HDR Photography Explained | HDR Cameras

HDR Photography is also known as high dynamic range photography. HDR photography is the process of combining 3 or more exposures of the same image. The idea behind high dynamic range photography is to highlight the best exposure for different parts of the same photograph. HDR photography typically works best in outdoor settings, or settings with a wide range of light and color.

To create the HDR photo above I set my camera on a tripod and took 5 different photos that were each one 1 stop apart. My camera has an "auto bracketing" feature, which allows me to take all 5 photos with disturbing the camera. It is really important not to bump the camera when you are taking HDR photos, because any movement will cause a ghost effect and a blurry photo.

Below is an example of the 5 different photos that I took. Note that the middle image is the correct exposure. The two photos to the left are over exposed and look too bright, while the two photos to the right are under exposed and look too dark.

It is important to use the appropriate camera settings when taking HDR photos. It was previously mentioned that you will need to use the exposure bracketing function of your camera. You also need to be using a manual mode on your camera, so you aperture is fixed. If your aperture is different between exposures, your photos will come out blurry because your focus point will have change. The only difference that you want between photos is the exposure.

Once you have taken your different exposures, you will need to process your photos into a single HDR Photo. To do this you will need to download a HDR program. I use Photomatix. You can download a free version of Photomatix here, however, your images will be watermarked until you pay the $99 to purchase the program.

Using Photomatix is really easy. Once you have downloaded your photos from your camera, you just open Photomatix and click on "Generate HDR Image". Hold down your CTRL button on your keyboard to select all 5 photos and click OK.

Now you would have a preview of your HDR photo. You computer monitor is capable of displaying the full image, but you can use the preview pane to get an idea of what you photo will look like. If you are satisfied, click on the "Process" button and your HDR photo will be generated.

Once your HDR photo is generated you are at the fun stage. Now you can use the Photomatix "detail enhancer" to tweak your image. You can adjust nearly everything in the photo. If you want your photo to look like a painting, you can strengthen the effect and increase the smoothing. You can also make the photo more crisp and weaken the detail enhancer. It is up to you creative juices at this point.

It is possible to create a HDR photo from only one image. Although, it will not technically be an HDR photo. Creating a HDR photo from one image is often referred to as Pseudo-HDR.

To create a Pseudo HDR photo you will need to have a photo that was taken in RAW format. RAW photos are basically undeveloped digital photos. Because they are undeveloped, you can adjust the exposure and therefore create the multiple exposures necessary for HDR photography. This is really the only way to create HDR photos of moving objects.