HDR & Photography
At Hallmark, students are currently having their portfolios reviewed after the work that they've done in Phase 4. I don't have enough photographic knowledge to be able to comment on much, but I noticed something about many of the interior shots (rooms, hallways, atriums, churches) that are being done. Almost all of them are using HDR, and I really feel that it takes something out of the image, and it makes people a little lazy. Everything becomes equally lit, and all of the details are clear. Now, you would think that having all of the details be clear would be a good thing, but in most visual arts, clarity and visibility, whether with focus or lighting, indicates where your attention should be and helps to set the mood. HDR allows you to see clearly, but it doesn't really make a better picture, and people don't usually take the time to go back in and make choices about mood and what is important in the image.
To contrast what HDR does, Gregory Heisler took a photo of George W. Bush in a conference room, and carfully lit each portion with different lights: A big light out the window, a different set of lights for the back of the room, a set for the left of the former president. And all of these were choices to highlight different portions of the image.
I'm not trying to be a luddite here and say that a good HDR image can't be created. Just that it's not enough.
To contrast what HDR does, Gregory Heisler took a photo of George W. Bush in a conference room, and carfully lit each portion with different lights: A big light out the window, a different set of lights for the back of the room, a set for the left of the former president. And all of these were choices to highlight different portions of the image.
I'm not trying to be a luddite here and say that a good HDR image can't be created. Just that it's not enough.