Comments please?

[tetrasect]

Hey guys,

So I started playing with HDR techniques a few weeks back, took this pic the other day and would love some input from people who actually know what they are talking about, as opposed to friends and family saying "great job!".

I'm actually pretty surprised at how nice it turned out, though I may try to avoid the extreme lens flare next time (think there was even a bit of a water splotch on the lens).
Does anyone have any pointers on how to get the area around the sun looking better? It was pretty grey so I cranked up the saturation in that area but it still seems off...

Any criticism is appreciated!

 

[Light Guru]

Does anyone have any pointers on how to get the area around the sun looking better?

Don't include the sun in your frame when shooting and use a lens hood.

Also the image is way over processed.

 

[NancyMoranG]

Welcome! You will see this comment ALOT... "Too over-processed for me"
thats ok, not everyone likes the same treatment.
I am pretty new to HDR and have purchased the Photomatix to play with. Keep at it and some will chime in with more help
overall, I like the photo, but again, others with more experience will comment.
Nancy

 

[KmH]

The over processing causes a very noticeable halo above the hills in the distance.

Yes, some like the surrealism an over processed HDR evokes.
IMO, the black borders top/bottom also do not help.

 

[Rick50]

Ok, well keep trying- Room for improvement here.

 

[Derrel]

I would clone out those sensor dust spots in the sky. I understand the surrealistic, HDR-like look you're shooting for, but I think it needs to have the mid-tones be much brighter: you have a brilliant, blinding sun, but the exposure level and the mid-tone brightness is way too low to represent this kind of a bluebird day.

 

[tetrasect]

Thanks for the comments so far!

Yeah my first instinct was to crop the sun out but it looked a bit strange with the huge lens flare and nothing in the picture to explain it, will definitely take the lens hood along with me next time.

I wasn't really going for a super realistic look, but more of an expression of the memory of that place, which is one I have visited since childhood.

The halo is oddly enough not due to processing, it actually looked like that and was in each of the exposures... maybe because it was so close to sunrise?

Thanks, didn't even notice the dust spots! :O Will play around with the mid-tones a bit and see where it leads.

 

[tetrasect]

Brightened it up a bit and got rid of dust spots...

Hmmm... I actually think the black borders work better than the white background...

 

[Designer]

Hmmm... I actually think the black borders work better than the white background...

If you like this on a black background (or black surround) you can post it on a hosting site that has black as either an option or default. If you are going to print it, use a black mat surround. The black bands at top and bottom only do not help, IMO.

 

[tetrasect]

Hmmm... I actually think the black borders work better than the white background...

If you like this on a black background (or black surround) you can post it on a hosting site that has black as either an option or default. If you are going to print it, use a black mat surround. The black bands at top and bottom only do not help, IMO.

Thanks Designer, so maybe it would look something like this? Do you think the brightening has made it any better and do you have any other ideas about how to improve it?

 

[NTD Photography]

simply wow...