Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Poll and Questions: HDR Images

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I have recently began a process of reviewing the Photomatix HDR software.  Having never previously used any dedicated HDR software, I was very eager to see the results that Photomatix produced.

After using it a little, I very impressed at how automatically it creates an HDR image out of multiple exposures (although there is still an art to getting the most out of it).  You can even export images directly from Lightroom 2 to Photomatix and then automatically re-import them into your Lightroom library.  Pretty cool stuff.

Armed with a Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40mm f/4L lens and some inspiration from Michael James’ HDR Real Estate Photography, I set out to find an appropriate indoor setting to give Photomatix a little test drive.

In the set-up below, I shot 3 images at -2EV, 0EV and +2EV from a tripod. The scene was lit by the two lamps you see and a ceiling fixture only.  I then combined them in Photomatix via the LR plugin to create an HDR image.  I was pleased with the initial results.  I thought I had a rather realistic-looking HDR image.

Then, I started thinking…  How much can I get out of a single Canon 5D Mark II Raw file by processing in LR alone?

So, I took one of the exposures (I’m not saying which one) and pushed it as far as I could in LR to try to get as close as I could to the Photomatix HDR image.

The results?  I was pretty impressed.

One of the following images was processed in LR 2.5 from a single exposure.  One was processed from 3 images using Photomatix.

This wasn’t meant to be a scientific test and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still learning my way around Photomatix.  Additionally, some of you LR wizards out there can probably push the software even further. Just some nice weekend fun time with a camera that I wanted to share with all of you.

Can you tell you tell which is which? Insert your answer in the poll at the bottom and/or leave comment with your thoughts.

(I stripped all of the metadata in case you are thinking about taking a peek and I flipped a coin to decide which one to insert first)

Got something to say about these images? How do you process HDR images? What’s your take on HDR imagery as a genre?

Add your further thoughts in the comments below.

UPDATE:  You can find the poll results here, along with some commentary on the exposures.  Don’t cheat though.  Vote first, then check out the results to see if you got it right.

 

Massimo in Argentina for Sony’s Twilight Football

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You have to go through me!

The following post comes from Massimo Strazzeri, who was Photography Bay’s winner for the Sony Twilight Football Contest.  Sony flew Massimo to Argentina for what turned out to be an amazing sight-seeing adventure, soccer match and some hands-on time with Sony’s new A550. 

I am very happy that Photography Bay could be a part of this great adventure for Massimo. Additionally, I am very grateful that Massimo has taken the time and effort to share his story and images with the rest of us.

Enjoy Massimo’s story and photography below. You can find out how to connect with him at the end of this post. -Eric [Read more…]

Manfrotto 190XB Tripod and 486RC2 Head Review

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Manfrotto 190XB Tripod and 486RC2 Head

The Manfrotto 190XB is a 3-section aluminum tripod that carries a reasonable price tag around $130.  The Manfrotto 486RC2 tripod head is a ball head with a quick release plate that runs about $75.  The 190XB and 486RC2 is an everyman’s kind of combo.  It’s not as light as the Gitzo Traveler 6x carbon fiber tripod; however, it gets the job done almost as smoothly. [Read more…]

Dreamstime Debuts Canvas and Poster Formats

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Dreamstime

Stock photography agency Dreamstime has added canvas and poster formats to its repertoire of products, thus increasing purchasing options for customers and additional revenue sources for contributing photographers.  Prices for poster and canvas prints range between $13 and $80 for a 20″ x 60″ size.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Alien Skin Software Discounts Require Math Skills, Expire Oct. 21

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Alien Skin

Alien Skin, makers of Bokeh, Blow Up 2, Exposure 2, Image Doctor 2 and Snap Art 2, has a couple of discount offers that run through October 21.

Here’s the word from Alien Skin, part of which will require you to put your thinking cap on:

Everything in the Alien Skin store is 20% off, but just until October 21st. And no we aren’t going to extend it. If you don’t already know how our products will make your work go faster and look better, then check out our web site. It is chock full of beautiful example images, informative videos, rave reviews, and demo versions.

Also, Jeff Butterworth, CEO, snuck an Easter egg into Snap Art 2 when no one was looking. If you enter 111 into the Random Seed for the Stylize filter then it will render something out of the ordinary. He’ll give you a concrete reward for finding the Easter egg. Do you know the mathematician who discovered that beautiful shape? You can use his first name (without accents) as a coupon code in our online store to get 25% off. Consider this the math nerd version of our sale, both of which end on October 21st.

Unibind MyBook Collection – $5.99 Makes Great Gifts and Promo Items for Pros

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Unibind MyBook Collection

A new addition to the Unibind product series is the inexpensive MyBook Collection, which offers a number of possible applications for photographers and other creative minds.  At $5.99, these 4′”x6″ photo books are a prepackaged kit that only requires you to bring photos and staples to the assembly process.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Polaroid Instant Film Making a Comeback

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Polaroid

Polaroid film, which appeared to be dead not too long ago, looks to be coming back to market.  This resurgence of the brand is thanks to a 5-year licensing deal with the owners of the Polaroid brand and Summit Global Group.  It looks like Summit will reintroduce many of the famous Polaroid film formats and, as a result, many of the old instant cameras will be given new life.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]