Docklands, Melbourne

[mrvwyc]

1. in what area is critique to be sought?
Still a newbie with night photography and HDR. Took this photo in Melbourne Australia... thought the skyline was wonderful... not overly congested.

2. what one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?
Trying to improve on my control of light, and not overly doing the HDR component.

3. under what circumstance is the picture taken?
Night scene in Docklands

4. what the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture
Composition and whether the HDR is overly done such that it looks unnatural.

 

[cheeken]

I dont use HDR, and so i cant comment on the HDR effects, but from a more basic photography point of view, i feel that the lights are too bright, and there's a lack in contrast between the lights and other objects, so there is this "hazy" feel to the photo. Otherwise, pretty nice attempt! I like the starbursts from the brighter lights, maybe you could enhance them to make them more apparent too

 

[cookisnap]

I think that the picture is a little bit over-congested (clustered), and there is no depth between the foreground and the background. Therefore there is no lead for the eyes on this picture. Overall nice color and well done on the HDR attempt that is not over the board =)

 

[Kit]

The photo does not bear the hallmarks of over-done HDRs. Technically, it's quite an ok attempt. What really needed more work is the composition. Buildings are scattered all over and there really isn't anything that grabs attention.

 

[mrvwyc]

Thanks all, comments have been spot on... I also find that there isn't sufficient depth.. probably caused by the congestion of buildings and lights. Really appreciate it.

 

[CamInit]

Composition-wise, yes, buildings are cluttered. Perhaps consider trying from higher elevation to separate out the elements. The reflections on the water is distracting from the actual structures. I try to look at the details of the buildings and find my eyes keep getting drawn to the bright reflections below.

As for the HDR part,

The good: It doesn't look like HDR
It's not overly done. No obvious halos, radioactive landscapes or hyper-real look (a matter of taste). Still don't like the brightness in the waters.

The bad: It doesn't look like HDR
Looks more like an ordinary shot. Doesn't seem to bring out what HDR can offer. I could be wrong since I wasn't at the scene but that's the perception from the photo. Was expecting to see more resolution of the lighted wordings. Check your original -EV shots and see if the information is captured. If its there, you can try bringing it out (via curves if you are lucky or local editing).

Hope this helps.