Nice photos, thanks for sharing. Still a bit noob'ish myself on HDR, but in my eyes your images look a bit heavy on grain/noise, etc. Was that intentional? What software are you using for HDR? I'm using Photomatix and understanding the micro smoothing controls has really helped me smooth out the image, especially the sky/clouds. I've also noticed that solid'ish white/grey skies are the worst to work with in HDR due to the halos it generates, especially around tree branches, etc. You definitely want a variety of clouds in hdr outdoor photos in my opinion and you've captured that well in your photos. Seems like the hdr software doesn't do much for branches with little to no foliage. The hdr photos I've taken with leaves on them this winter look sooo much better than trees without leaves.
While these photos look good, I wonder if they would have looked better in non hdr to keep the clarity or perhaps bump up the hdr effect to make them look more painterly? Seems like they're currently at a stage where you're not sure if you want them to be natural looking or full hdr? If so..I struggle with that as well. I'm leaning towards making 2 versions each of my best shots. One more natural with just a hint of hdr processing and another full out hdr, with increased tone, detail, etc.
Learning hdr is fascinating to say the least. It's amazing how one scene can look "amazing" and a similar scene just seems impossible to bring to life in hdr no matter what you do. I'm currently bracketing 3 levels. Perhaps moving to 5 or more will help on certain images.
btw...My favorite is "8". Love the contrasting temperatures! I would have loved to see a bit more of the path to the right to bring out more of the perspective.
