CS3 HDR vs Photomatix HDR

Or is it a case of HDR vs Tone Mapping?

So I finally got around to processing some images in Photomatix that I had already used photoshop for. So basically a HDR that I had done in CS3 - I've also now done in Photomatix. So here's image 1:

I liked this when I first did it - it was one of my favourite images from the motorshow that wasn't of the M1 Homage.

So last night I did the photomatix magic on the same 3 photos (all were bracketed -2, 0, +2)

I like the photomatix version over the photoshop version. I wasn't expecting to as I've struggled a bit with photomatix and tone mapping. I won't call it HDR as the HDR image in Photomatix would be pretty much the same as the HDR image in photoshop.

So my conclusions on all this:
Generally not a fan of tone-mapping you can use it to create interesting looking images but photomatix is too fiddly to get something that looks "realistic". The eye-bleeding tone-mapping is easy enough (but why would you want to?). I'm not going to get into a discussion of the nature of tone-mapped HDRs - I understand what art is about and I firmly believe each to their own.

CS3 when creating HDRs is very resource heavy & slow, photomatix is much faster. I will probably use photomatix over CS3 to be honest - namely for the speed. I will just have to continue struggling with trying to create realistic looking HDR images. Or I could just stop playing with HDR.

Craftsman or Artist?

This is something I've been thinking about and talking to Larry about a bit as well.

I like to think of myself as an artist. I don't know necessarily if I am though. The main point seems to be that I take photos of how I see the world. I don't create images as such (at times I do but its still how I see the world).

So I am trying to think if I should... should I start creating images, should I turn one of the sheds or part of the shed into a studio. Which then means I have to learn about lighting...

yikes!!!

So I jumped back on the HDR treadmill...

Why I don't know...

But I was looking at some of the HDR stuff that photoshop was producing and it just didn't look "right". Now I have always been a little bit scared off by photomatix (namely for the eye-bleeding HDRs that people tend to produce - yes I know it's tone-mapping that causes the eye-bleeding look not the actual HDR).

Although as a little aside - some of the HDR discussion forums on flickr are a scream. It's like the old days of internet bullying. There's so much hate for the eye-bleeding HDRs (which I can understand) but there's a valid arguement for them being artistic endeavours...

Anyhoo...
So I gave my copy of Photomatix a spin and I have to say I don't hate the results. It does make camera shake a lot more obvious though, which there is probably a way to reduce that too (a tripod probably)




So there you go :)
I might re-process some of my earlier photoshop HDRs in Photomatix to see what happens with the tone-mapping.

I'll do a compare & contrast next week :)

loss of mojo

Hi :)

Seems funny doesn't it - I'm having major mojo issues all round. No photography mojo... no blogging mojo. No real mojo...

I think I've been that stressed out about my mother visiting that mojo just vanished completely. Mother visiting was fine. There's a whole series of blog posts in that but I won't go into that much detail. It was what it was. An awkward and strange reunion. She's happy though - so I guess that's one of the main things.

Now the photo mojo. I haven't taken any digital pics apart from my phone cam. This is in part based on something Larry said, I try to be an artist and I want to be an artist but for me to be an artist, I need to create images and not just shoot the world as I see it. I guess this is what threw a spanner in my mojo works. I actually had to stop and think about this... it's strange really. Now I look at my 40D and not sure where to go with it or what to do with it.

It's not like I'm not taking any photos. I got my lomo fisheye a couple of weeks ago and I've been going mental with that. Who knew that a toy camera could be so much fun! I'm loving it!!! I guess toy cameras do encourage you to shoot the world as you see it. Although with the wide-angle lens you get some wacky and rather odd results. At least I've learnt to keep my fingers out of the focal range now ;)

general lack of motivation

it's funny really
i'm generally demotived
- not motivated to blog
- feeling a real lack of creativity to take photos
just general :meh:ness

so :meh:

oh & hi :)
will try to more regularly blog again

HDR Photos

Ok I guess this in part comes from a question from a friend what HDR is (has to do with a tweet I made last night about doing some HDR processing of some photos of my car - which mostly sucked btw... maybe I should go for the eye-bleeding tonemapping).

Anyway he asked what HDR was... So I'm being a real geek and sending him an email to explain it ^_^

Ok
To further explain HDR we shall consult wikipedia ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging
it explains it better than I could
and a couple of examples from me
non-HDR image


so this is just the "normal" exposure

the HDR version



To my mind HDR doesn't much accept correct some issues with over and under exposure - so it basically provides a more balanced image. This is probably completely & totally inaccurate but I can live with that - its what I think that's important in terms of my own work ;)

So here's the best out of 4 HDR photos I did last night...


I think I'm going to give HDR a rest - I don't see the benefit behind it really... either that or I am completely missing the point.

iPhones & Me

Ok let's get to the point
I love my iPhone - I probably shouldn't love a piece of materialistic technology but I love it...

so anyways!
I'm on iPhone #3. This is quite funny. I've had an iPhone since July last year - so not even a year and I'm on my third one... erm... yeah I don't know either.

So iPhone #1 met its untimely death when we returned from India. It worked absolutely fine in India - get back to Australia and nope... can't make or receive calls. Take into my telco provider - they suggest a restore - so I restore - nope, still no ability to make or receive calls - the internet & text works fine. So back to telco - woohoo, NEW PHONE! Seems there was a hardware issue. So I get shiney new iPhone... whee!!!!

Fast forward a month or so...
I was showing Larry something on my iPhone as a demo as to what he could do. Went to put it back on the duchess and I wasn't watching...
Phone drops onto polished floor - EEK!!!!!!
I was crushed :(
Screen no longer work...
So back to Telco - with damaged iPhone and a long face to enquire about replacement phones. I was expecting this was going to cost $$$. I gets me a shiney new iPhone for free - NADA - zip - ZILCH. How? I still don't know myself but as there was "no physical damage" it was a manufacturing fault... I'm guessing because the phone didn't look like it had been dropped I got another new one on warranty...

Cool huh?
I'm also accepting that I am quite lucky when it comes to iPhones. I also expect that my luck will run out so I've ordered a protective case to try to protect my iPhone #3 (and I did actually consider naming it iPhone #3).

Look wallpaper!


Have a great weekend!