# Feel free to rip me apart ...



## itBurns (Sep 17, 2011)

So I got my D3100 yesterday, which is the first DSLR camera I've ever used - in fact, it is the first camera I've ever tampered with manual settings unlike every other P&S camera I've had which I always did Auto everything. 

With that being said, I therefore expect not many of you to like it, but, this is one of the first HDR pictures I've made. I am impressed with myself, though, I know I have loads to learn and improve on.

What you are looking at is a fully hand-made train set that my grandfather (who passed away this past July 3rd) made many years ago. (He made a total of 3 sets; 1 for each of his sons). I'm 99.99% sure he also made the wall mount it is on. The background is just my living room wall - which, I could've softened when I HDR'd it so it wouldn't look so rough, however, I liked the contrast it gave.






http://ambesi.me/images/hdrtrain.jpg

And, here is a picture of my whack set-up. Since it was dark outside, and the room is not lit, I used one of my lights I use for working on my cars as the light source, and had the camera next to it on the tripod.


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## pathoulihan1 (Sep 18, 2011)

Nice picture bud. Obviously a fine piece of workmanship. In the daylight you probably wouldn't have had to HDR the image, but at night with that lighting it worked out very nicely. IMO it lends nicely to the texture of the wood.

From what I've gathered some people frown on the practice of using HDR when it isn't technically necessary. They may not state there opinions here, but there are people think that photographers that use HDR too much, use it as a crutch. I call that kind of generalization nonsense. I think it's okay to use HDR however you like along as you're happy with the results. As far as I'm concerned beauty is in the eye of the photographer .


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Sep 18, 2011)

It's pretty good!


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## Bynx (Sep 18, 2011)

Good words from pathoulihan  which I agree with 100%


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## pen (Sep 18, 2011)

Really nice work, I just don't like the harsh shadow.

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum


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## edddial (Sep 18, 2011)

Agreed with all above. Fine art works; the train & the shot!


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## Compaq (Sep 18, 2011)

Nice shot indeed!

I'd like more shadow. If you had lowered the light a bit, the shadow would grow. I agree with the philosophical speech earlier!


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## SlickSalmon (Sep 18, 2011)

pen said:


> Really nice work, I just don't like the harsh shadow.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum



Another way to handle the same shot and employ HDR in an interesting way is to take several shots with the light source at different positions and then combine them with HDR software.  This technique brings out the detail in the object being photographed and eliminates the strong shadows.


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## itBurns (Sep 18, 2011)

Thanks all for the comments and tips, and glad that you guys actually like it. 

I'll be sure to show my future work


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## Bynx (Sep 18, 2011)

To keep things natural looking the light source should be above the train. Your bulb is the sun so in the sun position it would be more natural looking. The glare spot on the wood and the odd shadow position are negative factors to me in appreciating the train itself.


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## itBurns (Sep 18, 2011)

Bynx said:


> To keep things natural looking the light source should be above the train. Your bulb is the sun so in the sun position it would be more natural looking. The glare spot on the wood and the odd shadow position are negative factors to me in appreciating the train itself.



Yeah I completely understand that. The light is actually on my chair because the light fixture is really low. It was an idea that just popped in my mind and I tried to work with it. I never thought about the sun positioning idea - I'll have to try to think of a way how I can mount the light higher.


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## Bynx (Sep 18, 2011)

My main light source for a lot of my indoor shooting is a simple 60 watt bulb. Its interesting how creative you can get with that simple thing.


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## tevo (Sep 18, 2011)

Investigate HDR halo(ing). Other than that, nice shot.


IMHO a small halo on this type of picture would look good, in fact even this photo as is does not look bad.


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## boon4376 (Sep 18, 2011)

itBurns said:


> So I got my D3100 yesterday, which is the first DSLR camera I've ever used - in fact, it is the first camera I've ever tampered with manual settings unlike every other P&S camera I've had which I always did Auto everything.
> 
> With that being said, I therefore expect not many of you to like it, but, this is one of the first HDR pictures I've made. I am impressed with myself, though, I know I have loads to learn and improve on.
> 
> ...



The only thing that bugs me is the hotspot under "Surreal". The wall texture everywhere else is great, but right there its harsh and doesn't flow with the rest of the photo.


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## manaheim (Sep 18, 2011)

I swear I feel like I'm in some sort of alternate reality on this site sometimes.

Unless the shadow was intentional, I don't get how this is a "nice shot". I also don't get what HDR added to this shot, really. Perhaps a bit more variety in the woodtones, but I'm not seeing much. It all seems pretty well within the range of what a single explosure can capture, particularly since the subject is being nuked by a shop light.

There's also a matter of composition... it's a fine "inventory shot", but there's nothing interesting about the shot compositionally. It's a pic of a wood train. Useful? Perhaps. Exciting? Not really.

Don't get me wrong, the train itself is very cool, I just think the picture itself isn't great.

From a purely technical perspective, if you want to do an HDR, just turn off that shop light and go through the range of exposures on your tripod and you should be fine. If you don't want to do an HDR, get a better light source, or at least try bouncing it somewhere so as to minimize those shadows.

From a more artistic perspective, try some interesting angles and perspectives, play with your DOF, etc.


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## tevo (Sep 18, 2011)

manaheim said:


> I swear I feel like I'm in some sort of alternate reality on this site sometimes.
> 
> Unless the shadow was intentional, I don't get how this is a "nice shot". I also don't get what HDR added to this shot, really. Perhaps a bit more variety in the woodtones, but I'm not seeing much. It all seems pretty well within the range of what a single explosure can capture, particularly since the* subject is being nuked by a shop light.*
> 
> ...



And these. The shadow is slowly starting to bug me the more I look at it


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## itBurns (Sep 18, 2011)

tevo said:


> And these. The shadow is slowly starting to bug me the more I look at it



Trust me .. bugs me too ^_^

It was a first attempt. Haha


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## tevo (Sep 18, 2011)

itBurns said:


> tevo said:
> 
> 
> > And these. The shadow is slowly starting to bug me the more I look at it
> ...



It wasnt half bad for a first attempt! You could probably remove the shadow in post... but idk if its worth the effort

I spent around an hour earlier trying to revive some underexposed photos I had taken.. the composition on them was BEAUTIFUL (imo) but they were too dark to save... I was saddened.


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## Bynx (Sep 19, 2011)

Simple setup. Chuck it up to experience and try it again.


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## Bynx (Sep 19, 2011)

This is an interesting thread. The neat looking wooden train is supposed to be the main subject. However, the main subject is the HDR treatment. But there are two main problems -- your lighting angle and the poor tone mapping causing the nice clean wall to look very dirty. That's from the highlight smoothing slider. If you move it you will notice that gray dirty look will disappear. I'm looking forward to seeing the train again, with the main focus on the nice details in the construction.


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## itBurns (Sep 19, 2011)

Bynx said:


> This is an interesting thread. The neat looking wooden train is supposed to be the main subject. However, the main subject is the HDR treatment. But there are two main problems -- your lighting angle and the poor tone mapping causing the nice clean wall to look very dirty. That's from the highlight smoothing slider. If you move it you will notice that gray dirty look will disappear. I'm looking forward to seeing the train again, with the main focus on the nice details in the construction.



Since this thread has gotten some interest, I'll be sure to take a variety of photo's of the train again, and will post my version of the HDR up, and will also post the originals so you guys can create your own if you'd like. I think I'll do this later today.


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## Compaq (Sep 19, 2011)

w00t, new 5h00t0ut!


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