Below are photos of the Lincoln Memorial with some examples of how you can develop a photo in different ways. Firstly is just from one exposure with adjustments in Lightroom. In other words, a ‘normal’ processing from out of the camera.
The other images were processed in HDR programs from 9 separate exposures. In summary, the images were bracketed at different exposures. Afterwards. these images were used as sources for HDR programs.
This shows not only the possibilities with processing images in one program, but the amount of information available in combining exposures really opens up a lot of options! The HDR processing started from photo realistic presets.
Many of the “artistic” or “surrealistic” presets were a little off the chart for me. Especially with a subjects like the Lincoln Memorial, going too far on the processing would have really taken away from the image. Let me know which of these came out the best. If you have any tips for processing HDR images, or post processing architecture or landscape images, let me know!
Recently, a new version of Photomatix was released by HDR Soft. This program create high dynamic range (or HDR) images from bracketed exposures. I have posted a few times previously about HDR images which are a very controversial topic in photography forums. My previous HDR images were made using the Google Nik application named HDR Efex Pro. It has been a little while since this has been updated with new features, so I decided to download the trial for Photomatix.
Why is there so much controversy with HDR? It can take scenes with very dark tones, and light tones, and make both more viewable through tone mapping. I think the problem with a lot of HDR programs is that so many use the default settings, or they try a preset then do not do any additional work passed this point. This means that all pre-visualization has gone out the window. The images have just been plugged into a program, then you let the software decide how your final image will look.
It is because of this that many think this is a form of cheating, and may be a different art form from photography all together! I think that this kind of processing is just new. It could not exist without the computing power that we have available to us today. But in the film darkroom, there have been tools available to selectively adjust dark and light tones in a frame. This is where the terms “dodge” and “burn” originate. As these techniques have had decades to mature, I think the same will be said about HDR in the future as the software improves and photographers take advantage of these tools.
These are just a few examples from my first try with the Photomatix software. There are a few new features that I am testing with these, but I am really happy with the results so far! Photos from the Memorial are made from 9 image brackets that are 1EV apart from a Nikon D800. I am doing more comparisons, and will post more when I have worked more with the program.
The light in the sky just before sunrise can be stunning. On the drive into Washington, DC this morning, there was a beautiful dark blue sky that was lightening with each minute. The clouds that started gray, reflected pinks, red, then oranges as the sun started to rise above the horizon. I was attempting to get to one of the monuments or memorials on the National Mall while the sky still have this amazing color, but I knew that I would not make it. Right after parking, I jumped out and headed to the first open scene that I could find. This was right along the banks of the Potomac River looking towards Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery.
The blue sky and the pink clouds were stunning – but it was just a moment after they were at their most saturated. I felt lucky that I was able to safely get these images. I had contemplated pulling over the side of the road when it was perfect, but that was just too much of a risk!
The Lincoln Memorial is a strong monument to our 16th President. Normally, the grounds are swarming with visitors enjoying the views of the other monuments stretched out from the steps. Early in the morning, though, it is very peaceful and you can get unobstructed views of the structure and statues inside. I freely had the time and space to get all the photos that I wanted without disturbing any of the few visitors that were also there. There are only a few of the images from this morning, I’ll be sure to post more soon.
