28. January 2015

Back of the Front and HDR

The dramatic light of the passing cold front with the air scrubbed clean by the copious rain: St Margarets Bay, Kent.
The dramatic light of the passing cold front with the air scrubbed clean by the copious rain: St Margarets Bay, Kent.
Shipping news: 'Golden Karoo' bound for Leixoes in Portugal from Antwerp and the car carrier 'Toronto' bound for the Suez Canal.
Shipping news: 'Golden Karoo' bound for Leixoes in Portugal from Antwerp and the car carrier 'Toronto' bound for the Suez Canal.
Front passing Ness Point, St Margarets Bay.
Front passing Ness Point, St Margarets Bay.

An High Dynamic Range experiment: the rain earlier. Top shot is with HDR automatic High setting hand held. Next  shot is same aperture and shutter speed but no HDR with mid tones lightened and Linear Contrast. Third shot is HDR with the White Balance set at 'electric bulb' by mistake. HDR shots processed with PS curves/auto feature.

HDR shot: note the much brighter lights on the distant downland above the tree-line.
HDR shot: note the much brighter lights on the distant downland above the tree-line.

The HDR creates an ethereal feel but I don't think it is particularly 'realistic' - whatever that means.

No HDR, mid tones lightened and Linear Contrast.
No HDR, mid tones lightened and Linear Contrast.
I love the smoky light in the trees with this shot.
I love the smoky light in the trees with this shot.

I took a walk around the circuit as the light began to fade and tried out the HDR feature against the Active D Lighting.

Boy, the temperature had dropped. Forgot gloves.

Auto HDR on High of the South Foreland Light.
Auto HDR on High of the South Foreland Light.
Active D Lighting on High of the South Foreland Light.
Active D Lighting on High of the South Foreland Light.

From these two photos I'd say I prefer the Active D Lighting to HDR. But in other circumstances ...

South Foreland Light with no special effects.
South Foreland Light with no special effects.
Bis: South Foreland Light with no special effects.
Bis: South Foreland Light with no special effects.
Cold moon.
Cold moon.
Flint lane.
Flint lane.
Parting shot, South Foreland.
Parting shot.
Tags: photography, uk, kent

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