Hi from Berkshire UK / Mark Dunn /

Hi Mark!  Welcome from Staffordshire.......

I've noticed quite a few photos posted recently in HDR - I've dabbled with Photomatix but as I haven't registered, still get the watermarks!  The Jury's Still Out on HDR for me, although I like the dramatic skies you can get and the brickwork on old buildings, if the image is enhanced too much I think it can look fake.

I love your black and white pics - keep 'em coming!

Ruth B

Hi everyone and thanks for all the warm greetings.

Maria,

I use “Photomatix” software (http://www.hdrsoft.com/)

to make my final HDR images.

I personally like to shoot a bracketed series of RAW images

which will allow me to capture as much tonal range as possible

and then combine them within Photomatix.

Within Photomatix you can also do a single RAW file

conversion to HDR, which is actually called a Pseudo HDR image.
With a Pseudo HDR image it will not have the same tonal range as you

would get from a series of bracketed images.

You can also create HDR images within Photoshop, by

importing the RAW file into Camera RAW and then using the

exposure slider to under expose the image then save it. Then

Many welcomes, Mark.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures and getting to know you here on the forums. 

That's true, Ruth, in fact that's where the skill with HDR gets in the....picture:)

Thanks for the info, Mark.   I too use Photomatix. I knew you can HDR within Photoshop but I've never tried (I normally use Lighroom on Mac for any photo editing). I will sure have a try in PS too over the weekend.  Ciao.

Just a quick update on the PhotoShop conversion:

It is always best to try and shoot bracketed images in with the camera
to get the best results.

I have not done much HDR in PhotoShop, and prefer to use Photomatix as it gives
better control over the image and a better final image.

I also agree with you Sue, if you "overcook" an HDR image it can introduce Halo's
around the edges and also can make the image look fake. At the end of the day it
boils down to personal taste and what style / type of image the photographer is trying to portray.

I find when doing HDR if you convert the final image to Black & White, by desaturating the image it can really bring out the textures within the photo.

I also have some other plug-ins for PhotoShop, that allow me to add filters and Bleach effects which can add a very gritty feel to the end image.

Once again thank you all for your kind comments on my Black and White images
I am glad that you like them, as positive feedback keeps me motivated and wanting
to get back out and shoot more =)


Barbara & Debbie,

I have never really had a hobby or an interest as such, until I found photography and doing it along with getting out on walks helps me keep fit..ish and I get to see loads of places and get the chance to record what I see in photographs.

I think if you are passionate about something you are always willing to learn more and have an appetite to find out as much as you can about it to better yourself.

I known when I 1st started out my photographs were no where near what they are now, but the more I got out and started seeing things the way the camera saw them and tried different compositions things started to fall into place, especially when I could sit down at the PC and study the images closely, and criticise my work.
So that the next time I went out to take photo's I spent more time composing and thinking about the final shot rather than just snapping away.

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum from another Mark from Berkshire!  

Richard, Thanks for you comment !

Hi Mick =)

Mark G,

I see from "your" introduction post, that you are from Woodley,
which is not very far from where I live in Wokingham =)