I like to see
photographs... not
HDR photographs or
flash photographs or
filter photographs or
Photoshopped photographs. I want to see images that convince... not the 'building blocks' that created them. Too often the technique itself is to the fore, getting in the way. Just my opinion, of course...
I get what you're saying here. I'm not sure that shot benefitted from HDR in my opinion, either (but I realize some folks feel otherwise...
) I've been experimenting a little with HDR/tone mapping/exposure blending, etc. etc... and for me it's often too easy to use it when it's not really necessary, at least for extending the dynamic range of the picture - for example, using this technique when the shot is well exposed to begin with, or the scene is fairly flat or non-contrasty. It always ends up making the shot look processed, or it's been laid on with FX. Sometimes, that can result in an interesting image, but usually it doesn't. If the scene is contrasty, then careful tonemapping using several bracketed shots can do wonders, and make the shot just come alive. At least potentially.
It all depends on what the goal is. For me, if I could master extracting as much detail from the shadows and highlights as possible while keeping the mid-ranges still nice and contrasty... it would work. But, only for some types of images. There's always something appealing about an old-fashioned contrasty black and white photo, with some blown highlights and lots of inky black shadows.
I suppose it's all about art, and there's no 'right' or 'wrong' way. Valdore makes some truly amazing images, they have almost a signature look to them, but much of that is because he shoots interesting angles, composes his shots well, and the subject matter (cityscapes) benefits from the moods created by the PP. And he uses his tools well.
I've also seen a lot of other HDR attempts (including my own...) where pushing the sliders too far one way or the other produce a very common look (halos, described often as the "rookie tone-mapper" look
here.) Without an image worthy of the process in the first place, HDR by itself quickly becomes a boring application, like any other post-processing filter/plug-in - everything starts to have the same unnatural look which says more about the software than the photographer.
