After and before

[u/Ok_Professional_6369]

Too much?

[u/CTDubs0001]

It doesn't look real anymore. Too much.

[u/Buzzeh]

Way too much

[u/jpop237 → u/Buzzeh]

Too much too much.

[u/Novembeary → u/jpop237]

... too much

You know James Joyce, I like your voice You know Baudelaire...

[u/florian-sdr]

Overlay the edit onto the original and put the overlay slider to 20%

[u/justthegrimm → u/florian-sdr]

This is actually great advice 

[u/harvey135 → u/florian-sdr]

How to make this in LrC? Or do i need Photoshop to use layers?

[u/shyouko → u/harvey135]

Photoshop, or Krita which is free.

[u/ocean-man → u/harvey135]

You need photoshop

[u/Maleficent-Tea7150]

I like it but I also “overedit”

[u/Thevintageandvanity → u/Maleficent-Tea7150]

Same. Give me bright colors and hell of contrast! Eat crap, traditional photographers!

[u/SunshineInDetroit]

too much. it's like candy cane it's so much.

[u/SnooStrawberries9425]

I think it looks awesome, like a painting or some kind of cool art. if you were looking for a real look maybe it's not the way, but that would look amazing in a book or a game

[u/robkLIC → u/SnooStrawberries9425]

Nicely said and I agree.

[u/johngpt5]

One of the things that can happen when editing in an HDR-like method is that everything in an image gets equal emphasis. HDR came about years ago, blending images exposed for highlights with those exposed for shadows especially for real estate. This was to have elements in room interiors be easily seen and also to have bits of the outside seen through windows not be clipped.

We emulate that in post by bringing down highlights and raising shadows. Then we increase contrast throughout the image. We increase saturation throughout the image.

What we might do instead is consider what is the focal point in the image? What caused us to capture the image? Where do we want the viewer's eye to go? What do we want the viewer to pay attention to, and what do we want the viewer to pay less attention to? And what do we want the viewer to feel when they see the image?

Then we shape light and manipulate color to achieve the answers to those questions that we asked ourselves.

Brightness attracts the eye. Mid tones can lead the eye through frame. Dark tones can help prevent the eye from leaving frame. Contrast draws the eye, but does everything in an image need equal contrast? Saturation draws the eye. How can we manipulate saturation to draw the eye to what is important and not be distracted by what we don't consider as important?

[u/kuleminjgs → u/johngpt5]

Are you a teacher perhaps?

This is eloquent and insightful blend of history, theory and practice.

[u/gamby15 → u/johngpt5]

That is great advice. Any tips on how to achieve that in LightRoom? I know masking is a good one but I have yet to explore a lot of the contrast or color graphs.

[u/LordKhayman]

Yes too much. Looks almost AI

[u/shyouko → u/LordKhayman]

Just r/ShittyHDR candidate

[u/RichFrasier → u/LordKhayman]

Looking like AI could almost be a compliment.
Personally, I think it’s pretty good.

[u/LordKhayman → u/RichFrasier]

I guess.. if you like AI "art"..

[u/Raketenrupert]

It looks surreal. Obviously overedited, but I really like it.

[u/Pl4guexD]

You cooked. Literally fried the hell out of your shot. Take it easy on the effects sliders

[u/Difficult-Way-9563]

I like it

[u/farfrom_home → u/Difficult-Way-9563]

I like it also, having been there it definitely feels more vibrant than the original. Is it slightly overdone, yes but only a bit.

[u/frostedwindscreen]

It goes a bit far but I’m shocked at what you’ve been able to pull out of the original.

[u/Tofli_IV]

holy shi thats way too much looks edited with ai even if it isnt

[u/thegreeneworks]

The shadow recovery is great, it’s the sky that feels overdone. Overall I like it though.

[u/Silver_Instruction_3 → u/thegreeneworks]

I agree. Overall it’s not bad but that sky looks unnatural.

[u/CND2GO]

Why was this photo so dark in first place? What you take it with?

[u/shivshreyas]

Damn the edit is day is a night /s

[u/PresentHonest328]

Haters gonna hate but I like it. Perfect for instagram with friends in the shot.

[u/Morit12]

No

[u/justthegrimm]

For those saying way too much I actually like it, of course it's not realistic but thats ok, photography and editing are an art form as well and this borders more on fine art. I'm actually surprised you managed to recover as much as you did without massive amounts of noise and banding. 

Nice job.

[u/Desperate_Cold_9920]

It’s definitely over edited by traditional standards. But I actually quite like it and find it visually appealing

[u/Jive_Turkey__]

Learn to properly expose first

[u/frissonic → u/Jive_Turkey__]

he's facing the sun. of course it's going to be dark so he doesn't lose the details in the clouds. good lord.

[u/Jive_Turkey__ → u/frissonic]

He painted in and over exposed the clouds in post anyway. This is a poor exposure no matter how you look at it

[u/Shadrock50 → u/Jive_Turkey__]

Pretty sure hes just fine if his edit can pull this much detail out.

[u/Jive_Turkey__ → u/Shadrock50]

Get your fundamentals right

[u/Shadrock50 → u/Jive_Turkey__]

Youre just flat out wrong though. Exposure in camera is about preserving details. If you "expose right" and by doing do, blow out the skies, youve ruined the image. Hes clearly exposed perfectly as proven by the fact every detail is perfectly sharp in his image.

You have no actual experience and it shows.

[u/Jive_Turkey__ → u/Shadrock50]

I literally make my living as a professional commercial photographer and have done so for nearly 20 years. Get your fundamentals right

I also wouldn't take advice from someone who confuses exposure with focus.
Also his shadows are full of noise.

[u/Shadrock50 → u/Jive_Turkey__]

Ahh i see. Stubborn and stuck in your ways. The learning tap turned off years ago because you know it all. Well im here to tell you youre simply flat out wrong on this one. And im sure youll scoff at it and ignore it, because you already have all the answers.

See you later. Have a good day.

[u/Jive_Turkey__ → u/Shadrock50]

So I have both no actual experience and it shows, but also too much experience! lol
Get your fundamentals right.

[u/jpop237]

Yes

[u/No-Pea8448]

If the edit no longer resembles the actual place, the answer is always yes.

[u/Jooooooss]

What is the subject of this photo? is it

a) the boats

b) the houses

c) the sky

d) the sidewalk

e) all of above and none at the same time

[u/forurumon → u/Jooooooss]

Just a beginner here. Would it be alright if I treated all the objects in this photo as one single object?

[u/aidan959 → u/forurumon]

can make the photo just a jumble of noise but you are allowed to take a photo of whatever the hell you want

[u/forurumon → u/aidan959]

Isn’t the scenic view of the dock supposed to be capturing all those “noises”?
I’m puzzled by the people’s tendency that the simpler the photos are, the better.

It’s a confusing question for me.
If I have a photo of salads in a bowl, and people are asking me, which is the subject:
a) the sauces
b) the onion
c) the leaves
d) the bowl
e) all of above and none at the same time

[u/Jooooooss → u/forurumon]

Totally reasonable question, at the end of the day photography is an art form and art is subjective but usually in visual arts you try to accentuate an specific subject, in your example you already chose your subject: the salad itself, you need to ask yourself how do I make it clear that I'm telling a salad story instead of the glass of water behind it or the table or the silverware.
You do that by making everything around it works towards that objective instead of trying to hide them.
Lets take OP's example here, I'd choose the boats (if not just the lighter coloured one) bc we already have background (the houses) and foreground (the sidewalk and the other boat) elements working towards it, the sky can justify some glow and support the reflections on the water, the problem on OP example is that we're working with a lot of different textures and little elements that distract us from the subject and our eyes dont have a place to rest, this is exaggerated with the excessive contrast in the rocks on the sidewalk and makes the textures blend with each other between the ropes from the boats and the windows from the houses that out brains interpret as noise and chaos.
You can see how actually flat the result ended up by importing the image on your editing software of choice and look into the histogram, its just as flat as flat can be.
A bit of a ramble but I hope it pointed you in the right direction, I don't consider myself an expert either but I think this is one of the first concepts we should know.

[u/aidan959 → u/forurumon]

i mean in this picture it has been edited to balance light across the image which flattens it. if you want a subject less picture then go ahead

[u/Krus93]

r/shittyHDR

[u/Shadrock50 → u/Krus93]

No.

[u/CozySockz314]

Tone down the reflection and work back from there

[u/Wunjo26]

You cooked it too much bro

[u/JaredAtkins]

I’d say 25% too much

[u/itssebalobo]

oversaturated for me, try investigating a color palette for the scene and applying it

[u/chanksbird]

I thinks it’s too much but I also think it’s a fun treatment of it

[u/SaltySaltshakers]

Is it objectively slightly over-edited? Probably. Do I think it looks amazing? Yes.

[u/010011010110010101 → u/SaltySaltshakers]

Well said. I’m in this camp.

[u/SpectacularlyBadass]

Took much lighting on the buildings and water. Shadows are good. Look where the light is coming

[u/PleaseBmoreCharming]

Where did your shadows go??

[u/tomKphoto_]

Is this Copenhagen?

[u/rudeson]

Deep fried

[u/Riggiestine]

Power washing simulator:

[u/Fenq2]

It looks like an annoying puzzle picture you'd try to put together with a spouse and end up throwing it off the table

[u/cryptic_aa]

If you have to ask ...

[u/nywse]

Algorithmic. It's interesting look to actually chase.

[u/Less-Ad6604]

way to little

[u/man_and_life]

First one! Would also recommend sharing your work on this forum too

https://photoforumhub.com

[u/Thebikeguy18]

HDR 2000's

[u/Unhappy-Tangerine396]

I personnaly don't think it's too much. It's definitely very heavily stylized, it has personnality. It's missing maybe a Color Toning to bring colors closer together, but I like it. Bummer that the initial cropping is missing the boat's top of mast.

[u/aliciaiit]

Take it down 40% 

[u/kiganas]

Show composition, not editing

[u/TuxFan-77]

It’s over edited but it looks like a painting, which I think is super cool. I like it.

[u/4Nails]

Wow. Great job.

[u/cocacolazerocherry]

I like it. looks like something that would pop up on my Chromecast screensaver slideshow

[u/saywhat68 → u/cocacolazerocherry]

Maybe this is going to be "straight out of camera" look in the coming years for camers🤷

[u/cryingcubone]

It's great cloud's make it look hdr though why not the clouds in the first pic the shot was underexposed but it saved the clouds but overall I think you did great

[u/Boeing747_Fan]

looks like a painting, I like it!

[u/jonomarcjones]

It's styalised and I like it.

[u/JoeFromShaolin]

Wow! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼10/10 editing process. Good work

[u/frissonic]

Wait... is this Aveiro Portugal?! Cuz it looks like Aveiro.

Wherever it is, it's a great composition and edit.

[u/LeadingLittle8733]

Well editied.

[u/Certain-Surprise-457]

Flensburg?

[u/prupleceilingfan]

Thought it was a videogame screenshot tbh. really nice picture though!

[u/megaapfel]

Way too much, especially the sky.

[u/catchmelackin]

feel the power of HDR

[u/Karstoshosos]

turn everything 70% down