This time it's a high dynamic range (HDR) image of the Wan Chai (湾仔) skyline of Hong Kong. For the first time in a while, I experimented with HDR processing today. I'm not a huge fan of HDR but sometimes it can be pretty useful. For example, when shooting outdoors during the day time, the light can be very harsh and it's difficult to get the exposure right (you're either going to end up with a blown out sky or foreground that's too dark). The major drawback is that it can be a bit of a hassle to shoot images for HDR processing. You must bracket the exposure using at least three shots (normal, over, and under exposed images), and a tripod is therefor required. On top of that, the additional processing work can be time consuming. The latest OS for the iPhone let's you shoot HDR images in one go with pretty amazing results--especially for shooting during the day (see this shot for an example).
In the shot above, the HDR processing helps balance the exposure while at the same time exaggerating the edges of the details somewhat. Not too bad, I think. I also like the point of view, although the composition is a little tight at the bottom of the frame (another building did not leave much room, unfortunately).
Below is another shot a little east of the one above. For that image, I only applied some very mild HDR processing.
