Willsy
FollowThis shot was taken in Queenstown, New Zealand, a place not to miss for anyone traveling to our wonderful country. This was one of my first attempts at HDR phot...
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This shot was taken in Queenstown, New Zealand, a place not to miss for anyone traveling to our wonderful country. This was one of my first attempts at HDR photography. Thanks to Trey Ratcliff with all his great tips and tutorials on his travel blog.
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Views
6057
Likes
Awards
Legendary Award
Member Selection Award
Olympus camera & more!
Judge Favorite
Honorable Mention in HDR Photo Contest
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Jaw Dropping
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Top Ranks
Categories
Willsy
July 29, 2012
Thank you Santosh! Yea unfortunately HDR's are often stereotyped as ghastly over saturated images with lots of ghosting due to large amounts of poorly executed HDR's being uploaded to so many websites. What really makes a good HDR is a bit of tender love and care in Photoshop, it makes all the difference.
Willsy
August 22, 2012
Wow thank you Viewbug I'm honored to have received this accolade, and I thank all of you very much for your praise and feedback.
edazz
August 23, 2012
Outstanding Capture, great lines, vivid color, contrast, composition,
detail, clarity, creativity, HDR edit, lighting, well done! Awarded for Absolute Masterpiece and favorite!
If you like photographing cars, trucks or motorcycles, you are invited to join the
"Motor Heads" group....http://www.viewbug.com/photo-communities/motor-heads
If you like photographing boats, boating or beaches, you are invited to join the "Boats and Beaches" group....
http://www.viewbug.com/project/boats-and-beaches. Click on "community" tab, "projects " tab, and paste
the group name in the search box.
I would be honored if you would visit my View Bug gallery and my personal website at www.photo-pixart.com
detail, clarity, creativity, HDR edit, lighting, well done! Awarded for Absolute Masterpiece and favorite!
If you like photographing cars, trucks or motorcycles, you are invited to join the
"Motor Heads" group....http://www.viewbug.com/photo-communities/motor-heads
If you like photographing boats, boating or beaches, you are invited to join the "Boats and Beaches" group....
http://www.viewbug.com/project/boats-and-beaches. Click on "community" tab, "projects " tab, and paste
the group name in the search box.
I would be honored if you would visit my View Bug gallery and my personal website at www.photo-pixart.com
Duff
August 23, 2012
WOW! Awesome use of HDR! Works Beautifully Here! Congratulations on Your Well Deserved Honorable Mention!!!
annthedane
August 26, 2012
Congratulations! Well deserved, this is a stunning capture. Beautiful light and depth of field! Great colors too!
Willsy
August 31, 2012
Wow! Thank you very much for your uplifting comment, I'm honored to have received honorable mention but the real reward is receiving the feedback and praise such as yours and everyone else's here :) Thank you very much Lauren!
Willsy
August 31, 2012
Again, Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments! They all mean so much!
VivienneB
January 05, 2013
I was from a long time I havent seen a shot like this. it's SUPER!
WHERE IS IT?
WHERE IS IT?
drakkardarkblade
January 22, 2013
Awesome capture, congrats on award. Check out my pictures if you get a chance: http://www.viewbug.com/drakkardarkblade
snowdon
April 11, 2013
Absolutely exceptional image, so dramatic. Congratulations on your success in competitions
VictoriaKCampbell
July 31, 2013
Love this! New Zealand is on my bucket list of places to visit and explore! Beautiful shot. :)
aprilrena
July 31, 2013
Absolutely Stunning!! Viewbug Judges will have such a hard time judging this contest for sure. I love the HDR. The perfect and quite magical lighting falling over the truly majestic mountains. The ominous clouds hovering.... even the valley and river below. Just gorgeous. The lighting on the trees in the front really adds to the photo. Good luck in the contest! I will not be surprised if you win. :)
Willsy
August 22, 2013
Thank you very much! Sorry about my delayed response I have been away for a few weeks. You're good at predicting the future because I won! Was a big surprise! I really appreciate your kind comments and feedback it means a lot =D. I'm a big fan of HDR myself, this was one of those views only made possible by being in the right place at the right time and i'm glad I was. Cheers. Mark
Willsy
August 22, 2013
Thank you very much! Aprils comment really was incredibly kind and detailed, a very passionate photographer indeed and not to mention very telanted herself. You also have some lovely work, I really appreciate your kind words it means a lot =D. Cheers. Mark
mountainman70
August 19, 2013
congratulations on this win - there was some very stiff competition - excellent work
Willsy
August 22, 2013
And your response.... IS FREAKING AWESOME!!! haha thanks mate, I appreciate your feedback it means a lot =D
jrhalphen
August 19, 2013
Congratulations! You really captured a great shot. We have been to Queenstown and is truly a beautiful place--New Zealand not to be missed.
Chelle-s
August 19, 2013
That is one GORGEOUS shot! Wish I'd been the one who took this. Very well done!
pknight00
August 19, 2013
Congratulations! Very well deserved win. This image has a dream-like quality. Perfection.
jvillainc
August 19, 2013
Congratulations on your Walter Peak Station - I truly believe you were born to photograph! You have some awesome photos!
RoadKing1985
August 19, 2013
A-Mazing shot! Nice "Everything Composition" Capture! Thanks to YOU for sharing! Excellenteey!
bluespanishsteel02
August 23, 2013
......this is what I'm talking about....what an image....!!! beautifully captured and well earned on your commendations......!!!.....Right On...!!!
Rolenz
August 27, 2013
Well done, with a shot like that you deserve to win. Show us some more-with lessons, lol.
elfiedwards
August 27, 2013
congratulations!!!! great shot, nicely processed, super! EXCELLENT :-)) enjoy your new fame:-)
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo atop Bobs Peak in Queenstown facing south west. From this vantage point I'm just high enough to avoid capturing the bustling Skyline tourist park directly below me.Time
The time this photo was taken was around 3:30pm in the afternoon.Lighting
The lighting was very glum and melancholy. The sun was only falling on the valley floor and parts of the mountain ranges which beautifully accentuated the rolls and ribs in the landscape almost silhouetting every ridge against the valleys. The most striking feature was the sunlight passing through the clouds which made for a stunning display of wispy white clouds being contrasted against the ominous dark background.Equipment
I used my Canon EOS 550D with 18-135mm IS zoom lens, I would normally use a tripod for these darker scenes but unfortunately I left it in my car 450 meters below me.Inspiration
The dark sharp ridges cracking a divide between the mountains and the ominous sky was a major draw card but the sky was equally impressive like something straight out of a horror flick. There was so much angst spilling over the ridge-line to the West yet the sun soaked valley looked tranquil and inviting, it was an uncanny mix of emotions all represented in a single photo.Editing
Yes much like I do with all of my photos I took 3 bracketed shots of the same scene each 1 stop apart. Each bracket allowed me to capture the details from all aspects of the scene and avoid loosing what would normally be over or under exposed areas. I later merged these exposures using Nik Tools HDR Efex Pro to produce a High Dynamic Range composite. I'm not a fan of raw untouched HDR's because they're usually full of ghosting, color imperfections and harsh details so I always take an HDR composite into Photoshop afterwards and manually merge the best parts of the HDR back with the original capture to achieve a realistic result more inline with what my eyes saw on the day. The nifty thing about HDR is it can often reveal subtle features that were otherwise unseen by the naked eye, in my case the moody looking mist in the valleys amidst the mountains became more apparent after post. This was a nice addition.In my camera bag
I normally pack my bag according to my needs on the day but when I take everything my bag will contain my Canon EOS 550D and 18-135mm IS zoom lens, a bounce flash for those dimly lit areas, a remote shutter trigger for when I need the steadiest of shots, my very handy B-Grip belt, my tripod when/if I need it, a variable ND Grad filter and UV filter, lens cleaning kit, two spare batteries and a spare SD Card.Feedback
I am a big fan of Trey Ratcliff's work, he has an excellent ability to execute stunningly realistic High Dynamic Range photos. His photos inspire me to aim for similar results and I hope this is reflected through my images. Getting back to the question though; my advice is HDR can be a powerful tool, but controversial too. If you're going to give HDR a try you will enjoy the results but like any skill it takes practice, don't publish your earliest work because it will look like a kindergarten scribble! This is what makes HDR a very controversial subject, many people post their raw HDR's on the web for the world to see. Unfortunately raw HDR's are often over cooked and full of flaws and imperfections which is what gives the process a bad name. Two methods that have really helped my HDR processing for the better are 1 - merging the best features of raw HDR's back with their original counterparts, this brings the realism back whilst keeping some of the pop achieved by the HDR. 2 - Walk away from your display! Play with your kids, your dog... or your wife ;-) just leave the screen for a bit. I find that processing an Image is like wearing cologne, you wear the same cologne too often and you loose the scent, too much of the same thing dampens the senses. If I've been editing too long I find that If I leave the photo i'm working on and return a little later I see aspects I don't like and want to change, It gives me a more refreshed view of the photo.