Truro Cathedral

[MattGrey]

 

I know it has lots of noise, I know there is lens flare, but I liked the way this turned out?!

 

Hand held, single RAW HDR (7 exp) in Photomatix, finished in LR5.  I could have removed the flares, but will likely return with a tripod and do it properly!

 

[Martyn]

Very dramatic Matt, like this a lot. Not sure about the flare star right in the centre of the shot, but I'd be more than pleased if this was my picture!

[MattGrey]

That annoying light in the middle is a bulb!  Forgot about until you mentioned it!!

[colinb]

who put that light there??? I'm not really bothered about the noise or flare as the shot more than makes up for all that, but it is a shame about that darn light 

[ChrisLumix]

That's a great shot. I'd also love to see the colour version which must be quite something.

[MattGrey]

 

I don't like it!

[ChrisLumix]

 

 

I don't like it!

 

They're both good in their own ways. Maybe the colour version needs to be darker, to match to moodiness of the mono?

[MattGrey]

 

3rd attempt.....tried removing the noise....has a different feel to it now?   Can't decide if I like it or not....think I have been looking at too long!

[ChrisLumix]

To be honest, noise doesn't seem to be a problem on the original (not on the size you've uploaded anyway). If anything it adds to the texture of the stonework. Somehow, in this second version, you've lost the power of that shaft of light - maybe because the whole picture seems lighter?

[MattGrey]

agreed!

[Martyn]

I prefer the first one, much more gravity in the scene.

[MattGrey]

Yeah, think I am worrying too much about the noise, while it normally isn't wanted, it works in this photo.

[ChrisLumix]

Yeah, think I am worrying too much about the noise, while it normally isn't wanted, it works in this photo.

 

I think we obsess too much about noise. I remember from the days of film, grain was a fact of life even though the film manufacturers worked hard to minimise it (they dramatically reduced grain on 400 ISO film in the 1980s.) But some photographers deliberately used grain to add texture to some photographs, and I think the same would be true of 'noise' - except that, oddly, grain is less intrusive than noise yet it's more lumpy.