Imaging the Natural World

Details Enhancer & Photomatics Pro

In the last post, I featured the HDR processing of five images using the Tone Compressor option of Photomatics PRO. Below is the same set of images processed using the Details Enhancer option. 

The Photomatics user’s manual indicates that the treatment of pixels using the Details Enhancer is affected by surrounding pixels and therefore not a global effect. This results in great control of the amount of detail revealed by local contrast. The number of controls available using the details enhancer option is much more extensive  than with the tone compressor option and it can result in images that are far from “natural”  looking.  In the case of this image, it enabled revealing of the detail in the rock formations which was discernible by eye, but not revealed well using the tone compressor option.

Which do you prefer?

More on HDR & Photomatix Pro

I continue to be fascinated with HDR imaging and I am slowly beginning to understand the use of Photomatix Pro in creating an image that represents what I saw as I created the images that underly the HDR merged result.  Photmatix Pro provides three separate approaches to creating an HDR image:

1. Exposure blending
2. Details Enhancer
3. Tone Compressor

I decided to experiment with each approach using the same images for a starting point. According to the Photomatix manual, the Tone compressor works on a global basis or “pixels are processed independently of their surroundings.” The method produces a more natural looking result than the Details Enhancer approach.

Below is an image processed using the Tone Compressor tools.

HDR Image Processed Using Tone Compressor Controls

More from the Southwest

I don’t often shoot panoramas, not because I don’t like them, but because I don’t think of it when the opportuntiy presents itself. The Digital Imaging Association conference that I participated in  this month in Page Arizona included attendees who are panoramic  photographers. Their discussions heightened my awareness of opportunites.

Monument Valley Panorama

The above image was stitched from two separate images using Photoshop CS4. One of the things I learned from the group is that stitching programs are so good today that even hand held images can be successfully merged into a single panorama. I still advocate the use of a tripod, not for stitching success but for the highest quality image results. This particular panorama was shot hand-held with an image stabilized lens.

Little Activity

On Thursday I took a quick check of some area bird photography locations before the Memorial Day crowds begin to show up. First stop was Old Black Point which has been my favorite location for photographing osprey. As I reported in an earlier post, the nest that I have photographed for many years is still empty and obviously will not be used this year. There are several other possible nests that look promising but I will have to seek permission from private land owners to get any sort of  access.

I traveled further along Rt 156 to Rocky Neck Sate Park. There was not a lot of activity, but a feeding egret under good lighting prompted me to set up my equipment. Of course as soon as I got all set, the egret hop-scotched to a more distant location. There were several small shore birds (aka unidentified)  feeding in the shallows so I decided to capture a few images.

Shorebird (AKA Unidentified)

If anyone can provide an identity, it would be appreciated. I enjoyed watching the distant egret fishing and was treated to an overflight of ibis. I did capture an image but they took me so much by surprise that I  didn’t open up my aperture to compensate for the flight shot, so the images are a disappointment. A short while later a yellow legs (greater or lesser I am not sure) glided into the area and began his search for food.  Nothing spectacular, but any day watching and photographing is a great day!

Yellow Legs (greater or lesser?)

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

High dynamic range imaging allows the building of a single image from multiple images that when taken together can far excede the dynamic range of tradional film emulsions. The image below is the result of combining  five images spanning about 12 f stops.

HDR Image Bryce Canyon- Arizona

The images below are the five individual images from which the composite was blended using PhotoMatrixPro’s exposure blending option. The ability to render detail in the deepest shadow areas while retaining detail in the highlights is obvious.

1/3000 @f/9

1/750 @f/9

1/180th @f/9

1/45th @f/9

1/10th @ f/9

From now on whenever my histogram tell me I cannot capture the full tonal range of a scene, I will turn toi the new tool in my arsenal.

Antelope Canyon

On Monday morning our group visited Antelope Canyon. Some of us opted to tour two different locations, one called rattlesnake canyon and the other upper antelope. Rattlesnake was quite tight and required scaling ladders to access the furthest reaches of the canyon. Upper antelope was much easier to negotiate but also was filled with many more people on tours.  I used the tour to try my hand at High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. I have to say I am very excited about the results. The imge below is made up of seven individual images spanning 14 f/ stops.  Tuesday morning we returned to Horseshoe Bend and enjoyed much more favorable conditions. I presented my talk on color correction techniques in Adobe Photoshop CS4 on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday finds us on our way to Bryce Canyon.

Antelope Canyon High Dynamic Range Image

Return to the Southwest

I had intended to keep this site updated on a daily basis but found unreliable WiFi at our destination. We arrived in Phoenix early Saturday afternoon and immediately “got out of Dodge” and headed north to Sedona where we had a room booked for the  night. From the doorstep we had the view of Cathedral Rock pictured below. We enjoyed window shopping in town and had a fantastic dining experience at the Cowboy Club. Our hosts at the B&B were wonderful and we enjoyed Sedona so much that we decided to make it a stay on our way back to Phoenix at the end of our trip to the Southwest.

Cathderal Rock, Sedona

Horse Shoe Bend Near Page Arizona

After an hour or so photographing, we had enough of the high winds and headed to our destination for the day at the Lake Powell Resorts and Marina. The views as we traveled along the edge of the lake to the resort were spectacular.

Two Places at Once

I can’t be in two places at once!  I will be in the air somewhere between Arizona and Connecticut on May 2nd so  “Basic Color Management for the Digital Photgrapher” that was scheduled for that date has been moved to the same time, same place but on June 6th.

Off to Page Arizona

I’m looking forward to a change in scenery! On Saturday we will be leaving the northeast for the Digital Imaging Association Conference in Page, Arizona. Our flight is taking us to Phoenix and we will drive to Page with an overnight stop in Sedona.  The group is meeting at Horseshoe Bend for some photography on Sunday and hopefully I will catch up with them there.

I will be presenting a talk on identifying and correcting color casts in Adobe CS4 during the conference. The group has side trips planned for Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley.

The southwest is one of my favorite locations for photography. My plan is to concentrate on HDR and panoramas. If anyone has any suggestions for a “must” see or photography let me know. I will post some images on my retrun.

The ospreys are back, sort of

I finally got a break in my teaching action and drove out to Old Black Point to check on how the osprey pair I have photographerd for the last four years was doing. I was very disappointed to find the nest empty this year. Other osprey nests are alrady actiuve, so my favorite pair may not be returning, or are very late. Hopefully it is the latter.

Egret Cruising

I spent only about 45 mintues watching several other nests when this handsome egret cruised by.  For the momnet, that satisfied by photographic urges. I will try to get back to Old Black Point again this weekend. Hopefully my ospreys will have returned.