As we saw in lesson 6, we can edit our photos after capture using a variety of software tools and techniques. We call this the digital darkroom, or post-processing or simply in-post. We also saw in lesson 3 that our camera is limited in its dynamic range. The camera sees less stops than the human eye can see. One way to expand the dynamic range of a photo is through a process called HDR or High Dynamic Range. When there is a high contrast between light and dark, highlights and shadows, we can use software to brighten the shadows and darken the highlights to recover detail. This is HDR photography. The software to accomplish this can be in the camera (via a setting, even iPhones have this setting) or in post via a program such as Photoshop. You basically take several photos with different exposures and then combine these to create a photo that has lighter darks and darker lights, thus expanding the dynamic range.
Below is an example of an HDR image versus a normally processed image. Note the huge ability to capture detail in both highlights and shadows.
Please read this great article on Nikon HDR http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/gsnc3qsr/high-dynamic-range-photography.html
Assignment:
Due to the techncial complexity of HDR photography, I am not requiring you to actually create HDR photos. If you have the proper equipment and or software, I do encourage you to make your own HDR photos. If you do not, you may search the Internet for HDR photos. Make sure though in your Google Image search, you click on Search tools and then usage rights and only copy images that are labeled for reuse. Please post two HDR photos from this shoot and post comments on your photo including where it was taken and other relevant information. Also post a comment on someone else’s photo.