When I posted my penultimate entry for 2008 I mentioned that my big project for the first few months of this year was going to be a book on HDR photography, which will be published by Focal Press at some point after the summer. At the time the amount of work I would need to do seemed like a challenge, but as I didn't plan on starting writing until the New Year I wasn't too worried ...
Anyway, after spending the last three weeks writing I'm pleased to be able to say that I've got the first section done, and uploaded to the publisher - 15.5K words and over 200 images and screen grabs. I've also published my Working with textures: part one tutorial during this time (another 8K words), and have written the first two lessons of another online course I'm developing for Gulf Photo Plus (another 6K words). All in all, a lot of words. Oh, and I've got to get another GPP lesson written this weekend (another 3K words).
After that though Libby and I are taking the kids to Centre Parcs for a well earned mid-week break where I'm hoping to find some time to take some photographs rather than just writing about them.
All of which brings me to this one ...
It's the last but one of the shots I took when Craig was up a few weeks ago, and fittingly enough it's another HDR. As usual it was constructed from a seven shot sequence, with a 1 EV spacing, using Photomatix Pro. Craig posted a similar view of this old power station here.
In this instance it's a fraction more typical-HDR-like than I wanted, but try as I might I couldn't produce a version that I preferred to this one. My next shot, which I'll post on Monday, is also an HDR, but it's one that I'm a lot more pleased with.
Incidentally, if you would like to learn more about HDR photography my next PPSOP class will be starting on February 6th, or you can take a look at either or both of my HDR tutorials (details about part one are here, while details about part two are here).
And I guess that's about it for today, other than to say do check back on Monday as the shot I'll be posting is definitely one of my recent favourites.
comment bycsj @ id7.co.uk at 02:47 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
Dave, thanks again for a brilliant trip up to yours, I thoroughly enjoyed the tuition, the company, and watching your workflow, through the HDR and having the opportunity to sample your photographic spirit. If only my images were quite as good as yours.... I can but dream eh mate... anyway thanks again it was a blast. And whilst I know what Mondays image is, this is a cracker... nice one buddy... csj
comment byIlan at 02:51 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
I love how you can see those rail tracks and now it connects to the previous photo :)
Great HDR here, gives the photo a bit of a post apocalyptic look.
Love it!
comment byAlan at 03:32 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
At first glance I wouldn't have thought it was an HDR. It's not as instantly apparent on this one. However, the detail in the sky and the railtracks really stand out and make it obvious. I do like this one, I think the perspective is good but perhaps would have liked to see a bit more sky above the main building.
comment byzoid at 03:34 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
Cool HDR shot.
comment byMichael Paulison at 04:25 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
This is gorgeous. Industrial shots such as this work wonderfully in HDR and really make them seem more alive and interesting. Wonderful indeed.
comment byChris Cookz at 04:31 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
That looks great David. I've really fallen in love with HDR photography recently and I think that has a lot to do with your blog. I will probably pick up a copy of the book when it comes out assuming I can get it over here in the states.
comment byDan Kaufman at 04:57 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
Again I like the crispness of detail that your HDR processing produces, but I'm curious about the light on the railroad tracks; is that done by masking and a curve or is that a natural beam of light coming through the clouds above?
comment byJason Wall at 05:07 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
its an exquisite shot dave. its the color that stood out to first, the rich golden tones blending so smoothly with the cool silver grey. Its not as overtly HDR as some, which plays to its advantage. very subtle, rich, saturated.
I love the contrast between the industrial complex and the tall grass and brush. Country meets industry. The darks in the dry grass remind me of coffee.
Its sweeping, so it projects a sort of institutional feel, as though the scene is iconic. The desaturated tones suit my mood particularly, and the not specific, the duo toned feel of the scene plays out naturally and gives the overall feel of simplicity without robbing the scene of its complexity (a use of the principle of contrast) .
this is the kind of print i'd like to see printed on a cotton rag and framed in my apt.
its also the kind of print i wish i had taken. so i'm rather a bit jealous frankly. ;)
comment by Chris at 05:09 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
This is my favorite of the railroad collection. Perhaps I will change my mind when I see Monday's image. I just like everything about this image and how all the elements fit together. The angle of the tracks and how it illustrates the distance. The industrial building in the background with the extensions. Lighting and sky fits wells. I think the various heights of the plants also help to give that feeling of a rugged, unkept industrial environment. Can't wait for the book!
This is one very fine hdr image! Love the tones here!
comment byCarlos Garcia at 09:00 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
So that's where those railroad tracks went to... or... uh... cam from?
I would love to see some HDR photos of the intereior of these buildings.
Again, the geometry of your perspective is beautiful: I am drawn into the world you captured.
I wonder what comes out of those buildings when the sun is done setting...
Carlos
comment byLightningPaul at 10:33 PM (GMT) on 30 January, 2009
Fantastic image, I like it a lot. It is not a "typical-HDR-like", it is just very artistic tone mapped HDR image. You could tone map in such a way that nobody will ever notice it. HDR is for me a format to represent an image with a huge dynamic range of light and hence lots of data (it's in 32 bit). So you have endless possibilities to map those 32-bit data to an 8-bit image. In this case you have chosen an artistic way.
I really hope you'll focus on that too in your new book, because I have the feeling that many people link HDR with artistic tone mapping, which is only a very small part of the whole story.
Besides that, I wish you all the best with your new book, in fact I'm looking forward to it.
comment byAdam Stevens at 08:29 PM (GMT) on 31 January, 2009
What a wonderful comp! I can see some of the other stuff you have posted from this area. I like the treatment too, not too over the top (i'm working on that myself) I can almost hear the wind in the grass.
It's always an inspiration coming here!
comment byjelb at 03:42 PM (GMT) on 2 February, 2009
Bonsoir,
Great hdr processing..Wonderful details..bravo!
comment byKristian at 04:06 PM (GMT) on 2 February, 2009
Wonderful capture - and processing! This really could look like and HDR factory, where the huge pipes lead the color into the capture hall where the tiny windows allow the dim light to settle on the canvas.
I am surprised at how amazing these images are every time I visit your site. I would imagine so much work goes into processing these images. I love this one, the perspective is beautiful! I am glad you came out with some tutorials, just what we all need!
comment byaurore at 06:34 PM (GMT) on 2 February, 2009
joli travail!
comment byflo g at 08:15 PM (GMT) on 13 February, 2009
tellement net que vous êtes limite comme une incrustation.. par contre j'aime beaucoup la composition..
comment by jo belfort at 05:38 PM (GMT) on 31 January, 2010
I have just joined your member's area. I am still a Photoshop newbie but am jumping in at the deep end with your wonderful tutorials!
comment bysimonGman at 06:53 PM (GMT) on 20 April, 2010
Dave, is this view as you walk from North to South before the bridge? if so I was there today to find the whole works has been raised to the ground. Remember you posting this image last year so thought that I would try and find it in you archive. Ah well up to Shap Limestone Factory, Cumbria. I trust that it will still be there?
When I posted my penultimate entry for 2008 I mentioned that my big project for the first few months of this year was going to be a book on HDR photography, which will be published by Focal Press at some point after the summer. At the time the amount of work I would need to do seemed like a challenge, but as I didn't plan on starting writing until the New Year I wasn't too worried ...
Anyway, after spending the last three weeks writing I'm pleased to be able to say that I've got the first section done, and uploaded to the publisher - 15.5K words and over 200 images and screen grabs. I've also published my Working with textures: part one tutorial during this time (another 8K words), and have written the first two lessons of another online course I'm developing for Gulf Photo Plus (another 6K words). All in all, a lot of words. Oh, and I've got to get another GPP lesson written this weekend (another 3K words).
After that though Libby and I are taking the kids to Centre Parcs for a well earned mid-week break where I'm hoping to find some time to take some photographs rather than just writing about them.
All of which brings me to this one ...
It's the last but one of the shots I took when Craig was up a few weeks ago, and fittingly enough it's another HDR. As usual it was constructed from a seven shot sequence, with a 1 EV spacing, using Photomatix Pro. Craig posted a similar view of this old power station here.
In this instance it's a fraction more typical-HDR-like than I wanted, but try as I might I couldn't produce a version that I preferred to this one. My next shot, which I'll post on Monday, is also an HDR, but it's one that I'm a lot more pleased with.
Incidentally, if you would like to learn more about HDR photography my next PPSOP class will be starting on February 6th, or you can take a look at either or both of my HDR tutorials (details about part one are here, while details about part two are here).
And I guess that's about it for today, other than to say do check back on Monday as the shot I'll be posting is definitely one of my recent favourites.
Dave, thanks again for a brilliant trip up to yours, I thoroughly enjoyed the tuition, the company, and watching your workflow, through the HDR and having the opportunity to sample your photographic spirit. If only my images were quite as good as yours.... I can but dream eh mate... anyway thanks again it was a blast. And whilst I know what Mondays image is, this is a cracker... nice one buddy... csj
I love how you can see those rail tracks and now it connects to the previous photo :)
Great HDR here, gives the photo a bit of a post apocalyptic look.
Love it!
At first glance I wouldn't have thought it was an HDR. It's not as instantly apparent on this one. However, the detail in the sky and the railtracks really stand out and make it obvious. I do like this one, I think the perspective is good but perhaps would have liked to see a bit more sky above the main building.
Cool HDR shot.
This is gorgeous. Industrial shots such as this work wonderfully in HDR and really make them seem more alive and interesting. Wonderful indeed.
That looks great David. I've really fallen in love with HDR photography recently and I think that has a lot to do with your blog. I will probably pick up a copy of the book when it comes out assuming I can get it over here in the states.
Again I like the crispness of detail that your HDR processing produces, but I'm curious about the light on the railroad tracks; is that done by masking and a curve or is that a natural beam of light coming through the clouds above?
its an exquisite shot dave. its the color that stood out to first, the rich golden tones blending so smoothly with the cool silver grey. Its not as overtly HDR as some, which plays to its advantage. very subtle, rich, saturated.
I love the contrast between the industrial complex and the tall grass and brush. Country meets industry. The darks in the dry grass remind me of coffee.
Its sweeping, so it projects a sort of institutional feel, as though the scene is iconic. The desaturated tones suit my mood particularly, and the not specific, the duo toned feel of the scene plays out naturally and gives the overall feel of simplicity without robbing the scene of its complexity (a use of the principle of contrast) .
this is the kind of print i'd like to see printed on a cotton rag and framed in my apt.
its also the kind of print i wish i had taken. so i'm rather a bit jealous frankly. ;)
This is my favorite of the railroad collection. Perhaps I will change my mind when I see Monday's image. I just like everything about this image and how all the elements fit together. The angle of the tracks and how it illustrates the distance. The industrial building in the background with the extensions. Lighting and sky fits wells. I think the various heights of the plants also help to give that feeling of a rugged, unkept industrial environment. Can't wait for the book!
This is one very fine hdr image! Love the tones here!
So that's where those railroad tracks went to... or... uh... cam from?
I would love to see some HDR photos of the intereior of these buildings.
Again, the geometry of your perspective is beautiful: I am drawn into the world you captured.
I wonder what comes out of those buildings when the sun is done setting...
Carlos
Fantastic image, I like it a lot. It is not a "typical-HDR-like", it is just very artistic tone mapped HDR image. You could tone map in such a way that nobody will ever notice it. HDR is for me a format to represent an image with a huge dynamic range of light and hence lots of data (it's in 32 bit). So you have endless possibilities to map those 32-bit data to an 8-bit image. In this case you have chosen an artistic way.
I really hope you'll focus on that too in your new book, because I have the feeling that many people link HDR with artistic tone mapping, which is only a very small part of the whole story.
Besides that, I wish you all the best with your new book, in fact I'm looking forward to it.
What a wonderful comp! I can see some of the other stuff you have posted from this area. I like the treatment too, not too over the top (i'm working on that myself) I can almost hear the wind in the grass.
It's always an inspiration coming here!
Bonsoir,
Great hdr processing..Wonderful details..bravo!
Wonderful capture - and processing! This really could look like and HDR factory, where the huge pipes lead the color into the capture hall where the tiny windows allow the dim light to settle on the canvas.
I am surprised at how amazing these images are every time I visit your site. I would imagine so much work goes into processing these images. I love this one, the perspective is beautiful! I am glad you came out with some tutorials, just what we all need!
Jedd Johnson
Cancun Wedding Photographer
joli travail!
tellement net que vous êtes limite comme une incrustation.. par contre j'aime beaucoup la composition..
I have just joined your member's area. I am still a Photoshop newbie but am jumping in at the deep end with your wonderful tutorials!
Dave, is this view as you walk from North to South before the bridge? if so I was there today to find the whole works has been raised to the ground. Remember you posting this image last year so thought that I would try and find it in you archive. Ah well up to Shap Limestone Factory, Cumbria. I trust that it will still be there?