Help ME!!!!

Blaze Z BlazeBlaze Z Blaze Registered Users Posts: 79 Big grins
edited August 8, 2008 in Finishing School
This is the first "HDR" that I got to turn out the way I wanted it to, but I know there is a lot of room for improvement.

I need advice

Tricks of the trade

Comments (likes/Dislikes)

Things to work on


Etc. etc. etc.

main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=409&g2_serialNumber=4


Guide me oh great gods of photography for i am a super n00b and need HELP!

Comments

  • jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited August 6, 2008
    First off, I'm wondering why you needed HDR to take this shot? HDR is most helpful when you have a really high dynamic range (bright brights and dark shadows and detail in both is important in the picture). This shot has a reflection off the front of the bike, but not really anything else that looks to me like it would need HDR. Further, the reflection on the front of the bike is blown so you didn't even use the HDR capabilities to preserve detail there. What was your goal with the HDR technique beyond what you could capture with a normal shot?

    Some other comments:
    • The shot looks manipulated in post processing to me. There are clear halos around the tires.
    • Many parts of the shot seem to suffer from low contrast. The right kind of curve restores some pop to those areas.
    • I find the brick background a bit distracting. I'd like to see the bike set off from the background more, perhaps be introducing more separation between the bike and background and using a smaller aperture so the bricks will blur.
    • The blue of the bike looks too bright to me.
    Hope this was helpful...
    --John
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  • CookieSCookieS Registered Users Posts: 854 Major grins
    edited August 6, 2008
    Tone it down a bit, and the bike needs to be sharper, it looks like it may have been a soft photo to start with.
  • santasanta Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
    edited August 8, 2008
    it's a matter of taste
    a lot of folks may not like that effect as evidenced by 'tone it down' kinds of comments but it's all a matter of taste. I don't know how many exposures you used, but not enough to get the detail from the rear tire or the black area in front. it's an all-too common use of HDR with the bright halo around the front tire, but it you like the effect there is nothing wrong with it. When taking HDR to this kind of extreme, consider finishing with another version like a cardiff-bay or hayes-island effect (do a search on photoshop actions). Once you get this far out on the HDR limb there's really no limit to what kind of fun fantasy you might choose to do.
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