HDR

A couple of people have asked me for tips on creating HDR images. Now, I know that I'm not anything close to an expert on the subject but I have learned a couple of things and I would love to share them with anybody that's interested.

• I always use Photoshop CS3's Merge to HDR function to create my .HDR file. It's under File, then Automate. Then I tonemap the file with either Photomatix or Dynamic Photo HDR. Most of the time I use Photomatix but if I want a lot of contrast I'll use DPH. The reason I use Photoshop to create the .HDR is because it does a great job of aligning the images, which is important to me because I rarely use a tripod. It also seems like there is more detail in the Photoshop HDRs
  

• The more exposures the better!!! I usually take 7, depending on the amount of dynamic range I'm trying to capture. It's a pain because my AEB only takes 3 shots so I have to do it manually but it is definitely worth it. I'll post an example later on to show why.
  

• If I only have 1 RAW or 1 JPEG to work with I'll use DPH. The newer version has an option for tonemapping a single exposure. It's not a true HDR image but sometimes the results are good enough that you can't even tell.
  

• I shoot using Aperture Priority mode so the depth of field remains constant with each exposure. I also focus manually instead of using auto focus. Using these settings ensures that the only thing that changes with each shot is the shutter speed. I don't worry about the white balance because that can always be adjusted later, as long as you're shooting RAW. But most of the time it's fine anyways.
  

• I always run Noise Ninja on the final image. No matter how many exposures I use, there always seems to be some noise.