Point Reyes Lighthouse

Home · Register · Search · Software · Hosting · Software · Join Upload & Sell

FM Forum Rules
Landscape Posting Guidelines
One new topic per day

FM Forums \| Landscape Photographer \| Join Upload & Sell
end

ShutteredMe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

Point Reyes Lighthouse from a few weeks ago. This his from a 9 shots HDR using Photomatrix. Is it too much?


	© Quang V Ho 2012

Point Reyes Lighthouse
NIKON D800E 14 mm f/14.0 1/40 sec 100 ISO

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:04 AM

dswiger
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

I am going to say yes. I would like to see the original "balance" shot too.
Basically, with the main source of light from the sunset, the lighthouse would not be illuminated in this manner.
It appears to have soft sunrise illumination with the HDR treatment. This is just too little contrast to make it interesting.

I would think with a D800E, the dynamic range should have been adequate, with may be a one-shot/two process blend.

I do think the composition would shine with more conventional processing.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

Dan

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:13 AM

Ernie Aubert
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #3 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

It's too much in my opinion, too. Doesn't look realistic.

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:18 AM

roguecoolman
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

It's "too" HDR for my taste. I don't mind some HDR, but this is a bit much for me at least. I like Dan said above, theres too little contrast and no shadows and it makes everything too soft.

Jason

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:24 AM

ShutteredMe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

Thank you for your inputs. Here is what I think the "balanced" shot is. just go through ACR with changing any adjustment and then resize in CS6. A few pointers regarding post-processing would be great! Thanks in advance for your help.

-Quang

2013 © ShutteredMe

original
NIKON D800E 14 mm f/14.0 1/40 sec 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:44 AM

DavidWEGS
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #6 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

I like the image content/comp.

While the details don't look cooked especially (as in overdone HDR), the overall look is flat in the color dept. and lacks some punch.

Dark areas a necessary to promote the lighter ones, and vice versa.

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:47 AM

DavidWEGS
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #7 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

Ok, so I see your original mid exposure and just stabbed at it with a layer>saturation>hue change>opacity change>burn (a bit much) sky/clouds>flatten>selected foreground elements and added a small amount of contrast.

2013 © DavidWEGS

Jan 04, 2013 at 02:54 AM

wbrad
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

I think it's a very nice shot, but the HDR processing has killed all the blacks and shadow tones. Whenever I do HDR, I see the HDR rendering as the first part of the process. The image then needs to worked on in photoshop to return some realistic tonality and usually sort out colour issues and often halos that the HDR processing causes.
If you open your image in photoshop and check out the histogram, you'll see just a big hump in the middle with no blacks or whites. I hope you don't mind, but I've done a quick levels adjustment to your image which I feel gives it a more balanced tonal range, at least to my eyes.
It is a lovely scene, and I love that rustic brick building.

Wayne

2013 © wbrad

Jan 04, 2013 at 03:24 AM

ShutteredMe
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #9 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

David, Wayne,
Thank you for your pointers. I see what you and the others are saying. I attempted again with just 2 images. I think this looked alot more natural then my first attempt. I need to learn more PS knowledge.

-Quang

Attempt 2
NIKON D800E 14 mm f/14.0 1/60 sec 100 ISO

Jan 04, 2013 at 04:14 AM

AMaji
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

Nice work. It is great to see the interpretation by different people and how PP work brings out different moods for a single image.

Jan 04, 2013 at 04:49 AM

JimFox
Offline
• • • • • • •
Moderator
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #11 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

Hey Quang,

I am coming in a bit late on your thread here, but it's been great to see the interaction of others and how much better I like your last version then the first one you posted. You are definitely on the right track now. I think you could bump the saturation up a bit now in it, and especially along the horizon, using a layer mask to just isolate the horizon and to get the orange there to pop a bit more like it would with the sun right behind it would help.

And as you are discovering, there is lot's to learn when it comes to processing. You just need to dig in like you did here with the help of others and start playing and working with the various options. One thing for sure as Dan mentioned in the beginning, you are shooting with a D800E, and our dynamic range with the D800's is really awesome. HDR, unless you want some stylized effect, isn't really needed. Simple blends handle the majority of our shooting situations. Are you using Capture NX2?

Jim

Jan 04, 2013 at 06:27 AM

DavidWEGS
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #12 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

That looks much better IMO. Keep it coming.

Jan 04, 2013 at 04:57 PM

douter
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · Point Reyes Lighthouse

I actually like the muted colors in the first. A different perspective too, Well done!
Douglas

Jan 04, 2013 at 05:07 PM

end
FM Forums \| Landscape Photographer \| Join Upload & Sell end