Most of the images shown here are not photographs, but a blend of different exposures and manipulation with software. They are known as HDR images.

I have to agree with Gerard – the effect and very wide lens, artistic as they are, do sort of take away from the actual place and what happened there. I think it’s hard to achieve reflection here, where pictures are so far away from reality.

Yeah, this cartoony look is a bit much for me. When HDR is done properly you wouldn’t be able to tell. Everyone has different tastes though and this sort of photography is quite popular.

Still cool though. The crib and the baby bottle – super creepy.

@Gerard you do realise that HDR photography actually begin prior to the digital photography revolution in a dark room ? A HDR image is still a photo just manipulated. Sure I could say a black and white photo created from a colour version isn’t a photo using your argument.

Sinead, it’s got nothing to do with luck. Chernobyl occurred because of Totalitarian Communism. The communist put in charge of the investigation by the USSR government said as much. It was very badly designed, badly built, used illegal building material, had no containment vessel (unlike all western reactors), the night staff were badly trained and carried out a dangerous and unauthorised experiment.

Read this re chernobyl and nature; when exuberant birdsong is a portent sign….

http://m.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/04/chernobyl-deadlier-female-male-birds

Think I saw that too. Amazed at how much wildlife was adapting and recovering in a sanctuary that excluded humans. Particularly the larger animals. Can’t remember if it was a BBC programme or who made it.

Gabor, I don’t know if you made a grammatical error or you are suggesting that the sarcophagus is filled with “so many dead people”? 3 men died in the initial chemical explosion. As far as I remember they recovered two bodies and the third and only body buried is still there. About 60 died as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

I dunno, was wondering that myself.
I can imagine though, that it was just people from other cities going in and doing it.

You see any dilapidated building such as a school etc… around the country and the same has happened to that.
Old books torn and thrown about the place. Windows broken, doors unhinged.

It is a shame though. While the place is a haunting reminder of what happened there, I think it would have been ‘better’ (For want of a better tem) to have left it as it was. Abandoned by the people and practically unscathed.

That’s just my opinion, clearly others see it as a playground.

True, HDR images are not photographs, they are heavily manipulated by software.

True, Gerard, they are HDR, buy that’s not to say they’re not photographs. HDR is quite subjective, it appeals to some and not to others. I, for one, agree that some have been overdone a tad but that in general they are appropriate for this subject.

why so many thumbs down, slippy fingers?

Totally agree, these would be better unaltered. Prefer skillful photography, not heavy post-production. Too much reliance on that wide angle lens as well.

HDR photography is a completely fine technique, and necessary in some situations. Chances are you have seen plenty of HDR photographs, but you haven’t realised it; good HDR is not noticeable by the average viewer.

These images are waaay too overcooked, and are examples of bad HDR. There are loads of haloes, too much saturation, and they’re soft. I doubt they’re even HDR, looks more like tone mapping in Photoshop.

This image is good HDR: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/images-102/image-05.jpg

I was disappointed with the HDR’s too. It distracts the viewer from realising how unique and devastating this place is, don’t get me wrong every image, in my opinion, needs to be processed maybe just not that much. Im hoping to go there on a photography trip myself sometime. Would love to see some of the original images…