HDR fad or new wave

[kptasteve]

Hey all, was wondering everyone's thoughts on HDR. Is this something that will be the mainstay of post processing, or just a gimmick to add on in order to have new and improved versions of post processing software??

[Murtasma]

Mainstay; people will continue to use it for the wrong reasons but, the ones that are doing this generally are the ones that are just starting with the HDR / tone mapping process. It's easy to get excited and over due it. I see images that are digitally cross processed for no particular reason, tons of images with the Orton effect for no reason.

HDR just gets a bad rep at the moment because it's somewhat new and it's the new thing to bash on. In a couple of years nobody will care anymore, either you like the image or you don't; holds true with any post processing.

There is a right way to do it and a wrong way.

[xxpinballxx]

I think its here to stay and think to each is own. There are shots that don't really need to be processed with an HDR technique but again...to each his own. I dont agree that there is a right and a wrong way.
If its what you like then it what you like. I personally like some of the over done effects on certain images and subjects but at the same time love doing the realistic but highly detailed stuff.
I say find what you like and make it the best you can to create what you are going for.
If others dont like it then thats their taste and not yours. I think it seems like a fad cause those who just get into it and search for images with it done to them they tend to find all the surreal over done images and some of the realistic looking ones may not even be identified aas having an HDR effect applied.

[BryanC]

Well said by the moderators. I think their comments can apply to any aspect of photography.

[wattsbw2004]

It's been here for quite sometime but the digital darkroom technique is just starting to emerge. As it's been said countless times by many others, Ansel Adams has been doing hdr photography in his work to expose everything perfectly, but their technique is diff'.