26 July 2012

How to Shoot High Dynamic Range Photos / HDR

Have you ever wondered what photographers do to get those hyper-real, super-contrast photos? Possessing a high end camera, even though it helps a lot, is not the answer. These High Dynamic Range photographs, or HDR photos as they are commonly known, are a combination of skill, a decent camera and knowledge of technology. They result from processing and merging a series of images which are shot with different exposure compensations. The following is an easy two-step process to get you started with HDR photography. All you require is a digital camera which allows exposure bracketing and a computer with a HDR rendering tool.

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The first step is to take three pictures of the subject. The first should be properly exposed, the second should be over-exposed and the third under-exposed. This can be done by changing the exposure settings. In case of simpler point and shoot cameras, choose a low ISO setting along with the Aperture Priority Mode and then select the three exposure (EV) settings. It is essential to keep the camera very steady, so a tripod or a solid surface is recommended. If your hands are prone to shaking then it is advisable to use a remote trigger. Remember that movement of the camera or the subject would result in photo-ghosts once the pictures are merged.

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The second step is the High Dynamic Range Processing of the photos taken. Popular software options for this are Adobe’s Photoshop and Photomatix Pro. While Photoshop is what professionals swear by, it can tend to be a little overwhelming for first timers. Photomatix Pro is simpler and its demo version can be downloaded for free. The pictures should first be converted to tiff or jpeg files to reduce noise in the final HDR image.

Once Photomatix Pro is opened, all you need to do is to click “Generate HDR image” and select the three images that you have taken. When the next box opens choose “Align source images – By matching features”. This will line up the frames and remove slight differences which crop up. Another thing that you should never forget to tick is “Attempt to reduce ghosting artifacts – Background movement”. This will help make a crisp image with reduced blur. Click OK and Voila! You have created your very first HDR image.

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Once you start, there is no limit to what you can do with your HDR images. For sharper pictures, you can increase the number of shots taken to five or more. Options like noise reduction, tone mapping and other features can be explored as you go. So point, shoot, process and have fun!


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