Frustration with HDR - help please

[FreshBasil]

So it's my first time with HDR, and I'm getting frustrated. These images seem like they are never print quality - and im shooting in 12MP RAW. Would they print blurry, or am I just panicking? I mean printing at least 16x20 for framing and hanging. Here are the ones that I think came out best. My smugmug has one or two others.

 

[bigtwinky]

colours are way too saturated in the first. You have an odd surreal look going with the image, which is a mix of interesting and nauseating

The third is your best attempt me thinks. The horizon is slanted

 

[McNugget801]

1 - tone mapping is a bit much

2 - HDR does not work for me on this type of image

3 - horizon is slanted, blurry, or out of focus - but your tone mapping is much better.

Are you using a tripod and AEB?

 

[*mithrandir]

Another possibility for the softness: Are you using a fixed aperature for each shot (using only shutter speed to change the ev)?

 

[manaheim]

Second one isn't too bad, but isn't straight. You should fix that.

Aside from being angled, it's really how you feel about it. It's a feel... if that's not the feel you intended, then what did you intend?

The first one seems WAY off. So I guess... 1. What were you intending, and 2. What was your process?

 

[::trainwreck::]

did you use multiple exposures, or just one? and does the ferris wheel in the first one have a ghosting effect to it?

 

[::trainwreck::]

third, i meant third :er:

 

[dry3210]

Nice on the third one

 

[FreshBasil]

Thanks for these replies. They both were taken using three different stops with a fixed aperture. I had to hold by hand and the light wasn't enough it seemed. Someone mentioning using a fixed aperture... I went to aperture priority mode thinking that would make the most sense for a 3-shot attempt... is that incorrect?