An Image of Firsts

Well folks, here it is - my first 5D2 image and my first HDR. I created the HDR using 3 exposures in Photomatix Pro, imported to LR 2.1 for additional work and finally exported to PS CS4 for the finishing touches. Since this is my first HDR I'd really like some feedback on the processing. The shaded left side feels a little weird but I can't put my finger on what's wrong. Anyone else get that impression?

One of the common failures I've noticed with HDR images is that when done wrong, they tend to have way too much shadow detail. I tried to avoid that here. Did I succeed?

Thanks for having a look and leaving a comment. Be brutally honest as I'm determined to learn HDR and I need honest critique to improve.

5D2, 17-40mm lens, no filters (which was really weird since I'm used to using GND's on a regular basis!)

Ok Bret, if you want me to be brutally honest I will. This looks very natural. I don't think I'd change much of anything. The only thing I see on the left is that the yellow in the sky looks different from anything I've seen but that is very minor. I think you did an amazing job for your first try. It is a pain in the neck to get these hdr shots to look natural with Photomatix but you succeeded!

I know exactly what you mean regarding that fake hdr look, where the perpetrators use it to the extreme, resulting in ghastly, cartoonish images. You have avoided that trap here and the result looks excellent. (I'll be calling you for advice when I get Photomatix!) We nature photographers should use tools like that like magicians, making sure to never make our audience wise to the manipulation. The shot in general is really strong. I LOVE the foreground rocks! The only thing I see worth correcting is a distinct magenta band along the horizon on the right. There should be some color there, but not pure magenta. Perhaps a little bit of red or yellow added there would solve it. The yellow on the left horizon is a little bit different, too, but not enough to worry about.

Now, print it BIG!

I agree with ES and TC. It's a tremendous shot and I would expect shadows to be darker, just as they're rendered here. Fool with the highlights a bit, print it big, and I'll make a field trip to learn from you! Awesome!

BTW, what's your vantage point? This looks like an oh-dark-thirty climb to me.

Bret, I think you did a great job. The yellow and magenta in the sky are typical of Photomatix. I'll create hdr shots then blend back in the sky from one of the originals because of this.
I noticed in your workflow you mentioned you created the images in Photomatix then imported to LR. If you haven't already done so, get the Photomatix plugin for LR (free). It allows you to simply select images in LR and export them directly to Photomatix. Very cool tool.
But this is all trivial compared to the big issue. Tell us about the 5D Mk II!

Bret – that is a SWEET image!

I don’t see any issues with the shaded side. One would expect this to be in the shade since the sun is low, just as the right side of the formation is also in the shade.

I think the light on the horizon looks fine as well. Since the sun is on the left, one would expect the light on the left side to be more yellow and changing slowly to magenta on the right.

Brutal honesty: It fails because I don't see Melissa jumping from a rock to a ledge here. I mean, c'mon...is this the best you can do?

I agree with Erik. For an HDR image, this looks naturally processed to me as well, aside from the oversaturated yellow in the sky. Heck, even Velveeta won't do that.

Thanks for the feedback, ya'll! I spent a lot of time geeking out on HDR before biting the bullet. I read several tutorials and "The HDRI Handbook" by Christian Bloch before I finally decided I was ready to try my hand at all this HDR voodoo. I also studied lots of HDR images, good and bad, to figure out what worked and what didn't. Now I just need to upgrade my computer to handle the giant files more expeditiously.

And speaking of giant files...

The 5D2 rocks! I'm off for the next few days and with snow forecasted I'll definitely be out putting it to good use. My general observations thus far are:

- Well built with a solid sounding shutter
- Gorgeous high resolution screen
- Manual focus w/ Live View is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time
- Very clean files up to ISO 800, usable at 1600 and possibly even 3200, depending on the image
- User friendly interface. Everything is easy to find, settings are easy to change. Very intuitive.
- Respectable battery life
- Good ergonomics, although not as comfortable to hold as my 1Ds MKII
- Bright viewfinder - tough to get used to less than 100% view, though
- Image quality is outstanding. Smooth color gradation, nice dynamic range (both def. better than the 1Ds MKII), razor sharp details.

All in all it's fair to say I'm very happy with it. Not completely related but I bought an Invisible Shield screen protector for it and my G9. Great product that seems to protect the screen well and is almost invisible over the screen.

Bret, your photo is a beaut! The foreground is a great lead. I honestly don't think I'd find any fault at all with the HDR. Though personal preference might be to tone down the yellows on the left horizon. At my level of expertise, I think so far I prefer manually blending exposures, but would love to get better at HDR. I have the book, "High Dynamic Range" by Ferrell McCollough and think it would be a great reference if you find yourself getting into HDR. There is a section dedicated to using Photomatrix.

My wallet has me in a half-nelson these days, but look forward to more shots with the 5D2. It will be in my plans one of these days I imagine.

Bret, looks great to me.

And I attended a George Lepp talk last Saturday and he might have mentioned HDR a few thousand times!

He also likes HD video too and thinks that's the future!

Well done. How many stops did you bracket the 3 exposures ?

Other than the color cast around the horizon that others mentioned, this image looks great and I won't even think about HDR had you not mention it. And the foreground is very very nice!

Ditto with everything said above!

That's a very good first effort, Bret. As mentioned the yellow to magenta gradient right at the horizon is a bit odd, but we're being pretty nitpicky here. Overall, its a nicely composed shot with great light. I doubt many would guess it to be HDR (if you never made mention of it) and that's what your trying to achieve.

Glad to hear you're liking the new cam. You're gonna make it hard for me to wait a while before making my purchase!

I get amused over all the discussion of which colors are right and which are not. If you compare the colors to what you saw, only you know. Certainly the greatest color change
from what we see is Black and White. You don't see people concerned over the "real"
color not showing up in Black and White. They just accept it for what it is.

I think that the state of the art with HDR right now is a picture that looks different than what
we are used to seeing. The most outrageous use of HDR that you have seen is not as
far from the "real color" as black and white is.

Looks really nice Bret. The mid tone contrast seems a little low, but that might be related more to atmospheric conditions than anything in the HDR work.

This is just perfect, Bret. I wouldn't have known this was a blend if you didn't say anything. Great color palette too, and of course - what a view!

Guy

I *really* appreciate the feedback, everyone. I usually don't spend more than 10-15 minutes working any one image. This one took well over an hour and I felt a little too invested to make an unbiased decision. Sounds like my HDR technique ain't half bad and I'm very anxious to continue experimenting with it. Thanks for the encouragement!

Bill: I bracketed this at -2/0/+2 EV.

What everyone else said Bret. This is probably the best HDR shot I've seen with Photomatix (that I know of).
Honestly HDR still looks fake to me most of the time (again, unless someone does it really well and doesn't fess up).
I still choose to do the manual blend with 2, maybe 3 photos tops cuz I really don't like how bright the foregrounds/shadows look using the software (personal preference I guess). You've done and excellent job here with that specific issue.
And like you said - HDRs can really eat up your processing time.

This is what I think HDR is supposed to be. I don't like the over processed but I can almost imagine this matched your experience to a tee. The shadow area looks ok to me.

I have promised myself on several occasions to take my HDR prints back to the location and see how closely they match what I really saw. I think we get so used to the limited DR that we have trouble visualizing the image for HDR processing.

You might check the color balance in the shadows. They look pretty natural but I find in HDR that sometimes the +2 exposure can bring out more blue at dusk and dawn.

Thanks for posting Brett, I really like this image.

If you have time when he's out there, ask Mike Pancier to show you how he does HDR in Photomatix. He's been doing it longer than most people and has forgotten more than most know.

His most recent HDR photos, of Maine, are on Flickr. They're off the hook.

Sweet. Not too shabby for a first posted pick with new equipment.
Your HDR technique looks good to me (and is way better than any attempt I've made, for sure). Now how about trying a 3 vertical image stitch and printing really big.

I think this looks great Bret, doesn't have that hdr feel that many of them do. I would say your time spent researching paid off well.

That new camera sounds pretty sweet, looking forward to more images..

I can't add much more than what's already been said, but this looks very natural to me. A wonderful HDR job to say the least. Congrats on the new camera as well. Looking forward to seeing more.

Ditto, ditto, and ditto. Very natural, and great comp.

This is a beaut, Bret, Nicely done.