What's with all the hyper overdone HDR photography you see?

[Locut0s]

HDR has become a fad on the net in the past few years. Done well it can capture scenes that cameras normally can't deal with and expose details that the human eye can see but would normally be washed out or underexposed. An example is the interior of a cathedral. But lately I'm seeing a lot of HORRIBLE HDR photography where they have gone WAY overboard creating a surrealist painting look. And people seem to actually like this stuff. Why?!?

http://www.online-photoshoptut...utiful-hdr-images.html

The first couple there are OKish it's the later ones...

 

[BlackTigers]

The city ones suck.

But I love the rest of them. HDR is so slick.

 

[pwnagesarus]

I like them because they're so bright and colorful, but it still can't beat a good "normal" photo.

I love the first two, but the ones after Bangkok look straight out of Half Life 2. >_<;

 

[Fayd]

..... i kinda like it.

it's a personal preference.

anyways, i just yanked the louvre one for my new background for my new EEEpc when i get it

edit: i wish it could be done without people in it. that'd be supremely awesome.

 

[virtuamike]

Eh, everyone has different tastes.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
The city ones suck.

But I love the rest of them. HDR is so slick.

The problem I have with them is that this is no longer HDR photography. HDR is really meant to be fairly minimalist. Just bringing out the detail that's already there in an otherwise under or overexposed image. These are just photoshoping.

 

[thirtythree]

The Bangkok one is my desktop... so I guess I like it. Some of the others are iffy though, I agree.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

HDR makes me want to puke. I honestly believe it is the biggest downside of digital photography. Yuck.

 

[BlackTigers]

How could you look at the picture of that ship and not be amazed?!

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
How could you look at the picture of that ship and not be amazed?!

Easy.

Yeah 3000 posts !! .... aww where's my reward?

 

[Cabages]

I like it.

Thanks BTW, using the Bangkok one as my wall.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
How could you look at the picture of that ship and not be amazed?!

Well at every point where a dark part of the image borders on a light part there is an obvious and ugly halo. To me it completely ruins the picture. Halos are a hallmark of poorly made HDR images.

 

[n7]

Gorgeous; thanx for some new desktop backgrounds

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
How could you look at the picture of that ship and not be amazed?!

Well at every point where a dark part of the image borders on a light part there is an obvious and ugly halo. To me it completely ruins the picture. Halos are a hallmark of poorly made HDR images.

That and the completely unnatural surreal colour palate. Call it a photoshop but don't call it HDR because that's not what a proper HDR photo should look like. Proper HDR should just bring out what the eye can see but the camera can't capture, here is an example:

http://www.madebymark.com/made...er-vegas-HDR-small.jpg

And here are further examples of how NOT to do it:

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/hdr-image.jpg
http://www.hemmy.net/images/photography/hdrphoto.jpg
http://diverseeyephotography.f...008/02/tractor-hdr.jpg
http://hdrgolf.files.wordpress...008/03/jack_hdr_bw.jpg (guy looks like he has a skin disease)

 

[thomsbrain]

To each his own. I don't think HDR looks super natural, but I do think it looks really cool and gives images a special "pop" on the screen.

 

[skulkingghost]

I LOVE HDR, but as with the rest of you I have seen some good examples, and some piss poor ones. I do a lot of processing in HDR, and like my results, some people do, some don't, but they please my eyes.

http://flickr.com/photos/danie...ets/72157601730540328/
as you can see a lot of my portfolio pieces are HDR, its my style, and what makes me happy.

The following photographers also have my HDR Approved stamp on them:
http://flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/
http://flickr.com/photos/kros/
http://flickr.com/photos/valpopando/
http://flickr.com/photos/giuse...ets/72157600284172104/
http://flickr.com/photos/gersonm/
http://flickr.com/photos/rebba/

 

[Xylitol]

i like the ones that don't look like videogame screenshots