HDR or GTFO? - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

06/25/2012 08:34:04 AM · #1

Some people love it, some people hate it.

What are your thoughts on everything getting the crap HDR'd out of it these days?

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

06/25/2012 09:02:25 AM · #2

Are you talking real HDR, or just tonemapping the crap out of things? I like the look, but it's also easy to overdo it and end up with a garish cartoon.

True HDR from 3 RAW shots:

Single shot, tonemapped the crap out of it:

Mark-A

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/25/2012 09:12:55 AM · #3

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Are you talking real HDR, or just tonemapping the crap out of things? I like the look, but it's also easy to overdo it and end up with a garish cartoon.

True HDR from 3 RAW shots:

Single shot, tonemapped the crap out of it:

Personally I like them both to a degree Steve, I think Tone Mapping / HDR have their place and used in the right challenges will help to convey the desired message.

I suspect the thread was started because of my image in abandoned and that's fine it doesn't bother me at all.

My images are not all tone mapped, HDR'd or heavily processed and I am quite capable of creating an image without using those techniques, for example my recent imagination, Flowers for Shez and the Green Macro images had not been edited that heavily at all.

Personal taste is relevant here and obviously some people do not like the look, why a thread needs to be started suggesting those not liking it or wanting to use the techniques should consider GTFO though is beyond me...

06/25/2012 09:16:02 AM · #4

The latter. I enjoy combining several exposures into a single image. I do a bit of shooting at night where it's useful to get detail you'd usually miss if you just had one image.

The ultratoned look does have its place and the example you've provided illustrates where it works well. From my point of view that is - derelict / industrial textures benefit from all that extra texture.

Overdone shots like plants, landscapes and portraits in HDR make me feel like I'm looking at surreal painting rather than a photo. A painting where someone has drank six colours of paint and regurgitated it into my eyes.

NiallOTuama

Google Pixel 2

06/25/2012 09:20:47 AM · #5

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

but it's also easy to overdo it and end up with a garish cartoon

Very true.

I HDR a lot of my stuff. I don't know if it makes any difference, but for single image HDR I tend to export maybe 5 images at various exposures between -1 and +1 (sometimes more) and blend them in photomatix. I don't know whether it actually makes any difference, but I tend to get more of what I want from it.

Real HRDs of mine:

Though I do prefer real HDR of course. Only problem with doing that for me is that my camera doesn't have an auto-bracketing feature, so I have to do the exposures manually. Well, semi-manually anyway!

I tone map everything.

Message edited by author 2012-06-25 09:29:25.

06/25/2012 09:27:09 AM · #6

Originally posted by Mark-A:

I suspect the thread was started because of my image in abandoned and that's fine it doesn't bother me at all.

No mate - not having a dig at anyone here, really just curious on outlooks since it can be such a love/hate thing with a lot of people.

I've seen people using HDR toning for stuff like wedding photos and I go wtf!? but evidently people go OOoO0oo0o pretty detailzz.

Looking at that image now I've noticed some comments about the whole HDR thing.

btw the GTFO option was for the people who are completely against it or whatever ;p

Mark-A

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/25/2012 09:35:31 AM · #7

Originally posted by damoninja:

Originally posted by Mark-A:
I suspect the thread was started because of my image in abandoned and that's fine it doesn't bother me at all.

No mate - not having a dig at anyone here, really just curious on outlooks since it can be such a love/hate thing with a lot of people.

I've seen people using HDR toning for stuff like wedding photos and I go wtf!? but evidently people go OOoO0oo0o pretty detailzz.

Looking at that image now I've noticed some comments about the whole HDR thing.

btw the GTFO option was for the people who are completely against it or whatever ;p

Fair enough :)

Yeah I agree I hate the whole HDR on portraits IMHO there's rarely a time when this works (although I have seen a couple of cracking shots where it has worked), I think it's a matter of taste and choosing a good / relevant subject.

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/25/2012 10:46:57 AM · #8

What is GTFO?

Mark-A

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/25/2012 10:55:26 AM · #9

Get the f**k out....

Mike

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

06/25/2012 05:55:42 PM · #10

I dont mind HDR when it's not overdone. Its a reliable and required process to achieve the dynamic range of a certain scene. I respect that others like it, and the fact that Mark had gotten a blue among other entries using it on other ribbons lately, prove quite a few people like it, as well.

That said, i hate when the image starts to looks fake and unnatural.

Message edited by author 2012-06-25 19:24:36.

HawkinsT

Olympus 55mm f/1.2 Auto-S G-Zuiko

06/25/2012 06:26:00 PM · #11

HDR 'can' work and work well, but in 90% of its use it's just a poor excuse for taking an uninteresting (or bad) photo. While a ridiculous notion, in my opinion if HDR were to be banned on this site the average quality of content would increase. Beyond a matter of aesthetics, while not singling out any specific images or photographers, I find it amazing the number of HDR ribbon winners where the entries have basic technical flaws such as the changing of aperture to alter exposure instead of shutter speed, causing blurry messes in areas of images as the multiple exposures in varying degrees of focus are blended together. I guess that's more a reflection on the average voter than anything else though.

I suppose basically I see HDR a bit like mustard. Mustard's great, when used sparingly on occasion it can really enhance a meal. When an inexperienced chef hears me say this and then decides to cover my entire plate in the stuff though, and then for every subsequent meal it's just more mustard served with a side of mustard, well it wouldn't be long before I start wanting to destroy every pot of mustard in existence and pray for the day the mustard plant becomes extinct.

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

06/25/2012 07:11:50 PM · #12

Originally posted by Kelli:

What is GTFO?

Originally posted by Mark-A:

Get the f**k out....

yeah, I had the same question. For a minute there I thought it was another new process
we probably had to learn.

Mike

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

06/25/2012 07:21:18 PM · #13

Originally posted by HawkinsT:

well said.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

06/25/2012 08:38:40 PM · #14

Originally posted by HawkinsT:

..... it wouldn't be long before I start wanting to destroy every pot of mustard in existence and pray for the day the mustard plant becomes extinct.

Wouldn't it be much easier to simply learn to cook for yourself? ;)

06/25/2012 08:47:08 PM · #15

Originally posted by sfalice:

Originally posted by Kelli:
What is GTFO?

Originally posted by Mark-A:
Get the f**k out....

yeah, I had the same question. For a minute there I thought it was another new process
we probably had to learn.

Well, let's work on a technique with the acronym GTFO.

HawkinsT