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This is an HDR time-lapse of a Shing Mun River (城門河) during sunset in Hong Kong. It was shot from the vantage point of the Banyan Bridge (翠榕橋) which runs parallel to the river which reaches most of Shatin (沙田).
# Black and white vs Color
The video first shows what the HDR footage looks like in color, which highlights the change in hues during sunset. Then it shows a side-by-side comparison when processed in black and white. And finally, it shows the footage when separately processed in black and white. In the B+W rendition, you would see that the intention — which is the clouds in the sky and its reflection from the river — is much more pronounced when the color information is removed.
# Workflow
As I wrote previously [1], I originally had not intended it to be an HDR time-lapse, but since I erroneously left the AEB (auto-exposure bracketing) on before starting the timer, I ended up with 3 exposures spanning -3 to +3 every 5 seconds. The way I processed it is as such:
1. Import RAW files into Lightroom, such that they would be serialised (renamed) the way I need them to.
2. Create an HDR processing preset using Photomatix Pro using one of the image stack.
3. Batch-process the whole folder of images using the preset set in step 2 and output to 16-bit TIF and 32-bit HDR files.
4. Import those 16-bit TIFs into Lightroom, and create DNGs for each of the tone mapped HDR images.
5. In LRTimelapse, setup keyframes from the DNGs (LRT only works on DNG or CR2 and not TIFs)
6. Processed keyframes in Lightroom: one set for color, one set for B+W)
7. Batch-process DNGs using LRT again.
8. Export 1080p JPGs from Lightroom for each frame.
9. Assembled image sequences inside After Effects.
The workflow is not really very complex — but mostly I was just waiting for the computer to crunch numbers to process all these images. After all this, you get 8 seconds of footage, which was also one of the reasons why I decided to output both the color and black and white versions so there would be a slightly longer time to watch it through.
# Soundtrack: Memoirs (Cinematic Version) by Rameses B
Once again, I salute talented musicians who graciously published their music under Creative Commons (CCBY) such that I can focus on working on the visuals. Soundtrack has always been the bottleneck for most of my footage.
soundcloud.com/ramesesb/rameses-b-memoirs-cinematic
# Notes
1. 如上以下 As above, so below / 香港沙田城門河之寧 Hong Kong Shatin Shing Mun River Serenity (BW HDR) / SML.20130807.6D.25123-24-25.HDR.BW: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9501334606/
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-08-07 (recorded) 2013-08-14 (processed)
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod, Manfrotto head
+ Workflow: Lightroom 5, LRTimelapse 3, Photomatix Pro 4, After Effects CC, Ableton Live Suite 8
+ Video: 1920x1080 (1080p), 24fps, Progressive
+ Location: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong
+ Photographer: See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography
+ Soundtrack: Rameses B: Memoirs (Cinematic Version) / SoundCloud CCBY
+ Media Production: SML Universe
+ License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CCBY)
+ Copyright: 2013 See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Universe Limited
+ Series: 寧 Serenity
+ Serial: SML.20130807.6D.25087-SML.20130807.6D.25677-HDR-PPTM-TL
# SML Simulcast
+ flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9510440760/
+ youtube.com/watch?v=FZXN8jMyDQo
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
如上以下 As above, so below / 香港沙田城門河
之寧 Hong Kong Shatin Shing Mun River Serenity (HDR Timelapse) / SML.20130807.6D.25087-SML.20130807.6D.25677-HDR-PPTM-TL
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #Timelapse #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds #video
GettyImages: gty.im/177596047
There is a beach at the end of the Ma On Shan Promenade (馬鞍山海濱長廊). It is called Wu Kai Sha (烏溪沙) [1]. Just a few years ago, it was quite a hike to get here, but with the recent urban development of Ma On Shan, you can now get here rather quickly by taking the MTR to Ma On Shan station and walking for another 10 minutes.
Noting that this is rather close by, Rainbow Teddy (彩熊 RT) asked me to take him to photograph the sunset. I thought that since I will be at the beach for quite a while anyway, I took the pano head with me to do a 360-degree panorama.
As the sun starts to set, the place has transformed from a beach to be a photographer’s heaven, and even in the view here you can see a slew of photographers joining RT to capture the scenery on the beach.
Because of the extreme lighting conditions, I shot this as an HDR. Altogether, 36 images were shot covering the -3 to +3 range in a 12-capture stitch.
# Notes
1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Kai_Sha
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-08-09T18:29:39+0800
+ Dimensions: 18424 x 4529
+ Exposure: 1/40 - 1/100 sec at f/11.0
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ ISO: 100 - 2500
+ Flash: Did not fire
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto 303SPH pano head, Manfrotto tripod
+ Panorama FOV: 360 degree horizontal, 95 degree vertical
+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical
+ GPS: 22°25'40" N 114°14'1" E
+ Location: 香港烏溪沙 Wu Kai Sha, Hong Kong
+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5, Photoshop CS6
+ Serial: SML.20130809.6D.26354-SML.20130809.6D.26392-Pano.i36.360x95.HDR
+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography, HDR, 彩熊 Rainbow Teddy
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
烏溪沙 Wu Kai Sha / 香港日落全景之寧 Hong Kong Sunset HDR Panoramic Serenity / SML.20130809.6D.26354-SML.20130809.6D.26392-Pano.i36.360x95.HDR
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #彩熊 #RainbowTeddy #HDR #SMLHDR #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #自然 #Nature #Beach #Sunset
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9477691330/
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9477691330/sizes/o/ (18424 x 4529)
Someone on Facebook asked to see a color version of an HDR photo previously processed in BW [1]. This is not the same capture but it was photographed at about the same time.
The HDR was merged inside Photomatix Pro, which sometimes do a decent job but sometimes create these weird color cast that was difficult to manage. So I might try using Photoshop to do the HDR conversion later.
But here you see why I did not process this in color, as mainly the hills in the back has a blue cast from the air whereas the color information does not really help. In the front, the sky is reddish whereas further away they are yellowish. Processing in black and white is almost a cop-out but when color information is not helping I generally prefer working on photographs in black and white — because it is the cloud forms which should be the star here, not the blue sky and awkward color-casts in the mountains.
…in my opinion.
# Notes
1. “風和日麗白雲錦 Cloudscape on a sunny day” / 寧 Serenity HDR / SML.20130509.6D.05650_1_2.HDR.BW: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8721922705/
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-05-09T13:28:43+0800
+ Dimensions: 3506 x 5259
+ Exposures: 1/640, 1/4000, 1/80 sec at f/11
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ ISO: 100
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod
+ GPS: 22°25'22" N 114°13'29" E
+ Location: 香港馬鞍山海濱長廊 Ma On Shan Promenade, Hong Kong
+ Subject: 香港中文大學 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) + 吐露港 Tolo Harbour
+ Workflow: Photomatix Pro 4.2.5b, Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4
+ Serial: SML.20130509.6D.05631_2_3.HDR.P1.L1
+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 高動態範圍攝影 HDR Photography
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
“白雲如綿 陽光乍現 Moments of sunshine amongst puffy clouds” / 寧 Serenity HDR / SML.20130509.6D.05631_2_3.HDR.P1.L1
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #雲 #Cloud #Cloudscape #自然 #Nature #CUHK #lensflare #sky
This capture has most of the elements that I look for in this series. God rays: check. Wild patterns on the water surface: check. Tiny boats on the water surface which references that of Chinese traditional paintings: check. Puffy clouds on the distant: check. The only thing it lacks is some more dramatic clouds on the top. But still, what are the chances? I shall meditate on this to will it to happen…
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-08-25T17:58:43+0800
+ Dimensions: 5038 x 3358
+ Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/11
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ ISO: 100
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E
+ Location: SML Universe HKG
+ Workflow: Lightroom 5
+ Serial: SML.20130825.6D.26876.BW
+ Series: 寧 Serenity
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
風暴雲光 God rays during the storm / 寧 Serenity / SML.20130825.6D.26876.BW
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds #storm #godrays
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9688106256/
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9688106256/sizes/o/ (5038 x 3358)
The extreme lighting condition at the Eastern State Penitentiary makes it a prime candidate for HDR processing in order to extract enough detail on the ceiling while keeping the brilliance of the blue sky and rust color contrast.
SML Setup
Capture info
ISO 100 f/8 25mm
20090905.10D.52931 0.25 sec (1/4 sec)
20090905.10D.52932 0.008 sec (1/125 sec)
20090905.10D.52933 0.002 sec (1/500 sec)
HDR processing
Haven't done HDR for a while and totally forgotten that I don't have to use Photomatix anymore. This was rendered in Photoshop CS4. I like that I don't have to use another program just to do what I want to do!
More SML HDR
Related SML
I went to PolyU to see a drama performance last week, and just like my sources at the university has mentioned, the bamboo scaffolding on the Innovation Tower is completely gone, and now you can see the organic forms of this magnificent architecture soaring to the sky.
As I last wrote [1], Zaha Hadid is one of my all-time favorite architects, and this will be her first permanent fixture in Hong Kong. Truly it is incredible.
I was just passing by, and it was super late at night, but here you see why usable high ISO matters. This was shot with the 6D + 17-40. It was shot handheld with 3 exposures. Without a tripod it is not really technically ideal to try at HDR but thanks to the modern marvels of technology, the features are aligned nicely.
Trust that I will go back during the daytime when I have a chance.
# Notes
1. “Bamboo Scaffolding Unveiling: Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid” / 香港理工大學建築之形 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Architecture Forms / Crazyisgood / SML.20130425.6D.03058: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8683120814/
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-07-30T21:44:40+0800
+ Dimensions: 3376 x 5107
+ Exposure: 1/13 sec - 1/30 sec at f/4.0
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ ISO: 500 - 12800
+ Flash: Did not fire
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
+ GPS: 22°18'20" N 114°10'49" E
+ Location: 香港理工大學 Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
+ Workflow: Lightroom 5, Photomatix Pro 4.2.5
+ Serial: SML.20130730.6D.24784_5_6.HDR.BW
+ Series: 建築 Architecture, 形 Forms
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
Zaha Hadid: Innovation Tower / 香港理工大學建築之形 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Architecture Forms / Crazyisgood / SML.20130730.6D.24784_5_6.HDR.BW
/ #建築 #建筑 Architecture #形 #Forms #SMLForms #BW #SMLBW #HDR #SMLHDR #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects #Crazyisgood
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #理工大學 #PolyU #攝影 #摄影 #photography #ZahaHadid
Originally I had come here to do time-lapse of the sunset, though right before I started the timer, I was working on an HDR panorama of the scenery, and had forgotten to turn off AEB (auto-exposure bracketing) setting when the timer started running. So what ended up happening is that I now have a series of HDR time-lapse footage.
In the perfect world, perhaps, these captures will automatically be stacked to HDR, then perhaps with a script I will be able to batch-process them throughout. But since I have not yet figured out how to do this, here I present you with a still capture from one of the series, here I present you with one of the HDR captures instead.
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-08-07T19:02:31+0800
+ Dimensions: 5431 x 3621
+ Exposure: 0.4, 1/20, 1/160 sec at f/8.0
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ ISO: 400
+ Flash: Did not fire
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM
+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod / head
+ GPS: 22°23'16" N 114°11'58" E
+ Location: 香港沙田翠榕橋 Banyan Bridge, Shatin, Hong Kong
+ Subject: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong
+ Workflow: Photomatix Pro 4.2.5, Lightroom 5
+ Serial: SML.20130807.6D.25123-24-25.HDR.BW
+ Series: 寧 Serenity, HDR
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
如上以下 As above, so below / 香港沙田城門河之寧 Hong Kong Shatin Shing Mun River Serenity (BW HDR) / SML.20130807.6D.25123-24-25.HDR.BW
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9501334606/
www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9501334606/sizes/o/ (5431 x 3621)
My philosophy for HDR is different than most. I prefer them to look natural without much heavy-handed tone-mapping. This HDR image were composed using three captures: 1/6 sec, 1.3 sec and 10 sec.
The building on the left is 君臨天下 The Harbourside Tower 3, a luxury residential condo in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The architecture to the right is the 環球貿易廣場 International Commerce Centre (ICC). Aside from being Hong Kong’s tallest building, it is also currently the world’s fifth tallest building by height and the world’s third tallest building by floors. It also houses The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong.
This series of photographs were taken on the roof of 圓方 Elements, a large shopping mall located on 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
# SML Data
+ Date: 2012-11-09 18:12:58 GMT+0800
+ Dimensions: 5175 x 3444
+ Focal Length: 27 mm
+ ISO: 3200
+ SML.20121109.7D.16206: 1.3 sec at f/8.0
+ SML.20121109.7D.16207: 1/6 sec at f/8.0
+ SML.20121109.7D.16208: 10 sec at f/8.0
+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D
+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
+ GPS: 22°18'15" N 114°9'40" E
+ Location: 中國香港九龍尖沙咀柯士甸道西1號圓方 中国香港九龙尖沙咀柯士甸道西1号圆方 Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
+ Subject: 君臨天下 The Harbourside Tower 3, 環球貿易廣場 International Commerce Centre (ICC)
+ Serial: SML.20121109.7D.16206_7_8.HDR
+ Workflow: Lightroom 4, Photomatix Pro
+ Series: 商場 Shopping Malls, 建築 Architecture, 高動態範圍攝影 HDR Photography
“君臨天下 The Harbourside + 環球貿易廣場 International Commerce Centre (ICC) + 香港麗思卡爾頓酒店 Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong” / 香港建築高動態範圍攝影 Hong Kong Architecture HDR Photography / SML.20121109.7D.16206_7_8.HDR
/ #建築 #建筑 #Architecture #高動態範圍 #HDR #SMLHDR #商場 #ShoppingMalls #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #城市 #Urban #夜 #Night
GettyImages: gty.im/175635205
Many of the photographs shot for the serenity series suffer from one problem: the buildings on the horizon lack details as they are technically facing against the sun.
There is a need for HDR in these instances, mostly so you can get the necessary details of the clouds (the star for this capture) as well as the necessary details of the buildings (the shadow area). By compressing the luminance information spanning -3 to +3, you get something like this.
In processing HDR images, I am not interested in creating “effects,” I am only interested in getting the details which are otherwise lost in a straight 14-bit range afforded by the camera RAW.
I used to use Photomatix but increasingly I am finding its quality to be favoring the artificial looks rather than pure tone compression, so for this I used Photoshop HDR Pro, which lately has been giving fairly promising results.
P.S. Per request I will post some unprocessed RAW capture info to see the before and after so you can clearly see that there is a need for HDR processing to get the results which I want.
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-07-26T17:02:49+0800
+ Dimensions: 3577 x 5184
+ Exposure: 1/400 sec (0EV), 1/3200 sec (-3EV), 1/50 sec (+3EV) at f/8.0
+ Focal Length: 24 mm
+ ISO: 100
+ Flash: did not fire
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
+ GPS: 22°25'12" N 114°13'27" E
+ Location: SML Universe HKG (Ma On Shan, Hong Kong)
+ Subject: 香港吐露港 Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong
+ Workflow: Photoshop CC, Lightroom 5
+ Serial: SML.20130726.6D.24188-89-90.HDR.P1.L1.BW
+ Series: 寧 Serenity
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
風暴 Storm / 香港吐露港之寧 Hong Kong Tolo Harbour Serenity HDR / SML.20130726.6D.24188-89-90.HDR.P1.L1.BW
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds #storm
As always, I prefer natural looking HDRs, but then this sky is calling for drama—mostly courtesy of the full frame body + 17-40. To be frank I am super happy with the 6D purchase, and am very glad that I finally get to photograph scenes on the wide end. Nature can be so dramatic.
This is handheld—banking on my window, so the +3 shot was at ISO 320 but it is close enough that the moving boat did not cause too much of a ghosting thanks to 6D’s decent 4fps shooting.
# SML Translate: 日落彩雲孤舟渡
+ 日: sun.
+ 落: down.
+ 彩: colorful.
+ 雲: clouds.
+ 孤: single.
+ 舟: ship.
+ 渡: sail.
# SML Data
+ Date: 2013-04-12T18:06:10+0800
+ Dimensions: 3647 x 5471
+ Focal Length: 17 mm
+ Exposure
++ SML.20130412.6D.00366: 1/80 sec at f/10 - ISO 100
++ SML.20130412.6D.00367: 1/640 sec at f/10 - ISO 100
++ SML.20130412.6D.00368: 1/30 sec at f/10 - ISO 320
+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D
+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E
+ Location: SML Universe HKG
+ Subject: 香港中文大學 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) + 吐露港 Tolo Harbour
+ Workflow: Lightroom 4, Photomatix Pro 4.2.5b
+ Serial: SML.20130412.6D.00366_7_8.HDR
+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 高動態範圍攝影 HDR Photography
# Media Licensing
Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited
“日落彩雲孤舟渡” / 寧 Serenity HDR / SML.20130412.6D.00366_7_8.HDR
/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects
/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #雲 #Cloud #Cloudscape #自然 #Nature #Photomatix