HDR (Photomatix) from the one photograph.

I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the contrasty ones,
to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one with the shadows
fixed, and one with the highlights darkened,
and then combine them with Photomatix, then
I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it
saves the tedious layering process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

In message , Peter Jason
writes
I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the contrasty ones,
to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one with the shadows
fixed, and one with the highlights darkened,
and then combine them with Photomatix, then
I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it
saves the tedious layering process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ


I've dropped a few of my efforts onto the web for you to have a look at:

http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/nei...tos/index.html

Most are from a single RAW, letting Photomatix sort it out. One is from
a three JPGs (one as taken, one lightened and one darkened as you
outlined above).

Some photos work better than others for Photomatix. It's awfully easy to
get some very odd colours and fringes (as you will see from a couple of
the examples I've given!). I'm still playing with HDR, and as you will
see from the examples, I'm certainly no expert.

Regards,
--
Neil Pugh

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:06:18 +1100, Peter Jason wrote:

I have been going over some of my old photographs, especially the
contrasty ones, to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate two photos from one, one
with the shadows fixed, and one with the highlights darkened, and then
combine them with Photomatix, then I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it saves the tedious layering
process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I'm not sure what you find about Photoshop's HDR that drives you to
Photomatix. You can use HDR in Photoshop with one image. Just develop
high and low, save as TIFF files and use them. I frequently do it when I
need to recover blown highlights.

Douglas



--
If you don't defend your rights... You end up without any!

On Nov 16, 1:06 am, "Peter Jason" wrote:
I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the contrasty ones,
to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one with the shadows
fixed, and one with the highlights darkened,
and then combine them with Photomatix, then
I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it
saves the tedious layering process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I used photomatix to recover old photos (both digital or scanned
photos) and convert into HDR. Check them at
http://picasaweb.google.com/aniramca/Photomatix_HDR
All photos come from a single JPEG file, or scanned from a print into
JPEG file. I usually create duplicates using Gamma correction in my
old Paint shop Pro version 6 (or 7?). I made 2 under exposures
(usually with gamma = 25% and 50-60%, and 2 over exposures (usually
gamma = 190-200% and 360-400%).

wrote in message
...
On Nov 16, 1:06 am, "Peter Jason" wrote:
I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the contrasty ones,
to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one with the shadows
fixed, and one with the highlights darkened,
and then combine them with Photomatix, then
I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it
saves the tedious layering process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I used photomatix to recover old photos (both digital or scanned
photos) and convert into HDR. Check them at
http://picasaweb.google.com/aniramca/Photomatix_HDR
All photos come from a single JPEG file, or scanned from a print into
JPEG file. I usually create duplicates using Gamma correction in my
old Paint shop Pro version 6 (or 7?). I made 2 under exposures
(usually with gamma = 25% and 50-60%, and 2 over exposures (usually
gamma = 190-200% and 360-400%).


Well, those are without a doubt the must ass with terd ugly things I have
ever seen.

The Spider

--
Ignorance really is bliss, just look how happy President Bush is.

wrote in message
...
On Nov 16, 1:06 am, "Peter Jason"
wrote:
I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the contrasty
ones,
to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one with the shadows
fixed, and one with the highlights
darkened,
and then combine them with Photomatix,
then
I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because
it
saves the tedious layering process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I used photomatix to recover old photos
(both digital or scanned
photos) and convert into HDR. Check them at
http://picasaweb.google.com/aniramca/Photomatix_HDR
All photos come from a single JPEG file, or
scanned from a print into
JPEG file. I usually create duplicates
using Gamma correction in my
old Paint shop Pro version 6 (or 7?). I
made 2 under exposures
(usually with gamma = 25% and 50-60%, and 2
over exposures (usually
gamma = 190-200% and 360-400%).

Thanks, this is what I had in mind. I
photograph buildings and this produced high
contrast when the sun is shining.
Normally I wait for an overcast day to get in
all the detail, but this method might save
some trouble.

DxO Optics Pro v4 has some form of
optimization, but I do not know if they use
this one.

"Douglas"
wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:06:18 +1100, Peter
Jason wrote:

I have been going over some of my old
photographs, especially the
contrasty ones, to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate
two photos from one, one
with the shadows fixed, and one with the
highlights darkened, and then
combine them with Photomatix, then I get
a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because
it saves the tedious layering
process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I'm not sure what you find about
Photoshop's HDR that drives you to
Photomatix. You can use HDR in Photoshop
with one image. Just develop
high and low, save as TIFF files and use
them. I frequently do it when I
need to recover blown highlights.

Douglas

I have not yet tried the one in PS, but I
will.
--
If you don't defend your rights... You end
up without any!

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:57:42 -0800, The Spider Formally Seated Next To
Little Miss Muffet wrote:

wrote in message
news:2e5a9b59-451c-4eb1-
...
On Nov 16, 1:06 am, "Peter Jason" wrote:
I have been going over some of my old photographs, especially the
contrasty ones, to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate two photos from one, one
with the shadows fixed, and one with the highlights darkened, and
then combine them with Photomatix, then I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it saves the tedious layering
process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I used photomatix to recover old photos (both digital or scanned
photos) and convert into HDR. Check them at
http://picasaweb.google.com/aniramca/Photomatix_HDR All photos come
from a single JPEG file, or scanned from a print into JPEG file. I
usually create duplicates using Gamma correction in my old Paint shop
Pro version 6 (or 7?). I made 2 under exposures (usually with gamma =
25% and 50-60%, and 2 over exposures (usually gamma = 190-200% and
360-400%).


Well, those are without a doubt the must ass with terd ugly things I
have ever seen.

The Spider

Ha, ha, ha... ROTFL. Art is art no matter where it comes from.
Do you have no sole, spiderman?



--
If you don't defend your rights... You end up without any!

The Spider Formally Seated Next To Little Miss Muffet wrote:

http://picasaweb.google.com/aniramca/Photomatix_HDR


Well, those are without a doubt the must ass with terd ugly things I
have ever seen.

The Spider


Quite the troll, Mr. Spider, aren't we ... OOPS, PARDON,
they really ARE exactly what you say they are ... REALLY BAD!!!

Douglas wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:06:18 +1100, Peter Jason wrote:

I have been going over some of my old photographs, especially the
contrasty ones, to try and redeem them.

If I use the PShop CS2 curves and generate two photos from one, one
with the shadows fixed, and one with the highlights darkened, and then
combine them with Photomatix, then I get a presentable whole.

Has anyone used this method too, because it saves the tedious layering
process in PS.

Is there some sort of downside?

PJ

I'm not sure what you find about Photoshop's HDR that drives you to
Photomatix. You can use HDR in Photoshop with one image. Just develop
high and low, save as TIFF files and use them. I frequently do it when I
need to recover blown highlights.

Douglas




Even that is not necessary. Just use Photoshop to convert the RAW image
to a low contrast (say -30) 16 bit Photoshop file, making sure you get the
whole image into the more or less linear part of the curve. Make sure you have the
whole high and low parts unclipped. 16 bits is plenty to get any image
from current cameras, even the newest "claimed 14 bit" Canons, if done right.

Save the original. Then go to work in Photoshop. Use Noise Ninja on the dark parts.

Doug McDonald