My First HDR- What did I do wrong?

[canonnoob]

Okay some thing about this doesnt look good.. but for some reason I kinda like this... What do you guys think?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/davidlwelker/photoshops/Untitled_HDR2.jpg

[Serrator]

Dave,

I like it...but I am kinda bias since I live in Missouri!

So how did you go about creating this image?

[canonnoob]

lol i took three different exposures ( +1,0, -1) i was really just goofing around and didnt take it too seriously but thought hey what the heck... then merged them in PS and then messed with curves.

Other than some of the softness on some of the buildings, that is how it looked... It was misting last night...

[canonloader]

I like the effect. It does look like a painting. Almost. :)

[canonnoob]

Hey mitch what do you tihnk caused this? do you think it could have been the mist at all?

[canonloader]

No, it's probably from using PS. Did you use CS3? Download the free trial of Photomatix and try the same images in that. RAW's if you have them.

[digirebelva]

No, it's probably from using PS. Did you use CS3? Download the free trial of Photomatix and try the same images in that. RAW's if you have them.

Brings up a good question, is HDR good for night shots..I have tried it on a couple of occasions with less than stellar results...way to much noise in the dark areas, really have to darken it down to make it acceptable

[canonloader]

I haven't done any myself yet, living in a small town kind of restricts the options. But I have seen some very nice night shots posted here.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=586077

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=583637

[canonnoob]

thanks for the ideas guys.. ill look up photomatrix and see what they come out with.. overall wht do you guys think?

[canonloader]

Personally, I like this shot, but I'd also like to see it done in Photomatix to see the difference. I would remember how I did this though, cause it's a very neat effect. :)

[-Douglas-]

Pretty cool and the way the arch is lighted kind of gives it a 3 dimensional feeling.

[sapearl]

Hi Dave - I really don't have a problem with it. Actually, I feel it's HDR that doesn't look like HDR which is a good think IMHO. Perhaps it's the totally black silhouette aspect of the buildings you don't like? That's probably just one of those unavoidable things unless you used a horrendously longer exposure ..... and then likely you would have run into other issues. - Stu

[sapearl]

Maybe the images weren't 100% completely aligned? I don't know, have done little myself so it's just a hunch :rolleyes:.

Hey mitch what do you tihnk caused this? do you think it could have been the mist at all?

[canonnoob]

Thanks for the opinons guys.. I appreciate it.

[stathunter]

Nice work!

[canonnoob]

i tried getting photomatix but it isnt letting me download- saying its malware.

[canonnoob]

Nice work!
thanks

[canonloader]

Download it here. (http://www.hdrsoft.com/download/win.html)

[canonnoob]

thats what I did... and when you click- download Version #, it takes me to a malware warning screen.

[canonnoob]

Here is the photomatix version... I took it into photoshop to do a quick sharpen and some noise reduction... I also did a tone map through photomatix

[-Douglas-]

Here is the photomatix version.

Where ?

[SwiftFootTim]

I like the look of it. Lately I've tried to remind myself that we are our own worst critic in most cases. Also, the lighting on the arch is extremely cool looking, definitely a 3-dish look.

[canonnoob]

Where ?

sorry My computer shut down on me.,.. here it is:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/davidlwelker/photoshops/Untitled_HDR2-2.jpg

[canonloader]

Nice. Once you are done in Photomatix though, you can then open the tif in CS3 and adjust it some more, save out as a jpg, then open that again and crop, resize noise reduction and sharpening. Then it's done. :)

[-Douglas-]

Wow, what an amazing difference, awesome!

[canonnoob]

i dont know which one i like more though...

[randy.wick]

Are all of the source images in focus? The softness in half of the arch is a little distracting.

[CameraBuff]

I like the first one very much, nice shot and pp.

[canonnoob]

Are all of the source images in focus? The softness in half of the arch is a little distracting.
yup im positive that they are all in focus...

[Dark-Hawk]

I like the effect you generated here by the first shot ... Reminds me of Sin City

[SwiftFootTim]

Boy, I don't know which one looks cooler. Both have their merits. I think that it would come down to what you want. The first one has a sort of dreamy feel to it, more art than pure photography. The second is more like a photo.

But dang, I can't decide which one is better.

[canonnoob]

thanks guys.,. I do appreciate it.