Using HDR for a Single Image

[mjschocken]

I hate to ask this and really wanted to figure it out on my own but I can't.  So I'm using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software (4) and noticed that if I start HDR for a single image, I get better sharpness than if I use the sharpness in the tool palette.  What I do is crop the image first in the tool palette and then start the HDR and use the sharpness slides in HDR.  However, from what I understand of HDR, it is used for multiple images when each image has a different exposure such as when you take three shots using automatic exposure compensation.  My question is, how does HDR work on a single RAW image? 

[RobertTheFat]

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@mjschocken wrote:

I hate to ask this and really wanted to figure it out on my own but I can't.  So I'm using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software (4) and noticed that if I start HDR for a single image, I get better sharpness than if I use the sharpness in the tool palette.  What I do is crop the image first in the tool palette and then start the HDR and use the sharpness slides in HDR.  However, from what I understand of HDR, it is used for multiple images when each image has a different exposure such as when you take three shots using automatic exposure compensation.  My question is, how does HDR work on a single RAW image? 

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I'm a DPP4 user; but I've never used HDR, so I won't try to answer your question. But I would caution you against relying too heavily on after-the-fact sharpening, whatever tool you may use to produce it. A little goes a long way, and oversharpened images may look good when you're pixel-peeping through a sharpening tool but quite unnatural when viewed as a whole.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe I read somewhere that photo editors normally de-sharpen images slightly to avoid an oversharpened look. If that's so, what you may be seeing is that effect applied in the sharpening tool but not in the HDR tool. The presumed rationale would be that combining the images in HDR will produce a bit of de-sharpening anyway.

[mjschocken]

Bob,

Thanks for your comments.  I have to admit I like to see sharp edges in my wildlife photos although, as you say, not excessively.  When I use the HDR tool, I sharpen to a limited extent (~10% on the slider scale) but, to my eye, it improves the look.

[Waddizzle]

"My question is, how does HDR work on a single RAW image?"

Good quesiton. 

Maybe it does what I have occasionaly done by hand.  Sometimes I wind up with a photo that had more dynamic range than what the camera could handle.  I might have a sky that is washed out, or shadows that are completely dark. 

So, I fudge it.  I will create multiple JPEGs of the image, but with different exposure compensation in settings.  I try not to center the exposures around 0 Ev of compensation.  For example, for a washed out sky I might create a series of JPEGs with the follwoing exposure settings: 1, 0, -1, -2, -3. 

Aside from lens correction and white balance, I don't make any additional changes.  I send those to the HDR batch process, and it happily churns its' way through, almost as if I had shot different exposures from a tripod.

[ebiggs1]

"I'm using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software (4) and noticed that if I start HDR for a single image ..."

I don't use DPP4 very often, just long enough to see I still don't like it.  So I don't really know what it is doing but 'real' post editors like Lightroom, Photomatrix Pro, etc, will not process a single image with the HDR option.

If you like what it does, more power to you.  Keep dong it as that is all that is important.

DPP's best feature it, it is free.

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"I'm using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software (4) and noticed that if I start HDR for a single image ..."

I don't use DPP4 very often, just long enough to see I still don't like it.  So I don't really know what it is doing but 'real' post editors like Lightroom, Photomatrix Pro, etc, will not process a single image with the HDR option.

If you like what it does, more power to you.  Keep dong it as that is all that is important.

DPP's best feature it, it is free.

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Actually  Photomatrix Pro allows you to create HDR images from a single RAW file.

Who knows what exactly its' doing, but it claims that it can to do something with a single file.

[kvbarkley]

RAW has 14 (or more!) bits of resolution. JPEG has 8. The HDR uses those extra bits to get an HDR image that squeezes all those bits into an 8 bit JPEG. Just like dolby dbx!

[mjschocken]

Thanks for your comment.  That confirms that a single RAW file can be used for HDR.  That was my observation using DPP-4.

[Waddizzle]

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@mjschocken wrote:

Thanks for your comment.  That confirms that a single RAW file can be used for HDR.  That was my observation using DPP-4.

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Using a single file, RAW or JPEG, to create an HDR photo is black magic.  Photo goes in, and VOILA, magic image comes out.

I use the stand alone version of Lightroom, and a stand alone version of Photoshop.  I refuse to rent software.  While full blown Photoshop can no longer be purchased, Photoshop Elements seems like a good companion.  Although, what most people would use PSE for can be easily done with freeware apps like GIMP or PaintDotNet.

Lightroom is an electronic darkroom, like DPP, except it is MUCH more sophisticated and powerful than DPP.

If you buy the standalone Lightroom, DO NOT try a trial subscription to the Creative Cloud on the same machine, NOR use the same Adobe account and password.  If you wish to test drive Creative Cloud, use an entirely different machine and an entirely different Adobe account and password.  Your standalone license will get hijacked by CC, and you will have to do a complete wipe and re-install.

[ebiggs1]

" I refuse to rent software."

Dang straight!