HDR

PHOTO

GRAPHY

BY

PHILI

P VENABLE

WHAT IS HDR?

HDR-High Dynamic Range

A process to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from bright sunlight to deep shadows.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to bracket exposures in the camera

Use software to combine a series of images into a single image

Use software to manipulate the single image into a work of art

TOOLS NEEDED

A camera that allows you to bracket exposures, either automatically or manually. Photos captured in camera should be RAW or TIFF. JPEG captures tend to lose image quality when manipulated and resaved.

A tripod

Software-Photomatix, Nik Software HDR Efex Pro, Topaz Adjust HDR, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements

Photomatix can be used as a standalone product, then the resulting image can be imported into Photoshop or Elements, or exported directly from Lightroom. The Nik and Topaz products are plugins for Photoshop.

TYPES OF SCENES FOR HDR TO WORK BESTHigh contrast scenes-lots of highlights and shadows

High detailed scenes-lots of textures such as brick or wood grain

Any scene you want to bring out as much detail , color, or texture in regardless of lighting

HDR GETS A BAD RAP

Most people tend to shy away from HDR due to a “cartoonish” look as a result from bad software rendering, or over manipulation of the image. The end result can look like:

LET’S START

SET UP CAMERA

Use a tripod-compose your image

Set optimum exposure-Photo was set at ISO 200, F11, 1/200 sec

Use finger as a marker to start series, snap two photos. First is your series marker, with finger, second is your median exposure image, without finger.

Next image 1 stop under expose (adjust shutter speed only, leave at F11 through entire series), next image 2 stops under. Shoot another 1 stop over exposed, next shot 2 stops over. Then shoot another with your finger to mark the end of the series.

FIRST MARKER

MEDIAN EXPOSURE SHOT

1 STOP UNDEREXPOSED

2 STOPS UNDEREXPOSED

1 STOP OVEREXPOSED

2 STOPS OVEREXPOSED

END OF SERIES MARKER

NOW WHAT?

Upload photos to computer.

Photomatix works as a standalone program

Nik HDR Efex Pro works as a plugin within Photoshop

We will start with Photomatix

PHOTOMATIX 4.0

LOAD THE BRACKETED IMAGES

INITIAL SETTINGS

PREVIEW IMAGE

TONE MAP VS EXPOSURE FUSION

Exposure Fusion Combination of photos of the same scene taken under different exposure settings in such a way that highlight details are taken from the underexposed photos and shadow details from the overexposed ones.

Tone Mapping Processing a 32-bit HDR image into an image that can be properly viewed on monitors and in prints.

FINAL IMAGE

MY FINAL IMAGE

HDR EFEX PRO BY NIK SOFTWARE

5 SHOT SELECTION

PHOTO SELECTION

PHOTOS SELECTED

PREVIEW SCREEN

SETTINGS AND ADJUSTMENTS

NAVIGATOR AND CONTROL POINTS

USING CONTROL POINTS

FINAL IMAGE

COSTS

Photomatix Pro $99

HDR Efex Pro $99.95