Holy Island HDR **One More Added**

danny_bhoy

danny_bhoy

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Danny
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Yup...HDR.

I don't normally delve into the murky and taboo world of HDR very often - most probably as I remember hideously overcooking some early efforts.

This is from this morning on Holy Island. I was just about to leave and really wanted to shoot the little wooden jetty thing but it was head-on with the rising sun. I stacked every grad I own and it didn't help so I resorted to a 3 shot HDR (stacked in Lightroom). I've intentionally left it a bit underexposed to add a bit of mood and haven't corrected the vignette from the wide angle lens, just to draw the eye to the centre a bit.

Anyway, hope it doesn't scream HDR! :)

Holy Island Harbour by Danny Birrell, on Flickr
 
I would never have thought that was HDR if you hadn't said so. That's how it should be used! It's a lovely image too and well worth the work. I love the light catching the foreground and the stones on the jetty just seem to draw it all together.
 
jimbosloan said:
it's a wonder the the ones who hate HDR ain't commented
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•
I am one of those who hate HDR in natural setup and I will comment…

The photograph, as it is, is quite pleasing and I don't see much of the
usual ugly HDR effects in this scenery. However, this could have been
achieved with 1 properly exposed take processed in an adequate RAW
converter since the shot is well within the 12 to 14 stops latitude of your
sensor.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
I am one of those who hate HDR in natural setup and I will comment…

The photograph, as it is, is quite pleasing and I don't see much of the
usual ugly HDR effects in this scenery. However, this could have been
achieved with 1 properly exposed take processed in an adequate RAW
converter since the shot is well within the 12 to 14 stops latitude of your
sensor.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, there is no such thing as 'ugly HDR effects'. Ugly processing (which is what it is) can effect all images, whether exposure blended (which is what HDR is) or not, it's really down to the user as to how they manipulate their shots. Just wanted to clear up this ongoing myth.
As far as the shot is concerned, the least amount of processing on an individual exposure the better, irrespective of how many stops a sensor can capture. In this example, three properly exposed images combined, result in a very natural looking shot which I doubt one single exposure could achieve with manipulation without some form of artefact having an impact.
 
NeilA1975 said:
…there is no such thing as 'ugly HDR effects'. Ugly processing (which is what it is)…
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Yes, you got that one right… one day I'll be better at translating my thoughts correctly!
NeilA1975 said:
I doubt one single exposure could achieve
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… maybe exploring new tools could be a revealing experience.
 
I like this.... Love those windows of light on the Jetty, brings up the detail in the foreground nicely, again I wouldn't have know it too be HDR (so I think your safe from the HDR police). Lovely sunburst, and nice light on those large pebbles too. I think the lamppost on the end of the harbour wall on the right needs a little tweak. Did you have your lens correction on in LR?

I have heard that Lightrooms new HDR merge is very good, looks like this proves the point. Everyone associates HDR with psychedelic retina melting colour, but this I'm sure is just down to people not knowing how to use it correctly/sympathetically.
As @NeilA1975 says Filters, HDR or 2 exposures blended in PS, if there done correctly and sympathetically, would you (or could you) tell the difference?
 
The HDR is very well done and pretty much unnoticeable, the colours are pretty much spot on too. I feel the wooden jetty in the foreground is a little to prominent in the frame, yes the light on the jetty is pleasing, but I feel it overpowers the shot. Of course thats maybe what you were hoping to achieve and fair do's to you. It would be boring if we all liked the same thing :)
 
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I like that very much, nicely done and controlled.

Re: getting it all with a single shot, I have been surprised at the latitude for shadows available from my D610 compared to my Sony alpha from about the same era. Use of a hard grad and careful processing would have probably given a similar image, but HDR is absolutely valid - and possibly better - in a situation like this.
 
Really great shot Danny, lovely light, good composition, and spot on exposure.(y)

George.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
I am one of those who hate HDR in natural setup and I will comment…

The photograph, as it is, is quite pleasing and I don't see much of the
usual ugly HDR effects in this scenery. However, this could have been
achieved with 1 properly exposed take processed in an adequate RAW
converter since the shot is well within the 12 to 14 stops latitude of your
sensor.
Click to expand...

Hi Kodiak - I could probably have achieved something close to this with one RAW file but it would have involved pushing the file further than I'd want to in terms of retrieving shadows and reducing highlights etc which would in turn introduce unwanted elements such as noise. For once, I think HDR was the more subtle method of achieving the look I was after.
 
69Bonni said:
I like this.... Love those windows of light on the Jetty, brings up the detail in the foreground nicely, again I wouldn't have know it too be HDR (so I think your safe from the HDR police). Lovely sunburst, and nice light on those large pebbles too. I think the lamppost on the end of the harbour wall on the right needs a little tweak. Did you have your lens correction on in LR?

I have heard that Lightrooms new HDR merge is very good, looks like this proves the point. Everyone associates HDR with psychedelic retina melting colour, but this I'm sure is just down to people not knowing how to use it correctly/sympathetically.
As @NeilA1975 says Filters, HDR or 2 exposures blended in PS, if there done correctly and sympathetically, would you (or could you) tell the difference?
Click to expand...

Cheers Steve. I hadn't noticed the post on the right but now you mention it I can see it's on a bit of a wonk. Lens correction was applied but with this being on the outer edge I think it's copped the most of the distortion.

As for merging in LR - it's much more straightforward than I thought it'd be. Then having the ability to continue to tweak the file in LR once it's been merged is amazing - so much latitude to play with. Last time I tried HDR I used PS and I remember that being a bit fiddly and a tad hit and miss.
 
jakeblu said:
The HDR is very well done and pretty much unnoticeable, the colours are pretty much spot on too. I feel the wooden jetty in the foreground is a little to prominent in the frame, yes the light on the jetty is pleasing, but I feel it overpowers the shot. Of course thats maybe what you were hoping to achieve and fair do's to you. It would be boring if we all liked the same thing :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve - you might be right about the Jetty. I tried lopping a 3rd off the bottom of the frame though and it didn't feel as balanced..........plus I'd gone to the trouble of placing all of the foreground stones just where I wanted them so wasn't going to waste that effort! Haha :)
 
danny_bhoy said:
For once, I think HDR was the more subtle method of achieving the look I was after.
Click to expand...
I already say that I enjoyed your rendition exactly because the usual
"ugly processing" is not to be seen. ;-)

OTOH, this is a case that would be worth exploring a right hand captured
histogram as a bit later the sun would blow out everything.
 
HDR software

Is a modern tool for the burning and dodging that I used to do in the darkroom when processing my film shots the problem when shooting into the sun modern cameras censors and film don't have the latitude to cope with the exposure diff between the shadows and direct sunlight though every new model seems to be getting better at addressing this issue
agree on the comments about too many over cooked HDR shots (been guilty in the past myself) this does not apply to this shot
 
Abaddon said:
That is very nice, with the light and shadows coming together to make a great scene.
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Cheers Ian.

jimbosloan said:
HDR software

Is a modern tool for the burning and dodging that I used to do in the darkroom when processing my film shots the problem when shooting into the sun modern cameras censors and film don't have the latitude to cope with the exposure diff between the shadows and direct sunlight though every new model seems to be getting better at addressing this issue
agree on the comments about too many over cooked HDR shots (been guilty in the past myself) this does not apply to this shot
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim. Having never really shot with film I can only imagine that it was a damn site harder in the darkroom than in Lightroom!
 
I like this one for the detail it puts into the shadow sides of the boats, although maybe a fraction too colourful on the fenders on the yellow one. Without HDR the boat hulls would be almost featureless and the photo would have a lot less impact than it does now.
 
Both lovely Danny. First one is perhaps a more aesthetically pleasing shot but second one has lots of interest.
 
danny_bhoy said:
.... and haven't corrected the vignette from the wide angle lens, just to draw the eye to the centre a bit.
Click to expand...
An entirely valid choice. People can get obsessed with what they think of as 'perfect' technical rendition. But often a 'perfect' image may be more sterile than one with supposed 'defects'.

It's a matter of judgement. Not a catch-all.
 
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