Corona And Lime HDR?

[ike]

Hey guys,

I tried to do some simple, shots with some white paper as a background, decided to try some HDR, so i took 3 pictures using my 'bracketing' setting and joined them using Photomatix Trial.

Tell me what you think.

This is the original image,



ike,

[jiminyClickit]

ike,

Corona fans might object (the urine-sample look). Unless you're at work taking this, a pillowcase or bedsheet would have given better background. Could have rumpled it and gotten good shadows. Cutting the head off anything is generally not so good, so it is more a distraction. A tighter closeup and lining bottle up vertically would help. HDR is not going to make a photo better unless you start with these small considerations. Look closely at a Corona ad. They're simple and very well shot. Study them. And continue to try everything; it's the best teacher.

[clockdoc]

Hi Ike,
I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with HDR. Were your over and under exposures 2 stops or more? I don't think that your initial photo had enough excessive "dynamic Range" for the software to appropriately respond. The color of the beer is a bit more saturated and the paper background has taken on a warmer tint. However this probably could have been done by manipulating your middle exposure in Photoshop or similar software. I am curious to hear what others may say who have more experience with this technique.

[wulf]

I think Lee is right - the picture doesn't really call for HDR treatment, as there are no areas that were excessively light or dark in the original.

The kind of place you would use it would be a bottle of beer sitting in the shadow of a wall, with a brightly lit beach visible beyond. Traditional photography would either lose the detail in the shadow (too dark) or in the beach (too bright) but combining exposures would bring them together.

Wulf

[ike]

Thanks guys,

Jiminy - it was at work, which is why i didnt have a bed sheet, how do you mean lining up virtically? do you mean i should have had the camera on level with the surface more,

Clockdoc - I think my camera only does +1, 0, -1 im not sure though, still got to read the manual fully lol,

Wulf - so basically your saying, if there is too much distraction in contrast and depth, HDR is the way to go, for more simple shots, normal is the best way,

Thanks again,

ike,

[jiminyClickit]

ike,

You'll see a lot of comments about getting horizons level; the up-and-down part is also important. When you have bottle in viewfinder, you can line up side of bottle with side of frame. Then you know your photo will appear upright, straight, on the level, no matter what's going on in b/g. Makes a difference, becomes a habit with practice (same with making horizons level).