Board index Photography Artistic Questions HDR Photorealism

Artistic Questions

HDR Photorealism

Discuss style and artistic aspects of photography
compton_photographer
 
Posts: 69
Location: Ponca, Arkansas, Buffalo National River

HDR Photorealism

Post Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:47 pm


I am finding HDR to be a great tool for doing photo-realistic work in super long scale nature photos. Wondering if anyone else is working in this area. Sometimes I use the HDR as a placed image over a normal exposure and adjust it's transparency. Getting some very luminous results that seem to be very compelling to my customers. I am curious if others are exploring along these lines. These photos are impossible with conventional methods. I think they capture the emotion of natural beauty.

Michael Dougherty
Compton, Arkansas
http://www.arkansasnaturephotography.com
NW Arkansas Nature Photography

bradjh
 
Posts: 65

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:05 pm


When I first saw HDR it was usually over the top, hyper real, fake looking stuff...... but recently using to create the more photo realistic stuff. I've been experimenting with HDR and trying to reign it in to be more photo realistic..... Not sure if I'm quite there yet...... Here is an image and links

Image
Image

http://www.pbase.com/bradjh/calilandscapes

Personally, I think what you are doing it the ultimate use of HDR. I think this hyper saturated looked will soon become cliche and that the real power will be the uses where is isn't instantly recognizable as HDR

nelu_goia
 
Posts: 16
Location: Calgary

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:53 pm


Hi folks,
I`ll be very short: over 90% of my photos are HDR. Now, my gallery here is very young but it will grow rapidly in the near future.
As far as I know, every HDR software has the possibility to render realistic-looking photos but it is the user who has the final word.
The only limit is you; your own skills and your own taste in photography.
Making a HDR photo look unreal is a choice. Not shooting for HDR will make all photos taken in not-so-perfect lighting conditions look unreal because no camera can match the human eye. Not even far!
So, HDR is not unreal; the photographer might be,though.
Nelu

bruslaw
 
Posts: 2

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:18 am


I used to employ HDR a lot, mostly in my wide-angle landscape captures (where vast tonal range is often a serious issue), I also used the "hybrid" method you mentioned, e.i. blending the HDR image with the base exposure, on a few occasions. I strove to make the resulting images look possibly real. But since I switched to filter system last year I haven't made a single HDR image. I still keep it in mind as a last resort for situations where graduated filters simply won't do, interiors mostly, some "unmanageable" landscape features. But I stay away from it whenever possible concentrating on getting the right light instead, which also gives me the advantage of not having to worry about movement between exposures of the same frame - people, animals, waves, trees on the wind and suchlike.
I agree, it's absolutely possible to achieve plausible-looking effects using HDR and the images included in this thread so far are all within the boundaries of good taste. But when I look at pictures processed with this technique added daily to the site they prove beyond all doubt that the temptation HDR presents is too strong for most people to resist. So I believe HDR is best suited for photographers with highly developed artistic taste and a lot of self-discipline ;-).

Bruce

melvinsurdin
 
Posts: 6

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:40 pm


I find that the technique works well with architectural photography - however, it does create rather unique - almost pastel colored - images. Overall, attractive and pleasing to the observer.

mnl
 
Posts: 46

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm


nelu_goia wrote: no camera can match the human eye.
Nelu

I generally agree with your post--especially in regards to the photographer's taste and skills. At issue is when we make our cameras exceed what the eye can accomplish on its own.

I'd liken much HDR (recognizable as HDR) to photographic snack food----in particular, piling on the image equivalents of salt and fat --saturation and luminescence. IMO, their over use is appealing not because they capture the image accurately, as the eye actually sees it, but because it calls up viewers' store of idealized image qualities such as brilliantly green lawns, nearly blue/black sky, piercing red socks, etc. In other words, the photo matches or exceeds reality as viewers have learned reality from other photographs or LCD screens, not from their actual on-the-scene experience.

I'm reminded something that I'd attribute to Richard Armour, the poet/humorist: Some poets aim for the truth but only get half way there; I want truth-and-a-half.
All M8. Mostly 28 2.5 Elmarit http://www.pbase.com/mnl/photo_diary

bsmooth
 
Posts: 6

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:12 pm


I have really started to like HDR images. My problem is I don't always know when to shoot a regualr mage and when to shoot HDR. The reason I like HDR images is you get to choose what the image looks like.Putting as much or little of a certain " look" into an image. The other which I like is I have never ever thought of myself as an artist. I've seen others including my own sister who could draw and paint and amazed me with there talent, which I finally came to realize I just don't have. Its what I believe that some are artists and some aren't, But HDR gives me the chance to make my images look shall we say a bit more than they would look like without it. More life, more personality. To me photos just never "looked" like I remember them being when I looked at them with my own eyes. Images which had perfect exposure looked flat and lifeless.
HDR changed that for me and helped give the images a bit more life and maybe just a bit more of me.

Image

moffetb
 
Posts: 154

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:52 pm


Memory is cheap. When you set up your tripod, just bracket your exposure an f-stop on each side. If the proper exposure works to capture the detail you want, great. If not, change the three photos into an HDR image and work with it.

When shooting film, a lot of nature pros always said to bracket your shots, because film is cheap, that shot may be one in a lifetime....

Of course, sometimes you'll know it requires HDR images just to get any detail (like sunsets)



Brian (no, I don't, but I should... :oops: The one above was shot with 1.5 stop bracketing and then blended )

mnoble
 
Posts: 135

Re: HDR Photorealism

Post Tue Apr 13, 2010 4:32 pm


I recently purchased Photomatix to use along with Photoshop. The results can vary quite a bit depending on the settings you use. I prefer a realistic approach to both architecture and landscapes. I use Photomatix to create the HDR Tif file and then bring it into Photoshop to finish the processing. I do love the results.

Image

Image

You definitely have to finish the processing in PS. I suppose you could use more of the controls in Photomatix, but, if you are familiar with PS, I think that is the better choice. You can get an image with a lot of "pop."


Board index Photography Artistic Questions HDR Photorealism

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests