HDR test.

A test comparing the use of graduated neutral density filter and photo shop tweaking against Photomatix Pro HDR software. I'm still using the trial version, so there is a watermark on the HDR stuff.

This photo was made with a graduated neutral density filter. Photographed as a raw image and tweaked slightly in PhotoShop.
http://images109.fotki.com/v771/filewQkq/9ec6e/5/785/7533849/_RAY4028.jpg
I spent two evenings working this scene and this closely matches my vision.

Here is an HDR composite.
http://images107.fotki.com/v526/file0pi3/9ec6e/5/785/7533849/_RAY3917_5_6small.jpg
To me, it opens up the lighting way too much. The scene looses all it's drama and turns into a ho-hum snapshot. Besides, the sky looks weird.

I did a second HDR of the same scene to try to get the dramatic lighting back.
http://images107.fotki.com/v533/filerUnl/9ec6e/5/785/7533849/_RAY3917_5_6IIsmall.jpg
To my eye, it still puts too much extraneous light in the creek, and that sky in definitely not ready for prime time.


This is the second scene I chose for a test. I was up before dawn to get to this spot for the light. Again, it's a raw photo made with the aid of a graduated neutral density filter and tweaked slightly in PhotoShop:
http://images107.fotki.com/v527/filenbJc/9ec6e/5/785/7533849/_RAY4228.jpg
I did a shot something like this last time I was in the valley, but I didn't get there when the light was good, so I was looking forward to redoing it. It pretty well matches what I had previsualized for the shot.

Here is the HDR shot.
http://images109.fotki.com/v773/filecC9G/57f21/5/785/7533849/_RAY4234_5_6small.jpg
I like this better than the ones of Half Dome reflecting in the creek, but to me it flattens out the lighting too much and takes some of the drama away from the shot.


So... For me, it's grad filter two - HDR zero.