C&C: Single Image HDR - B & W - Main Street - Front Royal, VA

[Photog4Christ]

This was done with a single RAW image. Please let me know what you think:

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r154/NealJacobPhoto/HDR/2009-Girls-NJP_2009-DSCF0154_HDR_3.jpg

[InsuredDisaster]

It looks really cluttered, I'm guessing the clock is the main subject, but it appears a bit flat and nearly pasted onto the trees. I'm not geting any feeling of depth in this photo.

It is a dreamy sort of BW, so maybe all of the above goes into this effect?

[brvheart]

I would like to see this in color -

In BW it just is to busy for me and the whites are to bright imo - I like composition but the conversion just is not working for me on this one.

[gvf]

Think it depends on what you were looking for. As a design, it's interesting, though maybe varying the objects' contrast will give it focus.

As a photo capturing a scene I think it needs depth and variation as it tends to look to me like everything is on one plane and too sharp equally. I mentioned in another post: the eye and lens is a sphere, with varying degrees of focus, sharpest in the center and less so falling away from the center - and that's controlled by aperture, how far beyond center the scene's light is allowed to fall.

I know nothing about HDR, but if you want a shot based more in the actual light of the scene, open the lens up somewhat and see what you get.

(Be interesting to see the original shot(s) )

[Photog4Christ]

Thank you for the comments.

I have another shot very similar to this one (non-HDR). As I mentioned in my other HDR posts, I am still learning and experimenting with HDR.

This particular image is a "pseudo-HDR" because it only uses one image (one exposure) instead of 3 or more exposures. I'm sure that would have made a difference too.

As for the B & W, I just wanted to see what it looked like. :)

[gvf]

As for the B & W

B&W is great, great way to experiment with your interest in HDR.

It's great to post for anyone just learning some new technique, and you know more about it than some people (me), so it's instructive for others too.