1 High Dynamic Range
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. The range in this case is the total exposure referred to in a scene–the lightest lights and the darkest darks. A high range scene means there is an extremity to the brightest light sources and the darkest shadows. Have you ever struggled to see your phone’s screen in the sun? Even though the phone is technically a light source, it is impossibly overpowered by the sun. The last component, the dynamic part, refers to a photographer’s ability to capture that range and maintain the ability to adjust it after the fact. A camera raw file has a certain quantity of built-in dynamic range, which varies based on the quality of an image sensor. However, a single raw image will fall short when trying to capture the lightest lights and darkest darks; a dark exposure will capture the sun and sky’s nuance, but leave everything else underexposed. A light exposure will do the opposite. By capturing multiple exposures (called bracketing), they can be combined in post, where their full range can be dynamically shifted or combined.
Easy HDR: Sun Through Foliage
The easiest way to make an HDR image is using the camera’s native method, which will combine 3 exposures into one photo just using the DSLR.
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Original |
Edited |
The resulting photo automatically captures what is impossible in a single image: the green of the trees, the blue of the sky, and the sun. It also retains an increased amount of editing flexibility, shown here by the darkened blues in the sky and the lightened greens in the trees.
Bracketed HDR: Locks Ladder
For greater control, we can shoot a bracketed HDR and combine it later in other software.
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Once you’ve imported the photos to a computer, they are combined to an HDR in software, in this case using Lightroom and Photoshop.
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1/800, f22, ISO 100 |
1/4000, f22, ISO 100 |
1/100, f22, ISO 100 |
The finished photo allows for much more dramatic editing possibilities than a single RAW file offers.
DSLR Controller HDR: Locks Water
The native bracketing in a camera is often limited by the default firmware. By using an alternative interface, many greater functions can be unlocked. A popular option is the Magic Lantern plugin, that can void your camera’s warranty. I prefer to use DSLR Controller and a USB-C to Mini USB cord to shoot HDR with a greater range of brackets.
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If you have dirt on your lens, it will repeat across all the brackets in the same spot, so you can clean them with the Spot Healing tool on one photo, then replicate the change across photos by right clicking and choosing Develop Settings > Copy Settings, and turn on Spot Removal.
The two brightest exposures end up too bright to be useful, so I merge the other 5 to HDR Pro in Photoshop, a range of exposure from 1/4000” to 1/15”, 10 total EVs. This time, switch the mode to 32 Bit. The 16 bit mode is actually better referred to as tone mapping, where the dynamic range is used to make an artistic effect. By using 32 bit, the actu