DISQUS

Kevin Hawkins · 5 months ago

Inspiring image, Alec. I played the audio as I looked at the image, and imagined what it must have been like to be there. As you say, a beautiful experience.

How long was your shutter speed? Does HDR work when the subject matter is moving, as it is here? It seems like you'd be merging images that aren't identical. I guess, in this case, the blended images simply adds to the flow of the water. But if a tree had been blowing in the wind, it might have looked strange(?)

Alec · 5 months ago

Hey K-Hawk,

Shutter speeds were: 6.0/3.2/13 seconds. The moving trees question is great. I'll try to answer it as best as possible, all relevant to the use of Photomatix.

The software has an option of trying to control for moving objects, like trees and people. In my experimentation I've developed a bias AGAINST using that option. Especially in circumstances like the ones during the creation of this image. For the trees etc. I prefer longer shutter speeds so there is some blurring of trees in each bracket. Then Photomatix results give a nice, natural blurred feeling. If I was using significantly shorter speeds, in essence freezing movement in some or all of the brackers, I'd get unacceptable results, with ghosting effects that don't look natural. So, where it suits my purpose I go with natural blurring and the software handles that very well. I've been doing some commercial work lately with cars moving in the images at various points and shutter speeds. Very different circumstance from trees, and yet I'm getting good/cool/acceptable results. In other landscape shots with much quicker speeds I've had results I didn't like at all.

Hope this helps, and thanks again for the comments and questions.

Cheers,
Alec

Wes · 5 months ago

Stunning, Alec. Even more so with the sound.

Thanks

Wes

Alec · 5 months ago

Hi Wes,

Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. Are you watching the TDF? Are you riding? Hope all is well, mon.

alec