Exeter Cathedral - to HDR or not?

[ChrisLumix]

To be honest I'm in two minds. I like the way that HDR has killed the window glare and brought out the brickwork, but I much prefer the fan vaulting in the original. 

 

Original:

 

 

HDR (note, there's been some perspective correction as well):

 

[Martyn]

I prefer the HDR image. I know it's not what you would see when you look up in a building like that, but it does represent how I would like to see and remember such a place.

[Black Pearl]

I rather like the softer roof rendition on the straight shot - I'd go with a little bit of LR tweaking to pull down the highlights and see what you end up with.

 

Fun shot by the way.

[ChrisLumix]

Thanks guys. Well, I supposed a split verdict was always on the cards - I did ask, after all!

 

I'm experimenting a bit with HDR but maybe it's not always the extreme conditions where it works best. I like the soft roof of the original too BP, but I also like the stone- and brick-work of the HDR.

[Martyn]

I agree Chris, HDR is not always best when it's pushed to the limits. It's a very useful tool to extend the dynamic range of a photograph to more closely match the range of our vision.

[MattGrey]

I personally would use a combination of the two.  Create an HDR and edit a RAW file to get the look you are after then paint the HDR into the edit to get more detail in selective areas.

[ChrisLumix]

I personally would use a combination of the two.  Create an HDR and edit a RAW file to get the look you are after then paint the HDR into the edit to get more detail in selective areas.

 

I don't shoot RAW, but I might see if I can superimpose the HDR on top of a non-HDR. The awkward thing is that the fan vaulting is quite fussy detail with the brickwork in between - unless there's an easy way to do it, I can see it being too much work..

 

Thanks for the suggestion though.

[MattGrey]

aaahhh, I see where you are going wrong....SHOOT RAW!!!!

[colinb]

I don't shoot RAW, but I might see if I can superimpose the HDR on top of a non-HDR. The awkward thing is that the fan vaulting is quite fussy detail with the brickwork in between - unless there's an easy way to do it, I can see it being too much work..

 

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

Actually Chris this is something I often do using layers in photoshop as I find it can give a more sympathetic look than straight HDR.

 

I shoot raw, convert to hdr and use a duplicate single shot (usually the -+ shot) overlay and adjust the opacity.

[ChrisLumix]

Actually Chris this is something I often do using layers in photoshop as I find it can give a more sympathetic look than straight HDR.

 

I shoot raw, convert to hdr and use a duplicate single shot (usually the -+ shot) overlay and adjust the opacity.

 

What blending mode do you use Colin? (I'm trying to see how that technique would work with my shot - perhaps Lighten or Darken?)

[colinb]

What blending mode do you use Colin? (I'm trying to see how that technique would work with my shot - perhaps Lighten or Darken?)

 

Depends entirely on the photo but the main three I use are screen, multiply and overlay plus I may adjust the opacity to get what I'm after.

[ChrisLumix]

Depends entirely on the photo but the main three I use are screen, multiply and overlay plus I may adjust the opacity to get what I'm after.

 

Which would you use as the 'blending', i.e. upper, layer - the HDR or non-HDR? (Mind you I've burned my bridges on this particular shot as I applied some perspective correction to the HDR which isn't on the original, so I doubt I could get an exact overlay.)

[colinb]

Again Chris whichever suits, but 90% of the time the upper layer is the non-HDR. I will reduced the opacity right down to see through to the bottom layer and get position before deciding on which blend mode to use (returning the opacity slider to 100% before hand.