Hdr

I did the HDR at one point. As usual for me they are to the extreme.

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some very nice shots and comp no.4 is for me love it..

All nicely done Jonni, like the lighting for image 1, one or two of the others are extreme, maybe last two, looking too like paintings than photos.
I think though, with HDR, you either do it to the extreme or give images minimal changes, no middle ground for this type of processing.

There's middle ground for it Mark. Just depends how that person does it.

I think these are great pictures. I can understand not everyone likes it. Most on here wouldn't like Stiff Little Fingers, but I thought they were great.
What I don't get is why there is such a dislike for it. Ok, it doesn't look real, but neither does Jonni's pictures, but they are very good and creative.

Someone please explain to me why HDR is so disliked?

I love them all Jonni and cant wait for the day you do a master class

I suppose it depends on the subject regarding how far to go with HDR.
I do not dislike HDR, i think its artistic. Maybe one reason there is so much dislike is that there are still many `Old School Photographers` around. A shot photograph should remain just that and not be manipulated in any way, shape or form. Letting the persons skill as a photographer do the talking and not processing software.
But also its the sign of the times, it would be a very boring place if we all did the same thing. If you have creative bones in your body, there is no harm in showing a creative side with the right software to help you along

The last one for me (7) .. lovely atmostheric image

I've started something now

Here what i do Cakey.


I generate an HDR in photomatix. I then tone map as follows. set the strength to 100% set the light smoothing to Very High. And Micro Contrast to maximum. All other setting at default. I then adjust the luminosity, white point and black point to give a full histogram as possible, but pay attention not to blow any highlights or burn out the shadows.

If you want an even darker feel then run it through photomatix again and tone map the image again which will produces an even flatter image, but play around with the white and black point and luminosity to try and get a spread on the histogram.

The MAIN TRICK is PHOTOSHOP. Photomatix just gets you started. I dodge and burn, extreme S curve, brightness and then flatten. I then change the mode to LAB and alter the colours via levels with the A & B tabs. I may desaturate some colours as well (any method will work with the desaturation) I then reduce the noise and work it with a mask to keep the main points sharp. I some times add another sky and more often than not I add a texture.

All of the above images are old works about 4 yrs old and not what I can produce now. Its just a case of practicing and experimenting. Remember that the key to It Is PHOTOSHOP.


To avoid blur in the foliage due to the multiple exposures.
I get round this by taking the multiple exposures and then i take a single correct exposure.
I generate the multiple and then i create multiple exposures from the single one. once i have the two sets generated i open both in photoshop and then mask the still leaves over the moving once.
Hope it makes sense.


Hope this helps. If you get stuck give us a shout.

See now, if you're going to do HDR and 'overdo it' - this is how it's done! I love these, they are what OTT HDR is about for me!

xx

cheers Jonni
I will give it a go tomorrow and post my results