Why I Like HDR, Tonemapping, and Post-Processing

Some people ask why I bother with HDR techniques, tonemapping, and post-processing. After all, it can take hours to come up with one, good final image. Is it worth it?

Here's my answer, from an image captured in Maine in 2009:

Before - A RAW file (NEF) straight from the camera, converted to JPEG format for web display.  

After - The same shot, where I fooled around with LAB color, shadow-mapping, tonemapping, detail adjustments, straightening, cloning, and sharpening.

Click on either image for a larger display.

 













While the second image is FAR from perfect (it was a quick pass), the differences are easy to see.

As Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

Cheers!