Photoshop/photomatrix and HDR

LR Max · Mar 6, 2012

Truth. I probably just should've said that...but failed to say it.

I'm thinking his camera is probably set on auto ISO, now you've added the third dimension. Trying to describe to someone over the internet how the three interact together...well...its a bit challenging.

On a side note, I just downloaded an app on my phone that turns it into a light meter. Trying to get it working how I want it but it looks like it might be pretty cool. One of my buddies uses it on his 4x5 field camera.

97TJGUZZY · Mar 6, 2012

LR Max said:

I spoke with Pat about ISO, shutter speed, and a few other settings at the Overland Rally last year and I have been tinkering with shutter speed mostly (doing some experimenting with flowing water) but what do yall edit on the pictures that you cant do on the camera?

Ghost · Mar 6, 2012

LR Max said:

Is that an I-phone? I cannot seem to locate my flash meter IV and need something. What is the app? I was talking shutter speed not ISO. I use film and don't have much choice there. Unless I push process which is what I am currently doing. Brooks, if you get a Saturday to goof off there is a nice place here to go and shoot some nature stuff.

Steve97tj · Mar 6, 2012

I've looked at the iPhone camera apps but most of them are Ghey and just add a border or make background antique like.

I took this a little while ago with my phone with the HDR on. Idk if I see any difference in it.

Talking about tripods, I have my dads that was the first one he ever bought and has used for I know well over 25yrs.

LR Max · Mar 6, 2012

Brooks, I use mainly photoshop lightroom for almost everything. Sometimes I will use elements and for the "fo shizzle" jobs I'll bust out the big daddy Photoshop.

For you, Photoshop elements would be a good program to invest in as previously discussed.

For the phone app, I have an android phone. The app is called beeCam Lightmeter. I just searched for "light meter" and got a few.

That is my tripod now, a tripod that is older than I am that was in a neighbors garage from...whenever. Stupid thing must weigh 30 friggen pounds! Its great for carrying around in the trunk but I wouldn't want to drag it to the top of table rock or something. All the new fancy tripods are nice and lightweight. However $350 or whatever for a carbon fiber with a swivel-whatever head makes no sense to me when said old heavy, steady SOB is available for short carrys.

Steve97tj · Mar 7, 2012

So I downloaded a free version of photoshop on my phone to mess around with and get a feel for it.

This is a pic I took yesterday with just the regular camera and HDR turned on

And these are photoshopped. First is just saturation

This is adjusting saturation using less and contrast some

Never messed with photoshop before so im a newb. Critique me and tell me what I should be looking at doing.

LR Max · Mar 7, 2012

I won't critique your photo. When it comes to photo critique, I become the grand master *******. I *may* have been kicked out of a few art galleries here in ATL.

Whatever, they were displaying crap.

Your problem here is white balance. I recommend you google this but basically, the color of the ambient light is different from what it needs to be. Remedy: In the photoshop app (got this on my old phone, haven't downloaded it/needed it on the new phone) open up "white balance" and play around. It will help you with the learning.

smkymtns · Mar 7, 2012

I love HDR photos, well some HDR photos. Like Max said, most people go over the top with HDR. Most of the time for me, all I am aiming for is to correct a major flaw in camera technology and give me a realistic, properly exposed photo. But, I have to admit sometimes you can push the buttons and come up with something cool too. Cameras only see a vary narrow range of exposures at one time. No match for a human's Mark I eyeball. We can see the details in the shadows at the same time we can see the details in the clouds, instead of a dark blob or blown-out highlights. HDRs like contrasty scenes best or that is where I think you get the most out of HDR. It is also good to use a higher f-stop (>f-16) for a greater depth of field (whole scene in focus).

I have used the Photomatix app for several years and it is a great program. I am now using the Photomatix plug-in for Aperture (Apple's Lightroom) now that it does everything that the standalone app does. I think it is important to point out that Lightroom and Aperture have two big benefits over some of the other photo editing software being talked about. Both are also meant to manage your library of photos. Think iTunes for your photos. But even better, both work on the concept of non-destructive editing. You put your photo into Lightroom/Aperture and when you make tweaks to it, it creates a new 'version' with the tweaks. They don't actually save the versions but saves a list of the tweaks that you made instead. You can play with multiple versions off of one master, great to see what a little tweak might do here or there. And the 'versions' take up literally no space on your computer and the original is always that, the original.

Here's a 'natural' HDR and and hypernatural HDR from the same photos.

smkymtns · Mar 7, 2012

Brooks, you were probably standing right behind me when I took this HDR.

Photoshop/photomatrix and HDR

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