Night shots

[janok]

I have done some photo-walks at night with a rucksack and my tripod. I look for color-reflections that I know will be enhanced using HDR. It is not always easy to foresee the end-result when I see a scene. Sometimes it helps using the LCD-screen. To compensate I take a lot of pictures when I have the opportunity. Here are two shots I took – looking at areas I hoped I could enhance processing the pictures. Let me know what you think.


Aker Brygge by janokiese, on Flickr


Aker Brygge by janokiese, on Flickr

 

[Bynx]

Thats some nice processing. But by looking through the window behind the polar bear you can see how your color has shifted. Im not sure if your second shot is too light or your first shot is too dark.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Janok I really like #1
The bar with lanterns atop serves as a nice leading line to the polar bear. Colors are nice. As Bynx has mentioned, I feel like the left side of the image is a little dark.
What is outside the windows on the left is barely visible. Masking in your highest exposure may help comepensate and bring a little more detail there.
You have some nice blues behind the polar bear, and some nice reds coming from the reflections on the floor. I feel like the bear himself could do with a little more local brightness.


#2 is very busy with the reflection and my eye is not quite sure where to go. The reflection is very strong, especially with the tone-mapping. I like the colors and textures the HDR process brought out (i.e. the linens over the chairs).

I like both images. I really like your processing in all your photos.

Look forward to more from you.

 

[mistermonday]

I pretty much agree with the previous comments. Image 1 needs additional exposures - both over and under. Particularly there is a lot of missing data in the shadows. Image to I find very busy with no clear subject focus.
Regards, Murray

 

[Jason.C]

Hi Bynx

Could you please explain what do you mean by the "colour has shifted" in that particular image?

regards
Jason

 

[Jason.C]

I agree with Rotanimod that the reflections on the window are very busy and a bit distractive. I think your intention was to use the chairs on the left, on the right as well as the roof as a leading line to guide our eyes to the bear. I really like the idea. I always like the textures and the lights on the floor. very nice post processing. I wish to learn more from you. good luck with your work<br><br>regards<br>Jason&nbsp;

 

[janok]

Thank you all for the feedback. I know that #2 is quite busy, and the window area might be too distractive. That is why I tried another approach in with #1; using the under-exposed versions to mask out areas of the picture that is not relevant to avoid distraction on the main objects. I might have overdone it. Other suggestions to redirect focus to the important stuff in the picture is appreciated.

 

[cgipson1]

Janok.. looks pretty nice! Much better than most of the over-processed HDR crap we get on here!

 

[manaheim]

Interesting. Watch your tilt, btw.

 

[Bynx]

What I meant to say Jason, was the view out the window behind the bear should look the same. In the first shot its a nice rich strong purple color, while in the second shot its all bleached out. So either the first shot is processed too dark or the second is processed too light. But either shot, on their own, work quite well.

 

[janok]

I cheated and enhanced the light behind the bear in picture #1

 

[Joel_W]

pic 1 with the wooden tables and latterns is sensational till you get to the outside behind the bear. I would have left it alone, that should have evened out the brightness to the darker but more realistic right side. IMHO, it didn't need th enhancement.

Pic 2 is just too busy on the right side, and the tilt is very noticeable.

 

[vipgraphx]

I like number 1 the best as well. Processing is great on both nonetheless! Number one I just love the lanterns and tables the sit on. Great Job, as for me because the image has many dark spots I like the colors behind the bear it lets my eye wonder around more rather than being fixed on the cool looking lanterns.