Teardrop Arch HDR

Trying something new. Not much of an HDR shooter, but this one gave me no choice. Three exposures processed in Photomatix...CC and any pointers would be appreciated. Teardrop Arch located in Monument Valley:

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Perfect. I love the saturated, detailed rock that frames the flat, pastel colored background. The background even looks like a backdrop from a Willey Coyote cartoon too...and I mean that in a good way.

navydoc wrote in post #10856323
The background even looks like a backdrop from a Willey Coyote cartoon too...and I mean that in a good way.

Exactly what I was thinking hehe. I love this photo!

Great, certainly not overcooked.

Add another for the Wiley Coyote look. Can you add an anvil falling from the sky?
Absolutely gorgeous!

Very, very nicely done - doesn't look overdone in the slightest. Great shot

navydoc wrote in post #10856323
Perfect. I love the saturated, detailed rock that frames the flat, pastel colored background. The background even looks like a backdrop from a Willey Coyote cartoon too...and I mean that in a good way.

lonelyjew wrote in post #10856678
Exactly what I was thinking hehe. I love this photo!

I hear what y'all saying about the background. The monuments were several miles away, and the atmospheric haze/dust/late afternoon sun really filtered out the colors with a bit of softness and gave them a pastel look. The full-size image does have much more background detail.

theextremist04 wrote in post #10857053
Great, certainly not overcooked.

photoPanda wrote in post #10857087
Very, very nicely done - doesn't look overdone in the slightest. Great shot

Thanks. I tried to minimize the tone-mapping, which if overdone gives most HDR's that cartoon/digital art look. The whole premise of HDR is to capture what our eyes see. Our eyes have a DR approximately 3x that of a digital camera, which is why we're able to see what we do instantaneously. Overdoing tone-mapping is really not HDR...

Thanks again for the comments.

Good stuff

Like! A+

The arch is well established in tone. In images like this rather than take 3 exposures and create a HDR I tend to create contrast masks and layers for each element. This way I can control the color and contrast for every important element in the image. The reason I bring this up is because I would play with the image elements found in the teardrop until I found something completely satisfying which in fact may be the original capture or HDR rendering. I'm a "you never know until you try" kind of printer.

I also agree with NavyDoc's comments.

jetcode wrote in post #10859480
The arch is well established in tone. In images like this rather than take 3 exposures and create a HDR I tend to create contrast masks and layers for each element. This way I can control the color and contrast for every important element in the image. The reason I bring this up is because I would play with the image elements found in the teardrop until I found something completely satisfying which in fact may be the original capture or HDR rendering. I'm a "you never know until you try" kind of printer.

I also agree with NavyDoc's comments.

Tried that as well. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience to "paint" in layer masks with this image, especially with such an uneven border as the rock provides for the background. I can get a bit more detail in the background monuments with the layer mask method, but its just too painstaking for me (although a Wacom may make it a bit easier).

Well, had another go at it and managed to get more detail out of the monuments. Looks like this one is the keeper:

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Wow, i like that alot!

Well certainly you know you have something to play with. I do like the original pastels though the blue seems like it has a little green in it but that's my take. Wonder what that would look like it the hue was adjusted to a more neutral sky blue. Just a thought.

Great image by the way.

Like the HDR and framing.
The good thing about this "frame" is that you could put a different background in - meaning another photo from the same series at perhaps a different angle. Cheating yes, but could be creative.