Some of you may have cameras that do high dynamic range (HDR) photography. Then this article is not for you :)
Most of you who read this may have DSLRs/manual point & shoot, so this write-up is hopefully beneficial to you!
HDR is just fancy talk to say that the camera/software will try to replicate the range and hue of colours and contrasts that the human eye sees into 1 shot ie, everything within a range so nothing seems washed out white/silhouetted black.
Here's an example of extremes...you are likely to do them too. Over exposed gives you detail like in the pants and the foliage. Under exposed gives you the dark mood of the sky and some detail of the stones
Most of you who read this may have DSLRs/manual point & shoot, so this write-up is hopefully beneficial to you!
HDR is just fancy talk to say that the camera/software will try to replicate the range and hue of colours and contrasts that the human eye sees into 1 shot ie, everything within a range so nothing seems washed out white/silhouetted black.
Here's an example of extremes...you are likely to do them too. Over exposed gives you detail like in the pants and the foliage. Under exposed gives you the dark mood of the sky and some detail of the stones
Sometimes the HDR image will come out surreal, ie, seem artistic. If you like that look, then great. Else you have to work the settings to get yourself an image that looks closer to what you like.
Here's my HDR rendition of the dhobi ghat...
Here's my HDR rendition of the dhobi ghat...
The rule of thumb is to get a +2EV | 0EV | -2EV set of exposures (you can do more for a more even look). The +2EV to capture details in the brighter zones of your frame and the -2EV to capture details in the darker zones of your frame. The neutral expose 0EV will be the base into which you mix your bright and dark details…got it? Great.
DSLRs have ‘bracketing’ where you can set the above up so that you can just click, click click to get the three (or five) exposures. On Nikon cameras it’s the button called BKT. On Canon you have to set it in the menu – look for AEB.
There are many software to create HDR on your desktop itself.
When not to use HDR
Tips and tricks
DSLRs have ‘bracketing’ where you can set the above up so that you can just click, click click to get the three (or five) exposures. On Nikon cameras it’s the button called BKT. On Canon you have to set it in the menu – look for AEB.
There are many software to create HDR on your desktop itself.
- The simplest ones like Photomatix will ask you to load the +2EV | 0EV | -2EV exposures and create different composites for you to choose from. But this software costs $$.
- You could also use GIMP and load an HDR extension/plugin which will do something similar, and it’ll not cost you a penny. Of course it is tougher to use but once you get the hang of it, it gets better!
- If you have adobe photoshop, you’re in luck as there are some plugins available that work well with PS. But these cost $$ too!
- If you just don’t want to take all this effort, just search for “HDR online free” on google and you will get a couple of sites that will run this off the cloud for you, I have mixed feelings about this, it’s ok to get a feel, but to really get those high quality high res files, this is not the way to go.
- Lastly, I’ve been out of android for a while but I remember some HDR camera apps and standalone software that converts any pic into ‘HDR”. These are also ok for quick nighttime/indoor/bright outdoorsy environs
When not to use HDR
- Any photography that has motion in it from one frame to the next – fireworks, kids running, animals, vehicles, etc is not ideal since HDR blends frames. Mild movement causes blur, while moderate movement causes ghosts.
- Another time not to use HDR is in low light situations…movement gets extended in low light shots as your shutter remains open for longer…so avoid.
Tips and tricks
- Try using HDR for outdoor landscapes. While you can use it for indoor as well, I prefer to use a bounced flash to light up the interior while the natural day light from outside (doors/windows) seems very natural on the shot
- Setting your camera on aperture or shutter priority along with bracketing will give you some more control. On aperture priority the camera is forced to bracket while keeping the same depth of field and shutter speed will be varied to compensate. Use this for portrait photography.
- Alternatively if you shoot bracketed on shutter priority, the camera is forced to alternate aperture…but then use this for landscape and not for portrait.
- Try to use a prime lens for indoor HDR, I find it produces the sharpest pictures which then also blend to produce a sharper output. For outdoor landscapes, your standard kit lens will work just fine under most daylight conditions.
- This point is more a trick than a tip, but if you are shooting low light/movement filled pic/ have a pic that was taken a while back that you’d like to “HDR”, follow this simple step…create 2 more copies of the same pic. Open them in GIMP/ Photoshop/ MS Powerpoint and manually increase/decrease the brightness on one or both the copies depending on whether the original pic is a +2, -2 or 0…and follow the same steps given above to HDR it. See an example of trick HDR below. Enjoy your new found knowledge!
I dedicate this article to my photography guru, German ace Photography Meister Hellmuth Conz. Thank you Mr. Conz for all the many learnings and eye-openings I've had under your tutelage :)