Category: Photo Techniques

One-Year Ago (18-December-2009) — Hawaii

Gone to See Hawaii, Maui Day 3: Haleakala National Park.

Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station: Comparison of HDR Image Processing Programs. I used images taken at sunset last year to do a comparison of HDR (high dynamic range) processing programs. The first image is the original image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). The next three images are HDR composites from 5 exposures (+2, +1, 0, -1, -2 EV) using  Photoshop CS5 HDR Pro, Photomatix Pro, and Nik HDR Efex Pro. The final image was processed using DxO Optics Pro 6 using a “single-shot” HDR technique.  All of the new HDR programs have multiple, if not many presets as well as many controls to optimize the image. The HDR programs have come a long way over the last 3-4 years, where the HDR effects were often overboard. But then again, HDR can recover an uninteresting image i.e. “A derelict fishing boat along the Alaska Canada Highway”

Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Original image, no HDR (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Original image, no HDR (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Photoshop CS5 HDR (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Photoshop CS5 HDR (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). NIK HDR Pro (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). NIK HDR Pro (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Single shot HDR with Dx0 Pro (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Single shot HDR with Dx0 Pro (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). HDR with Photomatix Pro (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). HDR with Photomatix Pro (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu'U'Ula'Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Photomatix HDR (5 images) (David J Mathre)
Sunset over Haleakala Satellite Tracking Station from Pu’U’Ula’Ula peak in Haleakala National Park, Maui Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec). Photomatix HDR (5 images) (David J Mathre)

[pw_map address=”20.70995, -156.253317″ width=”600px” height=”400px” enablecontrols=”true” “key=”AIzaSyDzSJfuf50JPAE5AllQz8iLyENq3jp1rR”]

Sunday (21-November-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

November Full Moon — Also known as the Beaver Moon or Harvest Moon. 1) Image acquired with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). 2) Image acquired with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec).

November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3s and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 800 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3x and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
November Full Moon over New Jersey. Image taken with D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 with TC-E 20 teleconverter (ISO 100, 800 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (20-November-2007) — Hawaii

Gone to See Hawaii. Big Island Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 3: Beach at Waipi’o Valley.

Comparison of RAW image converters. Waipi’o Valley is located along the Hamakua Coast on the northeastern coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The image was taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 17 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). Four different programs were used to render the RAW image: 1) Capture NX2,  2) Photoshop CS5 with Camera Raw 6.2,  3) Capture One Pro 5,  4) DxO 6.5. The images were rotated 2.6° to level the horizon, sharpened with Focus Magic, and then converted to jpg and sRGB with Photoshop CS5. I am interested in feedback regarding the different renderings.


[pw_map address=”20.11965, -155.5911″ width=”600px” height=”400px” enablecontrols=”true” “key=”AIzaSyDzSJfuf50JPAE5AllQz8iLyENq3jp1rR”]