[Geysers] great APOD pic!--Faked!

[Janet White | SnowMoon, LLC]

This photo doesn't look so much fake to me as simply an HDR version. I 
searched for the photographer and he talks about this particular photo 
on his blog:
http://roberthowell.blogspot.com/2012/10/photographing-aurora-borealis-and.html

It's an HDR (high dynamic range) photo - which combines two or more 
exposures. You are right when you say it can't be done with one shot, 
but most astrophotographers do this now because that's what sells - it 
more realistically captures what the eye can see (and with some aurora 
photos, more than we can see - is that 'faking' it?). However, the 
'painted' edges happen with certain techniques and software.  Some 
people like HDR, some find it jarring.

Personally, I don't like the painterly look, so go for a more realistic 
version, but that's up to each photographer's taste. Robert has quite a 
few in his galleries that show that strong HDR look.

Personally, I use Photomatix to produce HDR images/if the photos need 
it/ to bring it to more detail of what I recall the scene looking like - 
so the sky doesn't fade to black, but shows more of the blue we see and 
yet retain the visibility in the white in the photo. However, for 
geysers or anything with lots of movement, they have to be one image 
processed at different exposures and then combined into one final image. 
Is that 'fake' or just using technology to bring the scene details out? 
For pools, I have shot three (or six) exposure bracketed photos and used 
the software to combine them.  Jewelry/product photographers combine 
depth of field on macro shots which some might consider fake, but others 
just look at it as we would see the object in person.

Here are a few that I've done as HDR photos:
Abyss Pool 
<http://snowmoonphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Yellowstone-Geyser-and-Hot-Spring-Photos/G0000MrwDNekuUnU/I0000600iYMit._8/C000042K5a2lOOVc> 
- three photos combined with software
Old Faithful Inn 
<http://snowmoonphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Yellowstone-Buildings/G000004vBOzLObxk/I0000J6XQVuObTw8/C000042K5a2lOOVc> 
- two photos combined with software - on this one I also evened out the 
darkness on the top corners with the burning tool on one of them.
Palette Spring 
<http://snowmoonphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Yellowstone-Geyser-and-Hot-Spring-Photos/G0000MrwDNekuUnU/I0000p2RNqSQvSJs/C000042K5a2lOOVc> 
- one photo processed three different ways and then combined (via the 
software)

If it's not your thing, that's fine, but is it really 'fake' if it's the 
same night, same time, just different exposures combined? Maybe in your 
opinion, yes. More detail is better than blown highlights or black 
shadows in my opinion. I happen to like this photo of his.

Janet White
SnowMoon, LLC
SnowMoon Photography .com

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