[kaishang]

You do need exposure bracketing but at least 3 and more often 5 exposures is used.... Unless it is "fake" software bracketing ie done off one single exposure with internal post-processing, then it won't work because you can't hold your hand still enough between two exposures for "real" exposure bracketing even if they are only half a second apart. I don't know what iPhone does here.

If it is multiple photos, then you need a tripod. Or an SLR with RAW, where you can also do the "fake" exposure bracketing off a single RAW image.

BTW, what model SLR do you have? Most do have exposure bracketing, it's just buried in the menu system.

[cruvon]

is exposure bracketing just when you can take pictures at different exposure values manually?

[kaishang]

Yes. You can do it manually or some SLRs (and iPhone by the sounds of it) have a function where it takes multiple photos at different exposures automatically.

You still need a tripod to do HDR if you are using multiple exposures from multiple photos or you will be making it unnecessarily difficult for yourself.

Originally Posted by cruvon

is exposure bracketing just when you can take pictures at different exposure values manually?

[Drew335]

Originally Posted by perth335i

LOVE this shot!!! Looks highly professional, and I'm diggin' the halo effect too!!

GRRR I want Exposure Bracketing!! stupid D3000

thanks re the comment

you can still produce these shots without automated exposure bracketing, as Kaishang said this can be done manually. use the aperture priority setting on your SLR (I think they all have this, might be marked Av) and then take three shots, one at whatever the camera deems to be the default aperture (eg F stop 6.0) and then two at an F stop either side (eg 5.0 and 7.0). make sure the other settings remain constant eg ISO or similar. at least that's how I understand bracketing to work, it simply automates this process. also as mentioned use a tripod ... and I've been using a remote shutter release to help avoid any movement.

Originally Posted by perth335i

... what's also funny is that the camera on the iPhone 4 has HDR capability, in which it will take the same shot with 2 different exposures. Its not the quality you will get from a SLR camera, but its still an option that my SLR doesnt have!!!

ah yes the iPhone 4 and HDR. a mate and I both picked up new iPhones on release day (a fellow budding photographer) and then tested out the HDR feature after a few beers at the pub.

"exhibit A" below shows the same photo with HDR off (left) and HDR enabled (right), albeit these are average examples due to crap lighting and a slightly drunk friend. it seems the iPhone takes the photo and then does some sort of post production to improve the dynamic range of the photo, rather than actually taking multiple photos at different exposures. hardly a scientific analysis, but you get the drift! anyone else know more about how the iPhone does this?



while it claims to be HDR the results are nowhere near what a decent SLR and some good post production can acheive

[cruvon]

I am thinking the Best Shot Selector(BSS) with Histogram BSS on my Nikon is close to HDR

This is what BSS does incase didn't read before
quote:
"Nikon's Best Shot Selector (BSS) mode extends to four options in the Coolpix S10. The first is the standard mode that takes up to 10 shots and selects the sharpest of them. The others are grouped together in an Exposure BSS sub-menu and cover Highlight BSS, Shadow BSS, and Histogram BSS. Each setting records five shots when the shutter button is pressed. From those shots, Highlight BSS selects the shot with the least over-exposure, Shadow BSS chooses the one with the least under-exposure and Histogram BSS opts for the best balance of the two."

[kaishang]

BSS (Sounds like BS only more so will only produce a more normal looking photo out of two non-ideal photos. The point of HDR is the effects you can create, like Drew335 has done with his photo. You are only going to get this if you sit down with some post-processing software and DIY-it.

[V1_R]

iPhone HDR

IMAGE 1 & IMAGE 2



HDR IMAGE

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by perth335i

iPhone HDR

IMAGE 1 & IMAGE 2



HDR IMAGE

think that's quite a difference in quality in the final HDR picture though I guess having a greater range of image exposures to do HDR on would make it look even better

[V1_R]

definately... i'm just amazed it even has the option!!

the actual quality of the photo is also a lot better.. but some reason lost quality when i uploaded to picassa.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by perth335i

definately... i'm just amazed it even has the option!!

the actual quality of the photo is also a lot better.. but some reason lost quality when i uploaded to picassa.

so when u selected the hdr option you mentioned, did it click the 2 images with different exposures in quick succession, saved them on your phone and make an hdr image by itself which it then saved on the phone? That's how you have access to the two images and the hdr image...

[V1_R]

clicked once for the photo, it created 2 images with the different exposures (1 & 2)

Then I used a nifty and cheap (free) HDR compiling program on Mac (can confirm once i get home) which created the HDR image by draging and dropping the 2 images.

Probably not the professional way, but very easy.

I will try it with a photo taken from my SLR this week to see the results of that.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by perth335i

clicked once for the photo, it created 2 images with the different exposures (1 & 2)

Then I used a nifty and cheap (free) HDR compiling program on Mac (can confirm once i get home) which created the HDR image by draging and dropping the 2 images.

Probably not the professional way, but very easy.

I will try it with a photo taken from my SLR this week to see the results of that.

cool, yupz, try 5-10 pictures taken at different exposures with your SLR and then HDR them, will be interesting to see how they come up

[cruvon]

Just realised my Canon HF S100 camcoder which has an inbuilt still camera, has Auto Exposure Bracketing but it takes only 3 photos automatically using different exposures (dark, normal, light). Offcourse could do Manual Exposure Bracketing if needed more pictures I guess.

Here are some pics someone took using the same camera
http://captainkimo.com/hdr-canon-vixia-hfs100
http://captainkimo.com/lizard-in-hdr...s100-camcorder

[cruvon]

Hi guys, the HDR bug finally bit me...used my Canon HF S100 camcoder, Photomatix and a bit of Photoshop to generate three HDR's on my car in different styles. Used Auto Exposure Bracketing on my camcoder camera which generates 3 images with different exposures in one go and then HDR'ed them in Photomatix n bit of editing in Photoshop,
enjoy


<<<>>

[V1_R]

the last one looks cool... kinda like a fairytale book.

now lets take some photos without the ol' Fairmont in the background

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by perth335i

the last one looks cool... kinda like a fairytale book.

now lets take some photos without the ol' Fairmont in the background

yupz, I like the last one too. Didn't expect the s/w to do such a cool job since were quick shots I took on the way to work and 30 mins playing with the s/w.. I surely need to look more into this.

[Sean@PYSpeed.com]

nice pictures... I didn't read the whole post, but what lense are you using?

[V1_R]

Care of Coconut Photography.

This guy organises massive car cruises (Coconut Run) in Perth, which usually sees about 150+ luxury cars take over the streets of Perth.

This set of pictures I particularly like... and I'm pretty sure there are all HDR

335i Coupe by Coconut Photography

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by Sean@PYSpeed.com

nice pictures... I didn't read the whole post, but what lense are you using?

just used the standard inbuilt lens that comes with the Canon HFS100 and took a picture using the Auto exposure bracketing setting that takes the same picture in 3 different exposure settings. Then import those pictures into Photomatix, the HDR software that actually stiches the pictures to create the effect you see here. Photomatix trial download is free but need to pay if want to get rid of those Photomatix watermarks you see in the pictures.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by perth335i

Care of Coconut Photography.

This guy organises massive car cruises (Coconut Run) in Perth, which usually sees about 150+ luxury cars take over the streets of Perth.

This set of pictures I particularly like... and I'm pretty sure there are all HDR

335i Coupe by Coconut Photography

nice pics on the link, he's used either HDR or used fixed focus to capture the car and blur the background I guess plus a lot of editing work I reckon..btw any idea what wheels he has? Thought saw similar ones for an X5... Look good.

[V1_R]

i saw fake versions of these rims on Ebay from St George Tyres... pretty cheap too

[ANILE8]

Originally Posted by cruvon

Hi guys, the HDR bug finally bit me...used my Canon HF S100 camcoder, Photomatix and a bit of Photoshop to generate three HDR's on my car in different styles. Used Auto Exposure Bracketing on my camcoder camera which generates 3 images with different exposures in one go and then HDR'ed them in Photomatix n bit of editing in Photoshop,
enjoy


<<<>>

Knowing when to use restraint with HDR images is equally as important as the technique itself.