I was always mesmerized by those seemingly unreal clicks that always looked as if painted or digitally made. Then later i got to know about the new unexplored field of HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. I went through some literature over it and started experimenting. First thing i did was try to fake the HDR effect in Photoshop ;)
Later on i tried some real HDR using exposure fusion and tone mapping.
Later on i tried some real HDR using exposure fusion and tone mapping.
Faking HDR
HDR cannot be achieved using a single jpeg image. But then again, photoshop can do anything :)
So i used this snap taken at Sangam (confluence of rivers Ganga and Yamuna), Allahabad, taken by my friend Pallavi.
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| Original |
and the result i got by playing with layers and different blending modes in PS is :
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| Photoshopped outcome |
There is this great tutorial for creating a fake HDR effect in PS using a single image HERE.
Real HDR Photography
Now, for the real deal, first you need to take the bracketed snaps. Always choose a place with a wide range of tones. You can either shoot a RAW image and develop the bracketed images from it, or you can shoot multiple shots of the same scene with varying exposure levels.
You need,
- A good digital camera. SLR's are always the best choice. I have a Cannon SX120. Its semi-professional but does the trick.
- A tripod, for keeping the camera still while taking the clicks. The camera should not move during the process or Tone mapping will be difficult in the post processing stage. You can do away with a tripod if you manage to keep the camera real still.
- A great subject or landscape. Goes without saying.
Bracketing means taking multiple snaps of the same subject with varying camera parameters in each shot. Here i varied the exposure level with each shot. What Exposure bracketing does is that it enhances the shadow details of the image when under-exposed, and enhances the highlights when over exposed. When you expose for a scene, your camera's light meter will select an aperture / shutter speed combination that it believes will give a properly exposed picture. So with multiple shots, you will be able to capture all the details of the image. I set-up the camera in manual mode and took 5 jpegs at different exposure levels (stops at -2 , -1 , 0 , +1 , +2). Some cameras can also be programmed to take multiple shots by automatic bracketing. You can also take a single RAW image. A RAW image takes much more memory space and the camera saves the image without any processing.
Now, for the post processing part, i used the Merge to HDR process of Photoshop (File>Automate>Merge to HDR) its real simple for beginners like me. Also, Photomatix is one of the best softwares available for HDR processing. In photomatrix , you can adjust the settings to get the look you want: from natural-looking with Exposure Fusion to painterly or surreal with Tone Mapping. For now i just used Photoshop and created a 32-bit HDR file.
After that, i adjusted the white point to get the perfect look and sharpened the image a little. Here is the final result,
As i said, its just the beginning. Have to experiment with Photomatix and its tone mapping feature now. I hope you guys will also try out some of your own HDR imagery and share with me.
Take a look at these stunning HDR Pictures to get some inspiration >> HERE
This one is dedicated to all the present final years. I know this is a bit too early to be posting such farewell stuff but it is important. We still have time, time to make the most of the college life. This life will never come back. So to all my friends, also to all the juniors, make the most of your life... no regrets. DO EVERYTHING you always wanted to do in college.. dream.. and let it come true :)
Yes guys, AnF is back :)
After a long loooooooong break... AnF is back. For those who dont know what this is about, check out the AnF Season 1 >> HERE .
This one is an excerpt from a poem by W.H. Auden.
As usual, I try to express the thoughts more graphically and less through words. I Hope you guys enjoy the ride.
P.S - Get well soon Mitesh "The Rook" Karwa.... we miss you
and B. I myself felt that there was something more to the story of these two people, and the concept of “US”. so lets see what becomes of these two
A new thing with this one is the voice-overs. I did the male voice-over and payal did her own. i also learned the techniques of keying, so do check out the scene in which everything else is in black n white except the color of tshirt of the guy.
SONGS :
Husky Rescue – New light of tomorrow
you gave me hope amidst my sorrowmay it be tomorrow, that i can love again
and in return for what i’ve borrowed
be with you tomorrow and until the end
i know the road we’re on is narrow
along comes tomorrow, we’re gonna see the sun
and with the wings of the first sparrow
new light of tomorrow
we gonna be as one
Travis – Re-Offender
Keeping up appearancesKeeping up with the Jones’
Fooling my selfish heart
Going through the motions
But I’m fooling myself
I’m fooling myself
Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again, you do it again
You say you’re sorry’s
And then you do it again, you do it again
Everybody thinks you’re well
Everybody thinks I’m ill
Watching me fall apart
Falling under your spell
But you’re fooling yourself
You’re fooling yourself
Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again, you do it again
You say you’re sorry
And then you do it again, you do it again
And again and again and again and again
But you’re fooling yourself
You’re fooling yourself
Cause you say you love me
And then you do it again, you do it again
You say you’re sorry’s
And then you do it again, you do it again
You say you love me
And then you do it again, you do it again
You say you’re sorry’s
And then you do it again, you do it again
And again and again and again and again
[NOTE : This is PART 1 of the story. A sequel is also out. so after seeing this one, do check out how it ends. Here's the link - PART 2: Re-Offender ]
My Directorial debut… a short little movie i made in my campus… completed in 3 days for Gnosiomania 2010 . A special thanks to DIDO for writing such a beautiful song… Its about losing a loved one.. i hope u guys like it.
Lyrics :
Speeches won’t be made today, clocks will carry onflowers won’t be left in parks, work will still be done
people won’t be dressed in black, babies will be born
no flags will fly, the sun will rise,
only we’ll know that you are gone.
You who loved to love and believed we can never give enough.
It wakes me every single night, thinking through the day
did you stop at any time – have doubts at any stage
and were you calm or were you numb or happy just to get it done
I’ve lived my life without regret until today.
You who love to love and believed we can never give enough.
I didn’t get to say goodbye, the day before the day
was trying to get to work on time, that’s why I turned away
and missed the most important thing, you ever tried to say
I’ve lived my life without regret until today…
And you who love to love and believed we can never give enough
and you who hoped that underneath, we all felt the same
that was until the day before the day
the day before the day
the day before the day
ooh, the day before the day
the day before the day
ooh, the day before the day
ooh, the day before the day
ooh, the day before the day
AnF - a pictorial series about college, friendship, love and life
It was a wonderful experience last semester when AnF emerged for the first time. For 17 days i tried to capture all sorts of emotions and complexities of the life of a college student. And the response from the viewers was overwhelming getting 2500 hits in 17 days. So AnF is back again, this time bigger and better, with new surprises in the life of Mr. AnF. I switched the platform to blogspot for better functionality giving me complete control over my work. So just wait for the journey to begin.... again :D
For those who are not familiar with AnF, and haven't seen Season 1, here is the link : AnF Season 1.
