Basilica of Vierzehnheiligen – Bad Staffelstein, Germany (HDR Vertorama)

The story of this photo

View the Before-and-After Comparison to see where this photo comes from!

This image was quite a lot of work, I can tell ya! Getting out all the pretty details of that church literally wore out my graphics tablet. I may have to get a new one after this. Anyway, this is a beautiful Baroque-Rococo basilica with a very rich interior. It is really busy in May when all the Pilgrimages arrive there after having walked hundreds of kilometers. Of course, tripods were prohibited, so this is another hand-held vertorama.

Enjoy!

Learn HDR Vertorama Photography

Everything about the technique in one ebook

7 Chapters - 183 pages - 112 illustrations for $19.95. Subscribers get 20% off!

Check it out now!

How it was shot

• Taken handheld (Read more about the technique!)
• 5×3 autobracketed shots (three exposures each, with 0, -2, +2 ev)
• Camera: Nikon D7000
• Lens: Sigma 10-20mm F3,5 EX DC HSM
• Details can be found here

How it was stitched and tonemapped

• Created TIFFs from the RAW files in ACR – reducing CA [details] and setting the same white balance for each shot
• Topaz Denois on the resulting TIFF images
• Created additional exposures with -4EV and +4EV with ACR to control the highlights and shadows [details]
• Created 5 tone-mapped images from the TIFF files using Photomatix Pro 4.0 (Detail Enhancer)
• Saved the images as 16bit TIFs
• Stitched the 5 TIFs using Photoshop

How it was post-processed

• Post-processing was done in Photoshop
• Slight perspective correction and cropping
• Topaz Adjust on the entire image to get back the colors and the details
• Topaz Infocus on the entire image for sharpening
• Saturation layer on the gray ornaments (desaturation)
• Photo filter layer on the gray ornaments (blue)
• Levels layer on the gray ornaments (more contrast)
• Saturation layer on the golden elements (yellows)
• Levels layer on the golden elements (more contrast)
• Saturation layer on the marble (master, yellows)
• Vibrance layer on the marble (more vibrance)
• Curves layer on the floor (more contrast)
• Saturation layer on the floor (master)
• Saturation layer on the paintings (master)
• Levels layer on the paintings (more contrast)
• Saturation layers on the green and yellow parts (master)
• Saturation layer on the white walls (desaturation)
• Levels layer on the white walls (more contrast)
• Vignette effect using a masked fill layer [details]
• Sharpening using the high-pass filter [details]
• Watermarking [details]

10 HDR Top Tips for FREE!

Join our newsletter to get this eBook and step up your HDR skills today!

Learn more!

You will receive: The free eBook + our regular email newsletter with tips, tutorials, news and product information… all for free!

100% Spam-Free - Easy Unsubscribe