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?)

Digital Imaging from Pixel Capture to Print

Take your digital imaging to the next level. This course will provide a thorough understanding of the construction of a digital image and image file types. All you need to know to get the best possible quality from your digital images will be included. The course will provide the “missing manual” by taking the mystery out of white balance, color spaces, compression, image size and image resolution and many of the other menu options found on a modern digital camera. Objectives to be considered when developing your personal digital work flow will be included. Adobe Photoshop will be used to illustrate basic digital image adjustments including exposure adjustments, color correction, resizing, cropping and sharpening. Finally the preparation of an image for printing will be demonstrated.

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.