UniWB – A good tool for good HDRs
Well, I must first admit that this topic is neither new nor my own finding/tip. I did however find out about it a while ago, and have been using it for a while now. This along with the other tips on HDR and Skin tones will bring out the best from your RAW image…
A thing or two about Dynamic Range…
This is not an another post about what is Dynamic Range, introduction to HDR and other such things. There are several articles on the Internets for that.
This article is about the usability and practicality of Dynamic Range of a DSLR (D700 for example), and some tips on shooting for HDR.
The DXO Mark list D700’s (or D3) reference dynamic range of 12 stops (1 stop = 1 Ev) at ISO 200. So, what does this number mean? This is the maximum dynamic range that the sensor is capable of capturing in a 14 bit RAW image. For all practical purposes, lets assume that really good RAW processing wizards are able to extract about 10 stops of dynamic range from these RAW images. Default settings of most RAW converters (ACR and NX) can get you about 7-8 stops dynamic range in an image. Read more
More thoughts, same week…
- In the past few weeks, I have been diligently working on printing, matting and framing my pictures for a new show. During this time, i have often wondered if “outsourcing” these things would have been easier on me. Being a perfectionist (or seemingly so) – I wear white gloves, inspect the mats under strong light for any specs of dust, and clean them with either a sharp edge razor blade or an eraser. I double clean the glass with non ammonia cleaner, take utmost care in printing doing multiple proofs to ensure color accuracy. I use the very best paper i can afford and/or works best for the image. In short, I am sticker for details. In the past, i have had print shops do this for me. They are experts in their field and can do this faster. But, can they offer my prints the very best that can be? In short, do they even care about my prints?On the other hand, the chop shop guys are experts in their thing. They know what they are doing, and can do it faster for this one reason alone, with possibly very less compromise on the quality etc. They also buy in bulk – and therefore substantial savings. They do have overheads and therefore the 70% markup.I am thinking, i will continue doing all of these myself – for sake for passion, if not for anything else.
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By N2H
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