Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

An image I took yesterday, I wanted to share with you folks..

Sdashiki

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
First link is labeled:

HLR Catamaran Sailboat at sunrise


I like HDR, but when its all you are showing, it makes them all look so blase because its kind of, trite?

Sunsets are a perfect chance to try HDR.

Just dont make it your only method.
 
Hawkeye411

Hawkeye411

macrumors 68000
Jun 6, 2007
1,833
12
Canada EH!!!
Nice pic.

2800022544_cef2265644_o.png
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
CrackedButter said:
The blue in the top left corner seems odd but otherwise, I like it and maybe you should sell some of this as stock photography?
Click to expand...

Thanks. thats a light smoothing area I worked on to get it more even. However, when you print it out 8x10, it evens out and is not noticeable. Thanks for the comments. My website has an add to cart feature if folks want to purchase but I have not seriously looked into stock photography sites.
 
Kwill

Kwill

macrumors 68000
Mar 10, 2003
1,595
1
I am envious of your ability

Nice work. I like the composition and even the oversaturation on some. The combination of HDR and surreal color is a very marketable style. Personally, I think most of the images are interesting enough that they do not require over processing. At times the HDR effect is way too strong - kind of like oversharpening a picture. Specific examples include:

White Tail Deer at Hinckley Lake (29)
Lakeside Sunrise Glow (33)
Picnic view of the Boathouse (41)
Hinckley Lake East and the Rising Sun (42)

One problem with oversaturation of colors is that though they appear vibrant on screen, most of the values cannot be reproduced in print. Photoshop allows you to preview what images will look like in CMYK (without actually converting modes) with Proof Setup and even highlight out of gamut areas with Gamut Warning enabled. One trick, though to regain some vibrance in CMYK is to duplicate the layer and change the blend mode to Soft Light. Of course with quality paper 8- or 12-color inkjet printers can hit more colors than offset printing from the RGB images without CMYK conversion.
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
Kwill said:
Nice work. I like the composition and even the oversaturation on some. The combination of HDR and surreal color is a very marketable style. Personally, I think most of the images are interesting enough that they do not require over processing. At times the HDR effect is way too strong - kind of like oversharpening a picture. Specific examples include:

White Tail Deer at Hinckley Lake (29)
Lakeside Sunrise Glow (33)
Picnic view of the Boathouse (41)
Hinckley Lake East and the Rising Sun (42)

One problem with oversaturation of colors is that though they appear vibrant on screen, most of the values cannot be reproduced in print. Photoshop allows you to preview what images will look like in CMYK (without actually converting modes) with Proof Setup and even highlight out of gamut areas with Gamut Warning enabled. One trick, though to regain some vibrance in CMYK is to duplicate the layer and change the blend mode to Soft Light. Of course with quality paper 8- or 12-color inkjet printers can hit more colors than offset printing from the RGB images without CMYK conversion.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I tried to "dumb down" the color but when I did, they didnt look good so tried to keep the color as real as possible. On some of the pics, I had my WB on shade (I usually keep it on cloudy) and that warmed up a few..lol.. but you are right, I post these on flickr and the "big color" gets the most positive comments. The deer pic was only two exposures and it is artsy but thats OK.. wanted to do something different. I dont usually dont HDR animals as they dont hold still... but heron often are motionless for extended periods so they are easy... here is another Great Blue Heron HDRed with 3 exposures: http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p923598710/?photo=278444614
 
CrackedButter

CrackedButter

macrumors 68040
Jan 15, 2003
3,221
0
51st State of America
Triplenickle said:
Thanks. thats a light smoothing area I worked on to get it more even. However, when you print it out 8x10, it evens out and is not noticeable. Thanks for the comments. My website has an add to cart feature if folks want to purchase but I have not seriously looked into stock photography sites.
Click to expand...

This is coming from a guy who doesn't like HDR that much either.
 
G

GuyNextDoor

macrumors member
Jan 30, 2008
39
0
Brooklyn, NY
Nice photo; even without HDR it's a nicely composed and rendered.

Is it just me, or is the triangular area bounded by the mast and starboard-side rope a touch brighter than the adjacent sky to the outside of the rope? It looks like a software related issue, where the rope caused the two areas to be seen as separate and unrelated, when it's actually a continuous area bisected by the rope (I know nothing of HDR software, so I hope I'm making sense). Other than that, it looks like you've stayed on the safe side of the hyper-realism vs cartoonish line. Well done.
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
GuyNextDoor said:
Nice photo; even without HDR it's a nicely composed and rendered.

Is it just me, or is the triangular area bounded by the mast and starboard-side rope a touch brighter than the adjacent sky to the outside of the rope? It looks like a software related issue, where the rope caused the two areas to be seen as separate and unrelated, when it's actually a continuous area bisected by the rope (I know nothing of HDR software, so I hope I'm making sense). Other than that, it looks like you've stayed on the safe side of the hyper-realism vs cartoonish line. Well done.
Click to expand...

That is a smoothing issue with the software. Photomatix does a great job releasing betas with great improvements. They just released a beta today with a new noise reduction feature.... so it just gets better. Of course, the more experience I get, that will help too! ;-)
 
CrackedButter

CrackedButter

macrumors 68040
Jan 15, 2003
3,221
0
51st State of America
Triplenickle said:
I appreciate your comments even more that being the case! :) I added a few more HDRs the the Hinckley Lake Vistas folder in the past few hours.
Click to expand...

Yeah I checked out the others and like I said HDR doesn't do it for me, personally you've gone too far with the exposures. I like the one I quoted because it has been done well enough and that it works with the way you composed it.

Don't take too much stock in what I've said, photography is subjective and not everybody will like your work at the end of the day.
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
CrackedButter said:
Yeah I checked out the others and like I said HDR doesn't do it for me, personally you've gone too far with the exposures. I like the one I quoted because it has been done well enough and that it works with the way you composed it.

Don't take too much stock in what I've said, photography is subjective and not everybody will like your work at the end of the day.
Click to expand...

Subjective is it. For instance, I am not a Black and white guy. I dont care for B&W photos except for certain subjects. Interestingly, my HDR images are amongst the "most positively commented on" images I post on Flickr. The vast majority like HDRed images. I received an email yesterday from a traditional film photographer of 30 years, who now shoots digitally saying he "enjoyed" my HDRs despite the fact he is old school... so indeed, subjective.
 
Doylem

Doylem

macrumors 68040
Dec 30, 2006
3,858
3,642
Wherever I hang my hat...
Plenty of nicely-seen pix, but, for me, waaaaay too much HDR. Some shots really don't need HDR at all; others could use the effect toning down. Colours start to go too 'wizzy', plus a general 'wierdness' around yacht rigging, tree branches, etc, which distract from the appeal of the pix.
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
Doylem said:
Plenty of nicely-seen pix, but, for me, waaaaay too much HDR. Some shots really don't need HDR at all; others could use the effect toning down. Colours start to go too 'wizzy', plus a general 'wierdness' around yacht rigging, tree branches, etc, which distract from the appeal of the pix.
Click to expand...

Thanks. How much HDR experience do you have ? Using Photomatix? and what do you suggest to improve? Actually many of those are toned down as I dont care for over HDRed pics but I do like the "painterly" effect for something different. Again, subjective it is.... but " it sells"... for the vast majority.
 
Doylem

Doylem

macrumors 68040
Dec 30, 2006
3,858
3,642
Wherever I hang my hat...
Triplenickle said:
Thanks. How much HDR experience do you have ? Using Photomatix? and what do you suggest to improve? Actually many of those are toned down as I dont care for over HDRed pics but I do like the "painterly" effect for something different. Again, subjective it is.... but " it sells"... for the vast majority.
Click to expand...

Yes... I know... HDR has the 'wow' factor... especially for folk who haven't seen it before. But the 'wow' tends to wear off, IMO... :)

I use Photomatix for HDR, and I'm still learning when to use it... and when to leave well alone. I use it for interiors (old buildings, churches, etc), evening shots, or to squeeze a wide range of tonality (bright highlights and deep shadows) into a single image. For most shots it's overkill... and gives the pix a uniform 'look' that soon gets tedious. My best HDR shots are those where the pic just looks 'right', and where the content of the pix is what matters... not the technique used to get it.

I feel the same about a grey grad filter, which is what I use for most pix when I want to reduce the light in the sky, and emphasise the clouds. That is, I don't shoot 'filtered pix' or 'HDR pix'; they're just two techniques (one simple... one not so simple) to get a desired result. If people pick up on the technique I've used... then I know I've been too heavy-handed...

Just my subjective two-pennorth... :)
 
Madmic23

Madmic23

macrumors 6502a
Apr 21, 2004
901
1,028
Wow, those pics look really good!

I don't mean to sound new or anything, but what exactly is HDR, and how did you achieve these effects? Do you have to do something specific while taking the picture? I noticed on the one pic you said you had 3 exposures, but could you do this from an existing picture with a little photoshop manipulation?

Again, great job, and thanks in advance for any tips you can give me.
 
carfac

carfac

macrumors 65816
Feb 18, 2006
1,241
29
You asked for comments... hope you have a thick hide.

I, too, think the color is too over saturated (especially for my taste). I know that was what you were doing, and what you were "playing" with. But many of the pictures also have low contrast. Couple those together, and yes, you womp on the color, but there is no INTEREST in the picture at all- they are FLAT (specifically http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h3D8C6753#1032611667, but others). Too flat.

When you shoot around water, watch your level/horizon.

on http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h27B9B007#731235888- should have waited ten seconds for the canoer to be out of the sunset reflection.

http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h27B9B007#653087263
Nicely framed. I think I would have likes slightly wider to include the tops of the trees on right.

http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h27B9B007#538948875 Would be nicer with a real black instead of dark grey.

http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h27B9B007#213054028 I like this, and see where you are going with it... but something about the framing bugs me. I would have worked a series here- higher, lower, off-center, etc. It needs something else, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

I only had time to look at the first page.

Overall, good eye- keep working it. Nice variety. But stop hurrying, take more time to analyze your whole frame. Watch your contrast (I think you need more).

Good luck!
 
carfac

carfac

macrumors 65816
Feb 18, 2006
1,241
29
Triplenickle said:
I guess our tastes are different.
Click to expand...

That is the beauty of photography! ANd we can BOTH be right, too!

Triplenickle said:
I love the heron pic....
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is very nice... I just think it COULD be better. Look at it in Black and White... or as a historygram. It has no technical dynamics... but it is a good shot, for sure. I just figure if you ask for a critique, you want to get better... to step it up a notch further. So these are just my thoughts for how to take it up a buit... worth what you paid for it! :)

Triplenickle said:
Here is another composition of Catamaran sailboat.

http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=634687639
Click to expand...

Nice. I would pull the darks down to black. Another thing I have noticed about your pictures (and in this one) is your framing is (to me!) a bit too tight. You can ALWAYS crop... but you can't add. The right side is fine. I would have loosened up on the top and left, though... include the top of the mast (and a bit of space there), and the second hull to the left.

Again, your stuff is not bad... it is very good. I hope you do not think I was knocking it. But we all (myself included) can ALWAYS get better- ****, I learned a GREAT lighting trick this weekend on a shoot in SF. I am always learning... and always listening to other ideas.
 
T

Triplenickle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 10, 2005
248
0
carfac said:
That is the beauty of photography! ANd we can BOTH be right, too!



Yeah, it is very nice... I just think it COULD be better. Look at it in Black and White... or as a historygram. It has no technical dynamics... but it is a good shot, for sure. I just figure if you ask for a critique, you want to get better... to step it up a notch further. So these are just my thoughts for how to take it up a buit... worth what you paid for it! :)



Nice. I would pull the darks down to black. Another thing I have noticed about your pictures (and in this one) is your framing is (to me!) a bit too tight. You can ALWAYS crop... but you can't add. The right side is fine. I would have loosened up on the top and left, though... include the top of the mast (and a bit of space there), and the second hull to the left.

Again, your stuff is not bad... it is very good. I hope you do not think I was knocking it. But we all (myself included) can ALWAYS get better- ****, I learned a GREAT lighting trick this weekend on a shoot in SF. I am always learning... and always listening to other ideas.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. I am only 60 days doing serious HDR so learning..trust me. The framing on boat was intended. Here is another one I just posted....http://galloimages.zenfolio.com/p777559369/?photo=h2A7E0ACF#712903375 Take care. Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom