First HDR attempt
These are my first attempts at HDR photography. I'm using Photomatix 4.0 for merging and tonemapping, since they are jpgs, and don't have all the info that a .tiff or other could carry. Feel free to comment! I'm pretty satisfied by the first one, but could have done a better job with the other too. I'm not very good using the application yet. These where merged from three exposures, -2, 0, +2 on Aperture priority at F 2.8 (I know , this is too low for landscape or HDR...) with a Lumix LX3 and a tripod.
It's kind of a training right now cause next March I'll be going for the 4th time to Japan, and I gotta train my photo skills very much because I don't want to regret not taking this or that in photo like the last time. I'll be in Japan from March 2nd to April 1st . Well, take care everyone!
The river that runs through my little town of Saint-Jerome and the city hall in the background.
It's looking nice, just a little more practice, and i think you'll get the hang of it. I would like to try HDR myself XD
Well thank you!! I think I still need a lot of practice though. Gotta try day shots too, and soon!
pleiades O.O
Taurus O.o
Nice rig I'd say if you can get these WITH street light close by.
Well, the lumix lx3 is very good at low light, and even though there are some bright lights close by, my town is really small and on clear nights I can see many constellation from my roof... ;D
The first one is my favorite *A*
I wish I had more than just a point-and-click camera ;_;
I think the pictures look really nice. :) First one is my favorite too. I love the glow of the lights and the soft look of the water.
I've been wanting to try out HDR photography also.
Though I've been having difficulty finding a nice subject/location for the shot.
Do you have any first timer tips? :)
I gotta say that the subjet/location issue was also a problem of mine. My subjects aren't very good. Try finding a great range of different colors and light projections. Dusk and dawn are great moments to capture wide range of color and light. I wanna do some figure/models HDR with city lights in the background at night when I'll be in Tokyo next March. For now, these are the only "city lights" I have in my town! :D
I find HDR photos a bit weird sometimes >_> but thats just me lol
Yeah, sometimes the results look a bit too colorful or painting like, so I try to be as subtle as possible but want to catch a variety of details and lights. Though where I live ALL of the street lights are orange... I can't say I like everything HDR, and it can get pretty dull fast, so I try not to overuse it. The right picture or subject to capture is very important I think.
nono i meant it more like HDR photos weren't so widely used before =/ even the nicest HDR photos seem wired to me at this point ^^;;;
I see what you mean. That's why I say I don't want to use it too much, it's everywhere now ...
Nice HDR!!
Photos look awesome!! I love night shots!!
I need to start shooting HDRs too~ （＾＾）
I was worried when I saw "HDR" in the title, but these are actually quite nice. You've done a good job of using HDR to just the extent where it helps the picture without overwhelming it.
Don't worry about the large aperture with the LX-3, since the small sensor makes depth of field so wide. Maybe you could shoot at f/4, since time doesn't really matter and the lens will probably be slightly sharper at that point, but I wouldn't bother stopping down any more than that, and the longer shutter speeds also increase the chance of noise.
Don't longer shutter speeds mean you get less noise because you are able to use a lower iso setting, and give the pixels on your CMOS sensor a chance to properly expose instead of provide you with that nasty chromic noise that plagues point and shoots?
That's what I thought too. That's why I never go over 200iso with the Lumix.( I really don't like noise....) The shutter speed was between 1/8 secs (under exposed) and 5 seconds for the over exposed. I try to use HDR only to get enough and detail and light to get the subject clearly. Thanks you guys for all the comments!
You'd think so, but sensors heat up as they expose, and heat can also cause noise. Long exposures can sometimes cause substantially more noise than a high ISO would. It's sometimes a real pain, since you can get "stuck" between too high of an ISO and too long of an exposure. It's also why you'll see an option for "Long Exposure NR" in most digital cameras' menus.
Well, at least it's not as bad as reciprocity failure was on film. If there was ever something to scare a photog off from nighttime shooting, that was it.
This was done on the LX3?
Amazing. I need to learn how to do stuff like this.
Still a novice with my LX3.
Yep! Gotta love the LX3! Amazing little piece of technology! ;D
awesome stuff, HDR is getting popular huh. never seen alot before.
I like the first one =D cant wait to see more
Thanks! I'll try to post some more without overusing it.
Great work. I'm glad you didn't way over-process the HDR like so many others do. I love HDR shots when they are kept realistic looking!!!
Thanks!
HDR photos freak me out.
lol :D
didn't noticed this one, it' like the city is made of gold!
I like this picture for the fact that the constellations are showing through.
And good control of local contrast too as there were no signs of the halo effect
I think shooting at f/2.8 with the Lumix at wide angle is not too bad. It would still have larger Depth of Field than if you used a full frame camera.
What ISO was this shot at? The shutter speed of the longest exposure appears to be sufficiently high at this resolution...