Good thinking, Peter, now that they allow HDR shots.

Prieni

Good work, Mike. Goes to show that HDR doesn't have to be so in your face. Have to admit, though, that sometimes I like this over-the-top HDR.
For this image you chose the right way, like it!

Prieni

Definitely the first one for me. Tower bridge always is photogenic.
In the second one the blue is a bit too dominant for my taste. Could work with a bit of a lighter sky, though.

Prieni

Thanks Mat,

well it is a bit like poor man's HDR. You stack the exposures in one PS image layer for layer with the darkest one as the lowest, lightest one on top. Then you select the top layer, select the highlights (CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+~), use a feather of around 20 and add a layer mask where you hide the selection.
Go one level down and do the same again (you can slightly decrease feather from level to level). And so on.
Once you're done you might try some curve variation on the mask layers and/or paint on the mask layers to select brighter or darker bits.
To round it off you might want to add another curve layer for fine tuning.

For the shots here I also used a layer from one of the lighter exposures that I treated with PhotoPaints local equalisation function. That layer was put on top with layer mode soft light, opacity taken back quite a bit, a mask added and all bits that have some structure and are not too noisy after local equalisation painted in with the mask.

A lot of handy work, I know.
Here's the last shots of 2009 together with the first of 2010:



Prieni

Haven't come round to take some snow pics, yet. Today it is far too stormy to go outside.
Instead I worked on the Singapore shots a bit and did the manual composition of multiple exposures. Here are the four first ones...













As always, C&C welcome.

Prieni

Congratulations Aiki, wonderful shot!
And thanks David for your swift and considered judging and for setting an interesting competition theme.

Prieni

Some clouds

[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/_PRI8853.jpg[/IMG]

EXIF should be intact but just in case:

Camera Make: PENTAX
Camera Model: PENTAX K20D
Date/Time: 2010:01:03 12:14:25
Resolution: 800 x 532
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 80.0mm (35mm equivalent: 120m...
Exposure Time: 0.0029 s (1/350)
Aperture: f/6.7
ISO Equiv.: 100
Exposure Bias: 0.50
Metering Mode: matrix
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

Prieni

Yes, waterfalls is one use. The vehicles will be ghostlike, you cannot help it.
I have seen another use, though, when this was new: A see through car bonnet. Take one with the bonnet closed and then one (or more) with the bonnet open.
If you are ok using Photoshop or similar software, that always brings you more freedom to improve the image.

Prieni

Thanks guys!

David: That's 60 in total, 60 in a year would mean 5 a month, that would be a fantastic quota and I wouldn't even start dreaming about that.

Hyram: Go and try it, what's the worst that can happen?

Prieni

I did submit a whole raft of pics to PPG before I set off for the Christmas holiday and I'm pleased to say that I got another six accepted. That makes it 60 in just before the year ends...

Hope that encourages all of you to submit some more shots to the PPG.

Here are some of the acceptances (you might have seen here before):

[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/gallery_image_7129126.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/gallery_image_7214120.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t5/Prieni/gallery_image_7214149.jpg[/IMG]

Prieni