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HDR getting overdone?
- Thread starter Zmaster2k
- Start date
I can understand the skill that goes into it and why some people like HDR photos, but I'm not a fan at all.
A friend I shoot with out here seems to HDR virtually every night shot whereas I go for less editing, horses for courses I guess, but I think the HDR he uses can often look over-cooked and unrealistic.
The trick with HDR to me is to enhance the shot without making it obviously HDR'ed. Subtle HDR really adds to some kinds of shots in my opinion.
Let's be honest though:
a.) it could be worse, it could be instagram...
b.) photography is meant to be about producing an image you like using whatever techniques you choose, so if it works for you then why not use HDR.
A friend I shoot with out here seems to HDR virtually every night shot whereas I go for less editing, horses for courses I guess, but I think the HDR he uses can often look over-cooked and unrealistic.
The trick with HDR to me is to enhance the shot without making it obviously HDR'ed. Subtle HDR really adds to some kinds of shots in my opinion.
Let's be honest though:
a.) it could be worse, it could be instagram...
b.) photography is meant to be about producing an image you like using whatever techniques you choose, so if it works for you then why not use HDR.
Real HDR or just over/badly-processed !?
The only HDR I like are insides of churches...
The only HDR I like are insides of churches...
E90 M3
Haha, the truth!
High Dynamic Range.
You take 3 "identical" photos, one over exposed, one under, and one 'just right'. Smush them together in photoshop or other software and it brings the highlights and shadows out because you can't normally get all that detail in one shot, and you end up with something nice like the shot above.
The more photos you use, i.e, -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +1.5, the better it should be due to the steps in the range.
Some photos look good with it, some do not, and some are AWFUL.. IMO.
Good example here (possibly):
If you stick HDR into Flickr's search, you will see many examples.
Hope that explains it !
99.9% of HDR is awful
That's a great explanation. Cheers mate.High Dynamic Range.
You take 3 "identical" photos, one over exposed, one under, and one 'just right'. Smush them together in photoshop or other software and it brings the highlights and shadows out because you can't normally get all that detail in one shot, and you end up with something nice like the shot above.
The more photos you use, i.e, -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +1.5, the better it should be due to the steps in the range.
Some photos look good with it, some do not, and some are AWFUL.. IMO.
Good example here (possibly):
If you stick HDR into Flickr's search, you will see many examples.
Hope that explains it !
Oil Burner
It is a useful photographic tehcnique. But it has turned into a cult of ruining photos. ontop of which people try to achieve the HDR look with a single exposure.
It shouldnt be noticeable in my opinion. Only in that you have captured images in a way that would otherwise be impossible.
It shouldnt be noticeable in my opinion. Only in that you have captured images in a way that would otherwise be impossible.
The thing that makes HDR so awful now-a-days is what other's have echoed so far - it's way over done.
If it's subtle and enhances the photo then sure it looks good, if it looks like you've put it through Instagram then you've done something wrong.
If it's subtle and enhances the photo then sure it looks good, if it looks like you've put it through Instagram then you've done something wrong.
Heyy, I've just finished my second year on a Photography course at College, I chose to create two High Dynamic Range photos aswell as some other ones to go in a exhibition for the public why do you guys think of my dialed down HDR images, (each photo was taken with three exposures), i dont like it when HDR image have massive bold lines and bright colours, what do you guys think? I know the whole topic is a bit marmite haha http://www.flickr.com/photos/54317261@N05/sets/72157630247153998/
why do you guys think of my dialed down HDR images, (each photo was taken with three exposures), i dont like it when HDR image have massive bold lines and bright colours, what do you guys think? I know the whole topic is a bit marmite haha http://www.flickr.com/photos/54317261@N05/sets/72157630247153998/
2.2 bar shed.
Heyy, I've just finished my second year on a Photography course at College, I chose to create two High Dynamic Range photos aswell as some other ones to go in a exhibition for the public
Honestly and constructively they're pretty terrible. Given your subject, the contrast levels you've gone for just make the 1st persons skin look terrible. Now that can work fantasticly if you're shooting old people as you end up with epic texture and feel to the photo. Where as IMO here it just makes them look like they've got bad skin. A ringflash would've been a much better choice imo with some proper post production work. You dont have to make her look like barbie, but as is its just not right imo.
As for the 2nd photo, thats just a bit meh. Why leave your reflection in it? Just looks a bit amateur? Not trying to sound harsh here, just looking to give real criticism rather than s**t you find on flickr/dA where everyone loves a snapshot.
This is HDR
basically I love purple/blue skies in my night photography. Usually due to light pollution/colour casts/dusk. I think a night photo with a black sky is a little uninspiring.
If your camera exposes normally you will get a dark sky and a reasonable exposure on the subject but with point light sources partly blown out. If you overexpose by 1-2 stops you get some lovely colours in the sky but reduced contrast on the subject and totally blown highlights. So I combine 2-3 exposures in photoshop to get the sky and subject exposed well with highlights that whilst blown at the very centres of say a light aren't too bad! It also doesn't scream 'HDR'!
Albert Warehouse by Brazo76, on Flickr
basically I love purple/blue skies in my night photography. Usually due to light pollution/colour casts/dusk. I think a night photo with a black sky is a little uninspiring.
If your camera exposes normally you will get a dark sky and a reasonable exposure on the subject but with point light sources partly blown out. If you overexpose by 1-2 stops you get some lovely colours in the sky but reduced contrast on the subject and totally blown highlights. So I combine 2-3 exposures in photoshop to get the sky and subject exposed well with highlights that whilst blown at the very centres of say a light aren't too bad! It also doesn't scream 'HDR'!
Albert Warehouse by Brazo76, on Flickr
Nice pic and I agree on a pitch black sky (in most cases) but that needs cooling IMO.. too yellow for me but I'm a fussy wotsit
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
I only use it (I say use... I piss around with it) to 'enhance' a detail in a photo.
If I want to make a car 'pop' I'll HDR the car a little and leave the background as it was. That way it's an interesting photo without being Ott like in fastcar
If I want to make a car 'pop' I'll HDR the car a little and leave the background as it was. That way it's an interesting photo without being Ott like in fastcar
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
Subtleish IMO
Looks awful IMO.. like it was taken on a fax machine / blackberry and then mangled with that bloomin' Instagram.
Get it right on camera first time round, ESPECIALLY during bright sunny daylight for goodness sake
Get it right on camera first time round, ESPECIALLY during bright sunny daylight for goodness sake
If you end up with something stupid like this then you've done it wrong. (I did this myself as a piss take
)
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
Didnt notice that lol. I just quickly knocked that up to add to my post. I'd have taken a bit more time if I was doing it properly
haha cheers for the constructive critisism lol :L luckily other peoples views werent the same... i can see what your saying but they worked great with the other images in my set, and no the reason I left my reflection in was because it linked in with my proposal, not a amateurish move.. imo real photography is about meaning...not a pretty landscape with just some nice colours..haha, sorry I dont mean to sound arsey haha thats not me, its just hard to explain meaning :L
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
You should be an artist lol.
Photography to me is 'this'd make a nice picture... Snap'
Photography to me is 'this'd make a nice picture... Snap'
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
Lol I've grown to disdain people finding meaning in art and photography since doing fine art at uni... I wasn't having a go or anything I've just came to see 'meaning' as a synonym for 'some s**t I made up to sound like an artist' lol... Dear god I have to stop ranting about this ha
haha no to be honest i totally agree :L after finishing college you see that all that writing and evaluation of images and techniques is utter crap...when really anyone outside the whole photography and art thing just wants it to 'look cool' haha im more into film photography, i enjoy developing and processing my work in the darkroom...better than sitting at a computer for hours on end imo, what was uni like haha? did you enjoy it?
Is your screen calibrated? Have another look at the white lights. If anything you will see a slight blue cast.Nice pic and I agree on a pitch black sky (in most cases) but that needs cooling IMO.. too yellow for me but I'm a fussy wotsit
Knuckles
ClioSport Admin
Basically, through primary, secondary school and sixth form, I loved art... Then I went to uni and realised its a load of bullshit lol.
When we had weekly showings/group discussion about our work I made some guy incredibly pissed off because when he said 'so why did you make this?' I replied ' I wanted to, I thought it'd look cool. Theres no underlying message' he ended up in a massive argument with my tutor haha
hhaha oh dearrr :L that sounds exactly like my first year of college! :L
It's the same as any manipulation, sometimes, it works.
That's still overdone.
