges and brighten each stroke. Now the brush is setup. Simply start painting over the water to reveal the top layer’s radial pattern on the layer below. If you reveal too much, press X to switch the foreground color to Black and paint again, which will conceal the top layer. When I work like this, I’m constantly changing the brush size with the bracket keys and switching from black to white with the X key as I paint. With the radial water pattern added back in, you can now apply the finishing touches. In Lightroom, I adjusted color and contrast, cropped, and used the Radial Filter to customize a vignette. Using HDR, I was able to record the detail in the upper part of the falls as well as the shadows under the rim of the bowl. Using a Layer Mask in Photoshop, I blended the radial pattern and softness of the longest exposure back into the pool. You can use this same technique in your work to bring certain details back into an HDR. this would work well to bring a person’s original skin back into a striking HDR environmental portrait. If you use this technique on your photos, I’d love to see your results on the Photofocus Facebook group. The Photofocus InFocus Interview Show | Photofocus Podcast December 21, 2016 - Editor’s Note In remembrance of Jim, we have decided to abandon our usual publication schedule. This podcast honoring Jim will be our only post today. The PhotoFocus InFocus Interview Show FOR DEC 21ST, 2016. I’m your Host Rod Harlan. This month we have a special show honoring the life and wisdom of Master Commercial Advertising and Fine Art Photographer and Abundant Educator Jim DiVitale. Jim sadly passed away December 13th after a brave battle with cancer and the entire industry, including his many many friends, will miss him dearly. In today’s show we’ll be listening to 2 Jim DiVitale interviews, each of them just stuffed full of golden nuggets of information, that if we listen to Jim, will make us all better at both our craft and our business. But first I want to thank our 4 sponsors that make it possible for us to bring you these 2 interviews without commercial interruptions. It’s really great that their are companies like: HDRsoft – makers of Photomatix Athentech – makers of Perfectly clear Drobo – with their storage devices protecting our livelihood and B&H – who bring quality gear at such great prices …that there are companies like these that understand the importance of shows like this. So thank you to them. And with that, I want to start our show with photographer Kevin Ames interviewing Jim just this past June 2016 for a show called Photography is Life. In the interview you will get a taste of all that Jim has accomplished in his life, along with how he got started in the industry, the early days in the film advertising industry, his move to digital as one of the early pioneers, doing things right the first time (which was his personal mantra) and keeping long term clients satisfied for decades upon. Let’s listen as Jim shares in his own words about his fascinating life. ______________ This next interview comes from a long talk I had with Jim at PhotoshopWorld in Sept of 2012. I first met Jimmy D, as I used to call him, thru Scott Kelby back at PhotoshopWorld in 1999. What I loved about Jimmy was that that no matter how much he knew or how smart he was, he was always after more knowledge. His thirst for knowledge about a subject he was curious about had no bounds. From the first day I met him until the last time we spoke he was always asking me about video production or video editing, or motion graphics, or video codecs or new software advances… and when he wasn’t asking he was SHARING such great knowledge about his craft, giving insight and great tips & techniques to anyone who asked. As a freelancer and small business owner, I always jumped at the chance to pick Jimmy’s brain about how I could improve my business. He was always quick to share the latest techniques as well as tried and true business principles that had worked for him for decades. In the interview you are about to hear, Jim DiVitale shares marketing tips and tricks he used to pay the bills, set himself apart from other photographers, and continue making his business a success. You’ll learn from this interview not just how clever Jim was, but also how much husstle he had in his day to day work life. Like all great businessmen, Jim worked at it day in and day out, but he did it all with poise and grace that set him apart from the norm. Here’s Jim in his own words… _______________ Well that’s the end of our special InFocus Interview show for Dec 21st 2016, spending time with our dear friend Jim DiVitale. While he will be missed he will not be forgotten. To see any of Jim work or to read, watch or listen to any of his training, all you need to do is just Google his name. He did a great job of making sure his SEO was always on point. Each week we have new and dynamic podcasts for you here at Photofocus, so make sure you tune in every week. I’d love to know what you thought of the show and you can always give me Feedback @RodHarlan on Twitter or in the comments section on the Photofocus podcast post page for this episode. Until next time, this is Rod Harlan encouraging you to get out there and Be Creative! Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Don’t forget to post a review on iTunes.
Using HDR To Augment Your Artistic Vision - Your artistic vision as a photographer is projected through the choices you make in creating your images. These choices include a subject or theme, focal length of lenses, camera settings, composition, framing of subject, adjustments in processing, time of day to shoot and type of lighting. Each of the choices you make have a direct impact on your photographs, and should be consistent with the image you visualize creating as you press the shutter release. HDR Photography, the blending together of bracketed images, augments your artistic vision by expanding the options available to you as you make your choices. The first option occurs when you take your photographs. You must decide whether HDR is right for the subject or theme of your image. Does the scene have high contrast ? Do you want to accentuate details or colors? Do you envision a photograph that appears surreal or gritty? If your answer is “yes,” or “maybe” or “I am not sure,” then you should probably bracket your images and leave the door open to a wider range of future choices, as you process your images. Your next decision is what exposure to use for each of your bracketed images, and how many images to take, to ensure that you are properly exposing for highlights, midtones and shadows. You may only need to take two or three, or the scene may require five or seven depending on the range of your shadows and highlights and the outcome you are envisioning. Once you have taken your images you must choose how to process them. If you decide to blend bracketed images, what tools will you use and what adjustments will you make once the images are merged? If you still aren’t sure if you want to combine images, go both ways, compare your final photographs, and decide what you like best. Images can be blended in Lightroom or Photoshop, or with a third-party software such as Photomatix. More decisions. Lightroom and Photoshop do a good job with basic functionality. Third-party applications such as Photomatix offer many more choices and more controls for merging your images, eliminating ghosts, and making adjustments. Remember, nothing is set in stone. You can blend your images in an application like Photomatix and compare results with a single, non-blended image, or an image combined through other software. Again, you evaluate your choices to decide what best represents your vision. I like working with third-party applications that include presets. I have more choices. When I use Photomatix I can click through the presets and see my image in all different styles. I can move adjustment sliders and make selections to fine tune. I become an artist, sculpting my final image with the tools at hand and sparking my imagination. Many times my images become much more than what I initially visualized. I am new to HDR photography. I use to think HDR images were too surreal for my tastes. But with experience I came to understand that my images can be as real as I choose them to be, and that HDR is a platform from which I can expand my creative visualization when I am taking and processing images. And even when I choose not to make a HDR photograph, in making that decision I carefully consider all my options and decide what imagery best reflects my artistic vision.
Mini Review: Tonality (Spoilers: It Makes Great Black and Whites) - So many of us started photography with black and white processing and the love of monochrome has stuck with us. Ansel Adams and Edward Weston still haunt my dreams with black skies over Yosemite and pleated peppers. Digital black and white photography is even better because we have more control, far more options, and our fingers don’t smell like Rodinol. There are several terrific ways to make your pictures black and white, but the most powerful and my personal favorite is by using Macphun’s Tonality. Tonality has an intuitive interface, presets that make sense and help you achieve all kinds of finishes, and it has layers for absolute control. Of course, Macphun (“Mac-fun”) makes photography tools for Apple computers only; in my opinion, this is the best black and white tool, and I would switch to Mac so I could use it. But then, I really enjoy black and white. For Portraits Any good color photo is a good candidate for black and white and especially portraits. Ted Grant said, “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls.” Part of the sense of timelessness of BW portraits is that the fashion, so closely associated with colors, is muted and the eyes shine through. Tonality works as a standalone or as a plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop and as an extension for Apple Photos. Upon opening a photo, you’ll find it’s a clean and modern interface with good design. Full manual controls are laid out in palettes on the right, but I recommend starting with a preset, listed at the bottom right. The presets are divided into categories, but remember that these are just suggestions. There’s no rule saying you can’t use a portrait preset on a landscape. Furthermore, there’re no secrets in the presets because all they do is move the sliders to starting positions; you can move the sliders in any of the sections again for more or less effect. One thing that sets Tonality apart from other black and white editors is that it includes layers. As such, each preset includes a slider that reduces density. I chose the Fashion Magazine 1 preset from the Portrait section and reduced it a little. Another feature that sets tonality apart is the Clarity and Structure palette which offers detail enhancement with fine control. The protection slider reduces the effect on highlight areas (like faces and clouds) so that they don’t look over-sharpened and fake. I’m a big fan of colored filters in black and white photography, which affect the brightness based on the original colors in a picture, and Tonality’s Color Filter palette is top-notch. When you hit Apply, the picture is saved and imported back into Lightroom. Incidentally, whenever you use a plugin from Lightroom, always send an uncropped version for editing. When you send a picture to a plugin, Lightroom sends the cropped view you see on your screen. Uncrop so you have options later. If you’ve cropped it to 8×10 before you send it to Tonality, but your client ends up wanting a 24×36 print, you’ll have to crop it again to get those proportions and you’ll lose megapixels and the resulting crop may not look as you’d like. Uncrop before sending to Tonality, and then crop it again in Lightroom. The results are good, and they’re much better than I can get in Lightroom alone–especially when it comes to using the Color Filters. Lightroom can adjust the color channels for brightness, but it’s likely to create a lot of artifacts in a sky or skin tones with a gradient. For Landscapes Tonality is a fine finishing tool. This picture started as an HDR compiled in Photomatix, and I used Tonality to finish it off. One of the things I most like about the color version is the warmth pouring from the clouds, so I chose the Sandstorm preset which includes split toning. I made a few tweaks in the Clarity and Structure palette, adjusted the Split Toning, then added another layer. Adding a layer lets you selectively apply the settings you make on that layer with a brush. In this case, I wanted to add a vignette, but I didn’t want it applied to the sky. I set the vignette settings, then activated the brush, which made the vignette disappear until I brushed it back in. The vignette sliders are still adjustable, and I can add other effects on layers, too, which makes this a powerful tool for finessing the finish on your black and whites. Conclusion If you dream of crafting high-quality monochrome photographs, then I think Tonality is for you. It’s the next evolution of excellent tools, and it offers advances in the tools you’re used to seeing in a black and white editor. Furthermore, at just US$69.99, it’s one of the least expensive photography tools you can buy. Macphun has several other tools that can help you finish your pictures, as well. Check them out at Macphun.com Highly recommended.
New to Photomatix? Start with a Preset - The photo above is the normal exposure of a Waffle House near my studio. Periodically the company remodels one of their restaurants. I saw this one was under what looked more like destruction rather than renovation. I noticed a pair of children with their father standing in front of the remains of a favorite place to eat. I made a quick set of 3 bracketed exposures at 2 stop brackets to use Photomatix Pro. Opening a bracket set in Photomatix Pro Before jumping into presets, here’s a quick start for opening a series of bracketed photos.Once Photomatix Pro 5 opens a set of bracketed images, especially in Details Enhancer or Tone Compressor, the choices of controls is kind of intimidating. The first question that comes to mind is “Where in the world do I start???” The answer? Presets. Photomatix Pro 5 can open RAW photos from most cameras from Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and many more. Click this link for a complete list. It can also open .TIF (both 8-bit and 16-bit) and .JPG images. If your RAW format is not supported, use your favorite RAW processor to make a series of 16-bit TIF files at the native camera resolution. What’s great about this method is that the changes made in the RAW processor appear in the bracketed TIFs. The graphic that follows shows the series of dialogs to navigate to merge photos into an HDR file. Drag a set of images made at least one stop apart into the Photomatix Pro dialog. Tell Photomatix to Merge for HDR Tone Mapping and Fusion by clicking OK. Choose the files by clicking OK in this dialog. Leave Show 32-bit unprocessed image unchecked. Tell Photomatix how you made the brackets. There are settings to help if you hand held the camera instead of using a tripod. When these choices are made, click Align & Merge to HDR The resulting file is the basis for all of the rest of the work that can be done in Photomatix Pro. It begs the question… Where to start? The problem for anyone starting out is, well…. where to start. That’s where the presets that come with Photomatix Pro enter the picture. The sidebar on the right edge of the Photomatix Pro window shows preset previews for the HDR photo displayed in the main area. Find a preset that intrigues you then click it. The main window updates for you to review what the preset does. The left sidebar shows the style of HDR conversion and its associated controls along with the setting for the preset. You may love the result without tweaks. That’s fine! You photo’s done. On the other hand, you think it’s a good starting place. Great! It’s time to explore by playing with sliders. While this previously mentioned plethora of controls looks scary at first glance each one has an explanation of what it does at the bottom of the control sidebar. In the screenshot above, the cursor is over the Saturation control. The box at the bottom explains what it does. Each slider has a clarification of its function waiting for you. While the slider names might be intimidating, thanks to the “what-it-does” window, they are not as mysterious as they could be. Modifying the preset Pick a slider. Read its explanation. Move the slider. See what it did to the preview. Love the result? It’s done. Not sure? There are two curved blue arrows under the controls. The one pointing left is the go to previous settings. The right pointing one moves back to the one before. This makes it easy to test settings. Presets & processing styles Photomatix Pro presets may be viewed all at once or by choosing a category. Preset categories Artistic Realistic Architecture Black & White Photomatix Pro is a heavy lifter in the world of HDR conversions. It has four different methods or styles of creating an HDR file. Presets call the style that was used to create it. HDR processing styles Details Enhancer Contrast Optimizer Tone Compressor Fusion Examples Here is a gallery of the Waffle House HDR variations. PMP stands for PhotoMatix Pro. The photographs started with presets built in to Photomatix Pro 5. from realistic to sublime to surreal. There are even a couple made with presets I’ve created. Good beginnings… Picking a preset isn’t the end of Photomatix creativity. It’s really the beginning. Explore the sliders, reading the info that each one offers. Before long you’ll know a lot more about how this powerful HDR processor works. You’ll be creating your own presets too, along with making bracketed exposures into compelling photographs! 
HDR 101: How Do You Know When To Use HDR? - Like black and white, HDR photography is a terrific tool. It can both save the day technically and also allow us to be creative in unique ways. But how do you know when you might need to use HDR to make you photograph look it’s best? The Name Says It All HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and in photography, that means there’s a big difference between the proper exposure in the dark areas and in the highlight areas. An example of a scene with low dynamic range would be a picture of a pen sitting on my desk. The light shining on my desk from overhead lights doesn’t vary and even the shady side of my pen is not very dark–there’s not a great range of difference in the light. Here’s an example with a lot of difference. Look at these three exposures of the Empire State Building. The sun is just rising at the bottom left so that part of the sky is very bright, and it’s behind the building I’m looking at, so the near side of the building is much darker than the sky. The difference between the lightest areas and the darkest areas of this picture is very great. So, we can say it has a High Dynamic Range. That’s why I made several pictures at once with different shutter speeds. I activated automatic exposure bracketing, which changes the shutter speed automatically to make brighter and darker pictures. The left-hand picture is dark enough that the sky shows details, while the right-hand picture is bright enough to show detail on the shady side of the building. Use HDR When ‘Correct’ Is Not Right In the middle picture above, the sky at bottom left has no detail, and the dark shadow areas also have no detail. This is the picture the camera said was the ‘right’ exposure with the light meter in the middle. But it’s both too light and too dark; it’s just bad and uninteresting. A couple of common times you’ll have this trouble is when the sun is behind your subject, and also when you’re making pictures indoors when it’s daylight outside (HDR is perfect for real estate photography). If you make a picture and it looks like this–with areas too bright and too dark–then it’s a great time to make an HDR. Use Software to Compile So, you’ve made pictures at multiple exposures, now what? Now you use HDR software to put the pictures together and interpret what the scene actually looks like. I used Photomatix to make this picture at right from the exposures above. We’ve got the HDR Learning Center with loads of free resources here on Photofocus to help you get going with your HDR practice. The wonderful thing about using HDR is that it allows you to realize a vision more like what you saw when you were there. This was my first time walking by the Empire State Building and enjoying sunrise in New York. With my eyes, I could see the warmth of the sunrise and the shine of the building. I used Photomatix to compile my exposures together, and then put a few finishing touches on in Lightroom. This picture represents what I saw and how I felt that morning, and HDR was the perfect tool for realizing my memory. 
Get Started With Photomatix - HDR photography is a gift of the digital age. To a one-time film photographer like me, it’s magic. I never imagined that one day I would be blending together bracketed images to create a single photograph with an extended dynamic range. A photograph in which I was able to retain details in the shadows and not blow out highlights. Wanting to improve upon my magic, I recently found my way to Photomatix Pro, an HDR processing software. I like Photomatix. It is easy and painless to use, and provides different styles and presets to draw upon, expanding my imagination. I consider myself a newbie–I still have lots of experimenting to do, but that is the fun of it. The best way to start with Photomatix, if you are interested in developing your magic, is to just jump right in and start using it. Load in bracketed images, click presets and move adjustment sliders. The application is very intuitive to work with. You can download a free trial if you don’t already have the software installed on your computer. A few tips: Photomatix has several tutorials on its site. I suggest initially watching the introductory tutorial. It takes about 4 minutes and will give you a feel for the software. Then when you decide you want greater depth, you can watch other tutorials as well. Also download a User Manual onto your desktop. I have found it very handy to have available—an excellent resource. When shooting images meant for HDR processing keep the subject matter and lighting simple at first, as you find your way. Use at least three bracketed photos, to get optimum results. Shoot one photograph for highlights, one for midtones, and one for shadows. Usually +/- 2 stops is sufficient. Check your histograms right after you take your bracketed shots, before you move your camera. In your lightest image, the dark shadows should be shifted into the midtone section of the histogram. If that is not the case, take another longer exposure, to move those dark shadow areas further right on the histogram. Photomatix has an HDR Exposure Calculator which you may find helpful once you start working with more complicated lighting such as shooting the interior of a building with light coming through the windows. When bracketing images you should only change the shutter speed. If you adjust the aperture your depth of field will be different in each image. If you change the ISO, the quality of your image will be impacted, as the ISO is moved to a bigger number. Fine tune each bracketed image before you merge them in Photomatix. I do this in Lightroom. For example, I may adjust white balance or calibration, syncing all three images. Once you have uploaded bracketed photos to Photomatix, you will be provided different options regarding alignment, chromatic aberration, noise and deghosting. Proper alignment of images is important, in case your camera moved between images. I always put a check in the alignment box. I also check the chromatic aberration box as color fringing resulting from chromatic aberration is typically an issue for HDR images. Noise reduction in underexposed or dark areas is important, and should probably be chosen. Deghosting is your last consideration before your images are merged. Ghosts appear in your merged bracketed images if any thing moved as you took the photographs. Deghosting eliminates these “ghosts.” Deghosting at higher settings can affect the quality of your photographs, so it is better to deghost at a lower setting. Photomatix Pro allows you to deghost the entire image automatically, or manually to select areas of the image to deghost with a lasso. Instead of using higher settings, it is recommended to deghost manually using a lasso. Once your images are merged, the merged image appears in the middle of the page. On the right side you will see a panel of what your image will look like with the provided presets. On the left side is a panel of adjustments you can make. Now is the time to explore what Photomatix can do for your image. The key to HDR processing is controlling the blending process, using the presets and adjustment sliders provided within Photomatix. Start by picking an image style, and reviewing all of the presets related to that style. Exposure Fusion provides a more realistic, natural result than Tone Mapping. Determine which you prefer for your image and then go the adjustment panel and move each of the sliders back and forth to see how the changes affect your image. Changing these adjustment sliders is central to improving your images so it is important to become comfortable with using them. The bottom line is that nothing is set in stone and nothing is right or wrong. Click away and experiment. Get a feel for Photomatix and how it responds to different settings. Create your own preset or install presets created by others. Once you have experience with the application, you can watch more tutorials and read more articles to build on your understanding on how best to use the application for your purposes. As with any new software, it is a process. And then one day you will suddenly realize you are no longer a Photomatix “newbie,” but a confident, experienced user.
Creating Better Sun-Flared Images with Photomatix Pro - Have you struggled to make a great image when shooting into the sun? Our cameras can’t see the dynamic range in a scene as well as our own eyes can, so we have to shoot a series of bracketed images and merge them into an HDR. In this tutorial, I walk you through exporting to HDR from Lightroom to create two sun-flared images with Photomatix Pro. 
Ten Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photography - Always think of the wind, even when it doesn’t seem like a windy day. Anything affected by even the slightest amount of wind will look blurry. Unless you purposely want a blurred image, you might need to increase your shutter speed. The mightier the wind, the faster the shutter speed. Experiment to see what speed works best. Consider the dynamic range of your image. If you expose for the sky, your shadows may be too dark. If you expose for the shadows, your sky might become overexposed. If your sky is too bright, compared to the rest of your image, use a graduated neutral density filter to darken the sky, or take multiple shots with different exposures and blend the images together. If you decide to take multiple shots, expose for the sky in one shot and then expose for the middle tones and shadows in your other shots. Blend the images together using Lightroom, Photoshop, or a third party application such as Photomatix. A dramatic sky makes the photograph memorable. A white or cloudless sky is boring. If you have a “boring” sky, keep it out of the photograph, or wait another day for a better sky. Don’t use a polarizing filter unless you really need to and then use it the right way. Polarizers slow down your camera, eliminating 2 stops of light. Plus since the filter is an extra piece of glass over your lens, it may affect your image quality, depending on the quality of your filter. When to use a polarizing filter? To eliminate glare on water, wet rocks or shiny leaves and plants; to deepen the color blue in the sky; and to improve color saturation and vibrancy. It is not advisable to use the filter during low light and overcast days. Polarizers work best, at maximum effect, when your line of sight is perpendicular (90 degree angle) to the direction of the sun. Shoot waterfalls, closeups of flowers and plants, and colorful leaves on overcast days. The light is soft, with no harsh shadows. Colors are more vibrant. When you shoot wide-angle, have something interesting in your foreground. Watch your depth of field, so that the image is sharp from front to back. The rule of thumb is to focus 1/3 into your image for maximum depth of field using an aperture of F/11 or smaller. Clearly show your subject. There should be no doubt in the viewer’s mind as to what your subject is. Thoughtfully use the elements of nature surrounding your subject to carefully compose your photograph. Use these elements to focus the viewer’s attention. Mindfully declutter and simplify. For example, you are shooting a river and there are lots of rocks around that clutter and detract from the foreground. Find a spot in the river where the rocks form a leading line and nicely frame your subject. Always check the edges of the frame of the image. Only include what you need to include and be certain there are no unwanted intrusions. It is all about the quality, direction and color of the light. An ordinary subject transforms to extraordinary with interesting light. The right light renders any subject “unique,” even if the subject is a photographic icon–like Grand Canyon. If you’re looking for a great gear guide for landscape photographers check this out.
Photographing the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - The Grand Canyon is a window into the geological history of the earth. Some rocks are 1.7 billion years old. Every time I visit, I am awestruck. The canyon hasn’t changed much in my lifetime but due to weather, clouds, and lighting it always looks different. My photographs are never the same. The South Rim of the canyon is a very busy place, with visitors from all over the world. Late fall and winter are quieter times. Accommodations inside the National Park should be booked early. I made my reservation 13 months in advance of my recent trip, when rooms first became available for the time of my visit. Convenient accommodations are also available in nearby Tusayan. I stayed in Tusayan when I traveled with my dog, as I was able to find a dog-friendly motel. Leashed dogs are allowed on trails on the rim, but not down below into the canyon. There is also a kennel available on the South Rim. Advance reservations are recommended. Parking can be a problem in the Village area, and near the hotels at the rim. It might be best to find a parking spot and leave your car, making use of the shuttle bus system. The shuttle buses are very good, arriving on time and often. Photographing the Grand Canyon is as much about photographing the light affected by clouds and weather, as it is about photographing the canyon. The weather report, however, is not always correct. We expected boring skies for our recent sunrise and sunset shots, with a thick cloud cover totally covering the sun. We set up our tripods anyway, hoping for a miracle. And each morning and night we had one. The sky broke open, and those beautiful rays of the sun filtered through. One night we even had rain, although precipitation was not predicted. (It’s for that reason I usually keep a rain poncho in my backpack for me and a little rain jacket for my camera. I also carry a small umbrella and use it to shield my camera and keep raindrops off the lens.) Rain adds drama to photographs, so we were thrilled with the rain shower. This unexpected rainfall was in October, but mid-July to mid-September is the monsoon season in Arizona, and you will have a better chance of thick stormy clouds or rainbows filling the sky. Sunrise and sunset are, of course, the times to photograph the canyon. Arrive at least 60 minutes before the sun rises or sets. Hopefully you will beat the crowds and will have time to scout around for a spot set up your tripod. Always have a headlamp with you or flashlight. It can get pretty dark. The big question at the South Rim is where to go for sunrise and sunset. Everyone has a different opinion. The best answer is: “It depends.” Do you want the sun in your photograph as it rises or sets, backlighting and creating silhouettes, or would you prefer the sun be opposite the canyon walls you are shooting, lighting the walls directly? Do you visualize a broad vista of the canyon, or a more intimate section? Perhaps you would like a panorama that includes the Colorado River? Many viewpoints do not include the river. My advice is to research where the sun will be in relation to the different sections of the canyon. If you have time, scout out locations before you make a decision. Once you arrive at your chosen viewpoint, don’t forget to move around to compose your images, keeping a very watchful eye on beams of light and the shadows of clouds on the landscape. Clouds move quickly, changing the scene, so you may have to work very fast. Consider using trees and outcroppings of rock as foreground elements. Try different lenses, from wide-angle to telephoto. The dynamic range of the light can be extreme, between the top of the canyon and sky and the lower recesses of the canyon. Use graduated neutral density filters to darken the sky, or bracket and blend images when processing. My preference is to bracket and then blend images together either in Photoshop or in an HDR software application such as Photomatix. I feel I have better control of the final image and don’t have to be concerned about the placement of the filter and the graduated line between light and dark. The light might be best 30 minutes before sunrise or after sunset. That was certainly the case for my visits. Some suggestions for sunrise and sunset photography locations, per recommendations I received from Park Rangers, photographers, and guidebooks: Sunrise locations: from Mather Point to Yavapai Point, Hopi Point, Powell Point, Pima Point, and Moran Point. Sunset: Hopi Point, Mojave Point, Yaki Point; Mather Point, Lipan Point, Navajo Point and Desert View. Hopi, Powell, Pima, and Mojave Points are accessed through the Hermits Rest Route shuttle bus, which starts near Bright Angel Lodge. Mather Point is close to the main Visitor’s Center and parking. Yavapai Point is walking distance from Mather Point. Yaki Point is reached with the South Kaibab Trail shuttle bus, available near the main Visitor Center. Lipton Point, Navajo Point, Moran Point and Desert View are all on the east side of the park, and can only be accessed by car. A trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon requires planning, patience and luck. Planning to get you where you want to be when you want to be there. Patience with crowds and parking spaces. Luck for weather, dynamic skies and clouds. But, once you find your own special spot and set up your tripod, you will be in a world within yourself, taking in all the beauty that surrounds you, as you make your photographs.
Don’t Bring a Wide-Angle Lens, Just Make Panos - Making pictures on a photowalk or hike should be enjoyable and relatively stress-free. One way to reduce your stress is to carry less equipment. A small kit makes your body lighter and helps you keep going longer. Bring a prime lens and stretch your vision by framing with your feet instead of lazily zooming in and out to frame a shot. This go-light method is terrific until you see a wonderful picture that just doesn’t fit in the lens you brought. Fortunately, you’ve got tools available to help you make the most of even that tough situation. Lightroom and Photoshop both do a great job of stitching together a panorama, and there are other purchasable options as well as free options. I favor Lightroom’s stitching because the final file is a DNG RAW file and it gives me full color and tonal control of the pano just like other RAW files. All you have to do is shoot at least one picture overlapping the same area as another picture. You can use only two pictures, or you can use many. You can shoot a straight line, you can shoot all the way around you for a 360-degree field of view, or you can even shoot in a grid to make a panorama that is not long and skinny. I recommend choosing a telephoto lens over a wide-angle lens because you can stitch panos to make a picture with a wide field of view, but there’s no way to make a more telephoto picture later. The key things are to shoot with your camera perpendicular to the pano and to overlap each picture by about 25%. If you want to make a wide pano from left to right, turn your camera into portrait orientation; keep it in landscape orientation if you want to shoot a vertical pano. Look in your viewfinder and you’ll probably see a grid line or focus point about 1/4 of the way from the left side of the frame and 1/4 of the way from the right side of the frame and you can use these as a marker to help you overlap each frame. Pay attention to whatever object is under your right side 1/4 marker when you shoot the first picture, then move your camera to the right until that object is now under the left side marker; do this for each frame and you’ll be overlapping 25%. This overlap allows your software to keep track of where each frame belongs in relation to the next. I made this vertical panorama on a photowalk at the Out of Chicago conference. I only took one lens with me, the Leica 42.5mm Nocticron, and the Platypod Max. When I found myself on a balcony overlooking Millenium Park with a unique horizontal view of the downtown area, I was glad to know that Lightroom would help me stitch a panorama together so I could still make pictures even though I was using a telephoto lens. Next time I’ll shoot a grid so there is more context. Go ahead and liberate yourself with a light weight kit and don’t worry about not having a wide enough lens to get the shot. Just shoot a panorama and enjoy your walk.
Realistic HDR images with Photomatix Pro - HDR photography gets a bad rap. Many believe that HDR means over-contrasted, over-saturated, over-sharpened photos. But in reality, HDR is really just blending multiple images together. And by using the technique effectively, you can enhance your images and create a blended photograph that is both natural-looking and more attractive to the viewer. I was in New York last week for the Out of New York Conference, and without a tripod on hand, I bracketed my images, knowing I could put them together to create a more dynamic photograph. I spent a lot of time in the 9/11 Memorial area, and photographed the Freedom Tower as well as the fountains where the Twin Towers once stood. It was a completely surreal experience, and I came away with some of the most meaningful personal photographs I’ve ever made. The sky was a bright blue, and held some amazing clouds. I knew though that if I exposed for the sky, the buildings and other elements would be over exposed. And if I exposed for the buildings, the sky would be under exposed. Bracketing allowed me to expose for both, allowing me to combine the images through post-processing. Upon my import to Lightroom, I made some standard edits on the first image, which I then copied to the second and third. I decided the third image was a throw away — it wasn’t going to be necessary to use to create what I desired. I then brought the two images into Photomatix Pro, and the Default option gave me a dark, yet detailed image that I could start with. While I could’ve used Lightroom’s Photo Merge option, I wanted a little more control over the outcome of my image. I don’t use presets often personally, so I stuck to the Default option and then adjusted the specific options. I decided to use the Details Enhancer, which gave me a few more options for my finished photo. I started out by bumping the Lighting Adjustments slider all the way up to 6.0. This brightened my image, but the sharpness and contrast was still a bit too much for my liking. With the image still dark, I bumped up the Micro-smoothing slider significantly as well. This made the sky smoother and less dramatic, but the clouds were still present. I also slightly increased the Gamma slider, which increased the brightness of my midtones, while toning back on the contrast. Finally, the green leaves were just too green for me, so I bumped up the Black Point slider so these were darker. I also increased the Smooth Highlights and White Point measurements to make the clouds pop just a bit more, and to make them a more even level throughout the photograph. Photomatix Pro did a great job with my image, but I noticed that I had some bright clouds in the lower frame of the image. To get around this, I brought my image back into Lightroom and created a gradient filter on the bottom third of the image to reduce the exposure slightly and take down the highlights. It made just a slight difference, but enough where the clouds were a bit more leveled out in terms of brightness. By using Photomatix Pro, I was able to create a realistic looking HDR of the Freedom Tower, helping me make a significant difference in the final outcome of my photograph. If you haven’t already checked out the program, visit hdrsoft.com to get started — there’s a free trial available, too!
Simple shooting strategy for High Dynamic Range - I’ve been saying it for so long that it’s time to write about it! What I’m referring to is my often-given advice for capturing bracketed images. Many people say that we should choose the ‘correct’ exposure, then capture overexposed & underexposed images. However I recommend to forget the notion of the middle image being the ‘correct’ exposure. Rather, the ‘correct’ exposure is a series of images — and those images capture the full dynamic range of the scene. We can do that by measuring and choosing all of the exposures more deliberately. In short, I recommend to: “Meter for the Highlights, then meter for the shadows, then set your camera to capture it all.” Following my advice, and taking control of your bracketing, has a number of benefits: Of course you don’t risk losing any of the lighting information — the main purpose of shooting ‘brackets’. No excessive noise because you have captured the shadow areas well (noise happens mostly in underexposed areas) Full freedom to create realistic or artistic (or extreme) results. The ‘fake’ look mostly happens when the full dynamic range isn’t there, then pushing the adjustments too far. Processing is much easier and faster when starting with all of the information The whole process is just more satisfying! So what does this look like in action? For the title image of this article, I first chose an ISO and Aperture… and, as always, those settings remain constant for the sequence. Then I pointed the spot meter in the camera out the window. In the underexposed image below, I saw the brightest part of the sky (on the right of the frame) to have a shutter speed of 1/500 second. Then I pointed the spot meter at the dark area below the desk. In the overexposed image above, I saw 1/8 second for the shadows. If the convenient Exposure Calculator had existed at the time, I could have entered those values. In my case I counted the stops on my camera (counting the stops back from 1/500) and found the middle exposure to be 1/60. Here is what those numbers look like and the resulting 7 images: This example has a dynamic range that is fairly extreme compared to most outdoor scenes. However I didn’t need to setup any lighting equipment and did the capture in mere moments. I combined the images in Photomatix Pro, this time I chose the ‘Smooth3’ Preset and clicked ‘Apply’. Then I added mild contrast in the Finishing Touch dialog and… all done!
Photographing Waterfalls and Cascades - There is no shortage of waterfalls and cascades in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. So when the days were dull, foggy and rainy on my recent trip to the U.P we photographed waterfalls and nearby cascades. Not only did I come home with lots of images, but new insights on how to improve my images. Every waterfall should be photographed for its unique qualities. I prefer flowing water soft and silky. The slower the shutter speed, the silkier the water. But sometimes the sheer power of the water is best portrayed with its motion stopped, drop by drop, by using a faster shutter speed. Use a tripod. Not only will the tripod stabilize your camera when shooting at slower shutter speeds, but with your camera on a tripod you can take your time and compose your image in the LCD screen. Consider a filter. A polarizing filter will remove glare from shiny surfaces and help you slow down your shutter speed. A neutral density filter will likewise slow down your shutter speed. I use a variable neutral density filter, which gives me different stops to work with, depending on the light. Pay attention to depth of field so that the rocks and trees surrounding the waterfall or the length of cascade are sharp, unless your image is blurred or soft for creative effect. Start by shooting at F/8 or F/11. White balance is tricky. Depending on the time of day and surroundings, the water may take on a blue or green quality. If you shoot in raw, you will easily be able to change your white balance during processing. I suggest reviewing Scott Bourne’s recent article for more in-depth information. Wait for the wind to stop, if you have trees, bushes or grasses, unless blurry is the look you are going for. Alternatively, try taking two images–one at a slower shutter speed and one at a faster one stopping the movement of leaves. Blend the images together with masks and layers in Photoshop, combining sharp leaves and blurred water in one image. Take test shots to determine exposure. Your exposure is good when your histogram indicates your image has been exposed to the right without clipping highlights, or your LCD image has minimal or no blinkies. It is very easy to blow out highlights, so always be mindful of the histogram or blinkies. Carefully compose your image on your LCD screen, on live view. Use surrounding trees, rocks, and logs to frame the water. Check the corners and sides of the image, eliminating distractions. Keep the horizon off center. Look for elements of composition and design as you frame your image, such as leading lines or patterns created by the curve of the water, or the rocks, trees and logs. Use shadow and light to add dimension. Experiment with flash. Set your exposure for ambient light. Then hand-hold a remote flash to light up darker areas of your image. I usually keep my flash power at less than 100%, taking it down 1.5 to 2 stops. Take test shots to see what power looks best. The flash should be very subtle. Shoot HDR, photographing the same image at different exposures, in case you decide to blend images during processing using Photoshop or a third party software such as Photomatix. HDR is an effective means to bring out details in the shadows of the rocks or to creatively change the appearance of the water as it falls or cascades. Start with the “big picture”, showing how the waterfall or cascade looks in its environment. Then focus your attention to the bits and pieces. Go close and abstract, with a telephoto lens, or wide, low and close with your wide angle lens. Walk upstream and downstream, looking for smaller cascades. If the water is shallow and the rocks not slippery, put on boots and go into the water to photograph from a different angle. Always watch your step, and take precautions. It is easy to fall on wet, slippery, rocky or muddy surfaces. Think black and white as well as color images. Pay attention to the quality of the light. It is best to photograph waterfalls in even, not harsh and contrasty, light. I like shooting on misty, cloudy days, carefully composing my images to avoid white skies in the background. If the waterfall or cascade is in a canyon or surrounded by mountains, sunrise or sunset might not work for timing your shot, as the sun may be blocked. Waterfalls and cascades are not just limited to landscape photography and outdoor adventures. The next time you travel to a more urban environment, check out local fountains and parks with water features. Many of the insights for photographing in nature equally apply to your urban exploits.
Essential Steps to Creating an HDR Photo with Lightroom - The way that Lightroom handles HDR images is very different than how tools like Photoshop or even Photomatix handle the HDR images. In fact, it will completely change your workflow inside of Lightroom. So, even if you don’t think of yourself as an HDR photographer, open up your mind a bit, and what you’ll find is that you’ll have greater control over the final appearance of your images. Shooting Strategies Here are a few practical tips for HDR images. Here’s a free tutorial on how to shoot HDR — http://bit.ly/shoothdr Use a Tripod. Consider shooting from a tripod to get a stable image. Lightroom can fix minor alignment issues, but brace the camera (especially for the longer exposures. Cover the range. For most digital cameras, the dynamic range is between four to eight stops.You eyes can see between 11 and 14 stops of light. This is where bracketing comes into play. Aperture priority. Make sure the the camera doesn’t change aperture. Lock it in with Aperture priority mode and use bracketing to control the shutter speed. This will let you capture a series of images easily. Merging Strategies Creating HDR images is similar to Panoramic Photos. Rather than merging overlapping images, you’ll combine multiple images with identical compositions and varying exposures. Select the HDR source images in Choose Photo > Photo Merge > HDR. or press Ctrl+H. The HDR Merge Preview dialog opens. Choose from the following options. Auto Tone: Creates a good starting point for most images what makes an evenly-toned merged image, Auto Align: Can correct for slight movement caused when shooting. This is useful for handheld images or instances when there’s slight shake due to wind. After the merge evaluate for ghosting. This can be caused by a moving subject or areas blowing in the wind. There are four methods to choose from. None: No de-ghosting is applied. Low: Good for images with little or minor movement between frames Medium: Solves considerable movement between frames but reduces the effectiveness of the HDR process. High: While it can solve high movement between frames, it greatly reduced the effectiveness of the HDR merge. When ready, click Merge to create the HDR image. A new DNG file is added to your library. Develop this image as you would any other raw file.
A Few Bonus Benefits for Photomatix Pro Users - I was digging around the HDRsoft website as well as talking to their team, and I discovered a few extra bonuses for Photomatix Pro users. These are some great things you should take advantage of. Some of these work with Photomatix Pro, others need the Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle (a $20 upgrade). Have more than one computer? Even if their Windows or Mac? Don’t worry, a single user can install Photomatix and activate on every machine they own. One user needs one license… no matter how many computers you have. (see here) Haven’t upgraded yet? If you bought Photomatix 4, version 5 is a free upgrade (that’s a very uncommon, but awesome policy). If you own an older version, then it’s $29. (see here) Use Photoshop. If you want to run Photomatix Pro as a Photoshop plug-in, then step up to the Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle and download Tone Mapping Plugin for Photoshop CS/CC. If you want to work with Photoshop Elements, then just download a free copy of Photomatix Essentials. A license of Photomatix Pro gives you access for free. (see here) Use Photos for Mac. Want to tone and stylize images with Apple Photos? Check out the new Photomatix OneShot extension which is also free to Photoamtix Pro Plus bundle users. (see here) Want some new looks? We’ve got a great preset pack for you.(see here) Buy Now, Get a Free Update. This who aren’t yet Photomatix Pro customers, but buy version 5 will get a free update to the next version. (see here) These benefits are far from standard in the software industry…. gotta love such a great deal and free stuff.
HDR: Is a Three Step Process - The biggest mistake HDR shooters make is trying to rush
the process. Some think its as simple as shooting the photos and running them through a merging application. Others try to save even more time and use in-camera HDR solutions.
While both of these options can make a better photo
than just a traditional exposure, they don’t really embrace the full capabilities of HDR imaging. For that, you need to truly
take a three-step process. Shoot Using the bracketing option on your camera (or manually adjusting exposure), you’ll successfully capture two or more shots. The most common number of exposures taken is three, in which a base exposure is used and then an under- and overexposed image are acquired to preserve the highlights and shadows. Typically these multiple exposures are taken from a tripod to ensure that there is no movement between each exposure. However some users do shoot handheld and rely upon the software to help them align the images. You can use any combination of exposures to properly show the scene. The wider the dynamic range of the scene, the higher the number of exposures you’ll need. If the light source is directly in the frame, you may need as many as seven exposures. Alternately, some photographers choose to just increase the amount of exposure compensation between the shots. Don’t forget that all the old photographic rules apply. You need to use good judgment. There’s no substitute for great light, a great subject, great composition, picking the right angle and lens, etc. Simply applying HDR techniques to a bad photo just makes it into a bad HDR photo (that you spent more time on). Merge The next task you’ll perform is merging. This process can be handled using tools built right into Photoshop or using dedicated stand-alone applications. There are also a wealth of third-party tools to choose from (which we’ll explore a little later). Many of the software tools can compensate for ghosting (caused by slight camera or subject movements) as well as resolve alignment issues. There are two major approaches to creating a HDR image: Merge-only. If you shot JPEG or TIFF, you may choose to bypass preprocessing your photos. Some photographers also bypass developing their raw files and just pass the default values from their camera to their processing app. This is less desirable than taking the time to tweak the photo. Develop and Merge. By processing the individual panels (especially if they are raw photos), you can improve the end results. This approach takes extra work but can produce dramatically better results. Don’t develop all the files manually. Just use the base exposure (the one with 0 EV) and then sync its settings to the other exposures. Refine Once the source images are merged, you’ll be able to adjust the new image to refine its appearance. There are several ways to approach this task and they all depend upon your personal goals. The same source photos can be used to create a photorealistic image with improved dynamic range, a surrealistic painting, or a dramatic black and white photo. In most HDR software, you’ll find useful presets that can get you close. It’s then possible to refine the image using a few tweaks of available presets. Some programs use simple sliders that you can adjust to get the result you want. Properties like Glow, Detail, and Saturation are some of the most frequently adjusted. But the fun doesn’t have to stop there. You can continue to work on the photo using your photo editing software. Basic transformations like cropping and straightening can be undertaken to improve composition. Additional tonal and color correction can also be performed for corrective or even stylistic outcomes. To lean more, be sure to visit our HDR Learning Center. 
Should I say “HDR” anymore? - I find myself using the term ‘HDR’ less and less every day. When I started as a panoramic photographer in 2002, I was continually frustrated because almost every 360º scene would have blown-out bright highlights or ‘blocked up’ shadows. Often I would have both of those extremes in the same scene because a camera can only capture so much dynamic range. Imagine being outside of a hotel where the sun is behind the building. The shadows are dark on the building, but I still need to capture the complete scene at a pool — of course before crowds arrive. In that case there is no quiet time of day that would light all areas well. Interior scenes are even more extreme and challenging. [ggpkg id=71174] I consider scenes like those above, with any amount of dynamic range that cannot be captured by a single shot, to be ‘High Dynamic Range’ sometimes called ‘HDR.’ So when ‘HDR’ became possible for the normal photographer like myself, I jumped on that IMMEDIATELY! Lighting an entire 360º scene is really not a reasonable answer for this kind of photography. Before HDR, I would spend hours manually combining multiple images to make the scene look real. But the challenges I’m describing have been described many times, in many ways. For instance, most modern pro-level cameras (and some consumer-level cameras) offer the ability to extend the dynamic range of the sensor IN CAMERA! Even back in the days when everything was processed in a wet darkroom, lab technicians learned tricks to extend the dynamic range on paper. Now, with ‘HDR’ (via software) being available to us for about 14 years, photographers have varied understandings of what the term means. The result is that I find that the biggest problem with HDR to be taking about HDR. Therefore I often choose to avoid saying those three little letters, simply to reduce the pre-conceived notions of what it is and to avoid a purely emotional response. In those 14 years, we have gone from this demand by photographers to a ‘love or hate’ for a misunderstood term (acronym actually). But in our current world where meanings of words change regularly, we have to live with it. ‘Decimate’ doesn’t mean ‘destroy,’ ‘diet’ doesn’t mean ‘eating to lose weight,’ and ‘HDR’ certainly doesn’t mean ‘fake looking.’ In fact the meaning of ‘HDR’ is ‘High Dynamic Range’ — most people reading this article know that already. What most don’t know is that any image that you are viewing on a normal monitor is *not* an HDR image. The image may have gone through a process where it was a ’32-bit HDR’ file at one stage. However a 32-bit file cannot be displayed on (almost) any monitor and certainly cannot be printed on paper. Before it becomes a viewable or printable photography, it must be rendered. The most popular method to render a 32-bit file is ‘tone mapping’ and it’s this process where the result can vary so greatly, from realistic to cartoon. This is one reason I recommend trying Exposure Fusion and the various methods of tone mapping instead of only the default when using Photomatix Pro. I still refer to certain scenes as ‘high dynamic range scenes’ when the camera’s sensor cannot capture all highlights and shadows. I will bracket the shutter speeds to capture the entire ‘DR’ and process those bracketed images with either HDR/Tone Mapping or Exposure Fusion. The result is not an HDR image, it’s a normal viewable and printable image. That is why the term isn’t necessary to describe the image unless I’m describing the workflow I used to create it. So please create your best images using any process appropriate for your particular situation. Ultimately very few people (and probably only other photographers) care how an image was made. Focus on creating the images that show what you wanted to create, or that you need to deliver to your client, using every tool available to you. Don’t be concerned about “HDR.” Be concerned about exploring the full range of information in any given photographic scene and use that to your advantage the way YOU see fit.
44 Free Presets for Photomatix - Free Presets? You Bet! The team at Photofocus has put together a collection of free presets to help you get the most out of HDRsoft’s Photomatix. These presets are absolutely FREE, you just need to join our mailing list to get them. Please subscribe to our newsletter using the button below. Once you have confirmed your subscription, you will receive a link to download the file. You must use a valid email address to receive the presets. Click the button to confirm and download. Macintosh Install Instructions Method 1 Download and unzip the file Hold down the Option key and click the Go menu in the Finder. Choose Library > Application Support > Photomatix > Presets. If you don’t see Presets folder, just create one. Copy the presets into this folder and relaunch the application The new presets can be found under the My Presets tab Method 2 Choose My Presets in the Preset Thumbnails Window. Click the drop down menu and choose Import Presets. Navigate to the folder of presets you want to import. Choose a preset and choose Import. Windows Install Instructions Method 1 Download and unzip the file Navigate to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\HDRsoft\PhotomatixPro\Presets. If you don’t see Presets folder, just create one. Copy the presets into this folder and relaunch the application The new presets can be found under the My Presets tab Method 2 Choose My Presets in the Preset Thumbnails Window. Click the drop down menu and choose Import Presets. Navigate to the folder of presets you want to import. Choose a preset and choose Import. Contrast Optimizer Presets by Richard Harrington These presets will work with bracketed and fused images. Dusty Contrast. Adds a gentle contrast to the image with gentle earth tones. Flat Black. Adds contrast to the image with a gentle black point. Street Photography. Enhances images shot an urban environment or lower light. Details Presets for Photomatix by Kevin Ames These presets are for a three or more exposure brackets. Fierce Clouds makes super dramatic cloud formations, intensifies saturation and pushes detail towards an illustrated look. Heavy Oppressive Overcast Use this preset on photographs made in heavy overcast. Brings out any detail in skies, increases color saturation and contrast. Real BW Aerial aligns multiple exposures made from airliner, reduces haze, adds contrast. Real Color Aerial aligns multiple exposures made from airliner, increased color saturation, detail while reducing haze. Tilting at Windmills is ideal for images where moving subjects want to be kept as ghosts. Increases color saturation, adds detail especially to skies. Details Presets by Richard Harrington These presets will work with bracketed and fused images. Desert Details Brings out the details in a dusty landscape. National Park Great starter for vivid landscapes. National Park Flat A flatter landscape starting point. Punchy BW A strong black and white preset. Punchy Details Rich Blacks Rich contrast in the shadows and blacker tones. Richer Blacks Even more contrast in the shadows and blacker tones. Spring Day A soft and lush preset for details. Strong Details Emphasizes the details in the image. Fusion Presets for Photomatix by Kevin Ames These presets are for a three or more exposure bracket. Contrast Softest has slightly less contrast than the original. Use for a moderate increase in visible detail in shadows and midtones. Contrast Soft increases detail in highlights and midtones with more color saturation. Contrast Push adds color saturation, deepens shadows and produces a moderate illustrated look. Highlight Push is a brighter, lower contrast illustrated look than Contrast Push. Brightness Push increases the overall brightness of the photograph. Fusion Presets by Richard Harrington These presets will work with bracketed images. Gentle Landscape is perfect for natural looking landscapes. Interior Pop useful to bring out the details for an indoor shot. Lush Landscape makes a vivid, but natural image for outdoor shots Lush Life is a vivid preset for general images. Natural Boost creates a gentle lift to all image types. Natural BW is a simple black and white preset Soft Natural gently softens an image. Sunset is perfect for when the sun is low in the sky. Fusion Interior Presets by Kevin Ames These presets are for a three or more exposure bracket. BW Contrast Soft makes a moderate black and white with more open midtones. BW Natural Push creates a more open, natural looking black and white with greater shadow detail. Good for clouds. BW Natural produces a natural looking black and white photograph. Contrast Push makes a dramatic, high-contrast image with intense colors. Contrast Soft creates a more open, lower-contrast photograph with brighter colors. Natural Push produces a brighter normal looking picture with lots of detail in the shadows and saturated colors. Natural makes a natural looking image with more intense color and sky detail than is realized from a single exposure Fusion Intensive Presets for Photomatix by Kevin Ames These presets are for a three or more exposure bracket. BW Soft Canvas makes a black and white image featuring a soft, painting-like quality with very smooth transitions. Soft Canvas is the color version with liquid transitions that flow one into the next. Again, it’s a very soft, not quite watercolor look. Photomatix Presets by Mark Morrow These presets are for a three or more exposure brackets. Ambient Interior preserves detail, color and charm with ambient lit interiors (best used with bracketed exposures.) Americana adds a muted, antique effect to everyday images (best used with a single exposure.) Golden Hour Pop recovers warmth and contrast for strongly back-lit golden hour scenes (best used with bracketed exposures.) High Key Product adds brightness and contrast to product images (best used with a single exposure.) Overcast Recovery recovers detail and color from the haze of an overcast sky (best used with a single exposure.) The InFocus Interview Show | Photofocus Podcast July 21st, 2016 - Get the show here or get it on iTunes — Don’t forget to post a review on iTunes. In this episode of the InFocus Interview Show, our guests discuss HDR photography, how they use Photomatix Pro in their workflow, and more! We have four great interviews in today’s episode. They are as follows: 1. Chamira interviews Bob Lussier. In their discussion, they chat about: How Bob uses his HDR to document abandoned textile spaces and equipment. How he captures the essences of the buildings he shoots. How he uses Photomatix in his workflow. The evolution of HDR. 2. Chamira interviews Colin Smith. In their discussion, they chat about: Colin’s early exploration into HDR via 3D work. His early illustrative HDR style, and its evolution into a cleaner, more natural style. How he’s using HDR with his aerial photography. How he uses Photomatix in his workflow for his bracketed shots. The process of finding your own style. Incorporating a sense of mystery in our image. 3. Levi interviews Matt Kloskowki. In their discussion, they chat about: The importance of making a good photo. How composition plays a role. How far we choose to push HDR style. How creativity and artistry play a role in making pictures. 4. Levi interviews Richard Harrington. In their discussion, they chat about: HDR as it applies to black and white photography. HDR as it applies to panoramic photography. Hand-held HDR vs shooting off of a tripod. Time-lapse photography and batch processing. Please share this podcast with your friends and subscribe via iTunes. We’d also love to get your feedback. Is there anything that you want us to cover on the show in the future?
Setting a Self Timer for Bracketing HDR Images on Sony Cameras - Sometimes I forget to pack a remote shutter release when I stumble upon an HDR scene. Luckily I can set up a Sony A7 series camera to shoot a bracketed series of images with a self-timer. Press the Menu button on the upper-left backside of the camera. Navigate to the page 2 of the Image menu and scroll down to Bracket Settings. Press Ok. Inside Bracket Settings, click on Self Timer. I like to assign a 2-second self timer. Scroll down to BRK 2 and click Ok. To shoot with the self-timer, all you need to do is enable the Continuous Bracketing Drive Mode (BRK C) and the camera will count down and take the shots when you press the shutter.
Go Make A Panorama - You should make a lot more panoramic photographs. It’s a great way to capture a larger view of the world, and you don’t need to buy a new lens. In fact, you’ll find that a panorama gives a better view than simply using a wide angle lens because the objects far away are not diminished as much as they are with a wide angle lens. There are many options for stitching the pieces of the panorama together. For my work, I’ve found Lightroom is usually adequate, and Photoshop does it a little better. Those who make a living selling panoramas often suggest tools like PTGui. A google search will yield many options. Here are four ideas to help you get started with your panos. Find a Good Picture Just because you make it a panorama won’t make it a good picture. You’ll need to practice composing your panos. I recommend shooting a few more frames than you’ll need so you’ve got room to crop the edges for the best results. Also, practice shooting quickly so you can catch the light before it changes. I used to have a GigaPan, which is a great tool for making huge panoramas. However, by the time it finished shooting a huge panorama of a beautiful scene the light had changed and the picture didn’t look awesome anymore. I find that with practice I can shoot faster than a gigapan and still capture beautiful light at sunset. With practice, you’ll be able to capture beautiful scenes quickly, too. Having said all that, the bigger you print a panorama, the better it looks. Even mediocre pictures printed mural size look pretty incredible. Level Your Tripod Modern stitching software will allow you to stitch panoramas that you shoot handheld, but you’ll still get better results shooting on a tripod–especially if you’re combining long exposures with your panos. When you use a tripod, do your best to level it before you begin. If the tripod is not level, then the resulting pano will climb to one side, and you’ll have to crop a lot of the edges off to get a level horizon. Leveling on uneven ground is tricky. Your tripod probably has some bubble levels, and your camera has a built-in artificial horizon, which you can use to level the tripod. Just level the camera in the middle of your pano, then turn it left and right and if the horizon moves off level, then your tripod isn’t level, and you can adjust the legs to compensate. It’s not a perfect way to level your sticks, but it works pretty well. You can also buy a head that has the pan on top of the ball, like some from Really Right Stuff and Vanguard. Shoot a Grid Only smartphones require that panos be long and skinny. Your software can stitch several rows of pictures together, and this is a wonderful way to work. You can get the quality and depth of field of a longer lens with the field of view of a wider lens. Try it. Go shoot a scene three rows wide and three rows tall. You won’t have to change lenses as frequently, and you’ll be able to make the background out of focus even on large subjects. More on this technique is found in this article. I shot this grid under the bridge in Newport, OR. It gave me a great view of the scene, and it saved me from changing to my ultra wide lens in the rain. Shoot HDR Panos This’ll blow your mind, and might blow up your computer, too. You can shoot a bracket of images at each stop in the pano, and create a marvelous HDR pano. Because you’re shooting so many pictures and there’s a lot of chance for movement, I strongly suggest using a tripod. Also, use the degree tick marks on your tripod head so that you don’t even have to look through the viewfinder. Looking through the viewfinder and at the tick marks, I saw that moving the head three tick marks would give me the recommended 20% overlap for each frame. The more automatic you can make panos and HDR’s, the better your results will be. Stitch the panos together first, then use your HDR software. Photomatix does a terrific job of putting these large files together. It wisely uses a lower resolution preview so that the changes you make render quickly and you can immediately see what your picture will look like. You can still zoom in and see a full resolution preview. Two things to make your computer run faster: use fewer images from the bracket, and try it first with lower resolution files. You probably don’t need all nine frames from your Nikon’s bracket to make a good HDR, and you definitely don’t need all 50 megapixels from every frame from your Canon. make the HDR with a smaller jpeg file to allow the computer to work quickly. If you love the result, then make a full resolution version; you can go shoot more pictures while it renders. I love the way Photomatix works and it makes HDR panos simple. Conclusion Don’t spend money on a new wide angle lens just yet. Get out there and shoot panos instead. You’ll find the challenge really stimulates your creativity. It’s really a whole new genre of photography, and the possibilities are endless. Think what you could do with portraits, or closeups, or food photography. Tag me when you post in the Photofocus Facebook group; I’d love to see what you make.
Presets Make Photomatix Pro Simple to Learn - Once Photomatix Pro 5 opens a set of bracketed images, especially in Tone Compressor, the choices of controls is kind of intimidating. The first question that comes to mind is “Where in the world do I start???” The answer? Presets. Quick start: Photomatix Pro Before jumping into presets, here’s a quick start for opening a series of bracketed photos. The graphic that follows shows the series of dialogs to navigate to merge photos into an HDR file. Drag a set of images made at least one stop apart into the Photomatix Pro dialog. Tell Photomatix to Merge for HDR Tone Mapping and Fusion by clicking OK. Choose the files by clicking OK in this dialog. Leave Show 32-bit unprocessed image unchecked. Tell Photomatix how you made the brackets. There are settings to help if you hand held the camera instead of using a tripod. When these choices are made, click Align & Merge to HDR. Photomatix Presets The presets included in Photomatix Pro 5 give even the newest user a solid foundation of starting places. They range from Natural & Photographic to Surreal, Grunge & BW Natural along with many more. Here’s how to use them. A quick glance at the left hand sidebar shows the scary number of controls. These are not as mysterious as they could be. Hover your cursor over any of them and a dialog appears explaining what that slider does. The problem for anyone starting out is, well…. where to start. That’s where the presets are really useful. Preset previews for the HDR in the main display space are shown in the right sidebar. Find one that intrigues you then click it. The main window updates as do the controls in the left sidebar. A list of presets is in the dropdown menu. Categories include Artistic, Realistic, Architecture, and Black & White. The menu also sorts presets by the four styles of HDR processing Photomatix Pro offers. They are: Details Enhancer, Contrast Optimizer, Tone Compressor and Fusion. At the bottom of the preset thumbnails is a toggle to switch between the built in presets and ones you make yourself. Examples Below is a gallery of the Blessing Tire building that I made using some of the Photomatix presets. Click any image to enter a slideshow. The version that leads this post was processed using a preset I created. It’s called Fierce Clouds. Good beginnings Picking a preset isn’t the end of Photomatix creativity. It’s a beginning. Explore the sliders, reading the info that each one offers. Before long you’ll know a lot more about how this powerful HDR processor works. You’ll be creating your own presets too along with compelling photographs!
Photomatix for Linux! - Most of my friends and acquaintances in the photography world know that I work with HDRsoft who makes Photomatix software. Photomatix is used to combine and render bracketed images for high dynamic range scenes. This same company is also a sponsor of Photofocus, just to be clear about that. But for quite a few Linux users that I’ve been in contact with, it’s a big deal that HDRsoft has just released ‘Photomatix for Linux.’ This means the HDR workflow is now supported on 3 platforms (Linux, Windows, and Mac). This isn’t ‘Photomatix Pro’ since the Linux versions doesn’t contain *all* of the features of ‘Pro’ however it does have the most important features. With Photomatix for Linux you can combine bracketed images, render them with the popular methods of Photomatix including Tone Mapping and Exposure Fusion. The powerful alignment algorithm is in the Linux version as well as automatic deghosting and even batch processing. You can of course process single images and most popular cameras’ RAW formats are supported. Currently, supported distributions include Ubuntu and Linux Mint. So if you are using one of these Linux distros, please try it out from here: http://www.hdrsoft.com/download/photomatix-linux.html There is even a launch promotion of 50% off of the regular price which is set at US$49. The promotion is valid until 31st August. Linux users are just getting their hands on this software, so watch for reviews coming a bit later on. If you want to learn more about HDR in general, be sure to check out the Photofocus HDR Learning Center. 
Don’t Like HDR? Try Exposure Fusion. - There is much mystery and controversy surrounding “HDR” photography and much of it is comes from the infamous fake look that is too easy to attain when tone mapping. But another method, called Exposure Fusion, makes it simple to get photo-realistic results from the same bracketed set of images. So if you avoid using bracketing to capture a high-contrast scene, or you don’t think you like HDR, Exposure Fusion might interest you — and may have gone unnoticed when processing images in Photomatix. Processing bracketed images with Fusion is like a semi-automatic way to layer your images in Photoshop and then choose the best lit pixel from each source image. One can do this in Photoshop by layering your images and preceding to mask areas in and out which can be very time consuming. But you don’t have to accept what Photomatix thinks are the best pixels because you can use familiar looking slider adjustments to process your unique scene. There are even multiple methods of Exposure Fusion in Photomatix with one of them usually working best for a specific kind of scene. The following are some recommendations to get the most from fusing your images in Photomatix Pro: As always, pay special attention to capturing the *full* dynamic range of the scene. Please see my post here for details aboutcapturing all of the dynamic range because taking shortcuts when shooting will make things harder later. Don’t directly load RAW files in Photomatix Pro because dedicated RAW converters are best at ‘beautifying’ the images. Since Exposure Fusion simply uses the best from each source image, it’s particularly important to start with the best source images. If you convert the RAW files yourself, be sure to apply noise reduction and lens correction (don’t forget Chromatic Aberration reduction) during that step. Also some contrast and highlight/shadows is fine here, however you like it. Load your bracketed set of TIF/JPG files into Photomatix Pro. When you see the Preview (that’s when the sliders are showing, notice the pop-up menu in the window with all of the Preset ‘thumbnail’ images. In that menu, choose ‘Fusion’ so that only presets using other methods don’t distract you. You can try some of the defaults and presets just by clicking the thumbnails to see what you get right away. When one of them is close, try tweaking the sliders. You can always go back to the preset by clicking it again. One of the places that Photomatix Pro 5 excels is with interior scenes that include a window. This situation is notoriously difficult to handle by bracketing images so start by choosing the ‘Interior’ preset and/or going to the ‘Fusion/Interior’ method is good for this kind of shot. When processing bracketed images, and I do it often, I normally start with Exposure Fusion. If I find myself processing a challenging scene, then I might use Tone Mapping. When I do that I know that I’ll probably need to post-process the image after tone mapping to bring back some of the contrast. I hope that helps someone out there that hasn’t tried, or hasn’t been happy with, ‘HDR’ results.
Essential Gear for HDR Photography - To capture great HDR images, you need some essential equipment. Most of it you probably already own, but may not aways bring with you on a shoot. It’s important to think of HDR photography as a tool, not a subject. Here’s what I mean…when you’re a portrait photographer, you go out and shoot photos of a model. A wedding photographer goes out and shoots photos of a wedding. A travel photographer shoots photos while traveling. You don’t go out to shoot HDR photography. Rather, HDR is a tool you can use to create images with more dynamic range than your camera can capture. Just like long exposure or tilt-shift photos, you need the right gear to shoot an HDR image. Camera in Bracketing Mode When shooting HDR photos, we’re capturing a series of images with varying brightness. To do this, the bracketing mode on your camera will adjust the shutter speed based on a given increment that you set. This increment is usually anywhere from 1/3rd of a stop to 2 stops. If you don’t have bracketing on your camera (or are not sure how to use it), you can always switch the camera into manual mode and set the exposures yourself…keeping in mind that at the minimum we are looking for one proper exposure, one darker exposure, and one lighter exposure. Sturdy Tripod We need to be able to align the images in post-production in order to create the HDR tone-mapped image. A sturdy tripod will ensure your camera doesn’t move or shake in-between images, making it really easy to align the images in post. HDR software like Photomatix can auto-align the images, but the more movement between shots, the more “ghosting” will appear in the images. You don’t need an expensive tripod though… The trick to using a travel tripod is weighing it down. Usually the center post of the tripod has a hook that you can hang your camera bag on. This extra weight keeps the tripod nice and steady. Of course, if you’re walking around all day and don’t want to carry a tripod, you can always use a Platypod Pro. I was in New York City last year and definitely didn’t want to carry a tripod, but I got a beautiful image of the World Trade Center with just a Platypod Pro set up on a lamp post. Remote Shutter Release Did you know when you press the camera shutter button, the camera shakes ever so slightly? To prevent this, we’ll need a remote shutter release for your camera. This lets you trigger the camera without touching it and keeps the camera still. You don’t need a brand-name trigger for this…you can easily find inexpensive triggers at camera stores or on Amazon for your specific model camera. Software to Process the Images One thing that deters a lot of photographers from shooting HDR photos is the post-production of the images. We need to merge the series of images we shot into one image. To do this, we’ll need tone-mapping software like Photomatix Pro by HDRSoft. Lightroom also comes with a built-in HDR tool, but it doesn’t offer much flexibility. One of the nice features of Photomatix Pro is the way it interacts with Lightroom. With a simple right-click, you can export and merge the images to Photomatix Pro, tone-map the images in Photomatix, then save the file and it is re-imported into your Lightroom catalog. Super easy! What lenses should I use? While every photographer has their own style, some of the most popular HDR images are shot with wide-angle lenses. Be sure to bring a few different lenses with you and experiment to see which angle you prefer. The image of the World Trade Center was shot with a 24-70mm lens at 70mm because I was shooting down a street. That about wraps up the essential gear for shooting HDR photos. It really isn’t anything other than a tripod and a remote shutter release, plus good software to process the images. And one last thing… Make sure you go out with a fully-charged battery and a good size memory card. HDR photos shoot around 3 or 5 images per one image you’d shoot normally.[tabby title=”Hangouts”]
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[tabby title=”What is Photomatix?”]
Photomatix Pro and Photomatix Essentials are stand-alone programs running on Windows and Mac OS X.
- One license for Photomatix Essentials is US$39.
- One license for Photomatix Pro is US$99.
Photomatix Essentials focuses on simplicity and ease of use. Photomatix Pro offers more options and includes advanced features such as batch processing and selective de-ghosting.
Some of the features of Photomatix are also available as an Edit Plug-in for Aperture. A free Lightroom Plug-in makes it possible to access Photomatix Pro directly from Lightroom, if desired. To download a trial click here.
[tabby title=”Resources”]
- Manual for Photomatix Pro for Windows
- Manual for Photomatix Pro for Mac OS X
- Manual for Photomatix Essentials for Windows
- Manual for Photomatix Essentials for Mac OS X
- Video Tutorial for Windows Users
- Video Tutorial for Mac OSX Users
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