Why aren't there more posts here for HDR? Newbie question

[The Barbarian]

but probably frustrating for people trying to shoot an HDR... of their cat... sitting in the grass... in the sun.

Unless, of course, it's a black cat that's backlighted in the sun. Instead of making rules about it, just use it when it makes your picture better. Might be less fun for the rules people, but it will lead to better photographs. Don't let it bother you. The people making "the rules" for HDR don't seem to post a lot of photographs, for reasons we can all guess.

If you're a photographer, HDR should be in your toolkit, along with cropping, contrast, and other adjustments.

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thank you all. I just got PSE 11 yesterday on disk ( ok, I'm old.....school yea that's it)
my 1st pp product ever, and Photomatix is on back order, so hopefully soon, I will be in the mix of things with my 'tool kit' a little more appropriate .
Nancy

 

[manaheim]

but probably frustrating for people trying to shoot an HDR... of their cat... sitting in the grass... in the sun.

Unless, of course, it's a black cat that's backlighted in the sun. Instead of making rules about it, just use it when it makes your picture better. Might be less fun for the rules people, but it will lead to better photographs. Don't let it bother you. The people making "the rules" for HDR don't seem to post a lot of photographs, for reasons we can all guess.

If you're a photographer, HDR should be in your toolkit, along with cropping, contrast, and other adjustments.

I honestly never saw anyone claiming there were rules to it. People would say they like it this way or that. It just so happens that some people seem to think that this tool you're speaking of was the only one in the tool chest, and anyone who might suggest that another tool might be more appropriate in that case would be jumped upon like some sort of raving heathen.

 

[The Barbarian]

I honestly never saw anyone claiming there were rules to it. People would say they like it this way or that. It just so happens that some people seem to think that this tool you're speaking of was the only one in the tool chest, and anyone who might suggest that another tool might be more appropriate in that case would be jumped upon like some sort of raving heathen.

I honestly never saw anyone making a claim like that. Having arrived toward the end of the dust-up, it was my impression that a lot of people got emotionally invested in their position, and couldn't admit that anyone with a different opinion was in any way correct about any of it.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure no one here would assume that black cats in sunlit grass should never be HDR'ed. (Barbarian checks) Never done one of those myself; how about a whitish dog?


Sorry about the small size; didn't have time to find the original.

 

[cgipson1]

I honestly never saw anyone claiming there were rules to it. People would say they like it this way or that. It just so happens that some people seem to think that this tool you're speaking of was the only one in the tool chest, and anyone who might suggest that another tool might be more appropriate in that case would be jumped upon like some sort of raving heathen.

I honestly never saw anyone making a claim like that. Having arrived toward the end of the dust-up, it was my impression that a lot of people got emotionally invested in their position, and couldn't admit that anyone with a different opinion was in any way correct about any of it.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure no one here would assume that black cats in sunlit grass should never be HDR'ed. (Barbarian checks) Never done one of those myself; how about a whitish dog?

View attachment 57051

Assuming that is a single image? Which is not True HDR... more tonemapping and exposure adjusting with that single image. I see a dark shadow, and blown highlights on the tail... both of which true HDR would correct.

 

[The Barbarian]

Assuming that is a single image?

Yep. Tough to get multiple shots of a running dog to line up. The rules.... "multiple images of a single raw image do not make an HDR." I don't really care, so long as it increases the dynamic range. In fact, the "dark shadow" now has clear detail, and the "blown tail" has spots and hairs visible, neither of which was true in the original image. And that's the other issue.

If I make the grass brighter in the shadow, or increase the detail in the tail, would it be a more arresting image in any way? Don't think so. At least when I looked at the alternatives, it didn't. An HDR doesn't have to necessarily scream "HDR."

 

[manaheim]

And there you have it. The entire spiral in a nutshell.

Repeat 1000x.

 

[The Barbarian]

The eternal battle between purity and pragmatism. The nice thing about photography is, the pragmatists can go on making better images, and the purists can have their rules, without either of them imposing on the other.

This is not a new issue, BTW. My first formal photographic training was in the zone system, which the purists considered to be "not real photography."

I deliberately omitted discussing the so-called Zone System of film exposure determination in this book because in my opinion it makes mountains out of molehills, complicates matters out of all proportions, does not produce any results that cannot be accomplished more easily with methods discussed in this text, and is a ritual if not a form of cult rather than a practical technical procedure.
Feininger, Andreas, Light and Lighting in Photography, Prentice-Hall, 1976

Deja vu, all over again. History often gives a sense of perspective, for those willing to listen to it.

 

[manaheim]

I'm not a rule follower. I do what makes sense to get the image I want. It's the EXACT same thing you are doing.

The reason why this HDR forum fell apart is because people took sides and made it personal, just as you are doing now. For some reason some individuals cannot discuss the methods of HDR photography intelligently without taking it as a personal insult and lashing out.

In the fish tank world it's the equivalent of this:

"Oh I see you're using canister system. I use only live rock for filtration."
"You know, you only have about five animals in that 55 gallon tank. The canister may be overkill for you."
"Oh yeah?! WELL... your fish are UGLY!"

It's pretty ridiculous.

 

[runnah]

In the fish tank world it's the equivalent of this:

"Oh I see you're using canister system. I use only live rock for filtration."
"You know, you only have about five animals in that 55 gallon tank. The canister may be overkill for you."
"Oh yeah?! WELL... your fish are UGLY!"

It's pretty ridiculous.

Fresh water tanks are for HDR users!!

 

[The Barbarian]

I'm not a rule follower. I do what makes sense to get the image I want. It's the EXACT same thing you are doing.

I believe that you are doing what I do. Specifically, we do what makes sense to us, to get the images we want. This is about the uses of HDR, not Rabbit and Barbarian.

The reason why this HDR forum fell apart is because people took sides and made it personal, just as you are doing now.

I don't see how. It's quite possible to disagree firmly without making it personal. Hereabouts, I like to use "you" only when giving a compliment. I think the way to make this subforum work, is to post interesting and quality images in it. I'm doing what I can to that end.

For some reason some individuals cannot discuss the methods of HDR photography intelligently without taking it as a personal insult and lashing out.

I think there's a difference between strong disagreement and "lashing out." My point was that often there's a reaction every time the technology of imaging improves. The zone system had the same sort of criticism leveled against it, when it was first out, and people were starting to do what Ansel Adams was doing to get great images.

In the fish tank world it's the equivalent of this:

"Oh I see you're using canister system. I use only live rock for filtration."
"You know, you only have about five animals in that 55 gallon tank. The canister may be overkill for you."
"Oh yeah?! WELL... your fish are UGLY!"

If some HDR proponent is arguing that way, then a pox on him. As you see, I'm arguing the opposite. If someone wants to do overcooked HDRs, and can control the process sufficiently to say what he or she wants, then it's fine with me, even if I don't always see the point. If someone never wants to do anything remotely like HDR, that's fine, too. Everyone should quit worrying about rules and do what works. Remember, there was a time when older techniques were disparaged as the cultural equivalent of velvet Elvis paintings, too.

It's pretty ridiculous.

But it doesn't have to be. Let's move on.

 

[The Barbarian]

View attachment 57074

 

[runnah]

Everyone has a right to do what ever these please artistically. I also have to right to hate every single bit of it. I also have the right to say "i think your art sucks" and you have the right to say "go **** yourself". People need to realize that its ok to be offended by someone else's opinion.

Isn't america great!

 

[manaheim]

I'm offended by your avatar.

 

[runnah]

I'm offended by your avatar.

Good! And I think Star Wars is highly overrated!

*hums "America the Beautiful"*