Redwoods with HDR toning

[gf beranek]

Terri and I went to Prairie Creek last weekend to try and capture some of the same redwoods, and forest settings, in new light. For the most part the light sucked, but HDR toning did bring out a lot detail in some of the images that suffered the most. Looks like we'll have to try it again, and cross our finger we catch the light a little bit better. HDR toning effect is kind of cool, but natural ambient light, when it's perfect, can't be beat for the best all around images in the woods. Unfortunately, natural ambient light is seldom perfect in the woods. When it's not HDR toning can help.

Enjoy!

 

[stig]

Nice.
That is a very natural look. Just like being there on a foggy day.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Friggin galldang AMAZING!

 

[cory]

CRAZY good pictures, wow!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Amazing the way they came out Gerry. Love the vivid colors!

 

[gf beranek]

The default settings in the program actually produced a much more vivid image. Unreal colors for a dark redwood grove. I had to toned the settings down to produce at least a more realistic looking image in the end. It's an interesting program, and I'll probably use it more often in the future.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Jerry, I'm just curious, have you used photo enhancement programs for the great images that you have posted before in various threads? Photo manipulation is really interesting, I find.

 

[rbtree]

Ger, since getting the amazing 5D Mk III, which has built in HDR (as well as multiple exposure capabilities) I've been going crazy shooting HDR images, even handheld. I may have overdone its use on my last trip to the Redwoods.

This image is in Vivid HDR mode, and handheld. It's of the North Cascades' Skagit River.

The second shot below is also an handheld HDR image. The first is not, and is simply one of the three shots that the camera takes when in HDR mode, and then processes the image to save the best highlight and shadows possible. Probably 10 stops of tonal range. Can't achieve this with a single exposure:

 

[mdvaden]

Beautiful, Jerry ... Wish I could have been down there with you.

Someone measured the redwood of the 3rd photo with a relascope and said it's about 26,000 cubic feet. It's amazingly streamlined for a larger redwood. Almost youthful looking in a way.k

Pretty cool composition and pick of location in the first photo. Any chance you zoomed for that shot? It looks great. Oh ... any chance the 1st shot was on your way up there? The rise and curve looks similar to one in Avenue of the Giants, although I know Prairie Creek gains elevation with a few curves at the north end.

 

[flushcut]

Awesome!

 

[mdvaden]

Ger, since getting the amazing 5D Mk III, which has built in HDR (as well as multiple exposure capabilities) I've been going crazy shooting HDR images, even handheld. I may have overdone its use on my last trip to the Redwoods.

This image is in Vivid HDR mode, and handheld. It's of the North Cascades' Skagit River.

I may get a Canon 5D Mk III next year. Although, the 5D Mk II works pretty darn good and I may sell my Canon 60D and get a 2nd 5D Mk II and just use the two full-frame cameras. The 2nd is mainly a spare. But the controls would all be the same.

 

[gf beranek]

Jay, about the only photo manipulation I did in the past was simple brightness and contrast adjustments. It's really cool what you can do with the software today, but still a good exposure to start with will make any post manipulation unnecessary. Least that's how I feel about it. But that HDR toning feature in Photoshop can really bring out the detail in a photo.

Nice photos, Rog. My Sony Nex-7 has in camera HDR also, but for the most part it's weak. So I don't use it much. I'll dig into my archives and post a couple of pics of the Eel River in HDR mode. There it seems to work pretty good with the river fog and sun rise in the background.

Good call, Mario. Those first couple of shots were at the Avenue of the Giants. About the 21 milepost where the old highway heads over High Rock. Arbor Day Grove, to narrow it down. We stopped there on the way up to Prairie Creek. The lighting was starting to look good as the sun come up and the fog burned off. It didn't last long though.

26,000 cubic feet X 12 = 312,000 board ft. That's far more volume than I would have ever guessed that tree has. But it do hold its size better than most. By the way, what is a relascope, and how does it work?

 

[mdvaden]

26,000 cubic feet X 12 = 312,000 board ft. That's far more volume than I would have ever guessed that tree has. But it do hold its size better than most. By the way, what is a relascope, and how does it work?

Here's a Wikipedia page about the relascope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relascope

I haven't used one, so it's easier to list the page for explanation. Michael Taylor has, or used one. I think Zane Moore, the college student doing some study on albino redwoods and other tree stuff learned to use the gadget too.

Have no idea what the price cost is. If they can be had for a few hundred dollars, I may think about it. If over $500, not likely.

 

[rbtree]

Mario, just get a Mk III. It's a worthy successor to the II... faster @ 6 fps, (a must for me for birds in flight,) better AF, a stop better noise, and the multiple exposure and HDR modes are superb.

I got my third one, ( have had two stolen) through Fredmiranda.com for $2400. Works perfectly.

My 7D will be up for sale eventually, as I'm looking forward to the imminent release of the 7D Mark II.

Eventually, if I ever find the time to learn it, I'll be getting the Magic Lantern firmware hack. It adds some amazing features to many Canon bodies....

 

[gf beranek]

Terri goggled it, Mario, and had the answer for me in mere seconds. Also, the price is around 2,000 bugs.

Here's a couple of pics of the South Fork of the Eel captured with native in-camera HDR. In these lighting conditions it seems to work pretty good.

Roger, you said two cameras were stolen!! What a heartbreak. Sorry to hear.

 

[rbtree]

Lots more, Ger.... Hoped I was done with these three thieves. other losses--$4500 300 f/2.8L, $2400 70-200 2.8 II...and much more..


Then, just two weeks ago, a low life who hadn't been seen since Jan 2007, when he was caught for stealing and forging four of my checks...... made off with over $3k of gear, including my 034 Super powered Simpson winch. Came back with his accomplice and empty car, neighbor spotted him by my truck. Cops came and threw his ass in jail, for a lousy 22 hours.... as he was unsuccessful getting into the truck, but had gotten all the stuff from my garage, under my nose, as I was inside with the door open, attempting to edit some of the nearly 1000 images from the weekend skiing at Mt Hood, with my paralyzed friend Mike Vowels---google him.... and going to the Eagles concert. 15 hours sleep over three nights, and I was half asleep while he was lifting the stuff from my garage. He musta been damned quiet. Of course, the cops, in this state, aren't allowed to issue a search warrant for his premises, or that of his accomplice, even though there is 99.99999% certainty he's the culprit.

The fucktard has been arrested 55 times in the last 12 years!! And has over 450 FB friends.

 

[gf beranek]

Egads, Roger, you're a target for thieves. And why even bother calling the police if they won't do anything? That's such a crock. Sorry to hear, man.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

You need yakuza

 

[mdvaden]

Egads, Roger, you're a target for thieves. And why even bother calling the police if they won't do anything? That's such a crock. Sorry to hear, man.

While pruning yesterday, the customer asks why I don't keep my name on my truck. I told her now that people from here to northern California know I do photography, I don't want them to know my vehicle when they see it. Considering that a lot of photographers have expensive lenses and cameras.

I generally carry the lion's share in that big backpack you saw when we were in Avenue of the Giants when the Danes came. If I go shopping in town or to restaurants, more often than not, I take the pack with me rather than leave it in a room or the truck.

BTW ... love that last shot you posted.