Millom By Night

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I tried some nighttime HDR. Opton Biogon 2.8/35 on NEX-3.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

#4 #5 #6 are good for me
#1 #2 #3 look too flat for my taste.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Cheers Orio. I agree, I couldn't get the result I wanted, hence three versions, I didn't hit on 'the one' I really liked.

miran · Joined: 01 Aug 2012 Posts: 1364 Location: Slovenia

I agree, they're overdone, especially the first three. Normally we look for light and shadows and other things to give our photos more 3D feel, we even regard lenses that will produce a more 3D rendering as higher quality. But when you do HDR the wrong way, you're doing the exact opposite, you take away the 3rd dimension. The purpose of HDR is to create images of scenes with very high dynamic range on screens and papers that can carry a relatively low dynamic range. The purpose of HDR is not to flatten three dimensional scenes by brigning shadows to the same level as highlights which is what many people do by mistake.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Great works, you did solve very well a difficult situation !

mzzyhmd · Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 99 Location: Florida

how did you do HDR at night on NEX? any advice?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Same as by day only longer exposures - 30, 15, 8, 4 and 2 seconds.

Thanks for all comments, I value them all. That light on the bottom of the tower was so damn bright that it was really difficult to avoid having the bottom blow out or the top be lost in darkness, and I don't think I hit on the right processing to get it looking as I wanted. It's all a learning experience, I will try again soon.

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 1974

I like #4 a lot, I think you've nailed the balance there. Other shots do have issues with colors and shadows/highlights.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Cheers. I agree,4 is the best. There was a street lamp only 3 metres or so to the left of frame so the statue was illuminated well, that made it far less challenging a shot.

I think this sort of nighttime shooting is for the city where the buildings are illuminated and there are many more light sources. It's too dark in Millom really, few street lights and none of the buildings are illuminated.