Last night we were talking about using Bracketing, and I got a mixed reception about HDR (High Dynamic Range Photography), so I wanted to take a few moments to put down a little of what is in my head. Im not aiming to change anybodys mindset with what I have written here, however want to open up the thinking that not all HDR has to be so Surreal, and in fact sometimes the more subtle, the more impact / pop it has... That of course does not mean that there is no place for crazy surreal HDR, because that would be crazy in itself!! So, in its simplicity, HDR is merging sequences of bracketed exposure in a single render, which takes the detail in the dark shadow from one image, deals with the bright highlights from another, and combines them in a way that you get the balance of both (To find out more, I recommend a Google search). Yes, you can push the structure, colour pallet, and or even contrasts in a HDR Photo to extremes easier, and the image will take it, but, this does not mean that you have to, nor does it mean that all HDR Photographs have lucid / vivid colour schemes, and or are pushed to such a place where every wrinkle in a face, vein in a leaf are as prominent as the next. In fact, some of the more natural photographs are bracketed composites of multiple exposures, choosing the best part of each one to create singular image. The trick, the key to a good HDR is the not knowing that it is one. It’s far too easy to push an image to the limits, but to get a good balance, now that is the art. Knowing where to stop, that is the skill. If any one wants to know more about any editing techniques, drop me a PM. Another alternative to HDR is merging two different exposures where you have taken the same composition, and exposed the frame differently to capture detail which may be either blown out or too dark in a single photograph, Bracketing can still be used for this, though sometime the exposures can stretch beyond the dynamic range. Sky in a landscape is a great example for this.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:36:35 +0000
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