What is HDR?

For a while now I have heard people talk about the term HDR.  The images produced using this technique are very interesting and often really dramatic.  HDR is short for high dynamic range.  It basically involves combing 3 of more photographs of differing exposures to produce a single image.  3 photographs being the minimum number of images that should be combined and 5-7 images being more ideal.  This single resultant image will produce detail in both the lighter and darker, highlight and shadow, areas of a photograph.  This high dynamic range includes the tone detail between the light and dark portion of the image.  


HDR can be used to produce extreme artistic photos and can also be used to properly expose details in different parts of an image.  Photographers that are purist may not necessarily like the idea of automatically merging several images to produce one final image.  This does technique can delve into graphic arts a bit.     Although this style or technique may not necessarily be for everyone, it definitely has its place.  HDR images appear in magazines more than we may realize.  The more mainstream images utilize HDR to properly expose the inside of a dark room as well as properly expose the scene outside the bright window.  If you flip through any architecture magazine, you will more than likely see an image like the above described.


The following is a more extreme example of utilizing photoshop to automatically merge several images.  This sort of dramatic image is obviously digitally altered which is not always the case with HDR.


To create an HDR image that will have an effect, it is important to find a scene that has quite a contrast of light and dark tones.  Once the scene is chosen the next step is to set up the tripod, compose the scene and leave the camera in the same place.  Exposure compensations of -2, -1, 0, 2, 2 are photographed.  The resulting images can be viewed below.

There are many ways to create an HDR image.  Adobe Photoshop 5 makes it extremely easy to merge HDR Photos.  This is one of many rendering software programs that can accomplish this HDR task.  To accomplish this in Adobe Photoshop 5:

1) Select File

2) Select Automate

3) Select Merge to HDR Pro

4) Browse Files and Upload the photos to be merged

5) Click ok and watch photoshop complete its magic merge

6) After the image is merged, you have the option of manipulating many factors like contrast, and exposure.  It is also possible to change the style from custom to other styles like surreal or monochromatic.

After adding the images in Photoshop, merging, and manipulating this is how my final image turned out.  You can see how the underside of the dark carousel as well as the light national mall buildings in the background both have properly exposed tonals represented in this HDR image.

This style of photography definitely is a different type of art form then traditional photography.


If you are a fan of or would like to see more HDR photography, I recommend checking out the following blog: Tanya Tomshyna Photography .  She has a unique HDR style that has a really neat graphic novel/comic book sort of feel.  Her pictures of New York and Georgetown definitely inspired me to try this technique.  Check the images out and I am sure you will feel the same way.

Today's take-away:

                                                                                                                               
1) HDR is a great way to highlight detail in both dark and light parts of an image. 


2) Photoshop is one of many software programs that makes it really easy to create HDR images.


3) Play around with HDR to increase the range of light and dark tones in an image as well as produce dramatic images.  It definitely can't hurt and you may just like it.


4) Dramatic HDR images really make you feel like you need to illustrate a graphic novel.
                                                                                                                                

Happy Photographing!