"Action" HDR tips?

Getting into pitchur-takin'. 2 years of hmming and hawing, renting and testing and settled on Sony A7C2, Sigma 24-70 2.8. I set up a bracket series and hand-shot in my backyard 5 shots with 1.0EV spacing. Merged in Lightroom. And it looks...unreal. Like in a bad way. Dream-like with over-saturated foliage. My photo-posting function here seems to have shit the bed but I'll try to get it posted later.

Anyway. Tips?
Questions I'm trying to answer:
1) I'm going for "enhanced realism", not surrealism. How does one determine the appropriate EV spacing? Does a bigger series with smaller "steps" produce a better result than a smaller series with larger steps?
2) In post, I'm seeing edges look very "glow-y", for lack of a better term. Is there a function in LR that "Tones down" the HDR effect outside of playing with highlights/shadows? Anybody have a workflow they can share?
3) The shots I'm ultimately trying to capture are Going to include riders in an HDR-infused landscape. If I have a tripod shot set up, is it a simple matter of taking the background bracketed series, the shot of the rider, and then sequentially merging them?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Why do you want an HDR enhanced background for action shots?

A bit unclear on your process. So you’re planning to set the camera on a tripod for the background shots. Then play with the camera settings and take the shot of the subject all while leaving the camera on the tripod?

I’m using an older DSLR, so that would be nearly impossible for me to do. But I suppose with newer mirrorless tech (mainly improved AF tracking) it could be done. Just sounds kind of tedious and unnecessary.

Can’t help too much with your LR questions. I’ve merged bracketed shots but haven’t played with it enough to know if there’s a benefit to more shots with smaller steps. I’ve had no issues with the standard of 3 shots.

Definitely be sure to post some results.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Yep! That's exactly the idea. Set up tripod, take a 5 (or 3?) shot bracketed exposure series, then a single shot with rider in frame on the feature of interest. Merge the bracket series first, then merge the rider shot. Straight forward...in theory.

And to the question above, HDR landscape...with a biker in it. Why? Because adding bike makes everything better [emoji41]

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Yeah, but why HDR? Just shoot with good light or interesting weather, it’ll look way better.

^ Agreed. I don't think it'll come out like you're imagining. Do you have a reference or similar shot?

For bracketing a sunset, landscape, or the like, I do usually do 3 shots at 2 steps--seems to limit distortion pretty well. Really low light or astro, I play around with 5 shots. When you import them into light room, there's an option to "optimize for HDR" or something to that effect.

Your A7 has default bracketing when you scroll down to it in shooting modes. Stick to that to start and play around. Bracketing is rad but it can be fickle and I wouldn't know how to add action.

This was 3 shots, 2 steps, A7iii and a 1.4 Prime. X-posted from wildfire thread.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4397066e04.jpg

Sent from my SM-F956U1 using Tapatalk

My experience of lightroom HDR merge was ho-hum, but I admit I haven't tried it in years.

Running them through Photomatix was far better whether you wanted that HDR pop look that was hot 10 years ago or a more natural appearance.