HDR processed city-scapes - what is your opinion?

[kylelam77]

the gnd filter would not help in every picture here.

there are certain pictures where the details you want will not be achieved with a gnd filter due to the nature of gnd filters having a "horizon" where the light is cut out, gradually or abruptly.

Yeah. That's true. Some of the pics cld use a soft-edge GND filter although not all can. I was wondering with city-scapes and potentially fast-moving clouds, wouldn't HDR be also an issue with blurring (although i suppose it isn't generally noticeable if you don't pixel-peep)?

 

[pinholecam]

Depends for me.

#2 and #6 works quite well. The richness and riot of colors seems to justify the sureal approach.

Some like #1 seem quite pointless.

 

[louismuhammad]

yes, it is moderately done, but to the point where there is little gain in DR.

here are some examples i like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capnsurly/2586056143/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hdr400d/2145709507/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnaharro/2306127598/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/asmundur/1936021837/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mace2000/1589163794/
http://www.bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=3237258008&size=large

cheers.

Thanks for the examples. I really like them too. I will study them and work on my technique.

 

[louismuhammad]

Just a tip, you need to apply more contrast to the photos. Usually photomatix isn't enough to give that contrast so a trip to photoshop cs3 would do the trick.

Thanks for the tip. will try to boost up the contrasts and see how they turn out. Its quite easy because i'm using the apple aperture plug in, so I create the hdr in aperture and still have the ability to adjust the settings without exporting to cs4.

 

[zoossh]

didn't like them, and not becos they look like digital art.
digital art that are nice and photography that are nice, both appeals.

do consider two things.
1. the underside of the clouds are too dark.
2. there are areas that are suddenly bright, sandwiched between areas that are dark, but the lighting doesn't suggest so.

food for thoughts.

 

[henryong]

hi...just my 2 cents opinion...the photomatix s/w is great but a lot of the pros still go back to photoshop to enhance the pix.. it seems that this is not an option but a must for the serious ones...

 

[soulFLY]

hmmm....guess everyone has mentioned it...its overdone and black patchy are observed...

its ok to get the wow factor and attracting the young ones...but if you are serious photographer, u will tend to listen to what others thought here...

i started off with high expection to have the GRAND WOW feedback with the crazy and pretty 'dynamic' treatment but it tends to fade off after you are more serious in it...

maybe u will look back to these images couple month later and u will ask urself; its too 'dynamic' and these will change ur mind and have the urge to make it better or i would say, closes to what our eyes seeing it...

if u want to stay these way, make sure its dynamic enough to have ppl attention and starts appreciate it...

 

[louismuhammad]

do consider two things.
1. the underside of the clouds are too dark.
2. there are areas that are suddenly bright, sandwiched between areas that are dark, but the lighting doesn't suggest so.

food for thoughts.

thanks zoossh for the suggestions. the feedback that I have received has been invaluable and I plan to continue to practice on my photography and post processing.

 

[louismuhammad]

hi...just my 2 cents opinion...the photomatix s/w is great but a lot of the pros still go back to photoshop to enhance the pix.. it seems that this is not an option but a must for the serious ones...

thanks for the comment henryong. i will spend more time with my images in the future in photoshop. create less hdr's but make sure when I do create an hdr, that it is the cream of the crop

 

[louismuhammad]

hmmm....guess everyone has mentioned it...its overdone and black patchy are observed...

its ok to get the wow factor and attracting the young ones...but if you are serious photographer, u will tend to listen to what others thought here...

i started off with high expection to have the GRAND WOW feedback with the crazy and pretty 'dynamic' treatment but it tends to fade off after you are more serious in it...

maybe u will look back to these images couple month later and u will ask urself; its too 'dynamic' and these will change ur mind and have the urge to make it better or i would say, closes to what our eyes seeing it...

if u want to stay these way, make sure its dynamic enough to have ppl attention and starts appreciate it...

Thanks soulFLY! I have looked at your hdr work on cs and i'm quite impressed. you even included the photomatix settings that you used on some of them. Thanks alot, and i'll keep at it and work to produce better hdr's and regular images overall. your comments are sincerely appreciated.