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Ed Vatza
06-20-2009, 08:41 AM
in Acadia National Park, Maine. In this image you can see the village of Bar Harbor, Frenchman's Bay with Bar Island to the left and the four Porcupine Islands to the center and right (with the breakwater) and Schoodic in the background.

Another 7-image HDR composite made with Photomatix.

Canon 30D and 24-70 f/2.8L lens, tripod-mounted.

Base image was shot at 1/500 sec @ f/16; ISO 640; -2/3 EV; FL 38mm. Remaining six images were made at +/- 2/3 stop increments.

Dave Mills
06-20-2009, 08:56 AM
Hi Ed, Nice overall view of Bar Harbor and environs and well balanced comp. With even lighting I'm curious to know why you shot this as an HDR...

Colin Knight
06-20-2009, 09:07 AM
Nice. It's the first image I've seen from Acadia. I have to ask as well, why the HDR? Especially, why a 7 image HDR?

Ed Vatza
06-20-2009, 09:15 AM
Hi Ed, Nice overall view of Bar Harbor and environs and well balanced comp. With even lighting I'm curious to know why you shot this as an HDR...

My answer, I'm afraid, is quite simplistic. Over the 12 days that we were there, I had the opportunity to shoot a number of landscape/seascape images using a variety of filters (CP, GND, Vari-ND) as well as making multiple series of images to run through Photomatix. Invariably, I found myself preferring the HDR images over the others made with the various filters. The same was the case here. I have some images, including several with my wife and me sitting on that rock in the foreground, that were shot as single images with just a CP. They are nice but I prefer the vividness of the HDR images even more. I would also point out that in many cases I shot 3-, 5- and/or 7-image HDR series. In this case I did a 5 and a 7 and just liked the 7 more a bit more. Very subjective, I know but I hope that answers the question.

ADDENDUM: I should also point out that I am not a big fan of what to me are garish, over-processed HDR images. The surreal results are interesting and I even like a few of them. But I really prefer using the HDR software to produce more vivid landscapes of the type I have posted here.

Fabs Forns
06-20-2009, 08:46 PM
Ed, I like the vast view and the distant background and foreground. I have a problem with the midground not having enough depth in the tone, I think you need to make that part of the image, the trees around the village, a little darker.

Roman Kurywczak
06-21-2009, 08:17 AM
Hey Ed,
Thanks for the answer to the HDR as i was going to ask the same thing. IMO a straight shot may have been the way to go here because as Fabs mentioned......the HDR took away some of the depth in this scene.
BTW.....loved the composer Puffin. I am not heading up this year but plan on returning next year.

Ed Vatza
06-21-2009, 09:42 AM
Hey Ed,
Thanks for the answer to the HDR as i was going to ask the same thing. IMO a straight shot may have been the way to go here because as Fabs mentioned......the HDR took away some of the depth in this scene.

As I said, I tried different things at different times and kept coming away liking the HDR composites better than the rest. Here is a similar (but not the same) image made with a straight shot using a circular polarizer. It could have been much better without the ol' gray beard in the way.

To my eyes, it's not bad at all. I just like the HDR image a little better.

P.S. As I scroll back and forth, I find I like the mid-ground with the trees surrounding the village on the straight shot with CP and the water and clouds better with the HDR.

Roman Kurywczak
06-21-2009, 09:48 AM
Hey Ed,
I agree...the water does look better in the HDR......but the middle ground and small islands do look better in the CP image to me. You could probably burn in the islands and middle ground.... or use some Myltiplied or levels layers on them as a final tweak to the HDR.

Robert Amoruso
06-21-2009, 05:51 PM
Hey Ed,
I agree...the water does look better in the HDR......but the middle ground and small islands do look better in the CP image to me. You could probably burn in the islands and middle ground.... or use some Myltiplied or levels layers on them as a final tweak to the HDR.

I am in agreement with Roman here Ed.

Dave Mills
06-21-2009, 09:10 PM
The the clouds look a bit unnatural in the HDR IMO.