Geothermal...

[STIC]

Some crappy HDR images...

 

[tevo]

Oh dear. When shooting HDR, consider why you are choosing to shoot HDR. Some questions you should ask yourself:

1. Is it necessary?
2. Does my composition include two different areas producing wildly different amounts of light, making it difficult to properly expose both at the same time?


In the event that these are not HDR photos (even though they contain a high dynamic range), then my general critique would be that the contrast is MUCH too high, the images are physically difficult to look at. The subject in the first two is unclear, and the images are very busy. The third would have been a great shot less the post processing. The fourth is much better, very well composed. Black and white may have done it justice.

 

[STIC]

HDR...

 

[LaFoto]

Well, these tonemapped photos certainly LOOK like overcooked HDR, so don't be surprised this might be assumed.
They may represent something relating to heat, but to cook them to this extent goes far. Too far, I think. The halo in the first is seriously distracting, as are the contrasts in the second.
While I certainly know what I'm looking at, I can't help but agree with Tevo on the first three are hard on the eyes to look at.
The fourth is nice! The dots in the sky - are they stars?

 

[runnah]

Ahhh it burns!

 

[JackandSally]

I honestly took all but the very last one as HDR.

 

[Demers18]

I honestly took all but the very last one as HDR.

Same here and HDR or not they are way over cooked and detract from the image.

 

[ronlane]

I like the last one, but I too thought the rest were HDR. They are WAY over done for my taste.

 

[sm4him]

Oh dear. When shooting HDR, consider why you are choosing to shoot HDR. Some questions you should ask yourself:

1. Is it necessary?
2. Does my composition include two different areas producing wildly different amounts of light, making it difficult to properly expose both at the same time?

Ok, well, firstly there was NO shooting in HDR...


In the event that these are not HDR photos (even though they contain a high dynamic range), then my general critique would be that the contrast is MUCH too high, the images are physically difficult to look at. The subject in the first two is unclear, and the images are very busy. The third would have been a great shot less the post processing. The fourth is much better, very well composed. Black and white may have done it justice.

Again, no one mentioned HDR...they are PP'd shots to highlight the colours and textures of the geothermal area...

Why you would think the subject in the first two is unclear is unclear to me...they are shots of active geothermal areas...what's not to be clear about...

To be fair, if your going to offer critique, try to at least ascertain if the poster IS putting forward HDR examples before criticising, especially when said poster has NOT labeled the photos HDR, nor talked about HDR or even mentioned HDR...

One would think that because the subject IS unclear, to the objective viewer.
I honestly thought the first two shots were some kind of composite Photoshop image created to look like the day after the Apocalypse. They are very nice Doomsday photos.
But they have such an overcooked "feel" to them that your intent to show the geothermal areas is lost on me.

To be fair, if your going to offer critique, try to at least ascertain if the poster IS putting forward HDR examples before criticising, especially when said poster has NOT labeled the photos HDR, nor talked about HDR or even mentioned HDR...

I'm gonna try to say this in the nicest way possible--you will get much more out of this forum, and out of the C&C given, if you will not become quite so defensive and jump down people's throats when they say things you don't like.
WHY would Tevo need to first ASK if it's HDR?? It LOOKS like HDR, badly overcooked at that, so he worked from that basis. He DID add "in the event that these are not HDR photos..." -- I thought he did a very accurate assessment.

 

[Snakeguy101]

Honestly- I would just delete them all. They are not pleasant to look at and are so busy that I cannot focus on anything in the photo. They gave me a headache.

Again, no one mentioned HDR...they are PP'd shots to highlight the colours and textures of the geothermal area...

Actually- you destroyed the colors and textures. These look nothing like a geothermal area. They are more like an abstract paint splattering that kinda hurts to look at. I can barely decipher what the picture is of.

Why you would think the subject in the first two is unclear is unclear to me...they are shots of active geothermal areas...what's not to be clear about...

When you are photographing an area to show to others then you need to think about what you want to show specifically otherwise it is usually a snapshot. The best photos I have seen are very simple. Keep that in mind next time.

The third shot was very, very flat without the processing, but i can see where it may look 'too much'...i guess it's a matter of taste...

If the shot was flat you should have analyzed why that was the case and then go back and fix it with your camera! Processing is good for tweaking an already good image but not fixing a crappy image. It is a matter of taste about as much as burnt food is a matter of taste- there are some oddballs that might enjoy that taste but it is still burnt.

The last one was a long exposure at night and i don't think you'd get any detail in a B&W conversion but who knows...

There is barely any detail in it now. And the sky is blown- that is tough to do in a night shot. Congratulations.

To be fair, if your going to offer critique, try to at least ascertain if the poster IS putting forward HDR examples before criticising, especially when said poster has NOT labeled the photos HDR, nor talked about HDR or even mentioned HDR...

To be fair if you are going to post your images up for being critiqued you should suck it up and take the criticism you get. Also these photos do resemble HDR so get over it when people mistake them for that.

 

[tevo]

Well then I applaud your ability to take a single exposure and make it look like an HDR left in the oven for 6-8 hours.

 

[Pallycow]

Defensive much?

lol, nothing useful to add...

carry on...

 

[STIC]

HDR...

 

[STIC]

HDR...

 

[SCraig]

Who knows why TEVO would ask if it's HDR...? Maybe, for the same reason he also claimed that 'the subject in the first two is unclear'...This either makes him incredibly dumb, or lacking the gift of eyesight...

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, most of the time it really is a duck. Perhaps your eyesight is what needs to be looked into.

Regardless, attitude like yours I can do without so I think I'll do myself a favor and add your username to my ignore list. If you need assistance adding mine to yours someone will be glad to provide instructions.