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View Full Version : Lake Tahoe Crystal Bay Panorama HDR



Gerald_Gilligan
08-15-2008, 04:28 AM
This Photo was made from 18 RAW images taken on 12.30.2007 @ 10:00 AM .
I took some images at this spot the night before as a storm was coming through...

I took 3 exposures per segment, overlapping 6 times to cover the whole scene. I combined each segment in Photomatix to create 1 HDR Image each for a total of 6 HDR images. These were then stitched together in PT Gui, with some minor cropping and Photoshop.

I would like to know what some fresh eye's might think....

Canon 10D 17-40L @ 35mm, f22, ISO 100.

Jerry

Robert Amoruso
08-15-2008, 06:58 AM
Hi Jerry and thanks for joining us here in the Pano Forum. First let me say that I am impressed with the fact you can time travel to 12-30-08 and make an image - that must be worth some bucks. ;)

But seriously, I think you did incredibly well with this image both compositionally and technically. The left and right ends terminate well and hold the eye in the frame. On the right I was at first concerned about clipping the dark green tree but after taking in the whole image I feel that it helps to balance the darker portion on the left. The upper cloud makes the whole image look 3D. The lake is nicely framed by the FG plain and the mountains left, right and in the BG.

Looks great exposure-wise and the HDR is not noticeable at all as I would prefer here.

Very well done.

Noel Carboni
08-15-2008, 08:44 PM
Very beautiful. I love that area; I've taken a lot of images from up there.

Yours has a very transparent and 3D feel to it because the clouds give it so much depth. Nice work!

-Noel

Dave Mills
08-18-2008, 11:18 PM
Lovely image!! The clouds are magnificent and makes the image dynamic.

Gerald_Gilligan
08-20-2008, 03:18 AM
Robert,
I have struggled with that tree.
If I crop it out I lose the right edge of the lake. If I keep it in it seems to be to distracting, thank you for reinforcing that decision.
The clouds were working that morning, they were moving from back right to front left which gives it that dimensional feel.
This image looks much better, "larger"...
I like the way Noel links to a larger picture by clicking on his images, I have not figured this out, but would like to know how to do that.
Thanks again!
Jerry

Noel Carboni
08-20-2008, 04:16 PM
Don't feel bad, it took me a while to figure out how to do that. Let me see if I can get the forum to put up the how-to info without interpreting the tags...

Here's what you do:

First, you'll need to upload two different sized images, one 800 pixels wide and one larger, to a photo sharing site. Copy the URLs for both.

Code this line into your post on this forum. It may wrap around, that's okay.



http://web.address.of.your.800.pixel/shot.jpg (http://web.address.of.your.high.resolution/shot.jpg)


-Noel

Robert Amoruso
08-21-2008, 10:58 AM
Robert,
I have struggled with that tree.
If I crop it out I lose the right edge of the lake. If I keep it in it seems to be to distracting, thank you for reinforcing that decision.
The clouds were working that morning, they were moving from back right to front left which gives it that dimensional feel.
This image looks much better, "larger"...
I like the way Noel links to a larger picture by clicking on his images, I have not figured this out, but would like to know how to do that.
Thanks again!
Jerry

Gerald, I think leaving the tree works OK for the reasons you mentioned. I think it makes a nice bookend as I mentioned in my first post.

Well done.

Robert Amoruso
08-21-2008, 11:00 AM
Don't feel bad, it took me a while to figure out how to do that. Let me see if I can get the forum to put up the how-to info without interpreting the tags...

Here's what you do:

First, you'll need to upload two different sized images, one 800 pixels wide and one larger, to a photo sharing site. Copy the URLs for both.

Code this line into your post on this forum. It may wrap around, that's okay.



http://web.address.of.your.800.pixel/shot.jpg (http://web.address.of.your.high.resolution/shot.jpg)


-Noel

Noel,

Thanks for the how-to on this. I will have to experiment with it and see about getting it in the Education Forum with due credit to you of course.

Arthur Morris
08-23-2008, 11:33 AM
I love the image, esp. the clouds. I have know clue as to how you created it despite your detailed explanation... You gotta keep the edge of the lake in the frame on the right...

Gerald_Gilligan
08-24-2008, 11:18 PM
Arthur,
This is a 6 image panorama stitched together in PT Gui (Panoramic) software. Each image combined was an HDR Image.
To create a HDR or "High Dynamic Range" image you will need to take three images of the exact same scene at three different exposures.
Usually, 1 image taken at 1 stop over exposed, 1 image taken at proper exposure, and 1 image taken at 1 stop under exposed.
These three images are combined and "tonemapped" in "photomatix", or other software to create 1 HDR image.

This (HDR) image will yield a wider dynamic range not possible with current sensor capability. So this image is a hybrid of sorts!
An HDR Image will give you more highlights and more shadow detail in one image.

We can see it with our eye's but the camera can not capture it.
An HDR Image cannot be created for moving subject like birds, unless the bird is totally still during the bracketing... The clouds where moving in this image but they are not as noticeable as moving wings!

I made 3 images at different exposures for the same scene, and then I moved the camera to the right and made 3 images at 3 exposures for scene 2, and moved the camera to the right and made 3 images at 3 exposures for scene 3, and did this again, and again and again, making sure to overlap something each time for the software to recognize for the panorama stitching, This was done on a tripod for a total of six locations to complete the panorama.
After taking 3 images at each location. I combined those three images and created ONE HDR image for that overlapping point.
I had 6 separate HDR images that were combined in "PT Gui" panoramic software to create the final panoramic image.

There are two things going on here... "A panoramic image with a "High Dynamic Range".
I would not have been able to capture all of the light and shadow area's in this image if I did not approach it this way.
By the way I took all images in RAW. Do not adjust any of your images separately in any of the stages until you have stitched your HDR images together into one final image. This image can be quite large depending on the camera you are using.

I hope that this is a little more clear, if not I could explain it verbally... let me know...

Jerry

Arthur Morris
08-26-2008, 12:55 PM
Thanks Jerry, Now I get it. I worked on my first HDR image yesterday in Photomatix. I am confused as to how to make adjustments on the Details Enhancer tab and if and how to make adjustments on the Tone Compressor scale (especially the latter--do you do both the Details and the Tone Compr to each image? How doe the processing work. Anybody know a good tutorial (or want to do one)???

Robert Amoruso
08-27-2008, 07:30 AM
Artie,

In Photomatix, Details Enhancer and Tone Compressor are two different algorithms that PMPro uses to process the image. So you use one or the other. I have a tutorial for my workshops (20MG PDF file). Probably won't work in email to you so I will upload to my website and email you a link to download.

I am rewriting it for my November landscape/wildlife workshop at the Wichita Mountains NWR in OK so perhaps that would make a good article for the eZine. I was trying to come up with an idea for one.

David Kennedy
08-27-2008, 11:23 AM
Michael Pancier would be a good reference for Photomatix; he uses it a fair amount in his work.

Gerald, I'm sorry I couldn't get to this image sooner. I (finally) got an internet connection at my apartment yesterday, so I won't have any more excuses for my absence from BPN! (There is wireless at the university, obviously, but profs. wouldn't really like it if I was commenting on BPN instead of taking notes.) I agree with your decision to leave the tree as-is in the final composition. I have images similar to this one that I only realized after I was at the computer that I did not create enough images, and would have to end the scene somewhat abruptly on a tree like this one. Would it be better if you had a little more to the right? Yes. Would it be detrimental to crop to the left of the tree? Absolutely. You gotta' keep it! :)
Also, it's good to know that I am not the only one who thinks you have to do the HDR conversion first, and then stitch the results together. I've heard of people doing it the other way around (effectively HDR blending three or more stitched panos) and it sounded like it would just introduce too many variables to me.

Cheers,
David

Robert Amoruso
08-27-2008, 11:28 AM
Also, it's good to know that I am not the only one who thinks you have to do the HDR conversion first, and then stitch the results together. I've heard of people doing it the other way around (effectively HDR blending three or more stitched panos) and it sounded like it would just introduce too many variables to me.

Cheers,
David

David,

Doing it this way I would surmise that you would use the same settings in Photomatix for each of the HDR segments. So let's say you HDR one segment to your liking, you save those settings in Photomatix, then you call those settings back for each subsequent setting whether that be details enhancer or tone compressor that you used. Is that how you are doing it?

Arthur Morris
08-28-2008, 06:46 PM
Artie, In Photomatix, Details Enhancer and Tone Compressor are two different algorithms that PMPro uses to process the image. So you use one or the other. I have a tutorial for my workshops (20MG PDF file). Probably won't work in email to you so I will upload to my website and email you a link to download. I am rewriting it for my November landscape/wildlife workshop at the Wichita Mountains NWR in OK so perhaps that would make a good article for the eZine. I was trying to come up with an idea for one.

Thanks Robert. Those two tabs were confusing... Any clues as when to use which or do you just experiment?

Got your e-mails/thanks! Will check them out when I have time to breathe.

Gerald_Gilligan
08-29-2008, 11:23 PM
I'm grateful to see a long discussion on this image or the HDR approach to its creation. HDR is not for every image or for every one but the possibilities and the creative potential are awesome.
Some bracket landscapes as a matter of course, to grab that fleeting moment before them and they hope to have that magical image somewhere in their catch. I usually take multiple exposures on many landscapes as memory is so inexpensive and you can delete the less interesting images later.

Arthur, I process my images and save them with the settings in the Detail Enhancer. I can post the settings... as I don't change them on any of my images. I have not ran any comparisons on different settings in Detail Enhancer and that might be in order.
I look at the tone compressor...only to see what effect it has. I rarely save it.
Some HDR Images have a "Cartooned" or "Rockwell" effect that is overdone for my taste...

The final adjustments are done in PS for Color Correction, Shadows and Highlights ( Thank you Robert A. ) and Sharpening.
I don't have a sophisticated PS background but I'm learning each day from you guys here...

David, I have another image that completes more of the right side and goes past the tree and has more mountains, It has little meaningful impact and it made my crop decision easier to make. The tree could be minimized if I climbed up a hill across the road and had a higher position to compose from. I might try this next time...

From a Birding perspective, there was a Bald Eagle that flew over a short time after I took these pics, and I missed him while changing lenses...
Jerry