I know, another mission church shot!!!

[Kevin]

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was a 5-1 stop shots taken in the middle of the day. After tone mapping my workflow consisted of adding in 6 different layers of texture and brushed in.

[MikeFairbanks]

You are head and shoulders ahead of me on HDR. I frankly stink at it. I love the stuff you do (especially the smoking break picture and the casbah). This photo, though, doesn't do it for me. Maybe too bright? Too colorful? I'm not sure.

But keep 'em coming. Your work is very inspirational. I think you're at the forefront of HDR.

[Gary McDuffie]

I have to agree with Mike, Kevin. You do some awesome stuff, but the sky is too heavy on this one for me, with some sort of strange texture.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MikeFairbanks

You are head and shoulders ahead of me on HDR. I frankly stink at it. I love the stuff you do (especially the smoking break picture and the casbah). This photo, though, doesn't do it for me. Maybe too bright? Too colorful? I'm not sure.

But keep 'em coming. Your work is very inspirational. I think you're at the forefront of HDR.

Originally Posted by Gary McDuffie

I have to agree with Mike, Kevin. You do some awesome stuff, but the sky is too heavy on this one for me, with some sort of strange texture.

Thanks guy's I appreciate your candid response to this image. I like that we can comfortable engage in critical discussion over an image, it will definitely make us better. Presenting an image like this is still not widely accepted or appreciated as a form of photographic art. While most of my imagery is either strong hdr or a more painterly look, I am working on using different textures within an image to enhance the level of emotion. Georgia O'Keeffe was once ridiculed by her colleges for using scrap wood to oil paint her desert scenes instead of canvas as was the norm. Those pieces now hang in the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Maybe someday yours or mine may also hang on the wall of a museum of fine art.

[kirkt]

There appears to be posterization in the sky areas - maybe try adding some noise or dither to each channel?

Kirk

[tmcman]

Interesting choice to let the tree touch the stature atop and to leave deeper shadows on the face of the church. The sky does seem posterized but as it stands, leaving it darker makes it a ground for the church to stand off of. Also, I can look at churches every day!

[Kevin]

Thanks for that comments, this is not a style that fits everyone. As for the sky, I doubt if it is posterized, what you are seeing is 4 different textures blended into the sky at different opacity. One texture is a purplish with white splotches of which one I positioned behind the statue. If it is posterized I would like to fix it as I hate the posterized look. Here is a link http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevcole/4223566285/ to my flickr so you can check out original size. Thanks,

[kirkt]

Originally Posted by Kevin

T...As for the sky, I doubt if it is posterized, what you are seeing is 4 different textures blended into the sky at different opacity. One texture is a purplish with white splotches of which one I positioned behind the statue. ...,

That makes more sense, as the church seemed to hold more detail than the sky. If I might ask, what was the goal in blending the blotchy looking texture into the sky?

Kirk