First real attempts at HDR

[hockey9999]

I took these this past weekend in Killington, VT.

I am just getting started with learning PP and HDR but I think some of these came out pretty well.

Shots 1, 2 and 6 were shot using a tripod and AEB.

Shots 3 and 5 were hand held/AEB.

Shot 4 is actually a single exposure (we were horseback riding and I was on a horse at the time) so its not a true HDR.

C&C welcome and greatly appreciated! I want to learn!

1
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3943921467_6cd27aa60f_o.jpg

2
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3943920633_90c957022b_o.jpg

3
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/3944700160_6e6f1fbe2a_o.jpg

4
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/3944699304_aa5cbc392c_o.jpg

5
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/3943921695_f127027056_o.jpg

6
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/3944700820_24a3e4ec83_o.jpg

[smonice]

I think they all turned out very nice and realistic looking. My only comment would be on the last one in the upper left, some of the clouds look blown out. Great set.

[hockey9999]

Thanks!

Honestly, I know exactly what you are talking about with the clouds in the last one, I just haven't figured out how to fix it yet! I noticed the same thing in the top right corner of the first pic..

[sapearl]

The images are attractive but I do see a lot halos in all of the pictures. You managed to regain much of the detail that could have been lost, which is what HDR is designed to do. The problem is that this often compresses the tonal range, rendering the final shot flat and a little too even.

In the first, the tree line actually looks dodged out and underexposed. The second is nicely done and to my tastes looks like a natural, well exposed photograph. The same can be said for #3 except for the dodgy/halo boundary with the trees.

The 4th is very well down, but the tower shot again has problems with boundary highlights. I don't mean to sound harsh, and appreciate that you shared these - HDR does have its place - but there is nothing wrong with an image displaying a full tonal range from bright whites to deep shadows in which detail is lost. Much of this is subjective, so it's really just my opinion. But keep on shooting. - Stu

[hockey9999]

Sapearl, your not harsh at all! Its this kind of C&C that will help me improve!

I guess my question is whether the problems you pointed out are things that can be fixed with PP (or probably caused by my PP in the first place), or if they were more likely due to the way I took the shots.

Also, these are all straight out of Photomatix, no additional PP was done after I saved them as jpeg's.

[sapearl]

Hockey - I am guessing that you took the shots just fine. Many things can be fixed with PP, but the question is how much time and aggravation do you want to spend? Perhaps this is the way your program combined the images.

Being a traditional photographer and grumpy old man, I tend not to be fan of HDR - mostly because I'm too lazy and don't have the patience for it :lol:. That being said, I have seen some beautiful work produced using HDR by those with more patience and talent than I possess.

And keep in mind, much of what I say is subjective. That is the whole nature/debate of art - I think it was Will Rogers who once said: "I may not know what art is, but I know what I like.";) When I do my landscapes, I tend to find a midtone area and select that for my exposure, tending to underexpose just a little so I can retain sky/cloud detail. Then I will use exposure adjustment layers with curves, contrast, brightness, gamma, etc. to try and bring back any detail that may have been lost.

You may find this other thread helpful: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=753944

It has a similar discussion, similar ornery comments from me, and a sample of what I often look for in a landscape. But keep in mind, just because I may or may not like something does not make me right. Ultimately it is what pleases you. - Stu

[hockey9999]

Very true, art is definitely quite subjective.

At this point I think I am pleased with my results. Having only had my camera since mid July and really only starting to delve into PP within the last 2-3 weeks I cant expect too much too soon, and I do tend to have high expectations for myself.

If I ever decide to print any of these, and as my skills progress, I may work on them some more.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it!

[DeepWoods]

Man...I love them fall colors. Nice work..ya did good, just keep on shooting and you will get everything just like you want it. Thanks for sharing.

[tmcman]

Cool. Just work on getting less of that extra dark on one side and extra light on the other
boundary between the trees and the sky as in No. six.

[24alpha]

You have some serious haloing issues going on. IMHO these are a tad over done. I think that once you have reached a point that you are happy with, then dial them back a bit. Looks like a beautiful place to photograph though!

[lebshiff21]

I like #6 a lot.

[fly my pretties]

I find all of the images difficult to look at if I'm honest. Green foliage never works for me in HDR images.