Been tweaking with iPhoto Adjustment Tools

[vRS Carl]

Went from this:



To this



And a whole host of others in between.

What do you think. Not bad for moving a couple of sliders 

[Saint Steve]

Your Home made DRL's arent any brighter though Carl 

[vRS Carl]

Your Home made DRL's arent any brighter though Carl 

  

[Hedge]

Sorry mate I prefer the original. Sometimes HDR just looks a bit poo imho. 

[RedRobin]

.
Keep taking the drugs, Carl! 

Looks really trippy - Reminds me of what the world looked like when I used to take LSD.

I think it's at least an 'honest' manipulation effect and looks very painterly. I'd crop some of the tarmac foreground - It will also make the pic more panoramic and wider.

Now I've admitted to dropping acid, no-one is ever again going to believe a word of what I post 

[damoegan]

Far to OTT on the HDR for my liking...

Here's a HDR of my old Ibiza

[RedRobin]

^^^^
That looks very natural, Damien 

I think that Carl's image is quite acceptable because it is a very honest manipulation and doesn't look real (unless you're taking illegal drugs).

His original shot looks rather mirky (due to the day) and would only need a more sensitive adjustment to look brighter/fresher but still natural. Clodhopper Carl's not letting on that his hand slipped 

[vRS Carl]

I was trying to make it look more like a painted image than pic   

Clodhopper Carl's not letting on that his hand slipped 

Damn I've been busted 

[illektronik]

Here's what a little old school dodging & burning in Pchop could bring to it (based on the original)



Only selective edit was on the windows. They just needed some darkening to help in it's contrast.

I'd recommend staying away from HDR plugs too. Unless you shot it in brackets, and processed it using HDR software, it usually looks fake. When done right, it's should be felt, but not really noticed. I'm still trying to get that balance right.

[RedRobin]

I'd recommend staying away from HDR plugs too. Unless you shot it in brackets, and processed it using HDR software, it usually looks fake. When done right, it's should be felt, but not really noticed. I'm still trying to get that balance right.

....In my opinion, the 'fake look' only looks good when the photographic image is being presented as art.

For me, photography is essentially about being able to recognise and capture the moment and convey it as closely as possible to how you saw it. It's about being able to subsequently share that captured moment.

But of course everyone is free to do what they like and enjoy.

[illektronik]

Well said RR. I didn't make an allowance for that, but you are right. There are no rules tbh. Just points of view. That's what makes it fun.

There are big differences in the way the human eye and the camera react to light, which is where bracketing can be helpful. There are also print based reasons (ink bleed and drop out) which shooting with in brackets can assist in. Unless or course you're capturing motor/sport.