South Downs HDR

I'm expecting some flack over these but thought I'd post them anyway! I realise that HDR images are not everyone's cup of tea, but I'd welcome some comments. They were taken with the Canon 5D III and the Canon 17-40mm lens. Each one was the result of merging 3 exposures with the help of Photomatix Pro 4. The location was a spot near the Jack & Jill windmills on the South Downs in Sussex, UK.

IMAGE LINK: http://s267.photobucke​t.com …09fa07d81d37ef6​c.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s267.photobucke​t.com …SouthDownsSunse​t.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s267.photobucke​t.com …6_7_8_tonemappe​d.jpg.html

Personally, I don't have anything against HDR and use it on occasion. But, since you asked for comments,... it doesn't seem like the images really needed HDR. With the exception of the sun ball itself, they seem to be within the range that could have been handled by RAW/PS processing which would have resulted in more natural results.

My main concern is the composition used in all three. Putting a fence along the front of a horizontal format doesn't lead anywhere, and just keeps drawing your attention. In the first two shots, the central sun and horizontal lines just lead the viewer to the outside edges, and then snaps back to the sun. In the last shot the windmill is an interesting feature, but the weight of the trees/bushes on the right don't seem to add anything to the picture. Finally, I'm not sure this was a good candidate for conversion to B&W.

Your last shot looks as though its burnt out and lacking contrast at the same time!

I absolutely love the first two shots! Well done! And thanks for sharing.

Thanks so much for the feedback.