Hello! I'm pretty new to photography so I could use all the constructive criticism. I used HDR on these & did very little post processing. I didn't want it to look fake or overly processed. I cleaned up some noise in Photoshop.

 

I dont understand why everyone jumps to hdr....before they understand the basics of photography.....and just taking normal pics.......

 

As far as the pics go.....

Your setting (background) is terrible.
The pics are over saturated.
And if you are using a dslr or even a point and shoot....try setting ur ISO aheah of time so that you dont have to do it in photoshop......photoshops noise reducer bring the pixels to close together and give the images a fake look if not used properly.....try/google "noise ninja"

 

+1 I agree with that pretty strongly.

My advice to you would be, learn how to get the hang of your camera first. Learn lighting, proper background, white balance.

 

i don't understand why people jump to it at all.

good pics out of the camera > post processed/HDR crap

jim

 

I'm sorry but HDRI's are not crap...if used properly. They are not always used to just to dial in the exposure at the last minute to achieve some funky effects - They also serve as a a primary lighting tool for diffuse illumination and reflections that makes all the stuff look cool when you go to the movies. I think that the OP's 1st attempt was just that.... a 1st try that quite frankly isn't all that bad. Starting to try something new is usually made easier by offering helpful suggestions rather than going for the easy shoot down.

 

you guys are way too harsh on someone trying to learn the art, im sure all of you above took a worse picture than these at one point and time, and im sure he is just trying to learn... that said, i would choose a background that doesnt flow with the car, they are to similar in color and take the focus away from the car and into the sunset more. They are also very easy to tell they have been post processed a bit, its an art, and it comes with time. Make small changes then go to larger ones if needed. If you post originals i can help you with some editing techniques.

 

Good beginner pics but, you need to see the big picture with regards to your background focus on what you want the final pics to be or learn to crop, next the natural lighting is enough without the headlights being on.