# Central Park, New York - HDR - C&C



## Parker219

It was a cold, foggy day in New York...my goal was to show the contrast between the peaceful park and the hustle and bustle of the city.  

I use a method that I really like for HDR.

I only take one photo, however once in light room I make 3 copies of it. One -2 on the exposure, one normal, and one at +2 exposure.

Then I export those 3 files in to photomatix.

That way I don't have to worry about ghosting, alignment, ect.

Wondering your thoughts on the processing or anything else.

1.


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## tirediron

To be honest, it's not doing much for me.  I like the scene well enough, but the processing just seems...  unnatural.


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## Parker219

Fair enough. Can you put your finger on what feels unnatural?

The more I look at it, I think maybe the color of the sky is off.

Also, I am losing image quality somewhere along the process, the original looks a lot better on my screen.


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## Parker219

Would you prefer one later in the day, towards night?

2.


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## Parker219

I will keep posting photos until Tirediron likes one!


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## Parker219




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## Parker219

4.


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## tirediron

I think it's just that the lighting doesn't seem 'right'; my photographers' brain knows that scene couldn't exist that way in that lighting...


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## waday

I agree with @tirediron... 1, 2, and 4 have lighting that looks pretty unnatural, the sky doesn't appear to be correct, and the colors are too saturated. The white balance also seems off on several of them.


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## vintagesnaps

My thought was it's a lot of blue. The buildings are blue, the bridge is blue. HDR to me often seems to look overprocessed and artificial, maybe more adjustment would tone down the color.


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## spiralout462

In number one my eye goes directly to that red and green thing on the top of that building (left-center).  I can't seem to force myself to look at anything else.  I think if that was toned down some it would be a more pleasing composition.


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## Designer

Your opening shot has the saturation way too high, and no shade, so it looks unnatural.


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## PropilotBW

Perhaps you can post the first image before copying it to +2/-2EV?  Let's take a look at what the original looks like.


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## NancyMoranG

TiredIron, he said he would keep posting until you were happy...so keep quiet...) I like NY scenes 
Ok, I agree, the blue color is too much.
I really like the angles of 2 and 4! Can you re- work them more naturally?
I am newer here, so can't tell you how to adjust, but I like the  views...


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## Amocholes

It appears as though the sun has shifted into the blue spectrum. There is very little red in these. The church is the only one that has normal color.


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## Parker219

5. - Central Park Ice Skating


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## Parker219

6. Lets try a black and white


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## Parker219

7.  I see SOME shadows in this one, but remember this was a very overcast / foggy day.


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## tirediron

Parker219 said:


> 6. Lets try a black and whiteView attachment 114729


 I quite like this one; it has almost an 'Abbey Road' feel to it with the zebra crossing in the foreground.  The skating rink isn't bad; maybe a touch too contrasty?


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## Parker219

^ Thanks!  I was thinking Abbey Road when I took this.


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## Parker219

NancyMoranG said:


> TiredIron, he said he would keep posting until you were happy...so keep quiet...) I like NY scenes
> Ok, I agree, the blue color is too much.
> I really like the angles of 2 and 4! Can you re- work them more naturally?
> I am newer here, so can't tell you how to adjust, but I like the  views...




Here you go Nancy...

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## NancyMoranG

Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed your taste of the Big Apple!


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## dennybeall

I like the art and composition but they all look too blue and on this screen they look like paintings. I think the colors are toooooooooooo pure?


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## Mr. Innuendo

Some of the colors are waaaaay too saturated. Dial back the green/yellow a bit.


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## jcdeboever

I see blue. I liked the black & white one.


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## Trblmkr

What are you using to process the pictures. Almost all of them are over saturated. If you're using Photomatix, don't go over more then 70 in saturation (even that might be too high). Even though I hate the presets, I still like to start off with the Neutral/Balanced to give me a good starting point.


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## Braineack

some cool shots, i was just there over the weekend.

nyc is dirty and brown.  youre over saturating the piss out of these.


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## Parker219

^ Thats because it was dirty and brown. I tried to make every pic look like Florida where I live.


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## DGMPhotography

I think what you are doing is tone mapping, and not true HDR. The rink one was better, and the black and white, but most of the color ones are going way over board.


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## Parker219

1 image taken, then make 2 copies, so you have 3 total images. Take 1 image to -2 exposure,  one image straight out of camera, and 1 image plus 2 exposure. 

Then combine all 3 images in Photomatix. 


So you tell me if thats HDR or tone mapping.


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## Braineack

Parker219 said:


> So you tell me if thats HDR or tone mapping.



tone-mapping.  It's only HDR if you use the technique to actually expand the DR in your image.


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## Peeb

Did not care for the first one.  Enjoyed many of the others.

Might back the saturation off in some of them, but nice shots.


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## Parker219

Braineack said:


> Parker219 said:
> 
> 
> 
> So you tell me if thats HDR or tone mapping.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tone-mapping.  It's only HDR if you use the technique to actually expand the DR in your image.
Click to expand...


The way I explained DOES expand the dynamic range of the image


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## Braineack

But the software you used to combine exposures and expand Dr also tone mapped the image.  Look how flat and overstaurated most them look.  You're actually losing DR, detail, and contrast on them as well, which like defeats the purpose.

using tapatalk.


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## Parker219

^ Thats called user error


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## Braineack

Okay...

using tapatalk.


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## DGMPhotography

Parker219 said:


> ^ Thats called user error



Hey man, we're trying to help you. Don't be so defensive. If you want HDR, take multiple exposures in-camera and combine them. Lightroom has a built-in HDR function now which is pretty neat.


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## PhotoriousMe

I really like #5.....a lot, looks like a painting.  I'm generally a fan of HDR images anyways.

dave


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## Parker219

DGMPhotography said:


> Parker219 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ^ Thats called user error
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey man, we're trying to help you. Don't be so defensive. If you want HDR, take multiple exposures in-camera and combine them. Lightroom has a built-in HDR function now which is pretty neat.
Click to expand...


That's not defensive, that's self deprecating. lol


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## Parker219

By the way, I reworked the images to take out the blue. Thanks for all your feedback.

Edit -


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## DGMPhotography

Must have been feeding those trees some green eggs and ham


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## Peakapot

what is that coloured bit. Its all i can look at but cant work out what it is. Is it due to post work?


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## Parker219

^ Part of the top of the building. I took it out in my edit.


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