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Seems there's a few of us trying HDR with (in my case - very) mixed results - also some people who are pretty good with it. Either way, I was thinking it would be good to share images, notes and experiences.
I know there are plenty of HDR forums around, but this is the only MINI one! A mix of MINI and random images is good.
__________________ pw4
R56: K-Mac camber, JCW brakes, K&N CAI, Hella 1000s, sunroof, wood,...
R56 LCI: Alta rear bar & gauges; JCW brakes, gearknob & dash; LSD; 17" RJR wheels; sunroof; Lyle wraps; stripes; Hella 500 & FF500 lights,... Chili Red Owners Club #642
I'll start off with some opinions on software, and my latest efforts sans MINI. I have another HDR with MINI that I'll post in a while.
Photomatix appears to me to do a better job of creating the HDR image, but its tone mapping generally doesn't give results that I'm pleased with. Qtpfsgui does a poorer job of creating the HDR image, but some of its tone mapping algorithms seem better once you experiment with the settings.
So the recipe I've been following is:
1.Reduce noise in RAW format, as much as possible without unduly compromising image clarity. Save the adjusted file in RAW again, to preserve maximum detail.
2.Use Photomatix to generate the HDR image from the RAW images. Save in TIFF format (again, to retain 32-bit detail).
3.Open the HDR image in qtpfsgui, apply tone mapping and save as JPEG.
4.Open that image in Photoshop (or Paint.NET in my case) and make further adjustments.
Even with all that, I still struggle with the amount of noise left in the images. I even had to blur the blue sky in the first image to remove noisy color gradients.
__________________ pw4
R56: K-Mac camber, JCW brakes, K&N CAI, Hella 1000s, sunroof, wood,...
R56 LCI: Alta rear bar & gauges; JCW brakes, gearknob & dash; LSD; 17" RJR wheels; sunroof; Lyle wraps; stripes; Hella 500 & FF500 lights,... Chili Red Owners Club #642
Last edited by pw4; 08-24-2009 at 05:16 AM.
Reason: Mangled attempts to insert the images...
2006 MCSa PH/S. Sports, Cold Weather and Premium. 17" S-Lites, Silver "Swoop" Stripes and OEM Boost Gauage and Voltmeter!!! M M C # 248 Motoring ID ZIP001
I'm using Photomatix to generate the HDR file (saved as .tiff) but then the open-source qtpfsgui to do the tone mapping. For the photo below in the thread I used the Reinhard02 algorithm in qtpfsgui. After that, I use Paint.NET (like Photoshop except open-source ie free) for final adjustments - the dark shading in the foreground was a layer with Paint.NET. Oh, and before I start, I use the Canon software that came with my camera to get rid of as much noise as possible without compromising image clarity too much.
I think Photomatix does the best job generating the HDR file. Sometimes I can get its tone mapping to work for me - it can create some spectacular effects - but I've been happier, time permitting, to experiment with the different algorithms qtpfsgui offers. Particularly they seem to work well if I'm trying to find a more natural look to the final image.
__________________ pw4
R56: K-Mac camber, JCW brakes, K&N CAI, Hella 1000s, sunroof, wood,...
R56 LCI: Alta rear bar & gauges; JCW brakes, gearknob & dash; LSD; 17" RJR wheels; sunroof; Lyle wraps; stripes; Hella 500 & FF500 lights,... Chili Red Owners Club #642
I'm a very proficient user of the HDR technique but it drives me up the wall seeing other HDR photos with gigantic halos, ludicrous amounts of processing noise, and reduced contrast.
Some of my better HDR photos can been seen in the "Art in Abandonment" and "Cities & Towns" section of my website www.shanegorski.etsy.com
Wow - some awesome images! I love the doorways and interior archways - they work so well.
I find qtpfsgui tone mapping is less likely than Photomatix to give the big halos - do others find the same? Or is it something I'm going wrong?
Giant halos are from using too low of smoothing in Photomatix... or is it the other way around? If you get them, REMOVE THEM IN PHOTOSHOP with other layers conceived from your RAW files.
For those that don't know, the holy grail of HDR tutorials is located at www.beforethecoffee.com on the right side of the page.
Halos are just a result from a bad processing mix and can be removed in any image with the right settings. I'm not that great at it yet but some of the settings in the middle of the column (can't remember off the top of my head) adjust the balance between like high contrast lines if you are dealing with windows and stuff. Grain can be avoided as well. Just remember, most grain and any halos are a result of a users specific way of processing. Wish I could tell you how to avoid them completely but I can't always do it either haha.
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'08 O2 Blue Cooper
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) mixed results - also some people who are pretty good with it. Either way, I was thinking it would be good to share images, notes and experiences.
A mix of MINI and random images is good.
'05 HB/B MCS. 
