HDR Halos in CS4

W
Posted By
w
Sep 8, 2011
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This will probably start a thread, but hey, the more the merrier.

After I process landscape images in Photomatix Pro, I open the HDR’s in Photoshop CS4 to to deal with the prominent halos in skies above trees and buildings. I could back off on HDR’s Strength or boosting Smoothing, but that defeats why I’m using HDR in the first place. If I try cloning out the halos in Darken blend mode, the results are blotchy, and Darken tends to ‘leak’ and gray the edge of the horizon/ trees, buildings. I’ve tried selecting the sky with Color Range, Magic Wand, and even Topaz Remask, putting the problem area on its own layer and hammering away at it there. The blotch problem stays.

I envy the HDR images I see where here are zero halos, but they never explain how they got rid of them. What’s the best way? Thanks in advance.

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C
Carrie
Sep 8, 2011
"darkman" wrote in message
This will probably start a thread, but hey, the more the merrier.
After I process landscape images in Photomatix Pro, I open the HDR’s in Photoshop CS4 to to deal with the prominent halos in skies above trees and buildings. I could back off on HDR’s Strength or boosting Smoothing, but that defeats why I’m using HDR in the first place. If I try cloning out the halos in Darken blend mode, the results are blotchy, and Darken tends to ‘leak’ and gray the edge of the horizon/ trees, buildings. I’ve tried selecting the sky with Color Range, Magic Wand, and even Topaz Remask, putting the problem area on its own layer and hammering away at it there. The blotch problem stays.

I envy the HDR images I see where here are zero halos, but they never explain how they got rid of them. What’s the best way? Thanks in advance.

Is this anything useful?
http://www.ghawkinsphotos.com/downloads/HDR_Halo_Removal_in_ Photoshop_P1.pdf I have no idea what you are talking about (just when I think I know something about PS (LOL) so looked around via google.
K
Kele
Sep 9, 2011
Everything I learned about the subject is here:
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/

Watch the video on the linked page… lighting affects, white point. In the text tutorial, Trey talks about ghosting and how he controls it.

Hopefully, you have a fast connection. I wish my computer was as fast as Trey’s.

Also, if you erase the top layer with HDR applied to show the non-HDR copy below, you can selectively reduce the HDR affect.

I use HDR software almost always to adjust the image lighting. I’ve been able to be more subtle at applying HDR processing now – resulting in less ghosting and still get a good image pop. I use less or no flash more often now when taking pictures because I know HDR processing can pull more light from shadow. I can save poorly taken photos with HDR. Try to work on a large image size; there will be less ghosting imo.

Treys favorite HDR software is the best for true multi-image HDR, but not as a Photoshop plug-in because it requires 32bit processing and flattening the image. Redynamix is almost as good as Photomatix without the in-Photoshop bit depth restrictions. Both work on a single photo.
S
Savageduck
Sep 9, 2011
On 2011-09-08 19:00:36 -0700, "Kele" said:

Everything I learned about the subject is here:
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/

Watch the video on the linked page… lighting affects, white point. In the text tutorial, Trey talks about ghosting and how he controls it.
Hopefully, you have a fast connection. I wish my computer was as fast as Trey’s.

Also, if you erase the top layer with HDR applied to show the non-HDR copy below, you can selectively reduce the HDR affect.

I use HDR software almost always to adjust the image lighting. I’ve been able to be more subtle at applying HDR processing now – resulting in less ghosting and still get a good image pop. I use less or no flash more often now when taking pictures because I know HDR processing can pull more light from shadow. I can save poorly taken photos with HDR. Try to work on a large image size; there will be less ghosting imo.

Treys favorite HDR software is the best for true multi-image HDR, but not as a Photoshop plug-in because it requires 32bit processing and flattening the image. Redynamix is almost as good as Photomatix without the in-Photoshop bit depth restrictions. Both work on a single photo.

I am currently using NIK HDR Efex Pro which has among its tools the ability to reduce halos, along with a few different levels and types of ghost correction.
< ttps://www.niksoftware.com/hdrefexpro/usa/entry.php >

Here is a comparison of a 5 exposure -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 HDR processed with HDR Efex Pro, against the "0" adjust shot. < http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/HDR-MB62-comp.jpg >


Regards,

Savageduck
K
Kele
Sep 10, 2011
Bracketing capable camera? Nice comparison; the HDR is pushed hard and isn’t glowing. Look at the chain spool fwd deck – pulled from xtreme shadow. I’m addicted to HDR.

I didn’t know Nik made one too; thanks.
S
Savageduck
Sep 11, 2011
On 2011-09-10 16:31:11 -0700, "Kele" said:

Bracketing capable camera?

The camera is a D300s.
With that I can shoot 3, 5, 7, & 9 shot brackets, at +- 0.3, +- 0.7, & +- 1.0 intervals.

Nice comparison; the HDR is pushed hard and
isn’t glowing. Look at the chain spool fwd deck – pulled from xtreme shadow. I’m addicted to HDR.

I didn’t know Nik made one too; thanks.


Regards,

Savageduck
S
Savageduck
Sep 11, 2011
On 2011-09-10 16:31:11 -0700, "Kele" said:

Bracketing capable camera? Nice comparison; the HDR is pushed hard and isn’t glowing. Look at the chain spool fwd deck – pulled from xtreme shadow. I’m addicted to HDR.

I didn’t know Nik made one too; thanks.

BTW: here is a more extreme example of lifting detail in the shadows. This is also a 5 exposure bracket with +-1 interval.
< http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/DNC_7858_HDR-compW2.jp g >


Regards,

Savageduck
JJ
John J Stafford
Sep 11, 2011
Do not let the aperture change between shots. That is bound to bring out differences in renditions unless you have one spendy APO diffraction limited lens.
S
Savageduck
Sep 11, 2011
On 2011-09-10 19:30:14 -0700, John J Stafford said:

Do not let the aperture change between shots. That is bound to bring out differences in renditions unless you have one spendy APO diffraction limited lens.

I shoot aperture priority and let the D300s make the exposure adjustment with the bracketing. The lens was a Nikkor 18-200mm VRII. So in the example I posted you will find the following exposure set up; All 5 shots are @ f/4.0 ISO 200.
The five bracketed shots (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2) have the following shutter speeds. 1/3200, 1/1600, 1/800, 1/400, & 1/200


Regards,

Savageduck
N
nomail
Sep 11, 2011
John J Stafford wrote:
Do not let the aperture change between shots. That is bound to bring out differences in renditions unless you have one spendy APO diffraction limited lens.

It is going to bring out differences with any lens, because you change the depth of field between the shots if you change the aperture.


Johan W. Elzenga, Editor/Photographer, www.johanfoto.com
W
w
Sep 13, 2011
On 9/10/2011 7:56 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-09-10 19:30:14 -0700, John J Stafford said:

Do not let the aperture change between shots. That is bound to bring out differences in renditions unless you have one spendy APO diffraction limited lens.

I shoot aperture priority and let the D300s make the exposure adjustment with the bracketing. The lens was a Nikkor 18-200mm VRII. So in the example I posted you will find the following exposure set up; All 5 shots are @ f/4.0 ISO 200.
The five bracketed shots (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2) have the following shutter speeds.
1/3200, 1/1600, 1/800, 1/400, & 1/200
Yeah, I (exclusively) use aperture priority with HDR shooting, mount a tripod (usually), and even use manual focus to disarm any focus change during bracketing. I use a Nikon D700, having just gotten up to full frame. Previous ideas in the thread here have worked well thanks, everybody), and StuckInCustoms does have good suggestions. But all involve very labor-intensive masking and layering, and my halos seemed strong compared to other folks’ HDR work. Which prompted me to post here thinking I was off-base with my processing.
Thanks again for your input – the search goes on.

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