Why do allot of Photographers hate HDR?

Question

I'm a big HDR guy. Thats how I process 80% of my photos. When I was showing my work to other photographers they seemed to look upset, that I was using HDR instead of a natural. Why is that? I think HDR really makes your work/art pop out twice as much as your (original) shot. It's all opinion but why do others seem to dislike it? Look at it as almost cheating?

Answer 1

Hate? Whoever openly says that hates anything and most importantly any kind of art is not worth to pay attention to.



Every new medium in art is frown upon, not accepted, not well received and sometimes considered as not natural or "cheating"



When digital photography came out every photographer that worked in the darkroom considered using photoshop as cheating, even though photoshop does the same things that are done in the darkroom.



The secret lies in using a new medium to create something beautiful, something valuable. Most of the times something original and different will take some time before it will be accepted.



We are talking about from of art, there are many people that love HDR and there are many that dislike it.

The same goes for black and white photography or color photography.



Some HDR can be just over saturated and it does not look good, in some instances it looks great.



It is all personal preference. It is art everything is allowed but remember not everything wil be appreciated, this is actually a good thing.

Answer 2

You want a scene with a high dynamic range. :) A room with a window comes to mind. A church interior with a stained glass might be an idea although a little cliched. Maybe a lit lamp in a room. Avoid anything that might move (waves on the sea or fountains for instance ) will look a complete mess full of all sorts of artefacts.

Answer 3

I use HDR occasionally, but I classify it as two types.



If using HDR to increase dynamic range to match what you see in nature, then I have no problems with that, and sometimes do it myself as I stated. The human eye can see about 9 EV of dynamic range, while digital cameras can only produce about 5 EV. That is why the sky is often washed out in photos. In those situations, using HDR to boost the dynamic range is fine as long as it is rendering what is actually there.



But over saturating HDR so that it becomes surreal or almost poster art I don't care for. And I think that is where most people that dislike HDR are at.

Answer 4

Because too many kids have jumped onto the HDR bandwagon and produce the garish, cartoonish looking travesties with horrid halos all over the scene and think it is some kind of good photography.



I don't think you will find many, or any, photographers who dislike GOOD HDR that is used as the technique was intended, .... to simply and subtlety get some more dynamic range in a photo. It is just a technique that is WAY too easy to overdo, and that is what seems to happen to the majority of HDR shots.



steve

Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

A lot of very badly done HDR shots have given it a bad name. When used with care all it does is extend your dynamic range a bit.

Answer 8

For me it's all about the final image. If using photoshop or something else to create HDR images and they look good then crack on and to hell with those who can't be bothered to learn how to do it and still take there 35mm films to be processed in the high street

Answer 9

i wouldn't say HATE...



or dislike...



some people like it well enough to add a different dimension to a photo... though many people don't like selective colouration either... but that is a similar aspect...



it is a personal thing, like art... "B&W bad/Sepia Good"...



if you like it, that's your personal view point...

Answer 10

HDR is like Marmite you either love it or hate it. Used properly it can work for many images.



If the image needs the 'Gothic' treatment, then you can go to town like this one.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/5579790149/in/photostream



But HDR can even out harsh Midday light as it even out the shadows like this one



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/3708209316/in/photostream/



It means you can shoot at any time of day.



It works with mechanical things



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/5880034781/in/photostream



It works to bring out all the detail even when there's no Dynamic Range reason to use it.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/5880034317/in/photostream



With this one it was used to enhance the feather detail and to open out the deep dark shadow cast on the Owl's right eye (as we look at it)



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/5620474268/in/photostream



It can capture light beautifully, here the Dynamic Range is captured (B&W this time just for variety)



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/5539626737/in/photostream



There are many reasons why HDR can be a really useful tool, but it's like driving a Ferrari you have to be very light on the controls or it will run away with you. I hate HDR with halos around everything.



With all Post Processing you have to have an idea in mind then work towards it and know when to stop, this is really important with HDR.



Chris