HDR Photography
 

I just started to mess around with this. My Nikon has it built in to the camera, so I have been experimenting with it as well as taking three different shots in a different exposure then working with them in Photomatrix. Still up in the air as to which is better. Anybody have an opinion?

I've messed with it a good deal and now use Oloneo after initially using DP-HDR. I trialed Photomatix, which is the gold standard for most high profile HDR guys, but found it difficult to align images although I hear is is MUCH better now. At the time, I shot a lot hand held and DP-HDR has very good alignment tools.

Oloneo is very easy to use, gives good results, and I almost never use DP-HDR anymore.

Most of these are available as trials as you probably found out with Photomatix, and I would suggest trying all of them to see which you like best. I have never seen in-camera HDR results but would think you would be pretty limited in obtaining the look you want.

I get the best results by pulling RAW shots into Lightroom for some noise reduction, exporting as TIFs, and then loading the TIFs into the HDR software. The HDR process seems to generate a lot of noise and reducing it before tonemapping gives better results IMO.

I've also messed around with it. Photomatix for me, with a trip through Photoshop. I usuallly shoot RAW format on a tripod so alignment isnt an issue.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j..._1962/Keep.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j.../Downtown3.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...62/Camaro1.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...962/Caddy2.jpg

This was done with the "recipe" I mentioned in the above post.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...Rosas1024-.jpg

These two were done just dropping RAWs into Oloneo, IIRC.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...DR1024edit.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps98d6c0ab.jpg

Good HDR looks like wasn't done at all. I've seen over the top HDR, but the pics above, esp the pup photo, look wonderful!