Testing different HDR methods

  • Thread starter Samelborp
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204
Peaknik
Ludens
Hi all!

I have done a little experiment with HDR images from GT5 Photomode... is it really necessary to use bracketed images to get a good HDR effect or you can "fake" it and still get good results?

I know this is just a test and that in some specific cases people would prefer to do the bracketing and go for the pro tools like Photomatix etc, but in other cases a more fast approach will suffice, etc.

Anyway, here are the images and the results (all images have been scaled to 1024 x 576 and saved in Photoshop CS4 with 50% quality, but as they are hosted in Picassa, they have suffered yet another reduction in size to 800 pixels wide... sorry!). Bracketed images from Photomode at -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2 EV.

This is the original, unedited image, at 0 EV as shoot in Photomode:
GT5-HDR-TEST-Original_image_p.jpg


This is the HDR merging of the bracketed images done by Photoshop (Exposure 0 and Gamma 2,16):
GT5-HDR-TEST-PSCS4_p.jpg


This is the HDR merging of the bracketed images done in Photomatix Pro 4, default settings:
GT5-HDR-TEST-PhotomatixPro-tonemapped_p.jpg


This is the HDR merging of the bracketed images done with the Photoshop plugin HDR Efex Pro (preset "Realist balanced):
GT5-HDR-TEST-EFEX_PRO_multiple_image_p.jpg


This is the HDR effect with a single image (0 EV showed first) done in Photoshop with the HDR Efex Pro plugin (preset "Realist balanced):
GT5-HDR-TEST-EFEX_PRO_single_image_p.jpg


And finally this is what I achieved using this tutorial for the creation of a HDR effect with a single non RAW image in Photoshop:
GT5-HDR-TEST-PSCS4_FAKE_p.jpg


Combinations are endless, but I am quite amazed to what you can get using a single image. Efex Pro plugins are quite amazing...
 
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