When does HDR go over the top?

[gadams999]

There seems to be different opinions on just how an HDR image should be presented. One camp seems to strive for realistic images while others go over the top on the application of HDR programs (e.g., halos on images, etc).

I'm still struggling with what I like to do, but I seem to tend towards a more artistic approach. Looking for a C&C on this image:

http://www.baah.net/Creative-Commons/HDR/GAA200910100002/704546412_DhUMZ-M.jpg
(http://www.baah.net/Creative-Commons/HDR/9675810_KgWfa/1/704546412_DhUMZ)
I balanced and pushed the green in the trees, and lightened up the statue to give it an "almost" glow.

For some reason, HDR and the work Trey Ratcliff is doing seems to call to me over other photographic styles. Time for some more road trips!

[Jzazzi]

I also enjoy Trey Ratcliff's HDR work, his flickr gallery is fun to follow. His style is only sometimes a bit unrealistic, but very well executed even so. I'm a fan of using HDR to capture images that my camera doesn't have the dynamic range for, such as a bright sunrise contrasting with dirt and rocks, or a cityscape at dusk with deep shadows everywhere but sprinkled with street lights and headlights.

Take more pictures, process more shots, it'll come to you. Also, find tutorials made by the people who's work you admire. It's the best way to pick up tricks and build a workflow that will work for you.

-J

[craig_d]

I think the average amateur's use of HDR is usually god-awful -- grossly exaggerated contrast and no artistic sensibility. Every once in a while I see a shot that actually makes good use of that sort of over-amplification, but not very often.

HDR as a technique is fine; it's just another tool the digital photographer can employ. It can be used with subtlety. The problem is that most people seem to think that the whole point of HDR is to make every picture look like angry fruit salad. I think the best HDR pictures are the ones that leave me wondering if they really are HDR at all, where everything is clear and sharp, the highlights have a subtle radiance, and the shadows aren't murky, but it still looks like reality, not like something from a Pixar animator's bad acid trip.

Your picture is okay, but I think the trees are a bit too bright to be believeable against that sky. When I do shots like this, I just combine bracketed exposures with layer masks rather than using HDR software.

[timk519]

The problem is that most people seem to think that the whole point of HDR is to make every picture look like angry fruit salad. ... it still looks like reality, not like something from a Pixar animator's bad acid trip. Love those observations!

[timk519]

Like - the statue, and the overall feel of the image, and that the HDR's not overdone.

Quibbles - the imbalance in the foreground / background detail level. The statue's detail level is nice, but the trees, etc. are recognizable, but look smudged. Better to either increase the DOF to up the detail level in the trees, or decrease it so the focus is on the statue and we get some nice bokeh in the background.

I'm curious what this would look like if you'd shot the statue head-on, would the tree be framing it in the background?

[Qarik]

angry fruit salad! LOL :rofl

[Kixx]

My excuse for being 'over the top' is, I just found a toy that makes this with a couples clicks. I'll outgrow it as soon I find another toy. maybe.

Here's some of my cartoonish stuff. :D

http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/ShortPump2HDR/713233255_Tu6SX-M.jpg
http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/10319297_baMbj#713233255_Tu6SX-A-LB
http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/Galludet-0287-TopazAdjustHDR/713232900_6UmMx-M.jpg

http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/PittChurch2HDRModelMayhem/713232977_AcRwk-M.jpg

http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/ShortPump1HDR/713233224_3mMvf-M.jpg

http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/10319297_baMbj#713232900_6UmMx-A-LBhttp://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/10319297_baMbj#713233224_3mMvf-A-LB

http://kixx.smugmug.com/Other/Playing-with-colors/10319297_baMbj#713233224_3mMvf-A-LBhttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/4090150102_40a214923f_m.jpg (http://www.kixxphotography.com)

[gadams999]

Like - the statue, and the overall feel of the image, and that the HDR's not overdone.

Quibbles - the imbalance in the foreground / background detail level. The statue's detail level is nice, but the trees, etc. are recognizable, but look smudged. Better to either increase the DOF to up the detail level in the trees, or decrease it so the focus is on the statue and we get some nice bokeh in the background.

I'm curious what this would look like if you'd shot the statue head-on, would the tree be framing it in the background?

I'm not at my normal computer (Apple has my late '08 MBP for repairs) but I'm pretty sure this was shot near f/8 or f/11. Majority of the smudging is due to wind motion. I'm still learning the techniques to correct for multiple exposure motion. Interesting idea for getting some bokeh. I'll play around when I get my laptop back.

Head on shot would have shown the house next door, and a higher position of the camera would have shown the more modern headstones in the background. I took various shots but this was the only one that showed promise. :)

Appreciate all the comments regarding HDR. FYI, for those that follow HDR, this weeks TWIP (This week in photography) podcast has Trey Ratcliff on it. Some good comments and explanation of his latest experiment into high-speed high pan-speed video. Not my cup of tea, but new idea'rs spark the imagination!

[HoofClix]

I'd have to see some of your originally exposed images to understand why you couldn't have just used one of them to create this final result, selecting and tweeking, rather than combining like via HDR. Even some of the other images shown as examples, similar results could have been come by with heavy use of high-pass or oversharpening..

I'm not so sure your question is answered so well by either your image or the other examples..... That is not saying that they aren't very nice or appealing...