Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park, Maine

[katahdin]

I got there early hoping for the spectacular sunrise. No sunrise so I took what I could get. The taller cliffs in the background were in dark shadow, so I brought the light up in that area to bring out the detail (Elements 9). Is there any reason to use HDR as opposed to this technique? It seems to serve the same purpose without having to do the multiple exposures?

Nikon D90, 1/320, f16, ISO 200, 18mm, no flash

[shruggy63]

I like the pic, though it lacks a compelling subject & so is compositionally weak. You did well lightening the rock-face in Elements 9. I'd say the reason that HDR would be better than making strong corrections is that you'll get less digital processing damage eg. bright fringes etc.

[tsy72001]

I think your picture is very nice. The only thing I can say, and i am a 100% newbie, is that the left side is much darker than the cliffs, it pulls my eye in that direction.

[Marcus Reinkensmeyer]

A great location and the photo really pulls in the viewer. Suggestions: Increase the contrast and color saturation, just a bit. You might also check and experiment with your white balance, both at the time of shooting and during editing, as these kind of lighting conditions are tricky, especially in the early morning. Thanks for sharing ....

[katahdin]

Thanks for the comments, critiques and suggestions, guys!

[baajero]

Beautiful picture... maybe needs some more blue in it... adjusting some levels would do I guess... without affecting the grey of the rocks.

[milosh]

Whether or not you can accomplish the same thing with and without doing HDR depends on the particular situation (dynamic range of the scene), the exposure you make, and your post-processing skills. Sometimes you really need multiple exposures. When doing an HDR, you can do a usual one with software like Photomatix, or you can do a so-called manual HDR where you manually combine the exposures in Photoshop using masks. Sometimes, again depending on the situation, it is very hard to achieve nice natural look using HDR automation software.

[John Hendry]

Originally Posted by Marcus Reinkensmeyer

A great location and the photo really pulls in the viewer. Suggestions: Increase the contrast and color saturation, just a bit. You might also check and experiment with your white balance, both at the time of shooting and during editing, as these kind of lighting conditions are tricky, especially in the early morning. Thanks for sharing ....

Yes I think B&W might work well with this image.

All the best

[katahdin]

I'll try the B&W thing when I get a chance. Thanks again!