Standing Tall...Cowboy at Large

NJMAN · Sep 25, 2007

WOW, thanks for the great advice man. Permission to use my photo to illustrate, granted.

Your explanation is very detailed and makes sense. Thank you for showing me your process. I am definitely going to give this some work in another rendition and see what I come up with.

I really appreciate it. It means a lot.

NJ

scottdg · Sep 25, 2007

I have to admit most of the HDR I have seen on TPF have turned me off from HDR. The whole idea is still rather new to me. I don't know if the point of HDR is to create a picture that is more like what you see when taking the shot or to create something that looks cartoonish. This is in no way a criticism of this photographer or others who like HDR. It may be more of my like of understanding. For all I know that is the look you are going for. But to me they just don't look real....FWIW.

NJMAN · Sep 25, 2007

scottdg said:
I have to admit most of the HDR I have seen on TPF have turned me off from HDR. The whole idea is still rather new to me. I don't know if the point of HDR is to create a picture that is more like what you see when taking the shot or to create something that looks cartoonish. This is in no way a criticism of this photographer or others who like HDR. It may be more of my like of understanding. For all I know that is the look you are going for. But to me they just don't look real....FWIW.

The point of HDR is really subjective at this point, and is still a relatively new concept. A lot of it is open to interpretation. Some do it with more of a surrealistic look, and others do it with more natural look and feel. I have experimented with both. I learned techniques from some of the photogs on this forum who I consider to have a great talent in this, which include woodsac, sw1tchfx, mohain, and a few others I cant think of right now. I just apply techniques that I have learned, and experiment and keep learning. Some people like it and some dont, and thats okay. We all have different tastes. The best thing I can recommend to make any photo good, whether it is HDR or not, is to use proper lighting and exposure. I appreciate all the comments and suggestions I get about HDRs or any other work that I post.

Universal Polymath · Sep 26, 2007

Wow, I just became aware of HDR photography in the last week or two, with those Bride/Groom HDR's Kanikula posted. This is partly because it's still a fairly new process (or so I've heard), but also because I always seem to be a little behind everyone else. :lol:

In just the last week, though, I've started seeing them everywhere! There is some truth to just x joey's comment that this will soon become the "new selective color", but the question is "Is that a bad thing?". Of course, the answer to that will vary from person to person.

The truth is that while trends like this come and go, but no matter how over-used they are at their peak, there are always people who will continue to like them. The "common folk" that have no idea how easy the process is in Photoshop are especially impressed, and eat these kind of "fancy" pictures up. In fact, I'm getting ready to do a senior portrait session with this girl dead-set on doing a cheesy selective color portrait with a flower (can't get much more cliche than that). I'll bet that, regardless of how well-done the picture may be, they'd be a lot less impressed with the result if they knew just how simple it that is, and that it'd only take me about three minutes to complete (and that's if my computer's running slow). Well, anyway, I have some strong feelings about selective coloring, and I just don't know how to bring myself to do it without feeling just a little foolish. But if I must ...

I'm digressing here, on to your pictures, NJMAN:

In short, I like it. Maybe if it were two months later and I had seen this after fifty million other HDR images among the art sites I frequent, I'd feel a bit differently. I'd like to think that I wouldn't, and that I'm able to examine a piece of art based on its own merit without comparing to others, but that's so hard to do.

It is really easy to over-brighten HDR's, though, to the point where everything in the picture - from the subject to the background - is battling for the eye's attention. Like Sw1tchFX mentioned, using a speedlight would help solve this before you even began post-processing (I really like your edit, Switch, by the way).

Perhaps in the future, you could use Photoshop in conjunction with Photomatix (assuming that's what you are using), or are you already? In Photoshop, I find myself doing a lot of burning and dodging to my HDR images. Also, I personally prefer a much more subtle effect on my pictures. So in Photomatix, I initially create a fairly extreme, surreal HDR. I then bring it back into Photoshop, lay it over a copy of the original image, and turn down the opacity on my HDR layer. I feel this is the best way to control the amount of the effect. And I'll even erase portions of it, say, to retain the effect on the sky or on clothing, but bringing it off skin some (or altogether). You could call it a "Selective HDR", I kind of like it.

Anyway, good work, NJMAN, and just keep experimenting! Excuse my long, rambling post!

NJMAN · Sep 26, 2007

Hey, I kinda like ramblings, so no problem there. ;-)

Thanks for the detailed response and your perspective on this. Yes, HDR is so SUBJECTIVE sometimes, and I while I am having fun experimenting, I also need to think about the technicalities and proper techniques.

What I was not clear on before when I first posted this image, I am very clear on now. Sw1tch knows what he is talking about. I just needed to be told. Its a learning experience for me, and I am very grateful.

But I do want to mention that I showed my first rendition to the guy who is in the picture, and he said he absolutely loved it. Would he love it just as much or more if I had showed him a more technically accurate version first? Maybe. But I think I will work on the second version and show him that one also, so that he can have the choice.

I may do more HDRs, but then again, I may get into doing traditional 1-exposure images too. I like doing many different styles of images, as well as different styles of processing. I mainly hang out in the Professional Portrait and Wedding gallery because portraits and wedding shots fascinate me.

But anyway, now I'm rambling ;-). Thanks Universal Polymath for the nice comments and taking the time to let me know your thoughts! Much appreciated.

NJ

NJMAN · Sep 26, 2007

Hey Universal Polymath,

By the way, I mostly cant stand selective coloring because I agree it does look really cheesy most of the time. But if I was getting paid to do it, you can bet I would do it in a heart beat.

Good luck with your senior portrait shoot, and post some pics from it on here!

NJ

Universal Polymath · Sep 26, 2007

NJMAN said:
Good luck with your senior portrait shoot, and post some pics from it on here!

Thanks, I think I will! I haven't posted anything yet, I'm kind of intimidated by all you guys here (but I've been a long-time and dedicated lurker). I'm by no means a pro, and I often wonder if I have no idea what I'm doing. I also find it much easier to find the areas that need improvement in other people's work, than to actually apply the same principles to my own work. Once I get my images on the computer, what I should have done becomes crystal clear. However, I haven't had enough experience yet to take into account all of the elements of making a great photograph on the spot, and it's all not yet second nature while I'm in the middle of the shoot.

Then again, posting my work here - while it might hurt a little - will only help.

Kanikula · Sep 28, 2007

I love your stuff NJ and you know it!!!

NJMAN · Sep 28, 2007

Universal Polymath said:
Thanks, I think I will! I haven't posted anything yet, I'm kind of intimidated by all you guys here (but I've been a long-time and dedicated lurker). I'm by no means a pro, and I often wonder if I have no idea what I'm doing. I also find it much easier to find the areas that need improvement in other people's work, than to actually apply the same principles to my own work. Once I get my images on the computer, what I should have done becomes crystal clear. However, I haven't had enough experience yet to take into account all of the elements of making a great photograph on the spot, and it's all not yet second nature while I'm in the middle of the shoot.

Then again, posting my work here - while it might hurt a little - will only help.

I know what you mean, but dont let that stop you from posting. All of us that post here had a first time (obviously), but if we didnt post, we wouldnt have the chance to get feedback and get better. In any event, knock em dead on your senior shoot.