# HDR pic - Need advice/editing help



## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

I love the look of these buildings. However this is a high traffic area, if I get further away, there will be people in the shot.  The other problem is the buildings dont have the same lines, so if I make the corner of the building on the left straight, the other building wont be straight.  Pretty much, I dont know if someone can edit this to make it look straighter or any better looking or is the only hope to re-shoot this?


I will post 2 versions, the second pic has more contrast and is sharper.







Comments/suggestions/which one of the 2 is better/can you edit? Thank you!


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## ryanwaff (Sep 14, 2012)

That building is amazing! 
I definitely prefer the second image. The clarity is much better. The colours are also a bit more saturated. As for the straightness of the lines, there are tools in Photoshop that you can use to straighten buildings... 

But I do definitely agree, the angle doesn't do it for me, it feels off and quite tightly cropped... Perhaps a re shoot at dawn when its empty so you can get further back and include more of the building in the shot? 

I would have liked to have seen the entire stair case as well as the bottom of the pillars.


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

Thank you for the great feedback! I know what you mean, I wish I could get more of the building, this was lucky to get this shot with no people ( waited for 2 hours for a clearing ). I am wondering if getting the whole building, but with people in it, would be worth it or not!??!  There is really no slower time then when I went.   The staircase has a chain going across with a sign that says something like "dont go up here" or "employees only" or something.  However I do have one that shows the whole staircase.


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## ryanwaff (Sep 14, 2012)

Its a pleasure  

Well with regards to the chain and sign, that can be easily cloned out in Photoshop. And including people, with an extended shutter speed could create some very interesting effects. It could give some great sense of movement and life... Give it a try, see what happens.  That's the beauty of digital; unlimited attempts for free


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

Good points. I wish photoshop was free. Still working on adding that. =-)


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## ryanwaff (Sep 14, 2012)

Well you can use the trial version for a while...


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

DLing now =-)


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## CaboWabo (Sep 14, 2012)

Not to bad for no photoshop I have the same issue here so many people walking around hard to get shots without tons of people/movement but over all great they both are good I like the bottom one I tend to like more vibrant shots tho


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## Bynx (Sep 14, 2012)

I dont know what you are doing but most if not every shot you process looks like a bar of soap that was been used a few times. There is no sharpness, but rather a kind of smeary look to them. Ive mentioned this before and nothing has changed.


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

^ I dont know what you are seeing, it doesnt look that way to me. These are processes in photomatix, I can "sharpen" it more, just for kicks lets see what that looks like...


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

Looks bad when I view at full size^ So I dont know what to do. I'm trying to DL the photoshop trial, but I am getting an error.


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## seakritter (Sep 14, 2012)

I like the build it is a beautiful building, I agree with some what has been written so far, I don't like the angle, I don't know if it would have been possible to back up and get a wider shot. But the angle that you shot at, gives it and look of being out of plumb, which can sometimes be interesting, but in this case I think it takes away from the shot.


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## Parker219 (Sep 14, 2012)

^ ok thanks. I am going to shoot this building to death...umm...photograph this building a lot, since I guess its not just me that thinks its cool.  Lets hope I eventually get some good ones!


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## bianni (Sep 15, 2012)

Here is an edit you can do by using free transform to correct the keystone effect and because of aligning the vertical lines there will be blank spaces but you can fill this up by selecting similar areas and putting it in another layer and adjust size with free transform and use layer mask to blend with the original bg layer.


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## Parker219 (Sep 15, 2012)

WOW! Very nice. Thank you for taking the time to do that.  It is amazing what you can do with software now days.


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 15, 2012)

Bianna - Nice edit!!

OP - LISTEN TO BYNX!! I used to argue with him, just like you (btw your response with an edit in retaliation to him looks horrible), but I now realize he offers wonderful advice and is quite a pro when it comes to HDR, plus, he has really funny similes! xD

As for your picture, I definitely like the building. If there's any way to get more of it, like everyone else has said, that would be cool. And it would be neat to see a long exposure time with people moving through it. Perhaps you could try shooting from different angles as well and see what you come up with! It's all about experience and practice, as I too am learning!


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## Parker219 (Sep 15, 2012)

He knows I wasn't arguing, I just don't know what soapy look he is talking about. I am not going for the most perfect image of the year award. I just thought some one might have so good ideas like yours Thanks and others to help.


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## manaheim (Sep 15, 2012)

Bynx said:


> I dont know what you are doing but most if not every shot you process looks like a bar of soap that was been used a few times. There is no sharpness, but rather a kind of smeary look to them. Ive mentioned this before and nothing has changed.



This is the HDR forum!  Why are you questioning something other than the HDR element?!?!?!?!?!?!?


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 15, 2012)

manaheim said:


> Bynx said:
> 
> 
> > I dont know what you are doing but most if not every shot you process looks like a bar of soap that was been used a few times. There is no sharpness, but rather a kind of smeary look to them. Ive mentioned this before and nothing has changed.
> ...



..... are you serious? When I complained about people's comments not being relevant, I believe you were on the side of "this is an open forum and people can post whatever they want, and the OP can't impose rules about what people should or shouldn't post," and that, I believe, should also apply to other people commenting. I get the feeling that you just don't like me and troll whatever way possible.


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## manaheim (Sep 15, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> manaheim said:
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> > Bynx said:
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Um... I wasn't even talking to _you_.

Frankly, I was giving Bynx crap because he has a tendency to go off on people who post in the HDR forum talking about anything _other_ than the HDR element.

If you're going to accuse people of trolling, at least be more accurate about it.

Sheesh.


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 15, 2012)

manaheim said:


> DGMPhotography said:
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I'm pretty sure I was quite accurate. And what does it matter if you were or were not talking to me? This is an open forum, right? I can post whatever I please. If you give Bynx crap, I'll give you crap. So far, I've seen that you give a lot more irrelevant crap than Bynx does. At least deep down he's really trying to help.


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## manaheim (Sep 15, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> manaheim said:
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> > DGMPhotography said:
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I never said you couldn't post defensive remarks responding to posts that had nothing to do with you.  Feel free!  Post away!  

And clearly you know me very well, so if I'm such a lodestone, perhaps just add me to your ignore list.  Solves your problem, and I don't really offer much of value anyway, so no great loss.

:hugs:


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## KmH (Sep 15, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> This is an open forum, right? I can post whatever I please.


No. You can't post whatever you please. It's a privately owned forum available to the public, if they become a member.

At the top of each forum page is a set of tabs, click on *FAQ* and you can read the various limitations which are very similar to the limitations most forums have.

Before you became a member- it said (and was highlighted) right up there near the top of the page -



> If this is your first visit, be sure to	 check out the *FAQ** by clicking the	 link above.*


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 15, 2012)

KmH said:


> DGMPhotography said:
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> > This is an open forum, right? I can post whatever I please.
> ...



So when people use that excuse against me it's okay, but if I say it, it's wrong?


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## manaheim (Sep 16, 2012)

KmH said:


> DGMPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > This is an open forum, right? I can post whatever I please.
> ...



Um.... what?

You're responding very literally to his comment, which really had very little to do with the conversation.  The dude wasn't really claiming his freedom to violate the forum rules.  He was (oddly) defending himself against a post that wasn't directed at him.

So basically, you took a thread that was ALREADY completely off the rails and threw a grayhound bus at it.  So in other words, you didn't improve the situation.  You made it worse.  

Keith, what IS your deal anyway?  Go to moderating school, will you?  Seriously.

(and yeah that remark may get me banned, but frankly I don't give a crap... I'm totally sick of your behavior as "moderator" around here.)

(and yes, I know I'm defending the guy I was fencing with, but I was only fencing with him because he was acting odd... I don't really have a single issue with the guy)


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

Um, what happened to my thread? Where is that confused face?... oh here it is...


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 16, 2012)

Parker219 said:


> Um, what happened to my thread? Where is that confused face?... oh here it is...



Ha, you're not used to threads going off the rails by now?


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## manaheim (Sep 16, 2012)

Parker219 said:


> Um, what happened to my thread? Where is that confused face?... oh here it is...



Welcome to the internet.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

manaheim said:


> Parker219 said:
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> 
> > Um, what happened to my thread? Where is that confused face?... oh here it is...
> ...



Yes, welcome to the internet indeed, where a person never needs to be polite to others, because they will never meet face to face. 

Parker, are you using a tripod?  I can see what Bynx is referring to and it might be a miniscule alignment issue causing the focus to soften.  Photomatix is pretty good at exposure stacking, but sometimes it does tend to get a bit weird, especially when left to it's own devices.  Any chance you can upload the original exposures so I might try something?


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

Handheld, I dont bring my tri-pod to the park.  By all means, please try to see what you come up with. I am very curious to see what you end up with.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

Heh, I can't promise my results will be better than your but it never hurts to give it a shot


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

^Well at least I can figure out if it is my processing or the picture.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

This is just a quick and dirty process, I must admit I'm not as good as I could be at perspective shifting.  I did run it through Camera Raw and made a guess at lens and applied lens correction.


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 16, 2012)

Nice!


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

View attachment 20492

ok I need to see them close to each other...


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

ok...so yours is tonned down and softer than mine. Also the white in the building is more orange( warmer ). Did it fix the problem you were seeing?

I like your edit, it looks more real, for sure.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

One thing I noticed as I was processing is a bit of chromatic aboration.  I checked the exif and notice these were taken at F3.  You might cut that back to around F8, it might help with the CA.


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ Yep. Bright sky shining through dark trees. I noticed it, but didnt think it was TOO distracting.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

Actually I was referring to the columns not the trees


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ OIC what you mean now. So is your photo soapy looking? Or was it my processing that made mine soapy looking? I'm asking because I dont know what you guys are seeing when you say that.


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## zombiemann (Sep 16, 2012)

Well, I can't speak for Bynx, he is the one who used the term "soapy".  I did process it a little different.  I chose align by correcting horizontal and verticle shifts instead of matching features.  Matching features came across a little soft on my screen


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 16, 2012)

Here is my edit, more or less a combination of both of y'all's techniques I think.


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## Parker219 (Sep 16, 2012)

^Nice


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## Steve5D (Sep 17, 2012)

Bynx said:


> I dont know what you are doing but most if not every shot you process looks like a bar of soap that was been used a few times. There is no sharpness, but rather a kind of smeary look to them. Ive mentioned this before and nothing has changed.



Maybe if you'd make a suggestion to rectify it, instead of just pointing out what's wrong with it, something _would _change. Criticism from people who only find fault, and fail to offer remedies, is easy to dismiss...


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 17, 2012)

Steve5D said:


> Bynx said:
> 
> 
> > I dont know what you are doing but most if not every shot you process looks like a bar of soap that was been used a few times. There is no sharpness, but rather a kind of smeary look to them. Ive mentioned this before and nothing has changed.
> ...



But in a way, he is. He is letting the OP know that he is not working on getting better, and that he really should. Meh, just my thoughts.


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## Parker219 (Sep 17, 2012)

So far only Bynx knows what Bynx is talking about, since Bynx is the only one that is saying that specific critique. If I dont see the problem he is talking about, I cant fix it.


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## Steve5D (Sep 17, 2012)

DGMPhotography said:


> Steve5D said:
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> > Bynx said:
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Repeatedly identifying a problem is no help at all. He has a problem with the sharpness of the image. Okay, maybe he could suggest to the OP ways to make it sharper.

That wasn't done, though.

Meh, just my thoughts...


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## Steve5D (Sep 17, 2012)

Parker219 said:


> So far only Bynx knows what Bynx is talking about, since Bynx is the only one that is saying that specific critique. If I dont see the problem he is talking about, I cant fix it.



Oh, come on, now. It's the used soap theory. That's a standard industry term...


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## Parker219 (Sep 17, 2012)

^ I guess what I mean is, I understand the term, I just dont see what HE sees, since my picture doesnt look soapy to me. It looks soft and cozy...lol...if that makes sense. That is how I like my building shots depending on the mood I am trying to create.

I might not be making sense right now, because I am messing around with photoshop, and I have been reading/watching tutorials for the past 48 hours straight ( it seems like ).  After all that, I STILL feel like I dont know anything about photoshop, and my pictures I am "fixing" look worse than the originals.  Where is the face banging its head against the wall smiley when I need it?!?!?


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 17, 2012)

Parker219 said:


> Where is the face banging its head against the wall smiley when I need it?!?!?



:banghead:


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## Steve5D (Sep 17, 2012)

Parker219 said:


> ^ I guess what I mean is, I understand the term, I just dont see what HE sees, since my picture doesnt look soapy to me. It looks soft and cozy...lol...if that makes sense. That is how I like my building shots depending on the mood I am trying to create.
> 
> I might not be making sense right now, because I am messing around with photoshop, and I have been reading/watching tutorials for the past 48 hours straight ( it seems like ).  After all that, I STILL feel like I dont know anything about photoshop, and my pictures I am "fixing" look worse than the originals.  Where is the face banging its head against the wall smiley when I need it?!?!?



I understand exactly what you mean.

You need to understand that there are people here who will criticize your work, but offer nothing in the way of suggestions to fix what they see as a problem. You've simply encountered one of those people...


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## HughGuessWho (Sep 17, 2012)

I took a stab at it with a differnt type of look, with a little straightening and sharpening.

View attachment 20588


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## Bynx (Sep 17, 2012)

Its hard to try to fix something that was created when I dont know what it is you did. Please post or send me the files and let me have a look at them. Im willing to help you whereas the other guy will only criticize anything I say without being able to help you himself. Take your pick.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Sep 17, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> I took a stab at it with a differnt type of look, with a little straightening and sharpening.
> 
> View attachment 20588



Great distortion correction, but this actually looks "burnt" from being in the oven too long!   And what in the world is going on in the street?


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## Bynx (Sep 17, 2012)

Since it seems Im the only one to see the problem let me work on your files and post it here. If you cant see any difference then its just me and my weary eyes.


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## DGMPhotography (Sep 17, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> I took a stab at it with a differnt type of look, with a little straightening and sharpening.
> 
> View attachment 20588



Excellent straightening... still not sure how you folks do that, but yeah, wayyyy too much tonemapping for my taste. Plus, haloing near the clouds.


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## Bynx (Sep 17, 2012)

I know its probably just me again, but the 3 images dont fit when I tried to make an HDR image. If the images dont fit then the dark lines wont line up and will look smeary. Coincidence? I think not.


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## Parker219 (Sep 17, 2012)

^ It lined up for me in photomatix just fine, and lined up for the 2 or 3 other people that made their own edits....so.... I dont know.

I will keep shooting, and see if we can figure it out.


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## Bynx (Sep 17, 2012)

When I put them through photomatix the columns on the left were out by at least 1/16". So there is some odd stretching going in with your files.


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