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HDR Timelapse Workflow Question

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#1 Rudolph
Hello,
I have recently started to do HDR timelapse photography and I want to use LrTimelapse to add movement and apply a deflicker to my videos. I am trying to create a workflow that uses raw files before merging them into a tonemaped HDR image in order to make a high quality video with minimal noise due to editing. Just as a background, I use 3 different exposures to create a HDR image so that is why I create 3 EV folders. It would be great if I could have some suggestions about refining my workflow especially about the steps in bold.
Also, there is a thread under the Feature Requests part of the forum about 16 bit tiff support for HDR timelapse photographers. This workflow could be used instead of the need to have 16 bit tiff support for HDR timelapse photographers.

1.Import the raw files to a folder in Lightroom and name the folder “Raws”.
2.Sharpen the first image to your liking and save the develop settings as a preset.
3.Crop the first image to your liking.
4.Apply the preset to all the images.
5.Sync all the images (that way they are all cropped the same).
6.Save the metadata to all raw files.
7.Create 3 new folders within the “Raw” folder called EV± 0, EV -2, and EV +2
8.Go back to the pictures and separate the pictures by exposure and move the pictures into one of the EV folders. EV-2 would have the images with the fastest shutter speed; EV +2 would have the images with the slowest shutter speed and EV+-0 would have the images with the mid shutter speed (normal exposed images).
9.In LrTimelaspe, navigate to the first EV folder and open the raw images. Apply the necessary adjustments such as deflickering etc. and save the changes. Repeat the same process for the other two EV folders.
10.Back in Lightroom, read the metadata from the files in each EV folder.
11.Move all the pictures from the three EV folders into the parent folder (“Raws”)

12.Export the files as 16 bit tiffs and run them through Photomatix…

Again, it would be great if anyone had any other suggestions to my method.
This is a great program and I appreciate the opportunity to use it.
Thank You
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#2 aaronpriest
Interesting approach! I use 7-9 exposures so this would be a pain, but it's a good suggestion and I'll give it a try on my next timelapse.
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#3 Gunther
I have some Ideas... stay tuned...
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#4 Gunther
Okay, I thought about your request and had an Idea.

Download the develop (pre) version of LRTimelapse 1.5 there you are going to find a new menu Item called "select every nth + m"

[Image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2088648/web/img/hdr_1.jpg]

That will allow you to select your HDR images. You will be asked for the distance (n), that's the number of exposures that you bracket (let's say 3). After that you will be asked to enter the offset (m) - thats allows you to select the 1st, 2nd or 3rd image in you bracketing (in our example offsets will be 0, 1, 2). For your convenience this parameter is being calculated from the position of your mouse when activating the context menu as well.

The second change I made is that now transitions apply to selected rows, even if they are disjunct.

For HDR processing I recommend the following workflow:
  • Prepare your metadata
  • Edit the first n images according to your likes.
  • Edit the last n images.
  • write out metadata.
  • In LRTimelapse:
  • Turn on deflicker (if desired - don't worry about the messy curves you are going to fix this in a second)
  • select every nth + 0 - make transition, open the context-menu select "recalculate flicker for selection"
  • select every nth + 1 - make transition, open the context-menu select "recalculate flicker for selection"
  • select every nth + 2 - make transition, open the context-menu select "recalculate flicker for selection"
  • ...
  • Save
  • proceed as usually with your hdr workflow.

[Image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2088648/web/img/hdr_2.jpg]

Please let me know what you think about this...
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#5 aaronpriest
Very, very interesting! I'll try it out when I'm done with my current project. Too far along to start over at this point, haha! Many of my timelapses are sunrises and sunsets, where the exposure is not even all the way through, nor do I want them to be. I want them to go from dark to light or light to dark. Any suggestions on removing flicker without wanting a flat exposure all the way across? My last attempt I brought my HDR images in as JPEGs, ran a deflicker, saved it out, then went into lightroom and make my adjustments (white balance changes before and after sunrise/sunset, etc.) on a few keyframes, then ran LRTimelapse a second time to get my adjustments averaged throughout the rest of the frames. This seemed to work better for me than doing the opposite and doing deflicker during the same step or afterward (your two step approach).
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#6 Gunther
(2011-07-13, 20:04)aaronpriest Wrote: Any suggestions on removing flicker without wanting a flat exposure all the way across? My last attempt I brought my HDR images in as JPEGs, ran a deflicker, saved it out, then went into lightroom and make my adjustments (white balance changes before and after sunrise/sunset, etc.) on a few keyframes, then ran LRTimelapse a second time to get my adjustments averaged throughout the rest of the frames

My proposed workflow should get rid of your flicker before assembling the images. You can make you ramps as you like - no need to use a flat curve like in my screenshot. Deflickering will always take the exposure curve as a basis.

Please let me know if you have any questions, if there is demand I could as well make a screencast tutorial.
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#7 Rudolph
Hi Gunther,
Thanks for the fast responses.
I have spent some time looking over your workflow since you posted it and I am unclear about most of it as I am an amateur.

I take 3 bracketed pictures for my timelapse so that means “n" would be 3, correct?

“m", is when you type in the insert box 0, -2, or +2? If so how do I express the difference between +2 and - 2?

Now that writing just two of my questions, it might just be easier if you could please make a short and simple video about how to use this new workflow you have created. If you would rather answer more of my questions here, instead of creating a video that's fine too.

Thanks again for the fast service, I really appreciate it!
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#8 Gunther
(2011-07-14, 03:49)Rudolph Wrote: I take 3 bracketed pictures for my timelapse so that means “n" would be 3, correct?
Yes
Quote: “m", is when you type in the insert box 0, -2, or +2? If so how do I express the difference between +2 and - 2?
No, "m" is the position in the bracket, for the first you enter 0, for the 2nd (-2EV) you enter 1 and for the 3rd (+2EV) you enter 2

I made a short Screencast to show you how it works. Sorry for the abrupt ending, but screenr only allows 5 minutes...

[screenr]4i2s[/screenr]



Please let me know what you think!

Best regards
Gunther
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#9 TAOG
would it works with the bracket order "-2 / 0 / +2" (my default in camera) ?
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#10 Gunther
It doesn't matter.
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