California Sun

[Joey_Ricard]

Joey I thank you for your critique. And yes you are correct I did use HDR for this image. My reasoning for doing this is because I wanted to get the detail all throughout my image including with the pier. I wanted to try to capture on photograph what I was seeing with my own eyes. The sky the pier and the water. I did this by taking 3 seperate images repeatedly all 2 stops difference, and converted them in photoshops HDR merger. And this was the end result. No cropping was done or exageration on the sun star. This is what I saw with my eyes when I took the photo. The reason the pier isn't black is because the light that was reflecting off the water was bouncing back up onto the pier and lighting it up just a bit. Is that where you are saying it is lacking shadow? I processed this in HDR because I didn't want the pier to be a sillohette in black as it would have been without the different exposures because that is not how I was seeing it at that moment with my own eyes. I was with a large group of photographers that day and they all (including me) kept commenting on how perfect of a scenario we were in that day because of the colors that we were getting and seeing. Except my photo holds one big thing different than everyone else's that day. I found the sun star. Which is one of the highlights of the photo and one of the main parts that everyone loves about it. And the pier does hold both shadow and light. Possibly a larger photo when I get home will help to see this part of it. But I do very much appreciate your critique. Only way can learn to get better is by getting different viewpoints.

Thanks for taking the time to absorb my C&C,
You did all the right things with the images, however depending on which HDR software you use, the outcome will have varied degrees of control.
This image has plenty to work with. My thoughts, revolve around the final image and not how you arrived at it. HDR is a fantastic tool and when used with the original intent of the designers can really bring an image to life. With that said, I don't use HDR, simply because my skills in PS give me more control for what I do.
All I am saying with the HDR deal is, you have to maintain a pleasant balance with shadows and highlights. Those skilled in HDR can produce an image that one would never know is HDR. Those images, even I can't tell if they used HDR or did it like the old fashioned way, but they look awesome.

Back to your image. See the pier past the sun? Its in nice deep shadow. See the pier between the sun and the first bump out? reduced shadow., then back to shadow from there to the shore.

 

[ahcigar1]

Joey,

I see the portion that you are talking about. But if you look in relation to the sun the shadow and light is in all the correct areas. The light starts where the sun is coming through hence why shadown at the end of the pier and also where the sun is coming through there is a blocker of where the pier goes out a bit blocking the sun passing that point. And it ends again towards the front of the image if you see there is another portion where there a a part of the pier that jutts out and so beyond that point it would be in shadow again. So because of those two points the light would not be able to pass those two areas and so the difference of light and shadow crossing the pier is physically correct.

 

[ahcigar1]

I am liking your critiques though, they are very constructive. making me think which I like.

 

[BZSPhotography]

This photo is Amazing!! fantastic! keep it up :thumbup:

 

[SCraig]

Good shot but the "Sun Star" doesn't help in my opinion. My eye is drawn to it like a great big stop light.

 

[bogeyguy]

See how it looks with the beach at the bottom cropped out.

 

[Frequency]

When i saw the image i was much impressed and at the same time i noted a point; i was going through the critiques expecting some one else pointed out that... until i read the last message by bogeyguy.... see this is a wonderful image; but the beautiful reflection at the bottom part instead of accentuating the quality just helps to distract!!! In fact that acts as an image within the image. Why, if i were you i would have made that a separate image ... so i request you to attempt a trim as bogeyguy has suggested. All the Best

 

[EIngerson]

I nominated this photo for the Feb Photo of the month. I love it.