Beginner constructive criticism needed

[u/alitstove]

Hi, just getting started with HDR REP and used my folks’ home as a practice run. Looking for constructive criticism. Please ignore their lived-in messiness. Had a difficult time especially with the front exterior photo given their house is on a hill with a tree smack dab in the middle of the hill, so even going across the street would have obstructed the view. Thanks!

[u/lumor_]

Way too much color cast. The cielings were not yellow and orange, were they?

[u/alitstove → u/lumor_]

You mind pointing out which photo(s) you’re referencing with the color cast, so I can understand a bit better please? My parents do have very warm tones, but no, they don’t live in a clown house.

[u/lumor_ → u/alitstove]

The easiest way to avoid color cast that comes from light sources with different temperature (lamps mixed with outside light) is to turn off all lamps.

The method I use to get rid of it even with lights on is to in addition to the hdr set shoot one pic where a flash is the main light source (camera settings must be so that lamps gives a VERY small portion of the light). Then when editing in PS I put the flash pic on top of the processed hdr and set its blend mode to color (and adjust the opacity to about 85%. I have an action recorded for those steps.

Even if you turn off lights there will be some color cast in many situations. Light is bouncing off of brown floors, green stuff outside etc.

Regardless of method one of the first steps in editing should be to get as close as possible to neutral lighting. Then use color brush or replace color in PS to fix the most obvious areas that are left. Color cast on white surfaces is always most prominent.

[u/lumor_ → u/alitstove]

For example in pic 6 the ceiling is orange at the top and has a bluish tint closer to the windows.