A few Hawaii Pics for C&C

[Bad Andy]

Here are two more pics from my Hawaii trip.

1.) The Pali Lookout

2.) Budhist temple

Please let me know your thoughts. Both taken with Sigma wide angle, and adjusted in Aperture / Topaz Adjust.

Thank you for your comments, and thank you for looking.

-Andy

 

[tygr1]

Hey Andy, San Pedro is like my favorite place ever! I was born there in fact. Whereabouts are you?


I love #1. Number 2 doesn't really benefit from the HDR treatment.

 

[ChristinaW]

I prefer #2 over #1.. But I like them both

 

[AgentDrex]

They both exhibit signs of extreme contrast. The darks seem too dark, and the lights seem too light. HDR stands for, as far as I know, high-dynamic-range...which I guess would mean, the blacks are exposed properly as well as the whites...and everything in between. Which as far as I can read and tell, is hard for a lot of cameras to pull off, hence the bracketing procedure and the whole HDR treatment.

I guess the procedure is mistakenly used wrong because of the few photos that work with everything being blown out of proportion. Old cars and barns are examples I've seen that use it the best.

Neither of these photos, IMHO, have the look that would be benefited by maxing the darks and lights. Do you have the original images you bracketed to put this together?

EDIT: The second photo, the branch that starts from the right-hand side of the photo just about the posts, THAT, that right there is a PERFECT candidate for the "typical" HDR, the look you were going for in these photos. If you could have taken a photo with that as the subject and did whatever you did to just that branch...that would look spectacular! Just take a closer look at it, you'll see what I mean, or not.

 

[Bad Andy]

Tygr1 - I live around the First and Western area. Have lived there for about 8 years and really enjoy the area.

Agent Drex - Thank you for your comments. I wasn't going for the HDR look, just a little enhanced contrast, but I see what you mean. I really liked the way Topaz rendred the clouds. They looked a little life-less in the originals. When I get home later tonight, I will post the originals.

-Andy

EDIT: These are both single exposure shots, not multiple bracketed exposures combined for an HDR. Just to clear up any confusion.

 

[MohaimenK]

now I LOVE THESE PIX! Great job! By any chance can you also post original w/out editing? Just interested to see

 

[Bad Andy]

As requested, I will upload the originals of the above files. These are both straight out of the camera copies of the RAW files.

3.) Pali Lookout:

4.) Temple:

After looking at the edits at the top of this thread, I agree that they are a little over the top. Normally, I will just adjust the contrast a little more conservatively. I would appreciate any additional comments if you have them.

-Andy

 

[reznap]

As requested, I will upload the originals of the above files. These are both straight out of the camera copies of the RAW files.

EDIT: Realized you edited the first ones with Topaz.. careful with that plugin, it tends to completely ruin nice pictures.

Great images btw (in the most recent post anyway).

 

[AgentDrex]

You didn't take bracketed shots with that much contrast around and that nice of composition?

 

[Bad Andy]

AgentDrex - I was on vacation and didn't feel like dragging my tripod around with me.

 

[DanFinePhotography]

Topaz is pretty slick, i would have to agree that one can get away from you if your not careful. These are nice shots, and i would say i like the originals (raw files) better than the ones from PP

 

[SrBiscuit]

i also prefer the originals.
such a beautiful setting, and it still looks real. the topaz is neat, but i think it cooked them a bit too much.