Woodsyface

[waha]

Hi,

I'm just beginning to play with high dynamic photography. "Woodsyface" is one of my very first efforts utilizing this technique. He is a chainsaw-carved wood spirit who lives in a cedar tree behind my house.

No, I didn't wield the chainsaw myself so in that sense the picture is not an original. But for now I'm tickled pink with the results of my tonemapping and editing.

I'm sure there's lots of room for improvement. Any suggestions?

Wayne



And here is the original HDR photo.

[epmi314]

I love them both. The first is great tip to toe. I would like to see the same red and yellow colors from the first image in the second.

[FrankMi]

Hi Scott, er, Wayne!, from the standpoint of the basics, it's all there but as the is a piece of artwork, the final result is pretty much up to what the artist is trying to convey. I think suggestions for color, contrast and exposure changes would be personal preferences.

The first question is 'Do you like it?'. If you don't, what would you like to see different? For me, they look fine just the way they are.

In a conventional landscape, for example, tonemapping can produce some undesirable side effects if you are trying to capture the detail in the highlights and shadows that can't be obtained by a single exposure. Here, we do not have an accepted standard of what the sky or grass should look like so it the presence or absence of those side effects may not apply.

When I first started to learn HDR techniques, I shot images inside the house with the sun lighting the view outside the windows way beyond what non-HDR could capture. My goal was to be able to see clearly everything in the house in the dark shadows and the entire view outside the windows in a single image, and have it look like what I saw when I pressed the shutter. Here is an example of what I worked on. Unlike Woodsyface, it was pretty easy to determine if it worked or not. In the case of Woodsyface, you may be the only one that can tell if it looks 'right'.

[epmi314]

Don't get me wrong both images are wonderful, well done and worthy of frame and wall! My eye just saw a tick more diversity in the first image and that is all I wanted to express. I like your image as well. I have not gotten into the whole HDR thing and perhaps my lack of knowledge is obvious. Nonetheless, 2 cents from a rookie.

[FrankMi]

Don't get me wrong both images are wonderful, well done and worthy of frame and wall! My eye just saw a tick more diversity in the first image and that is all I wanted to express. I like your image as well. I have not gotten into the whole HDR thing and perhaps my lack of knowledge is obvious. Nonetheless, 2 cents from a rookie.

Ho-boy! I was trying to understand your reply when all at once it hit me! I picked up on your name but my reply was meant to be directed to Wayne! No wonder your reply seemed a bit unusual! Sorry, didn't mean to screw up.

I agree that both images are well done. The only reason I added the house shot was to show an image where HDR techniques absolutely had to be employed and where the results could be judged without having to have seen the original. I can't tell from the Woodsyface image what the original range of contrast was so it is difficult to determine what HDR techniques would be appropriate, if any. Sorry Wayne and Scott. I think I'll go to bed before I mess anything else up!

[epmi314]

No worries from me Frank. Emotion is often difficult to convey via forum. I really hope you didn't think I was upset in any way as I was not. I have explored a number of forums and found many of them to be kind of snippy to say the least. That is why I like this site so much. Everyone is very nice and very supportive to a person! I do love it and will continue to try and be an ever more contributing member.

[waha]

Hi All,

I read your various responses with great interest and benefit, and I thank you for them.

Just by way of clarification, I included the second image (the sideways woodsyface) only to show what the basic HDR photo looked like before I really went to work on it. The picture that pleases me most is the other one (the fisheye woodsyface). True, of course, it is by no means a realistic rendition of the subject...but, hey, I was having a lot of fun in the process of conjuring it up.

The following picture is a slightly less distorted version, but I think I prefer the sleek shape of the first one in this post.