HDR, short for High Dynamic Range, photos have been in the mainstream for a while now, especially with the advent of programs and Photoshop plugins to make the task easier. I admit to, at one time, looking into the technique out of curiosity. After playing with it for a bit, I abandoned it as it wasn’t for me.
The technique basically uses two photos (or one RAW photo converted accordingly) shot for the highlights in a scene and one shot for the shadow detail. These two shots are best done with a tripod so there is no movement between photos. The range between shots can be over four or five stops of light. They are then combined in computer to bring out the best of both shots. Take a look at this Flickr group for some examples.
Rather than point out specific examples and rant on and on, I’m going to try to learn something with this post. I’d like your input, if you are a fan of HDR, on what you find so appealing about these images. My viewpoint right now is I don’t like how the technique is applied to 99% of the images out there. (yes, there is a way to make it more subtle, but that starts to get into the range of typical curve manipulation in Photoshop, and out of the “High” range of HDR)
Your input is greatly appreciated. If you’re just here to bash HDR or me, don’t bother.
I do use HDR sometimes. If you have a lot of dynamic range in a scene, it makes sense.
The problem comes with the choices people make in tone mapping. Most of the times I use HDR or tone mapping on an image, people don’t have a clue I’ve used it.
Try it. You’ll quickly see how a few small changes in the settings in Photomatix can make an image look perfectly normal or totally bizarre.
Range, range range. This is the reason some of us are drawn to it. The human eye can capture so much more light than even the best camera, and why should we be forced to choose between what is accurate and what isn’t because of a piece of hardware.
Can it be garish? Oh god yes – but then again so can any photo style. I’ve seen strobist work with so much artifical light that the whole scene looks bizzare and phoney to me. I’ve seen stuff so artificially enhanced with photoshop the only way I would see that look is if I stuffed myself with special mushrooms. It’s a technique and nothing more. Some of us like the extended lattitude it gives us, some don’t. I think when used properly it brings reality out in a way a normal photo (even a beautiful one) may not have been able to.
But as with anything beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Got to agree with range. I’ve been shooting the old fort batteries that guarded the entrance to Puget Sound. Some are so dark you need a flashlight to set the camera, yet the doors open onto daylight. How else to get that kind of shot? I’ve posted an example on my blog for the 29th.
http://myporttownsend.com/
From a purely technical standpoint an HDR file saved in one of the HDR formats contains vastly more information than even a 32 bit Photoshop image. As software evolves to tone map those images, I can even see them become preferred to standard current formats when accuracy in reproduction is required, say by artists wanting to make close reprints of paintings. The raw HDR files are that good.
This is all pointed towards using HDR as a technique to produce more normal looking images, not the ones that look like they were done with bright pastels. I respect that style, but unfortunately too many people equate that particular style with the technique, which is actually capable of creating very accurate representations of what we actually see.
Being new and excited about photography has now left me in front of my PC. I love photography but dislike complex editing takes away some of the 10inches behind the camera composing the shot (not alot but some). That said, HDR, being relatively new to this technique, i love the end result when done well. It should be treated like makeup, its there to enhance the picture but never should it be the subject of the picture. Subtlety is the word.
Anyhow that my opinion for what it worth.
Try and enjoy..
Thank you all for your explanations of your use of HDR.