How Would Epic employing HDR have saved this shot?

[Joe Taylor]

This spring I shot some footage of a freight train at dusk that would have been a much more successful shot if had not been for the blown out head light from the engine. This is a question for those in the know. How would this same shot been been handled by Epic employing HDR carefully calculated to compensate for the blown out head light? Could they have successfully controlled? Even without HDR, could Epic's improved dynamic range have made much of a difference?

Attached is a still frame from the shoot.

 

[Brennan Klensch]

I'm haven't had any hands on experience but from what i've seen and different "workflows" for HDRx that I've seen, it would've at least helped a little by bring down some of that highlight and the balance of the mixture would be up to you.

 

[Bruce Allen]

This spring I shot some footage of a freight train at dusk that would have been a much more successful shot if had not been for the blown out head light from the engine. This is a question for those in the know. How would this same shot been been handled by Epic employing HDR carefully calculated to compensate for the blown out head light? Could they have successfully controlled? Even without HDR, could Epic's improved dynamic range have made much of a difference?

Attached is a still frame from the shoot.

Joe, it would have helped the shot a lot.

If you weren't on a high HDRx ratio, you could even have done it the other way - just gone with the HDRx track for most of it, then brought in a bit of the normal track for shadow detail using Resolve or whatever.

Only problem is motion blur if the train goes close by - you could add motion blur with Reelsmart Motion Blur or just mask the train area and add radial blur but it'd be a pain. Also, if you were trying to blend both HDRx and normal frames over motion, you get a temporal misregistration.

But that part of the shot where there's not a ton of motion of the train would have been saved for sure.

BTW, I disagree with the word "carefully calculated" - you just kinda bang it on at like 3:1 or whatever when shooting and hope for the best

Then afterwards you find that you didn't need it anyway. But in cases like this it would have been cool for you to have.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

 

[Erich Roland]

shot looks good as it is.

 

[Nick Gardner]

+1 with what Erich said. There's nothing "wrong" with a bright light burning out.

Nick

 

[Johnny Friday]

I don't believe you have ANY advantage with HDRx and this kind of shot.....I'd never employ hdrx for a shot like that.

 

[Bruce Allen]

Well, what if you want just a little bit less blow out for some reason (continuity, client, mood, etc)?

But also still want the dark detail in the forest.

You can't very well do a moving ND grad...

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

 

[paulherrin]

i don't think there's much wrong with it... if you look directly at a bright light, it looks pretty white, that's natural.

one of my favorite sequences from jesse james (roger deakin's cinematography) is a train comin' around the bend... and it's not because i can or can't see details in the train's headlamp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWvvnn68iB8

 

[Michael Mayda]

From my experience with car headlights at night, HDR might help some, but it may not get rid of the blooming flare around the lamps to show the actual size of the lamp fixtures. I'm still experimenting with this. A lot depends on the lens used, too. My older 18mm Zeiss T/1.3 can turn small light sources into saucers wide open, but improves when stopped down. OTOH, my 14mm Ultra Prime is pretty tight even wide open. I will continue to explore the situation with HDR. I do have high hopes for it in many situations. I have found that HDR can put back color into traffic signals and bright signage that would otherwise be blown out...

Mike

 

[JD Holloway]

For this shot, don't fight the lights. They're appropriate IMO.
Try adding some large lens flares. Maybe play with a streak or two.

 

[Billy Summers]

Although I think your over analyzing your photography, the HDRx would help to get a little more detail into the clipped area of the trains lights.
It may be more pleasing to see a little more highlight detail but the shot is still nice. The reflection off the rails, the purple in the trains lights playing off the purple flowers in the foreground....

 

[JD Holloway]

If a lens flare was "twinkling" and motion tracked it would add some character.

 

[Joe Taylor]

My biggest problem with this shot is the purple and orange halos that circle the lights. I love blown out elements but sometimes they can be ugly. This is one of the cases where the blown out lights could have been so much more beautiful if they could have been better controlled.

The sequence does improve, as the engine begins to approach the camera. These lights remind me, in a very good way of the heads lights from the Corvair in "Zodiac."

 

[Joe Taylor]

If a lens flare was "twinkling" and motion tracked it would add some character.

Nice, JD. So would have been able to apply this as easily to a motion image?

 

[JD Holloway]

Ya the halos are high contrast chromatic aberration. What lenses did you use?
Tough to escape it in this very high contrast shot.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

I agree that the shot is already fine.

If you think keeping a more details in the headlights would make it better, then yeah Epic can help you out in both ways you are asking about.

Epic's extra DR would give you a little back.

HDRx would definitely enable you to reduce the amount of blowout in the headlights.

I agree that the amount of blowout in the first picture is a bit distracting, and it could be a problem depending on your intent.

Oh, hey W00T!! It's my 1500th post.

 

[Joe Taylor]

These were shot the an old school (1970's) Angenieux 25-250. Good lens. Miss it. Wonder if it would have covered Epic's sensor? Punching myself in the face for selling it if it does cover Epic.

 

[JD Holloway]

Ya a nice old girl that Angei, but it explains the heavy CA I imagine.

And yes, relatively easy to motion track this flare effect in post.