Evening Bridge

Glenn NK wrote in post #5631275
Well done Deuce. As another Islander (as is Gail), I should recogniz the bridge as I've driven over all of them many times going or coming from somewhere (Oak Street Bridge?)

It's actually the Burrard Street Bridge looking south.

Glenn NK wrote in post #5631275
I rather like the mood of this image, and the colouration. I suspect that the bridge piers aren't that warm in reality, but the colour balance suits the image well. I'm starting to think that we are so often hung up on attaining perfect and realistic colour balance that we lose the opportunity to use a colour cast to enhance the mood of an image.

You suspect correctly. I have no hangups with making the image look as I would want it to look. I enhance the colors that are there, but I didn't change them (meaning I didn't artificially make the sky under the bridge orange and above blue, it's just they weren't THAT orange and THAT blue).

chauncey wrote in post #5631824
Your making us happy Chris. Are you making your clients happy?

I'm glad people can find pleasure in my images, and I would assume they are happy (I already sold this one, but the client wanted me to clone out the people and dog in the corner. I think I can handle that request).

I really like this image..

I just wish it had more dymanic range.. maybe shoot an hdr.... but I love this shot

richardyoung wrote in post #5638687
I just wish it had more dymanic range..

Really? Forgive my confusion because this is definately not the comment I would expect. Uninteresting, composition weak, soft focus, something like that I would look at. But range?

Histograms (Color & Luminosity)

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I'm surprised that you don't see what the problem is Chris.
It's your histogram, it's not wide enough.

Ya can't please everyone I guess.

LOL. I hate challenging people that offer a critique because that's exactly why I post my work here. It's sort of like saying "there's not enough bridge in the shot, it could use more bridge".

All I can assume is that range is not really the issue, but something about the image needs more impact. Lack of impact is definately something I'd explore.

Beautiful picture, and quite obviously NOT HDR. An HDR image would have ugly halos separating the bright and dark parts of the image. Unlike 99.999% of HDR images, this photo is great.

richardyoung wrote in post #5638687
I really like this image..

I just wish it had more dymanic range.. maybe shoot an hdr.... but I love this shot

I'm sorry but what an absurd comment. Show me where there are areas of total black or blown out highlights. The dynamic range of this image is damn near perfect. HDR for it's own sake epitomises what is wrong with most of the HDR posted on the internet.

iamaelephant wrote in post #5638981
HDR for it's own sake epitomises what is wrong with most of the HDR posted on the internet.

I think it's the tone-mapping that draws folks to the process, but the tone-mapping part can be done yourself in photoshop. Pushing the sliders in HDR software is easier, but imho the quality suffers. This was an image that did not call for the HDR technique. I don't find myself shooting in conditions that require it very often.

iamaelephant wrote in post #5638981
I'm sorry but what an absurd comment. Show me where there are areas of total black or blown out highlights. The dynamic range of this image is damn near perfect. HDR for it's own sake epitomises what is wrong with most of the HDR posted on the internet.

I'm realizing that the use of HDR has a long way to go - not that it isn't a useful tool, it certainly can be - but it seems that not everyone knows what it's for.

The dynamic range of Chris's image (Deuce) has no blocked out blacks and no blown highlights - it completely fills the dynamic range that the sensor and printers can handle. If there were bright sparkling highlights with no detail at all or blacks with no detail, then HDR could solve these problems, but these problems don't seem to exist. Why use a solution for which there is no problem?

I attribute it to the bandwagon effect.

I agree that there is to some extent a "Bandwagon Effect" taking place. That's human nature. However, I don't see anything wrong with that. It just means that there will be more people knowledgeable in the high tech photography areas.

Furthermore, if a person can use HDR to get an effect that he likes, even when the image was already well captured and did not need HDR treatment, why should he not do so? The last time I checked, people are allowed to excel or make a mess with their tools - it's up to them

I certainly don't want this to seem like a bash HDR session. I think it's an awesome tool, and I've used it myself when a single shot couldn't do the job.

I do think that a lot of folks confuse HDR with tone-mapping. The tone-mapping features of current HDR software give people an easy method to create eye catching saturated images that they couldn't get otherwise. It can be like putting in finishing nails with a sledge though, and to get nice results you have to nudge things into place.

There was a link around here that had a Show Me Your HDR theme, and in that link was some absolutely stunning work by very talented people. These are tools that are only getting better, and should be in the toolbox of every photographer. The trick is to know which tool is best for the job you want to do.

Glenn NK wrote in post #5631275
Comment on what we shoot: Being in Vancouver, it would be difficult to be a natural landscape photographer - the time and distances involved are limiting. Gail in Nanaimo has tremendous opportunity to shoot seascapes. You might understand why I in Victoria have about 9,000 flower images.

Hey GLenn....you are so correct..lol..you are in the flower capital of B.C....but you also have the most beautiful water fronts to shoot.as well as architecure..I am going to start shooting in the South End this week...a tad more vibrant than the North

I will eventually get the city shots I want.....lol....just have to get on that Big Boat.

With me lacking your skills Chris, I use it when I can't do the job.

It is a copout.

chauncey wrote in post #5644988
With me lacking your skills Chris, I use it when I can't do the job.

It is a copout.

I don't think it's a copout at all. The tools are getting quite good, and like I said they are much easier to use and achieve a very nice result. I prefer Dynamic-Photo HDR over Photomatix, and I've never tried CS3 so I'll have to give that one a go next time I shoot HDR.