[saadsyed]

Hey guys ,
Has anyone tried playing with HDR using a Rebel XT? It can't take 9 bracketed pics like some Nikons can, but it can take 3. So us Rebel users have to make the best of it.

Honestly, if there are no clouds, water, or wind (moves trees/flags) then it's very easy to deal with. Thing is, that condition is hardly ever met. If it is, all one has to do is stabilize the camera on a tripod and then take his/her time taking the scene in as many diff. EV settings as he/she pleases.

But back to reality... has anyone come up w/ strategy or techniques that aid in coming up w/ content for HDR pics using cameras that bracket 3 values and still be able to capture clouds? (water and flags tend to move faster than clouds... maybe not in actual speed, but at least to my eye... I just want to be able to catch those clouds!)

Thanks in advance!

[adam]

With my 300D, I just put the camera on manual mode, on a tripod and cable release then in quick succession take the photographs changing the shutterspeed between each picture.

Or just shot with one RAW file (but I don't think this works as well for dynamic range) - but if there are moving subjects, I would do this.

I made this one out of multiple photographs on different shutter speed settings, and the water certainly did not stay still, but sort of worked.

[NT73]

Saadsyed, Irma does/did a lot of HDR and I belive she had the 350d/rebel at the time.
Hang around, she will possibly assist.

It works beautifully, adam.

[Irma]

But back to reality... has anyone come up w/ strategy or techniques that aid in coming up w/ content for HDR pics using cameras that bracket 3 values and still be able to capture clouds? (water and flags tend to move faster than clouds... maybe not in actual speed, but at least to my eye... I just want to be able to catch those clouds!)

Not really... My HDR with moving subjects are from a raw file. But from a raw file that doesn't have anything blown out or anything underexposed. From there you have some posibilities. You can work with your raw file in CS2 to get an image that covers the whole histogram playing with exposure and curves and reducing the contrast, then you convert this image in a 32bit and then again into a 8bit to work with the HDR conversion window for the tone mapping. Or, you can get as many images as you want with different exposures from a raw file and work with Photomatix or any other similar program.

This is an image with a heavy treatment but I wanted like this.... You can also make it as natural as you wish..




Adam I would love to see that beautiful picture a bit bigger, to see the effect you got in the sea...

[saadsyed]

Thank you all for your responses. Yea, I've asked around other forums as well... it looks like the best way to go "HDRing" scenes w/ a lot of movement seems to be what you suggested. I like the idea of saving one RAW and then getting diff. exposures from it. Heck if you bracket 3, then you can try getting diff. exposure copies from all 3... just to provide a better range.

[edit]
Btw, Irma... amazing website... amazing landscape pictures. I love landscapes. How do you manage to capture the sky/clouds in that tone? I'm guessing Gradual gray filters + polarizer?

[Irma]

Thanks so much for your kind words about my pictures. I have to say that too much but really toooo much of what you see there has been done thanks to this forum and the help of all members... In Shuttertalk you really learn photography...

Anyway, all those landscapes that you see in the website were taken with a panasonic FZ20 (Italy) and the rest with a D70. My wide angle lens doesn't have filters, only the 50mm. I think there is just one picture with CPF and it is and HDR... I think too much has to do with getting the right exposure, and play a bit with photoshop

Of course the filters help a lot, I just bought my B&W CPF but if you are fan of landscape photography you might find interesting this site and this tutorial about filters.

http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/filters.shtml

[Mudger]

First Post!

yes, I just bought a Rebel XT and I don't know how to "bracket" or "meter" a shot for HDR. I usually just tripod the camera, and take 4-5 different exposure pics from Overexposed all the way through underexposed.

I then run those shots through CS2 HDR merge.

Dunno if thats the right way to do it.

[adam]

I basically do the same thing, but if you want to bracket exposures - in the camera menu go to AEB, select how many stops above and under you want the other exposures to be, put the camera into continuous drive, and hold the shutter button down - three shots at different exposures will be taken.
I prefer just to do it manually

[Irma]

First Post!

yes, I just bought a Rebel XT and I don't know how to "bracket" or "meter" a shot for HDR. I usually just tripod the camera, and take 4-5 different exposure pics from Overexposed all the way through underexposed.

I then run those shots through CS2 HDR merge.

Dunno if thats the right way to do it.

and How are your results? Are you happy with your pictures?

Could you share some of your HDR's....

Welcome to shuttertalk btw...

[noelpd]

My First HDR with my Digital Rebel XT. I really dont have any clue what im doing but let me know what you guys think. Im trying to learn HDR settings. I just did about 5 shots from dark exposure to over exposure than converted with Photoshop. Will it turn out better if i take a picture of something with prettier scenery??

[Irma]

Your HDR looks nice. I like the effect you have in the grass... Have you got detail in the bushes and shadows? at this size is a bit difficult to see. You might like to add a bit more saturation. It looks a bit pale to me.

Welcome to shuttertalk, btw...

[climberphotog]

Well, for years I used a Canon 300D (the original Digital Rebel) to shoot HDRs. If you are only AEB bracketing (3 shot, +-2 ev) and shooting clouds, I would recommend setting things up like this:
- Set ISO to 400 or 800 (depending on the light)
- Open the aperture to f8 or more (if you can still get the clouds and foreground in focus)
- Check shutter speed for proper exposure (should be pretty fast unless its dark out)
- Turn on "Mirror Lockup"
- Turn on AEB with 2ev spacing (if you have the option, set the "order of brackets" to darkest (-), then mid (0), then highest (+))
- Set the Mirror lockup timer to 0.5 seconds (if the XT can, my 300D had hacked firmware to do this)
- Compose the shot, double check exposure and AEB spread in viewfinder
- Press and hold the shutter release button and the mirror goes up... hold the button and wait for it... BAM - 3 very fast shots in a row!

Sounds like a lot of dancing around, but it becomes pretty normal once you get into it. If you have a tripod you can set the self-timer as well and just press the shutter release and walk away. No holding down the button and no "jiggle" in the camera. Unless it is a very windy day, usually the clouds will be just fine like this. It also helps to frame the shot as close to the horizon as possible since the motion of the clouds relative to you are greatly minimized then...

Just some ideas...

_m

[Zig]

I'm still following this thread and this one(of many) areas I want to do more in; Climberphotog: many thanks for the detailed HowTo; I'd been doing a "poor man's" version with Photomatix freebie and the same raw file, so this has helped me "focus". A big welcome, by the way!