I recently was asked to show the before and after images of the Landscape Gate that i took last November in Dunstable.
Im not going to explain the HDR techniques as i have mentioned this a few times now,
HERE.
But this was to show my eye for HDR. As many will know i try and keep things looking as real as i can.
With a view like this in front of me, i knew HDR would work as the sky is too blown out for my liking. Some people will prefer the before image but its all down to our own opinions. No one is ever right or wrong.
I do not particularly think that "oh i will do a HDR image" for the sake of it, i look at the scene in front of me and if i feel that it will enhance the image then i will use it.
When looking at this scene on the lcd screen on my camera, i could see that either the sky will be blown out or if i expose for the sky, then the ground will be too dark.
Another options would have been to use graduated filters over my lens,
or take two images. one of a correctly exposed sky/ and then the ground.
Place one above the other in Photoshop as layers and hide/reveal the correctly exposed parts of the image.
Both good techniques, my train of thought here was, 1- i dont own any graduated lens filters, and 2 - trying to mask out this sky would of taken time. plus i like the textures HDR processing can produce.