Motorcycles in HDR - Post Yours Here!

[Mr Head]

Using the HDR setting on my Lumix LX5 last year. Actually learning to use the camera on the run.
This was at some lake or other in Nevada South of Las Vegas. Bloody hot and humid. I slept on top of my sleeping pad with nothig but the bag liner I carry. I had the rain fly off the tent and was awakend in the night soaked in a light mist that was falling.

Then about two hours later a big lifted 4X4 truck pulling a big ski boat pulled in switched on the HID lights on the boat and truck and cranked the redneck rap and lit off sky rockets! (National Park). Breaking bottles and throwing cans. The Law showed up in the form of two lights off SUV's. Harsh words were exchanged. I expected to see a few dimwits cuffed on the curb, btu everything was quieted down right quick. When I was packing up at about 5:30 AM, (about an hour and a half later), the truck and boat were there with a big tent and a few bodies strewn around. I rode out before I saw anyone stir, skipping my usual camp breakfast to get out of the humidity.

[lexluther11]

Originally Posted by rick3foxes

Any recommendations for "HDR-friendly cameras"?

My obsolete Nikon Coolpix 5700 has an auto-bracket selection that isn't automatic. If I set it to -2, 0, +2, it will change the exposure after each shot, but I have to manually shoot 3 photos. NOT GOOD if I want to set up a tripod and get in the picture myself using the timer.

Also, if I shoot in RAW mode, it takes about 8 seconds to save the image to memory.

I still have it because it has a good lens and 8X optical zoom.

Thanks,
Rick.

How much do you want to spend? I just upgraded my Pentax K10 to a K5 today. The K5 has a HDR mode and doesn't need a tripod because it aligns the pictures automatically. Eager to go try it out.

You might want to upgrade your memory card to one that reads&writes faster. Raw pictures are a lot bigger than JPG............Raw 16mb = JPG 2mb for a 3872x2592 picture.

[dave6253]

Originally Posted by rick3foxes

Any recommendations for "HDR-friendly cameras"?

My obsolete Nikon Coolpix 5700 has an auto-bracket selection that isn't automatic. If I set it to -2, 0, +2, it will change the exposure after each shot, but I have to manually shoot 3 photos. NOT GOOD if I want to set up a tripod and get in the picture myself using the timer.

Also, if I shoot in RAW mode, it takes about 8 seconds to save the image to memory.

I still have it because it has a good lens and 8X optical zoom.

Thanks,
Rick.

I also shoot with a Pentax K-5 and before that a K-7. Both are great for HDR because they will auto-bracket 2, 3, or 5 exposures with exposure values in 1/3 stops up to 2 e/v apart. There are several cameras out with an "HDR Function". The K-7 and K-5 have this feature. You have very little control over the outcome. The camera takes 3 exposures, merges and auto-aligns them and saves a single jpeg. I've have very little success using this feature and wouldn't recommend getting a camera just because of this feature. Any camera that shoots brackets in RAW would be preferable for HDR. Not all DSLRs do and some require the camera to be tethered to a laptop to shoot only three brackets. Check the specs of the camera you are interested in. I shoot with Pentax, because you get more for your money (I can't afford Canikon). I've never regretted getting a Pentax. I was shooting with a couple friends who have Canon 60Ds and was surprised at some of the features their camera lacked compared to my K-5.

3 exposures at 2 E/V apart will work for most scenes, but you can't shoot into the sun and a dark canyon and get these results. This was 5 brackets at 2 apart.

[dave6253]

Originally Posted by StromHAMMER

Here are a couple from St. Elmo, Co. Took em yesterday.

My Multistrada...





My friend's Sprint ST...

These are awesome, stromhammer.

[Mr Head]

[Rapid Dog]

[unlawfulsm]

I too use a Pentax, but a K200, it has bracketing and very easy to use features and takes some great shots. I would love to switch over to a K5, but I can't find any fault with the K200. Pentax's are much cheaper than its competitors and takes some great shots.

[2twisted]

Used this pic today for the Maine tag, Pentax, Optio WG-2, take photo and HDR edit on camera.

[Ladukebob]

Beautiful photos everyone. Hdr isn't for everyone but it can be fun.

[sfarson]

Laduke... Niiiiice.

From a ride the other day...

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by sfarson

From a ride the other day...

Very subtle, very nice.

While the artistry displayed by StromHAMMER in the series he posted is certainly remarkable, it is also nice to see how HDR can be used to improve an ordinary scene and make it come alive, almost like 3D.

Really some great photos being posted in this thread.

[dave6253]

Originally Posted by Mr Head

Mr. Head... or Dick, I love the painterly effect of the processing here. Which software are you using?

[Mr Head]

Uber cheap, included with Smugmug account, "PicMonkey" is the name.
Very easy to use. Not a lot of levers and knobs.
For HDR effect, the spot size, "Radius" which seems to control the "cartooning/painting" look,
Intensity and Fade are the remaining variables. Mucking with them can move the effect from subtle to something resembling a 70's headshop poster.
When I finished the processing on this one, I was struck by how it felt a little like those Edward Hopper paintings.

... The "Mr Head" moniker was given to me by a former lead, who had nicknames for all of us, I got that because of my sparkling personality.
We had a lot of fun. Got a lot done that never got used, but we had fun and got noticed.
When ever I have a martini I look at the shaker and think of him. He collected shakers. He was a damned good lead.

Originally Posted by dave6253

Mr. Head... or Dick, I love the painterly effect of the processing here. Which software are you using?

[lexluther11]

[crazyman]

Detail shot of my bars and instruments,

[IMG]
DSC02112_tonemapped by chrisrobison, on Flickr[/IMG]