Tag: exposure value

Using Handheld Bracket Sets for HDR Images

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Deuce Coupe Interior #1
Deuce Coupe Interior #1

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I found another good use for HDR processing last week while photographing at the NSRA Streetrod Nationals here in Louisville. It’s always difficult to capture the details inside the cabins of these cars in a single exposure. By shooting a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV I was able to tame the highlights and reach into the shadows. I shoot handheld whenever I can to allow myself the luxury of being able to frame my images without the hinderance that a tripod creates. I have found that applying 20% Ghost Reduction and checking Align Images in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 compensates nicely for any camera movement that a handheld bracket set creates. In this image you can see the texture in the carpet as clearly as if it had been shot from a tripod.

I used the Balanced Preset in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 as my starting point for merging the three frames before tone mapping the image. I then returned the image to Aperture 3 where I completed my adjustments to exposure and contrast before applying sharpening.

Deuce Coupe Interior #2
Deuce Coupe Interior #2

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For this monotone image I took the color HDR image into OnOne Perfect Photo 7.5 and used the Perfect B&W application. I started with the Ambrotype preset and then made several changes to it’s default setting. I used a cream color for the paper tone and a deep blue for the silver tones. The ambrotype preset includes a border bit I didn’t care for it so I also changed it with the border adjustment tab. I chose the Emulsion #003 and added it and I also changed the width of the edge to something I felt better fit the image. By beginning with my HDR image I was able to show the same detail in the shadow areas as I had in the color image and also control the contrast and highlights. 

 

Big Four Bridge Silhouette

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Louisville's Big Four Bridge after a day of thunderstorms and rain.
Big Four Bridge Sunset

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Not much to say about this image except that I like the bridge silhouette against the remnants of a summer storm that was passing through Louisville. I captured the image from the east side of the ramp leading up onto the Big Four Bridge. It’s from a single frame and simple processing in Aperture 3 was all that it needed to finish it.

Louisville’s Downtown Bridge Is Underway

Posted on by Nick Roberts
The first phase of construction on the Downtown Bridge is underway.
The first phase of construction on the Downtown Bridge is underway.

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This is another HDR image of  Waterfront Park looking west toward the crane that will be part of the skyline for the next couple of years. I shot this from the ramp to the Big Four Bridge overlooking the Swing Garden. I shot a handheld bracket set of three frames +2, 0 and -2 EV. I was able to hand hold the shots because it was mid morning and the light was high which resulted in relatively short exposures.

I first took the three RAW frames into NIK Sharpener Pro and applied adaptive sharpening to all of them. I then opened them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I merged them and applied  the Deep 2 preset which I tweaked a bit to reduce some of the luminance and saturation. I then returned the merged image to Aperture 3 for final adjustment, sharpening and added a small vignette. In Aperture 3 I also adjusted the exposure and contrast as well as tweaking the individual color channels in the green, yellow and blue areas.

Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Spring Morning on Floyd's Fork
Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

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Another example of realistic HDR processing using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. This image is from a three exposure bracket set shot at -2, 0, and +2 EV. I merged it and applied the Balanced preset before adjusting the tone mapping and tonality. I then returned it to Aperture 3 for final adjustment.

Remember to Look Behind You

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Big Four Bridge at Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky

When I was down at Waterfront Park, the night before last, I was there because I expected some dramatic clouds and colors at sunset due to the thunderstorm that had passed through Louisville an hour or so before sunset. I had consulted my cloud map and it looked promising, based on the wind speeds and direction, for some dramatic skies. I set up my tripod facing west and captured some incredible images of the downtown bridges. The wind was kicking up and the remnants of the storm were scudding across the sky. I happened to turn around to look at the Big Four Bridge where I saw this scene unfolding.

Because the clouds were moving so fast I knew it was futile to try to bracket the shot so I looked at my histogram and started firing test shots. Once I had dialed in a setting that gave me a slightly underexposed histogram I just started firing the camera. I know from experience with scenes such as this that the biggest pitfall I face is too much light in the highlight areas which is why I chose a slight underexposure setting. I shoot almost exclusively in Aperture Priority mode in order to be able to predict and control my depth of field and this evening was no exception. I was using f9.5 and letting the camera choose the shutter speed based on the exposure value I was using. The clouds were moving very fast and I shot around 20-25 frames before they were no longer in a position that I liked.

Once I was back at the studio I started going through the images from this scene and chose this one for the position of the clouds and the way the golden hour light was shining on the bridge. I opened it in Aperture 3 and straightened the horizon before sending it into NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. Once inside NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 I started looking at the various presets and tried the Realistic Deep preset that I like to begin with for most landscape shots. I didn’t particularly like the effect it was having on the clouds so I switched to the Landscape presets where I discovered the preset I felt gave the best results. I then started adjusting the tonal range and structure until I had brought out the detail in both the clouds and the bridge. Once I was satisfied with the basic image I returned it to Aperture 3 where I further enhanced the color using the Vibrancy adjustment, along with the Exposure panel controls, to fine tune the image. Finally I adjusted the sharpness slightly and saved the image.

My point with the title of this post is that too often we photographers are focused on getting a particular image that we have in mind and fail to see the other great opportunities that are around us. As photographers we need to be “present in the moment” in order to capture the mystery and beauty that surrounds us. This whole scene came and went in a matter of minutes and there is no way that I could have foreseen this situation. If I hadn’t taken the time to look back behind myself I would have missed what I think is a dynamic and powerful image.