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Re: [OM] Moose inspired epiphany

Subject: Re: [OM] Moose inspired epiphany
From: Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:55:55 -0600
>
> I don't think we need to abandon what digital high dynamic range
> has to offer, but I'm seeing that people are struggling with the
> output display of such images. I don't see the magic, but I see
> unreal scenes that I personally don't get the sense of presence
> but feel I'm looking more at an illustration of something rather
> than something that takes me to where the scene actually was.
>


The human eye-brain expects to see a certain contrast gradient for the
mid-tones.  Inotherwords, to talk zoney here, From Zones III to VII the eye
expects that the proper ratio of 1 stop of brightness increase in real life
equals 1 stop of brightness increase on print. However, It's the Zones 0-III
and VII-X that can contain highly compressed ranges of tones. (studies have
shown you can go as low as 0.7:1 in stuffing contrast before the eye is
disturbed by the compression)

Where HDR is applied incorrectly is that the users of this technology are
trying to evenly compress 14 stops of contrast into 6 stops of display
range.  This doesn't work because the eye/brain is expecting to see a proper
mid-tone gradient that matches real life.

However, if you keep your mid-tones at a proper contrast ratio (the middle
few stops) and then stuff the rest into the toe and shoulder the print will
look better (in most cases) and will mimick the characteristics of a good
print film.

AG
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