I really like this picture - I bought a print of it in London recently; and it's definitely a photograph...

So do any of you photographic super gurus know how it's done??:confused:

it'll be done via software, don't expect this result from twiddling a few settings on a camera.

It's HDR - you take 3 shots, one under exposed, one normal, and one over exposed, and combine them using software.

The 'bracket' function on your camera can be used to take the three shots without mucking about with the settings.

Good explanation and links to free HDR software - http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-high-dynamic-range-hdr-software.htm

Edited 30 October, 200916 yr by Kaiserb_uk

I suspect they've used something like Topaz Simplify.

Topaz Simplify - Simply Stunning Photos to Art

Yup, Topaz.

that Topaz is so cool...

That's not topaz, thats HDR for sure. You can use any multiple of exposures greater than 3 to create some wierd stuff. The more exposures you have, the more drastic you can make an image look. Just have a look here and you'll see plenty of similar stuff............

Flickr: The lawrence's HDR Pool

I've played with HDR, but most come out over the top. Some like it, but I'm not so keen to be honest.

I’ve never seen HDR do that on its own. Looks like a lot of work to me.

Thats the whole point in the new style of HDR photography, it's all over-blown "see how far you can go" style now. HDR as I know it is just 3 exposures, bringing out all the shadow/highlight/midtones that you want. To be honest, you can get similar results these days by shooting RAW and tweeking in Bridge. I'm not a fan like I say, but it's HDR more than Topaz

Thats the whole point in the new style of HDR photography, it's all over-blown "see how far you can go" style now. HDR as I know it is just 3 exposures, bringing out all the shadow/highlight/midtones that you want. To be honest, you can get similar results these days by shooting RAW and tweeking in Bridge. I'm not a fan like I say, but it's HDR more than Topaz

I use Photomatix Pro 3 HDR and I have never achieved anything like the subtle effect and feathering the picture shows. Admittedly I am no expert, but even so it looks like it has spent quite a bit of time being created. Never used Topaz so I don't know what it's true potential is?

You can do a pseudo HDR with a single RAW esposure too

That's an interesting effect for sure! I'm very certain that some kind of adaptive tone-mapped HDR has been used along the way to generating it too.

Actually, a true HDR image is just an image with extended dynamic range beyond that which your average monitor can display (even a RAW file is technically an HDR image). That is, it has data in the shadows that are darker than your monitor's black, and data in the highlights that are brighter than your monitor's white.

In order to display these HDR images on a monitor you can map the tones to something that your monitor can cope with. Either in a linear fashion like your camera does in producing a JPG, or in an adaptive manner (i.e. brightening the dark bits, darkening the bright bits) like Photomatix, Dynamic HDR, etc. allow you to do.

That's an interesting effect for sure! I'm very certain that some kind of adaptive tone-mapped HDR has been used along the way to generating it too.

Actually, a true HDR image is just an image with extended dynamic range beyond that which your average monitor can display (even a RAW file is technically an HDR image). That is, it has data in the shadows that are darker than your monitor's black, and data in the highlights that are brighter than your monitor's white.

In order to display these HDR images on a monitor you can map the tones to something that your monitor can cope with. Either in a linear fashion like your camera does in producing a JPG, or in an adaptive manner (i.e. brightening the dark bits, darkening the bright bits) like Photomatix, Dynamic HDR, etc. allow you to do.

Do you think it could be HDR’d, then Photoshop CS’d by using something like the colour pencil filter?