Testing out HDR: Setting sun

[kito]

Hi everyone. I am new to this site and new to photography too. Was recommended to this site by a fellow forumite from another forum who told me this is a great place to learn for beginners. I am interested in landscape photography and is also testing out HDR. Would appreciate any critiques or comments towards my pictures. Thanks in advance!

[Polar01]

Welcome to the forum, kito, one thing I would suggest is if your fellow forumite did not tell you, we like to use real names, and it helps to know where you are from. As a new member I woulf aslo suggest you read a post by Frank Miller very good info wanting C&C. you can find it posted under Bridge through Silence now on page 3 it is comment #9. It is very goof with I would like to know your opion and critique. This would help us to help you with our replys. Welcome again.

Cheers

Allan

[kito]

Welcome to the forum, kito, one thing I would suggest is if your fellow forumite did not tell you, we like to use real names, and it helps to know where you are from. As a new member I woulf aslo suggest you read a post by Frank Miller very good info wanting C&C. you can find it posted under Bridge through Silence now on page 3 it is comment #9. It is very goof with I would like to know your opion and critique. This would help us to help you with our replys. Welcome again.

Cheers

Allan

Hi there Allan,
Thanks for the reply. I've read the post by Frank Miller and I believe I'm suppose to provide the following details:
1. What you are trying to accomplish
For this picture, I am trying to take a picture of the sunset with this road and the hut as the foreground.

2. What you did to move toward that goal
I tried to use the road as a leading line to lead the viewer into my photograph, while keeping the 1/3 ratio as best as possible for the horizon.

3. What aspect of the image you would like to see improved, and
I'm hoping to improve on the composition of this picture and the post processing part of it. I believe this scenery has a lot of potential but I am unable to make a picture with impact. As for the post processing part, I am still trying to learn the HDR technique. I'm mostly at the trial and error stage and it is only by luck that his picture's post processing turned out less horrid
than the others...

4. What you feel your skill level is in this area.
My skill are still at beginner level in both composition and post processing.

Hope these answers help. Thanks in advance again!

[FrankMi]

Hi Keat and a warm welcome to CiC. It's great to see you posting images and looking for feedback. The image is being displayed as a thumbnail so it is a little small to see well but it is good enough to provide some starting feedback. First, if you want to post full size images, the following link should help: HELP THREAD: How can I post images here?.

It looks like you are well on your way toward your goals in the composition! The horizon on the 1/3rd line helps as does some overhead branches that can act as a bit of a natural frame for the composition. If your shooting position was a little more to the left the road might look less imposing and 'head on' and might be a bit more interesting.

In the thumbnail, the image appears to be a little dark but HDR tends to darken the sky more than natural and it is often needed to blend back in some of the original sky to lighten it a bit.

[Polar01]

Keat: nice image, I would go with Frank's comments about changing your shooting position as the road wants to take me down it, and it is the sunset with the sky that is the real focus as your title states as I see it. As Frank states above look at that link about posting images (I myself had to try a few times to get ist right) once you so you will (and us) be able to get a better look at the image. Again nice image, looking forward to more images.

Cheers:

Allan

[kito]

Hi Keat and a warm welcome to CiC. It's great to see you posting images and looking for feedback. The image is being displayed as a thumbnail so it is a little small to see well but it is good enough to provide some starting feedback. First, if you want to post full size images, the following link should help: HELP THREAD: How can I post images here?.

It looks like you are well on your way toward your goals in the composition! The horizon on the 1/3rd line helps as does some overhead branches that can act as a bit of a natural frame for the composition. If your shooting position was a little more to the left the road might look less imposing and 'head on' and might be a bit more interesting.

In the thumbnail, the image appears to be a little dark but HDR tends to darken the sky more than natural and it is often needed to blend back in some of the original sky to lighten it a bit.

Thanks for the link! I have managed to enlarge my picture for better viewing.
Thanks for the advise on the the composition. Will keep that in mind next time. Too bad I am unable to take the picture of this same place again as it was taken during a trip to Langkawi.
I'm still not very good with post processing so will try to learn about this 'blending' thing. Thanks!

[kito]

Keat: nice image, I would go with Frank's comments about changing your shooting position as the road wants to take me down it, and it is the sunset with the sky that is the real focus as your title states as I see it. As Frank states above look at that link about posting images (I myself had to try a few times to get ist right) once you so you will (and us) be able to get a better look at the image. Again nice image, looking forward to more images.

Cheers:

Allan

Thanks for the compliments and advise. Will try to remember your advise for my next shots with roads.

[FrankMi]

Hi Keat. Blending of two images, such as an HDR processed image and its original, is a post processing technique that can be used to combine the best parts of two (or more) images. If you are looking for more information on this subject, it would be easier to find using keywords like Selection, Layers, and Masking as these are the post processing elements that provide the ability to 'blend' parts of multiple images into one. Many, but not all post processing applications support Layers, the primary building block used in the process.

[kito]

Hi Keat. Blending of two images, such as an HDR processed image and its original, is a post processing technique that can be used to combine the best parts of two (or more) images. If you are looking for more information on this subject, it would be easier to find using keywords like Selection, Layers, and Masking as these are the post processing elements that provide the ability to 'blend' parts of multiple images into one. Many, but not all post processing applications support Layers, the primary building block used in the process.

Thanks alot. Will look into it!