HDR helps you understand exposure better so you can shoot better video.
I am not very good at HDR (High Dynamic Range Photography), but I like to keep working at because he helps teach me more about exposure. I’m learning to look deep into the shadows more and see what they look like from an exposure point of view.
I think HDR helps you become better at DSLR video because you are peering in to the shadows a lot more, and understand more about light.
I really like all of Trey Ratcliff’s work (I follow his RSS feed) and I use his HDR tutorial, however I can never seem to get his results. So it is much trickier than it looks in his tutorial. I can tell you about several other people that have tried it a few times and also had the same experience I have had.
If you haven’t tried it you can try it for free to see if you are any good at it. Download Photomatix for free and Lightroom too. I promise it will help your DSLR video skills by just trying a few shots and understand what makes a good HDR image.
HDR View Out of My Office Window
I get many people asking me about how I light my videos in my office. I think of this sliding glass door as my huge softbox when I am filming myself for this tutorials. I use a reflector too and that is it for lighting. Natural lighting it my friend.
When we bought this house a few years ago I wanted to change the look of my office but I have been too lazy to do so yet, so the wall paper and paint is definitely not me.
My HDR Checklist Before I Shoot
- When shooting with the sun -3, 0, +2 -
- Use bracketing -2, 0, +2 (use select button to set bracketing from exposure comp)
- After you shoot look to see if the shadows have enough detail
- 2 Second self-timer mode
- Use tripod
- Wait for the wind to stop if lots of trees
- Manual focus
- Set to Aperture Priority mode ‘Av’.
- Shoot between F5 and F13 on anything fixed (lens).
- After Lightroom file/export to Photomatix
- Read http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial-part-2/ over and over until I get it right!
Shout-Out to Dave Knop (Knoptop)
Big thanks to Dave Knop for his donation this week (my third one so far). I really appreciate it Dave! Check out Dave’s videos on Vimeo. I enjoyed is HAGUE MMC – Mini Motion-Cam Stabilizer video.
Dave, I think this cameras make great photos, I’ll keep mine for photos and the 60D for video.
Photomatix is a great program, you need at least 3 shots, better 5 with 1/3 of a stop exposure difference. Photoshop CS5 has a great HDR function also, despite of the fact that these programs usually deliver an almost ready picture, you need an extra retouching using masks in
Photoshop, and that is when I prefer Photoshop for this, The version CS4 was not as good as the
CS5 which is fantastic
Good Video. Thank you.
Dave,
I’m a huge fan of HDR and learned a little something from this tutorial. I did not know you could shift the entire bracketing range up or down on the T2i. Good to know!
I’m not sure about Photomatix 4. I still use 3 and find the tone mapping button very helpful. It seems as though just “playing around” is often what is required to bump into a combination of settings that render a pleasing image.
@Nick I like to see how others do it, do you have any photos on Flickr I could see?
Thanks Dave, very helpful. Say, what program do you use to capture your screen like this video as you work in lightroom for example? I know you’re on PC, I use mac but maybe there’s a cross platform program? Are you recording the audio through you’re pc or onto your T2i?
Thanks.
I use an old version of SnagIt. I know Trevor (on my podcast) uses a really nice one for the mac but I can’t remember the name of it.
Dave,
I haven’t done many worthy of online submission (that should tell you how bad they are!), but here’s the best I’ve come up with in Photomatix. Granted, I never really try to go for realism when I create them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sayre8585/4699218882/in/set-72157624271015358/
However, there are some really fantastic ones in the HDR group on Flickr. For instance:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricardolm/4904825206/in/pool-hdr
Many of the folks in that group are masters of tonemapping, and often commit to a levels/curves/saturation/contrast/etc. adjustment afterwards in Photoshop or Lightroom. It’s a tough skill to learn, but definitely makes these cameras fun.
I love doing HDR shots. I own Photomatix, but find I am using it less and less and instead using CS5′s “Merge to HDR Pro”. A few of my shots.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellbailey/2711310593/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellbailey/2229831520/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellbailey/2283377795/
HDR + Tilt-Shift Effect
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellbailey/1130376739/
Nicely done, Dave. Why haven’t I realized that using the 2 second timer will snap all 3 bracketed shots with one button press? Thanks for pointing that out. I am increasingly playing in the HDR and off-camera (strobist) lighting areas these days as opposed to videography. However, just as HDR can teach the videographer a lot about exposure, I think what we learn from strobist-style photography can be directly applied to continuous lighting in a video studio or on set. The use of lighting/flashes to balance the exposure of foreground and background elements in a high dynamic range situation is also quite interesting.
I love all of the HDR photos all of you have posted. They look great. Don’t be so modest. Since we’re doing some show and tell here are a few of mine that I took a few weeks ago that came out nice. I’m using Photoshop CS5 for Mac.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattsfilms/4906359990/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattsfilms/4905686941/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattsfilms/4914575898/
Did you have the shutter at a non 180 setting for this video? lol
Great video either way! I’m always learning something new here. I was unaware of some of those settings on my T2i.
Nice Tut.
Q: Why do you feel it is necessary to use manual focus?
@Alex, I guess you don’t need to. I thought I saw that Trey did that.
I know we are talking about HDR.
BUT the 60D has Moire also visit this
http://philipbloom.net/2010/08/26/canon-60d-officially-er-official/
i heard a lot about that in the last few days and i think it might be true. Eventhough i believe everyone is responsible for himself. Just my two cents…
It is cool that you wrote about this. I found you on google and I had been looking for information about this. Nice site, thank you for the info. I will come back to check for new updates
Dave,
The quality of the video of you speaking to camera is fantastic on this.
What lighting set up did you have?
@Francis, thanks. No lighting at all, just natural light from a window.
Took my first shot at HDR today using Trey’s guide with mixed results.
I have two of the three originals and a couple alterations in a gallery of mine here: http://bjsmith.smugmug.com/LLHost/HDRTests/
I’m still undecided which I’m more happy with…
http://bjsmith.smugmug.com/LLHost/HDRTests/HDR2/1032518915_r43WK-XL-1.jpg
Or
http://bjsmith.smugmug.com/LLHost/HDRTests/HDR3/1032519606_tGJUV-XL-1.jpg
This is amazing!
Thank you. I learned to use the AV mode in the Canon 550d, as well as create these beautiful Khdr photo!
Dave,
congrats on your site and thanks for sharing experiences.
If you don’t mind i’d suggest that the extra noise comes from the Photomatix RAW->Jpeg conversion: try to export with lightroom or canon’s utility (with 100%) before Photomatix.
Even if you use the jpg (instead of the raw) pictures directly from the 550d, you get better results !
@rac thanks for the tip, I have heard Trey talk about that too.
Hey Dave, Do you know how to get too the “exposure comp AEB settings” with a eos 450D xsi or if its even possible?
Nice video, I see the final image doesn’t have noise after all on the wall inside with the lamp/sconce. How did you end up reducing the noise all the way to make it smooth again? Since the last time seeing the picture in your video that wall still was rather noisy.
Hi Dave
Thank You for showind HDR on RebelT2i.
Is there a chance to shoot 5 picture on T2i or only 3.
Regards
Dave fristly thanks for your tutorials they are great, Dave I am new to photography and struggling big time. I am managing to take some HDR shots but am struggling with blown out windows, I recently took some lovely shots of a Cathederal interior. Trouble is in every shot the small windows were blown out, I wonder do you have any suggestions on where my 550d settings might be wrong? I am amazed that you can take these shots so close to a window and it is not blown out, I was in a large cathederal with small windows and they were totally blown, I am feeling slightly lost and a bit dumb for not be able to deal with this..
thanks in advance… David