Tuckahoe
This is a 7 shot HDR from a rail station near my home. Individual images were shot in manual mode checking histogram for each shot. I went with the grundge effect for this because of the rusted condition of the rail cars, although some do not prefer that effect. I was fortunate to get several good compositions on this outing and hope to post at least one converted to B&W. As always I appreciate all thoughts and guideance.
Very nicely done, Dave, the HDR effect works really well on this subject matter. Like the colors and perspective, and the processing looks good on each element except the clouds for some reason. Just my personal taste, but I'd be interested to see a version where the clouds are excluded from the HDR processing.
Great work Dave...............love all the lines and the low shooting angle. I'm with Brendan re the clouds.
Otherwise great work.
Thanks Brendon and Jay. I'm stressing about the clouds a bit myself and wanted to get some feedback. The clouds were really sailing along that day and moved quite a bit during the multiple exposures. When processing in Photomatix pro there is a screen where you can select an area and use a single image to reduce movement issues. I did that for the sky, but still got a bit of a wierd look. Open to any other suggestions. I might try reprocessing. I have several images of the area without the sky which is another alternative. I just liked the leading lines in this one.
Here is a quick adjustment take on it.........I went after the dark halo around the clouds (color range select) and lightened that up to blend close to the rest of the sky, then I did a reverse s-curve on the clouds to lighten the shadows and moderate the light areas. Some color balancing to get rid of the yellow tint in the clouds. You had some hot spots in the road in the center of the image, which I toned down....This was a quick take, so I believe with some care you could make the most of this image....Originally Posted by Dave Woeller
Last edited by Jay Sheinfield; 06-20-2011 at 01:47 PM.
Hi Dave, I really like this as presented. In my mind, HDR like this is not meant to look real, so I don't care about the clouds - that's part of the effect. I think it looks odd to have the sky look "real" while the rest of the image has that "surreal" look of the grunge. I guess I'm saying I'm a fan of the grunge look, and maybe others aren't.The leading lines and composition are killer. I love how that little weed in the lower right corner is anchoring the entire image.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
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I understand Kerry's POV, but for me the main issue with the clouds was the dark halo, and not necessarily the clouds should be completely natural. Looks like Jay did a good job handling that in the repost and it looks great. I would still be interested in seeing how all natural clouds would look together with the HDR, might be very cool looking, and still have a surreal quality. All in all, very nicely composed and processed image!
Hey Dave,
I hope I didn't overstep my bounds here, I thought you were asking for alternative processing ideas. Regardless of how you proceed on this image, the original has remarkable qualities. I, like Brendan,
was drawn to the dark halo of the clouds, not necessarily to make them look natural. No other part of the image had a halo quality, and in my mind drew some attention away from the overall HDR feel of the compostiion. If it were mine I would change the tonal qualities of the blue sky to a more surreal HDR feel of the rest of the image. In the end, it's what "floats you boat".
Last edited by Jay Sheinfield; 06-21-2011 at 12:59 AM.
No problem Jay, and you are exactly right in that I was looking for, and open to, other interpretations. I have to agree with the thoughts concerning the dark halos. I think this is the most bothersome quality in the OP. I also am impressed with the difference made by the color shift to mute the yellows in the clouds. HDR generates a lot of differeing opinions and tastes. It's always good to hear others thoughts.
Dave, I think that you picked a great subject for the grunge look. Nicely processed and I agree w/ the others regarding the clouds. I like your repost and think that sometimes the hardness of the clouds draws your eye from the main point of focus.
Thanks Denise, I've gotten some really good thoughts and guideance on this one.
I like what the repost did for the clouds, but in the process, there was detail lost in the gravel, etc. Wish there was some way, if the clouds are bothering you, to have the clouds from the repost and the details from the original. Like Denise, though the clouds don't really upset me. Great HDR work.
Thank you Hazel, I'm hoping to get some time to play with this some more over the weekend. I've had some really good thoughts from others on this one. I appreciate them all.
Dave, this looks really wonderful. I love the colors and the lines. I think maybe something in between the OP and repost might look good. I hope you post more of them
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly" - The Little Prince
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