Bangkok

[kito]

It has been a long time since I last posted here. How is everyone? Was really busy as I just went to a new department to work. Finally had some free time to do some editing of photographs which I took during my previous holidays.

This picture was taken during my visit to The Grand Palace in Bangkok. Decided to edit it with HDR.



1. What you are trying to accomplish
For this picture, I am trying show the magnificence of The Grand Palace.

2. What you did to move toward that goal
I took this picture at an angle and not right up front so that I could bring our a 3D feel to the building. I used a CPL to bring out the contrast of the building and the clouds. Lastly, I edited it with the HDR technique hoping to bring out the colours and contrast as how I see it in real life.

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 am hoping to achieve as much a natural look without losing out on the contrast and details. I always wonder how other landscape photographer gets to take picture with such great contrast and luscious color and fine details! I am not sure if they used HDR or is it because of their camera sensor being so much more advanced than my, or is it the lens. My pictures without editing with HDR always look so bland >.<

4. What you feel your skill level is in this area.
My skill are still at beginner level in both composition and post processing but I think for my HDR part I have improved abit compared to my previous attempt.

Do let me know your honest opinions and C&C for improving this picture. Much thanks in advance!

[MrB]

That is a wonderful palace, Keat. If your aim is to give your photo a natural and realistic look, then I think the perspective needs to be adjusted - our perception does not see the buildings leaning in the way that the 17mm lens tranforms the scene in making the image. But it is your photo, so you might not agree.



Philip

[kito]

That is a wonderful palace, Keat. If your aim is to give your photo a natural and realistic look, then I think the perspective needs to be adjusted - our perception does not see the buildings leaning in the way that the 17mm lens tranforms the scene in making the image. But it is your photo, so you might not agree.

Philip

Oh, you mean the buildings on the far left leaning backwards? I guess I missed out that part. When I edited the picture, I paid too much attention to the orientation of the building that was right most, making sure that it is aligned properly. Guess I forgotten about the rest. Thanks for pointing it out!
BTW, any ways to avoid the distortion without having to do it during post processing?

Edit: Oh and you aligned the buildings really well. How did you do it?

[Donald]

I think Philip has provided very good and appropriate advice on the image.

I think another matter to note is the importance of you having given great consideration to what you were trying to do and how you did it. This is an excellent way to learn and improve our photography. It is good to do this for all your pictures.

[MrB]

Oh, you mean the buildings on the far left leaning backwards? I guess I missed out that part. When I edited the picture, I paid too much attention to the orientation of the building that was right most, making sure that it is aligned properly. Guess I forgotten about the rest. Thanks for pointing it out!
BTW, any ways to avoid the distortion without having to do it during post processing?

Edit: Oh and you aligned the buildings really well. How did you do it?

Keat, in the edit, all the buildings have been re-aligned, including the one on the right. This was achieved in Corel PaintShop Pro X4, using the Perspective Correction tool, and a slight anticlockwise rotation. The correction should make the vertical lines in the buildings almost vertical in the image. "Almost" vertical, because it depends on the viewpoint and distance from the buildings - looking horizontally, the further away they are, the closer to vertical the brain perceives the vertical lines to be. Conversely at the other extreme, if standing close to a building and looking up, the brain expects the verticals to converge.

Philip

[Mike Buckley]

I like the revised image a lot. Yout HDR treatment works for me, mostly because I have been to the Grand Palace and believe your post-processing brings the opulence and near sensory overload to life.

The only thing I don't like about the image is the effect of HDR on the people in the lower left corner. My guess is that they look odd because they were moving as you were taking your exposures. If you could include them in the image but exclude them from the HDR treatment, that might improve upon this detail.

[MrB]

The only thing I don't like about the image is the effect of HDR on the people in the lower left corner. My guess is that they look odd because they were moving as you were taking your exposures. If you could include them in the image but exclude them from the HDR treatment, that might improve upon this detail.

That's a good point, Mike - I wondered why they looked odd. Keat might be able to do this simply by copying the people, perhaps with a 20 pixel feather edge, from the most suitable of the original images, then pasting them over those in the HDR image.

Philip

[Dave Humphries]

BTW, any ways to avoid the distortion without having to do it during post processing?

Hi Keat,

Yes, keep the camera absolutely horizontal - i.e. with the sensor vertical (and parallel to the buildings), this means two things;
a) you need to shoot at a wider angle and/or from further away (to avoid angling upwards in order not to "chop the top off")
b) you will probably want to crop off the foreground if it doesn't contain anything of interest

I was trying to find an example I had shot, but it eludes me

Cheers,

[kito]

I think Philip has provided very good and appropriate advice on the image.

I think another matter to note is the importance of you having given great consideration to what you were trying to do and how you did it. This is an excellent way to learn and improve our photography. It is good to do this for all your pictures.

Thanks for the encouragement. I do believe that photography is a very difficult art to master!

[kito]

Keat, in the edit, all the buildings have been re-aligned, including the one on the right. This was achieved in Corel PaintShop Pro X4, using the Perspective Correction tool, and a slight anticlockwise rotation. The correction should make the vertical lines in the buildings almost vertical in the image. "Almost" vertical, because it depends on the viewpoint and distance from the buildings - looking horizontally, the further away they are, the closer to vertical the brain perceives the vertical lines to be. Conversely at the other extreme, if standing close to a building and looking up, the brain expects the verticals to converge.

Philip

I see! Thanks for the explanation! Can the same be done with Photshop CS? <---- I am sorry, but I am still new to this post processing thing and is still not apt with the softwares and their full capabilities >.<

[kito]

I like the revised image a lot. Yout HDR treatment works for me, mostly because I have been to the Grand Palace and believe your post-processing brings the opulence and near sensory overload to life.

The only thing I don't like about the image is the effect of HDR on the people in the lower left corner. My guess is that they look odd because they were moving as you were taking your exposures. If you could include them in the image but exclude them from the HDR treatment, that might improve upon this detail.

Yeah, I too agree that the revised image by MrB made a lot of difference to the picture. And yeah, the people looks weird because they were moving when I took the exposures. I was unable to figure out a way to not include them in the HDR processing without making the 'color' and 'contrast' different from the rest of the image, so I just 'let it be' >.< Guess it was a wrong choice!

[kito]

That's a good point, Mike - I wondered why they looked odd. Keat might be able to do this simply by copying the people, perhaps with a 20 pixel feather edge, from the most suitable of the original images, then pasting them over those in the HDR image.

Philip

Oh, we can actually copy and paste like that? I should try that to my other pictures when I edit them in the future. Can it be done with Photshop CS? But is there a way to ensure that the people too 'share' the same 'color' and 'contrast' as the rest of the image. <---- I think without the HDR processing on them, they will look pretty 'bland' compared to the rest of the image no?

[kito]

Hi Keat,

Yes, keep the camera absolutely horizontal - i.e. with the sensor vertical (and parallel to the buildings), this means two things;
a) you need to shoot at a wider angle and/or from further away (to avoid angling upwards in order not to "chop the top off")
b) you will probably want to crop off the foreground if it doesn't contain anything of interest

I was trying to find an example I had shot, but it eludes me

Cheers,

I see! Thanks for the tips! So I just need to make sure that my camera's sensor is aligned with the plane of the buildings rite?

[MrB]

Oh, we can actually copy and paste like that? I should try that to my other pictures when I edit them in the future. Can it be done with Photshop CS? But is there a way to ensure that the people too 'share' the same 'color' and 'contrast' as the rest of the image. <---- I think without the HDR processing on them, they will look pretty 'bland' compared to the rest of the image no?

I don't have PhotoShop CS but, as it costs ten times as much as Corel X4, I am certain it would be capable of doing any editing that you want!

If you want to try the simple method - copying the people from one of the starting images - simply adjust its brightness, contrast and saturation so that the people suit the HDR image before you copy.

Philip