Help me devise a personal challenge for me?

Compaq · Jun 10, 2012

So here's the deal. I've gotten feedback from a Norwegian photo site that some think I've got too much colours in my shots. That I'm too extreme in my editing and that my photos sometimes look too surreal - whilst me thinking they look natural. I realise that this feedback is based on personal choice, and that I don't need to pay attention to it. However, I've heard it from phtoographers that I've seen awesome work from, and that I somehow respect - even though I've never met them.

I almost always take more than one exposure of the scenes I'm photographing. I'm most often taking landscapes, and some architecture shots - then old and word buildings are what I seek.

So, what I want to do, is to limit myself somehow. I want to do less photoshopping, not exaggerate the colours. As one person said to me, when a photo contains high contrast, strong colours and is very sharp, then it looks too unnatural. So, like with some many things, maybe I should start to focus on only TWO of those.

Also, I'd like to limit myself to only taking ONE exposure.. Or, that is, only USING one exposure

I'd like to have the opportunity to use more at a later time

And, I think maybe I've become dependent on Photomatix. I always merge there, and per today it's the only way I do HDR. I always tonemap, and I think maybe I should tone that part of my pp down (no pun intended).

So, does anyone have any tips on what I'm saying? Any other ways I can limit myself in order to grow as a hobby photographer? I'm open for other types of limitations as well, as in only one focal length and such. But I think it's my pp that's the "problem", and the thing I want to change a little.

Joshonator · Jun 10, 2012

So you want to keep doing HDR but with one exposure? Or do you want to abandon HDR altogether? One idea I have is that maybe you should shoot in black and white for a while, see what looks reasonable and what does not in terms of contrast. I personally have never done HDR but whenever the colours deviate from what a one-shot photo would normally look like (blown out greens, grainy yellows, ect) it usually end up looking unreal. I prefer shots that only use HDR to revive details that would have been lost but not turning the image into a cartoon.

Compaq · Jun 11, 2012

I'm not pro-cartoony HDR shots, I try to tonemap lightly. That is what my goal is, at least. Sometimes I shoot subjects that fit a more surreal processing, IMO. For example, this old cabin:

Seng 2 by Anders Myhre Brakestad, on Flickr

When I do landscapes, I try to make it look natural. However, I've gotten much feedback that such as the following don't look real. Personally, I love this processing, and I do believe it looks real. I also think the colours are a little strong, but that what I was going for. I wanted to show the place's beauty, make it look "idyllic". Desaturated pics wouldn't do that, IMO, and so I wanted to have some colours. Strong colours on some of the houses. Make something stand out a littlle, make it really pop.

Porsvik 7 by Anders Myhre Brakestad, on Flickr

I am very happy with both these pics. But it somehow bugs me that people claim that I'm surreal in my processing, because I strongly disagree - when it comes to #2 here, I mean. That is not grunge. I think it's realistic, with strong colours. The one from the cabin is a bit more surreal, but I think that sort of look is awesome on old stuff like that. It's a bit annoying, then, that when I put up pics for C&C, most people say it's overcooked, surreal, not realistic and hard on the eye.

I would like to not be totally dependent on photomatix and tonemapping, and so not doing that (hence not aiming for tonemapped HDR shots all the time, but maybe rely on a good middle exposure) seems like a challenge that would bring me to another level. I feel I'm stuck in the HDR hole (without created extremely poor HDRs, though

).

So, am I completely stupid, here?

Jaemie · Jun 11, 2012

I just want to address the comment about "too much colour" in your shots. If you mean too much colour saturation, have you tried viewing your photos on a different web browser or on a different monitor? I've discovered the colour saturation in my photos varies significantly between Chrome, Firefox, and IE, but not always consistently. Monitor calibration and other tweaks have not helped, so I have no solution unfortunately, but I'm at least aware of the issue and able to preview my work as others will see it.

Compaq · Jun 11, 2012

I have calibrated my monitor as best as I can, and my shots look very good on my iphone. So I don't think that should be a problem. Others might not have calibrated monitors, though...

Jaemie · Jun 11, 2012

I don't think your work is cartoonish, but it's clearly tonemapped, and I'm not a fan of tonemapping. It makes me feel like I'm on drugs; I've been there, done that, as they say, and I don't want to feel like I'm on drugs when I look at photos. Well, maybe once in a while, but you know what I mean. Anyway, I like your idea of limiting the PP to the basics (crop, colour balance, brightness/contrast, etc.) and skipping the HDR/tonemapping altogether, at least for a while. See how it goes. Let the lens carry the show.

Compaq · Jun 11, 2012

So what do you do when you're out, walking in the forest? There's tons of green, maybe red flowers, colourful meadows. People seem to hate colours, yet the world around them are made up of colours.

Maybe I'll start a "Challenge thread" here, so that I feel obligated to follow through with it..

yerlem · Jun 11, 2012

well, perhaps it is just your style...do you need other people to get it? I don't think your work looks real, but I love it...perhaps I like feeling like I'm on drugs

Compaq · Jun 11, 2012

Why, thank you

Still, I feel the need to challenge myself.

Ernicus · Jun 11, 2012

Dude. I say this with all sincerity. Shoot what you want, screw the rest.

listen to advice for technical reasons obviously...but style is style. You see things how you see them. If you like it. Go with it. If you are trying to shoot photos for others to enjoy...then you may have to shoot what "they" like.

I am not a fan of conforming by any means. Can't ya tell. lol.

Your second photo does look cartoonish. I say that with respect. Not a bad thing. I like it personally. But its cartoonish, for lack of better words, in a way that a painting is...or can be. To me, it looks like a painting more than a photo. Or a photo that was edited to look like a painting. IF you see that photo and think it looks real....um...I think there is medication for that. lol.

seriously though, do what YOU want to do. Art. It's not for everyone.

...and you answered your own questions in your post. No one needs to make a plan for you. Just stop using those tools and see what you come up with. Easy as that.

chuasam · Jun 23, 2012

here's the challenge. Take pictures that make you happy and talk about it.
here's the 2nd part of the challenge: ignore anyone who tells you what you should or shouldn't photograph.
It's a hobby - enjoy it.

afoto · Jul 2, 2012

hey compaq,

and interesting post and question.
i struggled with this recently myself, as all my photos tend to be taken at the widest possible angle my equipment will allow, with the longest possible exposure (yea 10 stop filter)

i suppose the difference for me was i had a self diagnosed "problem" where i felt i might be limiting myself. in this situation i would say shoot what makes you happy. whatever makes you feel creatively satisfied is what you should be doing.

if you ever get to the point where YOU feel like your limiting yourself, do something about it, but if its just others commenting on your style, take it with a grain of salt. theres something out there for everyone, but we're not all the same.

molested_cow · Jul 2, 2012

Well, for me I get excited about a certain technique and then become obsessed with it for a while, then I realize that I am over doing it and then back off. By then I get enough knowledge and experience that I can see where it fits when I take a photograph.

It's not a bad thing to exploit a technique or style. You can always go back to the RAW files later, years later to redo it. It's a learning process and no photo has to be perfect for everyone.

If I were you, there are two things I can do. Keep exploring HDR and tone mapping until I am convinced that there isn't more to be explored. Or take this as an opportunity and back off from it, and try to take good photos using more traditional techniques. It's like a reality check.

Terenas1986 · Jul 2, 2012

This is quite a tough thing to answer, but here is what I think...

I've been in the same boat as you a few months earlier. I wanted oversaturated colors, high contrast, perfect histogram...etc. But NO IT WON'T work on my newly bought photo-printer. Sooo... I forced myself to adjust the images to lower contrast, just adding a tiny bit of saturation... and VOILA! Prints look much more like what I saw on screen... still getting some saturation and stuff.

About HDR... I mean in NO WAY to offend anyone... I love HDR images, because they look so nice, like a fairytale. But here's the issue... fairytale. You're photographing, not telling a fairytale...!!

Therefore my advice is for you to UNINSTALL Photomatix off your machine for a while.. have your GF or mom or anyone hide the install disk...etc. Whatever you can think of, to prevent yourself from using it. And do not enter Photoshop. Use Lightroom instead, it offers a more compact and swift way of editing... I think you won't linger too much in Post-prod. this way.

And for the "one exposure" thing... don't do it... check your histogram after your shot! I know it "looks like an amateur", when you constantly check your LCD.. but come on... we ALL know that TTL is stupid as hell sometimes... so you NEED to check that histogram. If you photograph a sunrise it needs to be kindof equal... same for sunset. If you photograph snow and bright sun.. it needs to be on the right. If it's a lake with moonlight... it needs to be at the left. - You know what I mean...! Expose your image according to what you photograph. If the histogram looks out of the order (or over/underexposed) then don't feel bad about Repeating your shot. Really don't!

That's about what I could add... I hope its useful in some way...