The only way you will get any form of HDR with people in the images close by is to make multiple exposures from the one set of RAW images like I did with the Snake Pit panorama. The other trick is to make 100% sure you can't tell it's HDR because if you can, it will look fake.

The only other method worth mentioning is that you could shoot the panorama with people and then shoot the panorama bracketed without people in the exact same position and using masks and alpha channel add the people into the HDR panorama scene.

I doubt this would be worth the effort though! Be 100% sure that you can even do HDR properly before trying difficult situations with moving people and objects.

Regards, Smooth

Hi Jordi,

Mate, I make multiple exposures from one .raw file by adjusting the exposure value I.E: 001_EV0.tif, 001_EV-2.tif, and 001_EV2.tif. I use DRI Pro and Photoshop layers to get the desired look.

Your panorama images look well composed, though I cannot see how they really look without seeing the full panorama in a viewer. Not at all what I expected to see in Fiji?

I do use the Agnos Telescopic Pole MrotatorHDelta but in the case of the Snake Pit panorama I used a Velbon Monopod sat inside a belt pod (waist+monopod) hight.

Regards, Smooth

Smooth,

I have been shooting HDR images for some time making about 5 RAW images 2 stops apart. I don't always need all 5 images and depending which 3 or 4 I select will effect the final image.  I process the images in Photomatix which is a wonderful piece of software provided one remembers to hit the default setting button before starting work on a new image. My question is, if you are shooting only one RAW image to create a HDR picture where should the exposure be placed - I assume in the middle of the light range. If however it was more important to retail highlight detail in the output photo should the original RAW image be exposed with more emphasis towards the highlights? Is it easier to recover highlight or shadow detail from a RAW image

Chris

Chris,

Of course it depends on the subject but typically I would shoot the (1x) .raw file at EV-1.0 and work from there.

Here is an example of Dynamic Range Recovery from a single RAW file.

This was achieved by processing the RAW files at EV0 and EV-2 and using DRI Pro.

Regards, Smooth

Peanut,
I also use photomatix (version Pro2.5.4), you stated " Photomatix which is a wonderful piece of software provided one remembers to hit the default setting button before starting work on a new image". Under "view" there is a "default options" and a "default size". Could you give more information as to the "default setting button" you have referred to.
Thanks this may help explain some issues I have with the program.

I found that Tonemapping in Photmatrix uses the last setting I used on an image.  I don't know if that is the way I have it set up but new images are Tonemapped based on the way the sliders were left after the program was shut down.  That can make processing a new image difficult.  I find it eisier before Tonemapping to hit default then start moving the sliders. Hope that helps.  It is a great program.

Chris