HDR with ISO

[sdaggett]

I put this in landscapes at first, guess I should have put it here! oops! I used HDR techniques on this to get all the amazing colors I could see with my eye to come out. So there are many different EXIF data points.

Nikon D200
50mm f/1.4 lens Non AI
ISO 100
f/14
1/5 sec.

4 shots combined using Photomatix. I used ISO bracketing instead of shutter speed bracketing to get full color range as well as full dynamic range.

Give your thoughts - Tell me what I could have done better

[Nicole]

That's really interesting, I hadn't thought of (or heard of) using ISO bracketing for HDR shots before. Do you find that this technique offers any advantage over the more standard shutter speed bracketing?

I think it's a kind of interesting photo. I do like the colours, tones, and repetition a lot actually. And while I kind of go back and forth about whether or not the kind of lack of a distinct subject bothers me, I don't think it does.

[sdaggett]

Originally Posted by Nicole

That's really interesting, I hadn't thought of (or heard of) using ISO bracketing for HDR shots before. Do you find that this technique offers any advantage over the more standard shutter speed bracketing?

I think it's a kind of interesting photo. I do like the colours, tones, and repetition a lot actually. And while I kind of go back and forth about whether or not the kind of lack of a distinct subject bothers me, I don't think it does.

I have been playing with both shutter speed bracketing and did the ISO bracketing on accident the first time I did it. I got home with my photos and pulled them up in Lightroom to see the ISO changing with each photo... It took me FOREVER to figure out why. Long story, I some how changed my ISO to Auto on my D200 and didnt know it. So even in Manual mode, when I took by bracketed shots, it went ISO 100, ISO 200.. and so on.

I didnt even try to process the pictures, I went and re-shot the scene. They came out VERY different, and I liked the ISO bracketed picture the best.

Give it a try, you get a much better color range for some reason.

As for having no distinct subject... Aspen tree groves like this all come from one "mother tree" and aspen groves are the worlds largest living organisms. Therefore, the "play on words" here is that all of the trees are one organism - therefore all of them are the single subject.

I guess if I have to explain it, it doesn't work :-(

[gazsus]

I'll have to give this a go, I'm intrigued.

And....I find the whole photo a distinct subject. it's great.

[CiiVii]

Originally Posted by sdaggett

As for having no distinct subject... Aspen tree groves like this all come from one "mother tree" and aspen groves are the worlds largest living organisms. Therefore, the "play on words" here is that all of the trees are one organism - therefore all of them are the single subject.

I guess if I have to explain it, it doesn't work :-(

I think it works. A lot of people know this about the aspen trees. There is also a varying pattern effect with them because of their consistencies (straight trunks) and placement of the markings on the bark. That said, something isn't quite right with the composition. The HDR you did is really cool (and I usually find HDR to be irritating, lol) but there's something just a tiny bit off when it comes to the photo as a whole that keeps it from being flat out awesome.

[slc_shutterbug]

Wouldn't overlaying shots with different ISOs create problems with noise in the final image? It seems like it would make it hard to get a good clean image to me...


Anyone esplain this to me?

[sdaggett]

Originally Posted by slc_shutterbug

Wouldn't overlaying shots with different ISOs create problems with noise in the final image? It seems like it would make it hard to get a good clean image to me...


Anyone esplain this to me?

I can explain... if you bracket ISO starting at 100, you go 100, 200, 400 and 800. You dont get much noise up to 800 and the very little noise you get will go away when pull your HDR image back into Lightroom then do a touch of noise reduction there. Too much noise reduction in Lightroom will soften your focus, so be careful.

[slc_shutterbug]

Ok, I see what you're saying. But I still have a question: (I'm not being snarky, I am really interested in HDR so the topic interests me.)

Why is that better than bracketing with shutter speed? You can do neither without a tripod, since the shots have to be exactly the same. And with shutter speed there are no problems with noise.

I am curious why you chose this, and I'd like to try it maybe.

[sdaggett]

Originally Posted by CiiVii

I think it works. A lot of people know this about the aspen trees. There is also a varying pattern effect with them because of their consistencies (straight trunks) and placement of the markings on the bark. That said, something isn't quite right with the composition. The HDR you did is really cool (and I usually find HDR to be irritating, lol) but there's something just a tiny bit off when it comes to the photo as a whole that keeps it from being flat out awesome.

Ok... you are totally right about something being off!! I cant put my finger on it either... I have another photo from the same shoot that came in a close second. I like the composition better with the pine trees on the right, but couldn't get it to pop like the first one and it was off subject as it wasnt all aspen trees. If I could put the 2 together somehow... I dont know. Here is the other shot~ What do you think?

[sdaggett]

Originally Posted by slc_shutterbug

Ok, I see what you're saying. But I still have a question: (I'm not being snarky, I am really interested in HDR so the topic interests me.)

Why is that better than bracketing with shutter speed? You can do neither without a tripod, since the shots have to be exactly the same. And with shutter speed there are no problems with noise.

I am curious why you chose this, and I'd like to try it maybe.

It isnt better, it is just different... I did it by accident and found that in some situations it gives a better color. HDR isnt for every shot, and ISO bracketing isnt for every HDR shot. Just something different I thought I would share. I thought others might find it interesting ;-0)