What is High Dynamic Range Photography or HDR. It is the culmination of basically three exposures taken in succession...one that is underexposed, one overexposed and one that is “normal or standard exposure” of the same subject.
They are fused together to rectify the blown out part and the underexposed part. Your camera must have the capability to take these shots. Some take them manually while some automatically.
Your camera may or may not have the capability to combine them, but special HDR software like Photomatix is highly recommended to process them into HDR.
The lastest versions of Photoshop and Elements also have this capability. You may find Photoshop is expensive while Photomatix and Elements within budget. My preference is Photomatix...it's awesome!
Just had to find out more! I started to buy books (See below for a slew of them) so that I could learn more about HDR Photography. I have Rick Sammon's HDR Secrets for Digital Photographers, High Dynamic Range Digital Photography For Dummies by Robert Correll and the Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography by Ferrell McCollough .
The Sammon's book is a little more concise and is a great primer. The book has hundreds of HDR examples, plus he gets a bit into just plain "how to take great photos".
The Correll book tells you everything you need to know about HDR Photography and then some. Both books are highly recommended.
After learning some of the basics, finding out that my digital camera is capable of the HDR process, and after taking some shots in the HDR mode, I'm hooked!
Some folks either love this type of photography or they loathe it. Some consider it manipulation and “right up there” with taking a photo into Photoshop and altering the devil out of it. A satanic practice that could only lead one into hell's fire!
As far as manipulation, one can say the same about today's color film...it can bring out the mundane and convert it into stunning definition and color. Is this getting the best shots you can, or manipulation?
