Thank you for the feedback, folks. I appreciate it.

"HDR" stands for High Dynamic Range" - a technique that strives to show what is in the shadows without blowing out the highlights(typically with three exposures - one over, one under, one center EV that are combined with software) - our eye can see it all but a camera typically underexposes shadows, losing details there, to prevent over-exposing bright areas. But HDR also creates surrealistic or other results that are interesting to some viewers and not to others. Many (most?) HDR pictures look "fake" buy then that plays into their possible utility. For example, in this picture the original certainly is more "correct" but it might not "pop" for certain applications.

Here's the original (changed from RAW to jpeg and cced).

Indeed! Thank you for service to country.

I downloaded a trial version of the Lightzone software to see if I like it. I was using the HDR feature (creates HDR style pics from a single picture). I was impressed with what it did on landscapes, and then I tried it with these two fellows I shot at the IC Waterway across from Lulu's in Gulf Shores. I really like how the faux HDR turned out here, but I'm not too objective. What do y'all think?

Stone masons by Intercoastal Waterway, Gulf Shores

This is a repost of one I did earlier today - realized I needed to introduce myself... I'm an active underwater photographer with a number of gratifying successes to my credit, most notably First place in the Nature Category of the 2009 National Geographic International Photographic Competition (out of 208,000 entries), a picture I took at 75 feet deep with a point and shoot Sony and an underwater ultrabright video light. Also, the IUCN (Geneva) voted me 2011 Underwater Photographer of the Year. These days I am mostly shooting a Leica D-LUX4 (part of my National Geographic prize) in a 10Bar underwater housing, a Sanyo XACTI 2000 video cam in an Epoque housing and above water the Leica and several Sony P&S cameras. My book on marine sponges was recently accepted by the University of Alabama Press for publication (250 pages, 300+ photos, 50 pages of text) and it will come out near the end of next year. My wife and I have a physical therapy clinic in the Birmingham area and she is also an avid underwater photographer.

Despite a bit of success in underwater photography, I have only recently become interested in extending my work to above water. I decided to begin by reviewing my large collection of 35 mm transparencies I made back in the 1970s with my Canon SLRs when I was teaching in overseas schools with fantastic travel (and photography) opportunities.

Many of my old photos are from Afghanistan - from a time and place that might more properly be called "Pastghanistan" since the tranquility portrayed in these shots has been destroyed by the Russians, Taliban, and Coalition Forces. Unfortunately my 35mm transparencies, mostly Kodachromes, have suffered the ravages of time. The emulsion has become food for some mold, the colors are faded, scratches abound. Therefore I scanned and digitized them, converted to b/w (the color was almost gone), and did a little fix-up with PS4. Here are three examples of the results.

What I would really appreciate is any objective input you U.H.ers would be so kind to offer on how they came out, what else they need done to them, and did my scanning/mold removal process compromise the content? Thank you.

Father and daughter walking between villages, Tora Bora region, 1972.


Young soldier and school parade, Kandahar, 1972.


Match in hand, Kabul Alley, 1973.

I recently decided to look through some of my old transparencies - old is operative term: they are from my wanderings in Asia back in the mid-1970s, and many are from Afghanistan - these are from what is more properly called "Pastghanistan" since the tranquility portrayed in these shots has been destroyed by the Russians, Talibam, and Coalition Forces. My 35mm transparencies, mostly Kodachromes, I made with my Canon SLR. The emulsion has become home to a little mold, the colors are faded, scratched abound. I scanned and digitized them, converted to b/w, did a little fix-up with PS4 and here are two examples of the results. What I would like is your inputs on how they came out, what else they need done to them, and did the scanning/mold removal compromise the content? Thanks.

Father and daughter walking between villages. Taken in the Tora Bora area, 1972


Afghan soldier, Kandahar, 1972 - he's barely older than the kids he's guarding!