Is HDR cheating?

[Mrtambourineman]

I've seen some amazing images lately that look too good to be true.  I suspect many of them are taken using the HDR (High Dynamic Range) shooting in the images because they look more like what my eye would see than what the camera would normally see.  I appreciate them, but in a way I feel a bit like they're cheating. 

What do you guys think? 

[GeekMaster]

No more than dark room manipulation.  Ansel Adams photos are all dark room enhanced.

[Hotspur]

absolutely. i like the wide tonal range, but it is a total cheat. i have fun processing hdr images, but they are like candy. a solid subject photo with the right light (non-hdr) is like meat.

[The Turtle Whisperer]

I wouldn't call it cheating... I think it's just another tool, another paintbrush.

I think it makes it easier for peeps like me to make a statement about how we see something.  When I shoot the Painted Churches, it allows me to convey a lot of what they look like to me.... a bit over the top and gaudy. 

You can make things that are colorful and lush in real color quite dark and ominous with B&W... to me it's the same kind of statement.

It can certainly be overused and abused, and by the same token, it can be done without most people not even knowing it, ie interior Real Estate pics, magazine interiors, etc. 

   
 

[omega lambda]

I don't think it is cheating, and when used effectively, it can produce the tonal ranges our eyes can see instead of limiting an image to the tonal range of the sensor. But eliminating shadows instead of adjusting  the shadows to bring out some details just looks wrong and I don't care for it. Shadows and highlights are necessary for texture and depth.

I agree it can be over used and abused, but it is a new toy, and much like spot coloring, it will have its 15 minutes of fame and then be relegated to dated photography.

Last fall, I went on a vacation with a bunch of photographers. These trips used to be a lot fun; people would spend bus time getting to know each other, talking about cameras and gear, etc. This last trip was definitely different in two ways; most of the photographers had tablets and spent bus time enhancing their images so we didn't get to know people like we have in the past, and most everyone got hooked on the snapseed app, which resulted in some bizarrely, over processed photos.  I don't think I will do another one of those trips.

[Mrtambourineman]

I just found out that my T3 can do it.  I'm tempted to play with it, but its buried down in the menu so it won't be something I use spur of the moment.