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Category: Traditional Film Photography

Photography Question 

Dinesh Canon Duggiralla
 

How to shoot photos with results similar to HDR


I saw my friend shooting HDRs with his Canon 350D. I am using a K2 Rebel. I tried similar concept with my film camera that is shoot 3 multiple exposures at +2/0/-2 exposures. The results are good but still don't look like HDRs. I have used ISO 100 and 200 films. What should I do to achieve similar results??? My belief is a film camera can do what a digital camera can. Advice Please.


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January 20, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

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  You're not doing the same things. You're basically doing unneeded old fashion multiple exposures and taking advantage of films higher latitude.
Hdr you remove the unwanted portions of the image that are outside the range for the particular exposure, and combine all the wanted parts by using layers.
You need to shoot separate frames, scan the film, then do your hdr compositions. Or do some dodging and burning on a hand printed print.


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January 21, 2008

 

Dinesh Canon Duggiralla
  Thanks for the valuable information, but you see I am new to photography and What is meant by Latitude of the film? Secondly how do I do HDR after scanning? Whats the procedure after taking scans? Since you have guided me so far, I would be thankful if you told me how to do it step by step.

regards,

Dinesh


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January 21, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

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  Film latitude is film's ability to record detail even when the exposure is not exact. You have a wider range to be off the correct exposure, and still be able to get a good looking picture.
To do hdr you take several pictures of different exposures to get the bright areas, dark areas, and anything else you need. Then with something like Photoshop, you take each individual picture and remove the parts that you didn't expose for in that particular picture.
The picture you used to expose for the bright areas, you remove all the other parts of it, except the bright areas. The same thing is done for the picture that was taken to expose for the dark areas.
Then you combine them together to form one picture.


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January 21, 2008

 

Dinesh Canon Duggiralla
  I am getting a better clarity reagrding the HDR thing. I will check out google and try to get more info on the exact process of doing it on Photoshop.

regards,

Dinesh


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January 22, 2008

 
- Ken Smith

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  Or, you can get software designed specifically to help out with HDR; e.g., Photomatix.
http://www.hdrsoft.com/


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January 22, 2008

 
- Ken Smith

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  Oops, sorry...I just reread your post...you're referring to film...never mind! :-)


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January 22, 2008

 

Richard Lynch
  You can still do HDR from film, but as Gregory says you'd need to digitize the film by scanning to use what has probably been referred to as HDR in conjunction with digital image processing.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a process that attempts to enhance the latitude (dynamic range) of digital images. Limitations of digital exposures generally leave it with somewhat less latitude than may be best for certain types of images. Often the extremes (highlight and shadow) can suffer issues with lost or uncaptured details. HDR allows you to expose better for different ranges, and then combine the result.

Photoshop CS2 and CS3 have automated versions of HDR which gather several images into one final version that attempts to combine the best elements of each (this can be more than just three images). The hope is that the results are a better representation of all the available detail. I have done HDR in Photoshop using the automated tools for combining as well as manual processes -- which give a lot more control. These manual processes can be transfered to Elements and used there as well, but not with the true HDR used in Photoshop's 32 bit (!) images. The HDR in Photoshop may create effects as a byproduct of the combination that are unique -- if sometimes surreal. But note these are always the result of combining several images, and never looking at individual exposures (the initial post seems to address bracketing).

I have a new course in the works dealing with shooting HDR as part of a series of projects. The course will be available in April!

I hope that clarifies a little more about HDR...

Richard Lynch


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January 22, 2008

 

Dinesh Canon Duggiralla
  Thanks Richard I will get CS2/3 as soon as possible and try it out.....I have googled HDR and find it quite amazing....in fact I believe I will have to do it first hand to fully understand the process.....will get back to you after I have done my research......can I have your mail ID???

Regards,

Dinesh


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January 22, 2008

 

Richard Lynch
  I look forward to hearing about your progress. You can contact me via the contact page here on betterpoto:

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/contact.php?memberID=121428

Richard


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January 22, 2008

 

Dinesh Canon Duggiralla
  Thank you Richard.

Dinesh


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January 22, 2008

 
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