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High Dynamic Range Imaging: Acquisition, Display, and Image-Based Lighting (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) 1st Edition
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* Written by the leading researchers in HDRI
* Covers all the areas of high dynamic range imaging including capture devices, display devices, file formats, dynamic range reduction, and image-based lighting
* Includes a DVD with over 4 GB of HDR images as well as source code and binaries for numerous tone reproduction operators for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X
- ISBN-100125852630
- ISBN-13978-0125852630
- Edition1st
- PublisherMorgan Kaufmann
- Publication date
2005
December 13
- Part of series
- Language
EN
English
- Dimensions
8.0 x 1.3 x 9.8
inches
- Length
520
Pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Here at last is the definitive guide to high dynamic range imaging―a field that is poised to revolutionize the way we view, manipulate and enjoy digital images. The authors provide a detailed review of the basic concepts and methods necessary to incorporate high dynamic range images into any practical application. This book is indispensable to researchers in computer graphics, digital design and visualization; indeed to anyone who cares about the realism and fidelity of the images they use on a daily basis." --Heinrich Bülthoff, Executive Director, Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics
"This book is a complete and much needed treatment of high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. It is a comprehensive source for the creation, processing, use and display of HDR images. The authors are leading experts, and are the authors of many of the most commonly used methods in HDR imaging. In particular, this is the first complete collection of tone mapping and image-based lighting, which have become essential topics in computer graphics rendering. The book is written in a style that is pleasant to read, but is also detailed and thorough enough to be used as a reference. Readers will have all they need to work with HDR images, whether they are using commodity cameras and traditional low dynamic range displays, or the newest HDR capture devices and displays." --Holly Rushmeier, Professor of Computer Science, Yale University
"This is a remarkably complete book on one of the most important areas of modern computer graphics by four of the top people in the field. Its clear and detailed treatment of both theory and practice will make it an essential resource for my own work, and I would recommend it to anyone doing computer graphics or imaging." --Peter Shirley, Professor, University of Utah
High Dynamic Range Imaging" is a fantastic overview of the state of the art for some critical concepts in visual effects. It outlines the basic foundations of color theory that are the core of VFX image processing and also serves as a roadmap to the way we will be working in the future. This book should be required reading for any VFX artist doing high-end film work."
"When working on a visual effects film, any images provided by the director of photography are both sacred and fragile. This book explains why and also helps guide the reader to a better understanding of how HDR imagery can eliminate a lot of common LDR problems in the VFX pipeline." --Scott Stokdyk, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
"I was very impressed with this book. It is highly topical and relevant at this pivotal time in the technology of image recording and display. Even the average consumer is well aware of monstrous changes in the film industry: digital cameras supplanting film cameras and digital projectors muscling in on film projectors at cinemas. This book is an excellent touchstone of where the industry is and where it will be going in the coming years."
"The book reads very well. It not only works as an excellent reference volume but it reads easily and teaches the subject thoroughly. There's no question that it's going on my bookshelf and I know many artists who will insist on having a copy too."
"Finally, I appreciate that a book about images and perception does not skimp on plates. This is a very pretty book and communicates the problems with images very clearly." --Doug Roble, Creative Director of Software, Digital Domain
"Last week I saw the future: a 50-inch high dynamic range video display. The authors of this book predict that HDR displays may be as little as few years away, but having seen tomorrow, my demand for the technology is now. Fortunately, this book more than satisfies my craving for information on all aspects of high dynamic range imaging. It has brought the future to my reading chair and my software development efforts. It is all that I could (and did) ask for." --Ian Ashdown, President, byHeart Consultants Limited
Review
Book Description
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Greg Ward is a pioneer in HDRI, having developed the first widely used HDR image file format in 1986 as part of the Radiance lighting simulation system. In 1998 he introduced the more advanced LogLuv TIFF encoding and more recently the backwards-compatible HDR extension to JPEG. He is also the author of the Mac OS X application Photosphere, which provides advanced HDR assembly and cataloging and is freely available from www.anyhere.com. Currently he is collaborating with Sunnybrook Technologies on their HDR display systems. Greg has worked as a part of the computer graphics research community for over 20 years, developing rendering algorithms, reflectance models and measurement systems, tone reproduction operators, image processing techniques, and photo printer calibration methods. His past employers include the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, EPFL Switzerland, SGI, Shutterfly, and Exponent. He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in computer science from San Francisco State University. He is currently working as an independent consultant in Albany, California.
Sumanta Pattanaik is an associate processor of computer science at the University of Central Florida, Orlando (UCF). His main area of research is realistic rendering where he has been active for over 15 years and has contributed significantly through a number of research publications. His current focus is developing real-time rendering algorithms and modeling natural environments. He is currently serving as the computer graphics category editor of ACM Computing Review. Sumanta received his MS degree in chemistry from Utkal University, India in 1978 and PhD degree in computer science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani (BITS-Pilani), India in 1993. Prior to joining UCF he was a research associate at the Program of Computer Graphics at Cornell University, a post-doctoral researcher at the SIAMES program of IRISA/INRIA France, and a senior staff scientist at the National Center of Software Technology, India.
Paul Debevec is a research assistant professor at the University of Southern California and the executive producer of graphics research at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies. Paul's PhD thesis (UC Berkeley, 1996) presented Façade, an image-based modeling and rendering system for creating photoreal architectural models from photographs. Using Façade, he led the creation of virtual cinematography of the Berkeley campus for his 1997 film The Campanile Movie whose techniques were used to create virtual backgrounds in the 1999 film The Matrix. Subsequently he pioneered techniques for illuminating computer-generated scenes with real-world lighting captured through high dynamic range photography, demonstrating new image-based lighting techniques in his films Rendering with Natural Light (1998), Fiat Lux (1999), and The Parthenon (2004). He has also led the design of HDR Shop, the first widely used high dynamic range image editing program. Most recently Paul has led the development of a series of Light Stage devices that allow objects, actors, and performances to be synthetically illuminated with novel lighting. This technique was used to create photoreal digital actors for the film Spider Man 2. Paul received the first ACM SIGGRAPH Significant New Researcher Award in 2001, was named one of the world's top "100 Young Innovators" by MIT's Technology Review in 2002, and was awarded a Lillian Gilbreth Lectureship from the National Academy of Engineering in 2005.
Product details
- Publisher : Morgan Kaufmann; 1st edition (December 13, 2005)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 520 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0125852630
- ISBN-13 : 978-0125852630
- Item Weight : 2.91 pounds
- Dimensions : 8 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,984,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #834 in Photography (Books)
- #1,875 in Computer Graphics
- #3,188 in Graphics & Multimedia Programming
- Customer Reviews:
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Please keep in mind that this review is being performed from an artist's perspective, hence I am unable to provide much useful information regarding the more technical aspects of this book, of which there are many! For this I have spoken to one of the authors, Greg Ward, who has provided us with a more detailed insight.
The book is a quality hardcover tome of information containing healthy numbers of full color images, formulas and graphs. It also comes with a DVD full of useful resources, the contents of which are outlined below. While most chapters have a short introductory paragraph that can be understood by the layman or artist, they quickly move into the realm of highly complex formulas and code. If you're expecting this book to have some tutorials on lighting and rendering a HDR image in 3dsmax or Lightwave you're looking at the wrong book. The sections that do cater for the artist are mainly available online anyway, along with numberless websites that offer easy to read, quick and dirty tutorials and how-to's.
The publisher's description of the audience says the book is for anyone who works with images, but if you are specifically a photographer or a computer graphics artist then this book is very light on useful, practical information. If you read a chapter on removing lens flare or movement from your HDRIs it will be a technical explanation containing formulas and code, not a how-to on removing it using your favorite image editor.
Greg Ward has provided us with some more insight into who would find the book most useful, and what level of skill is required to understand and apply the concepts within:
"For the most part, our intended audience includes computer graphics students, teachers, researchers, and professionals, as well as special effects technical directors and game developers who are interested in applying HDR in their work. The book is geared towards computer graphics and vision graduate students and above (including professors, researchers, and professionals). It attempts to cover all of the fundamentals of HDR imaging and delves into some more advanced topics as well, but was not designed as a recipe book or anything of that sort. The reader is left with a fair amount of work to do to apply the concepts presented."
DVD
The book includes a DVD, which contains 4 gigs worth of resources that are easily navigated via a html browser. The contents include:
* HDR Images in various formats (very large number of images)
* Executables and a set of libraries for converting images between Radiance HDR and JPGHDR format developed by Greg Ward at SunnyBrook Tech.
* Source Code and exes for more than 20 tone reproduction operators.
* IBL tutorial using Radiance by Paul Debevec (very simple)
Other Notes
While this book mainly caters for the technically minded, there are several gems such as links for providers of leading edge HDRI capable still and video cameras, and a list of chrome ball manufacturers. HDRI hardware and software is also touched on as well as an interesting chapter on the human visual system.
Conclusion
For the artist or photographer we are still waiting for that first HDRI book, but for the computer scientist or programmer this book is definitely for you. It's hard to beat a book written about HDRI by the pioneers of HDRI.
I have found this book very useful in my own work. This is a great collection of the existing research on HDR imaging plus quite a bit of previously unpublished work from the authors. I have loaned or recommended the book to several coworkers to introduce them to the concepts behind HDR or help them in their own implementation of HDR imaging. (and so far, they're all liking the book, too)
If you are working with HDR images, think you will be, or wonder what all the fuss is about, you really should read this book.
If your not already aware - people like Greg Ward and Paul Debevec invented the area of HDR and its early implementations, and their work and that of their colleagues, continues to be at the very leading edge of research in the area.
This is not a light weight glossy coffee table book - it is a factual, informative book that explains the logic and maths of HDR, while remaining really well written. It will become the default text on the subject for some time, and it is a valuable book for anyone serious about computer graphics and photography/imaging.
I could not recommend it more strongly for serious reader -but not a present for your Mum (unless she works at ILM or Pixar) !
The authors include some of the brightest names in the field and write with clarity an concision. They don't shy away from equations and algorithms, but they seem to hit the right level of detail. For the most part the book reads very well.
However, grasping everything requires an above average mathematical background, which may not be where most photographers are coming from.
Top reviews from other countries
Deswegen mit Vorsicht zu genießen - schwer verdauliche Kost!
and quality still acceptable for me,
Finally I have this book, ^-^
