HDR For the Love of Light: Vision From Nine photographers.

by Jim Austin M.A.

 

PART 1: What is HDR photography? Fire in the Cave: Why High Dynamic Range? How do I Make an HDR Image?

 

PART 2: Is there art in HDR? A Current Debate: Is HDR true? The Debate Continued: Is HDR real? What Makes HDR artistic? A Linked Glossary and References.

 

PART 3 : Beauty of B&W High Dynamic Range Photography

 

This three-part article examines work by nine photographers using high dynamic range HDR photography. First, the remarkable abilities of HDR software to capture light is explored. The unique construction of HDR photographs is briefly explained. Using the work of talented photographers as examples, artistic qualities of the images are considered.

 

In Part 2, we consider a debate about the varieties of HDR photography and their expression of what is true or natural. A key idea is explored: What is it that makes HDR artistic? The answer leads us to qualities of the photographer. A linked glossary is included to provide web searches and definitions of HDR concepts. Part 3 of the article explores HDR Photography in Black & White.

 

Part 1:  Fire in the Cave : Why High Dynamic Range?

 

Humans have remarkable vision; we can see an incredible range of light. HDR provides us with the tools to photograph what our eyes see, from shadows in dark caves to highlights off the water at high noon.

Imagine you are walking into a dark cave with an unlit torch. At first as you enter, you can’t see details inside. Then your eyes adjust. After a minute you begin to see details and colors on the cave’s ceiling and walls. Looking back to the entrance, you may see brilliant sunlight, like a ball of bright white light outside, without much detail. As you travel deeper into the cave, you see only dim color. Standard photography, with either film or digital cameras, can only record a limited range of tones: either the deep blacks and muted colors in the cave or the sunstruck trees outside, but not both. The technology of film (170 years in development) or digital imaging (22 years) is no match for the acuity of the human visual system (3 million years in development.) In high contrast conditions, you do not get a photographic picture of what your brain can see, the complete range of highlights and shadows of human vision. Now, with HDR, your photographs can come closer to expressing that dynamic range.

 

Now, imagine yourself back in the cave; you light a torch. You see all the color and detail of the cave’s nooks and crannies. Looking back to the cave’s entrance, you slip on your sunglasses, and the outside details that were missing before, can now be appreciated. Using HDR software is like lighting a torch for parts of a photograph, and like wearing sunglasses for other parts. Thanks to software created by HDR founders Jacques Joffre, Greg Ward and others, you can capture details of contrasty scenes just as if you shined a torch on them. Subtle visual details now become visible; no more blocked-up black tones or burned-out whites. With HDR tools, the photographer controls precisely how the shadows and highlights are conveyed. Dimly lit scenes at night, church interiors, and even vistas where the sun comes right into the camera’s lens: details of all can be captured as if your eyes had adjusted to the dim interiors or bright highlights.

Earlier the human visual system was mentioned. Well, imagine that the cone receptors in your eye could be active at night, seeing same color spectrum as in the day — that is the stunning beauty of HDR!

How do I Make a High Dynamic Range Image?

 

It is easy to make an HDR image. The central concept: a series of pictures at different brightness values records a greater range of tones than a single exposure; then, using software, combine the best of these frames into one image. For links to in-depth web tutorials, see part two of this article.

To create an HDR photograph you will need a capable picture editor such as Aperture®, RawShooter®, or Photoshop CS2®, or a dedicated HDR program like Photomatix Pro®, Artizen HDR® or HDR Shop®. Here are the ABC’s of making an HDR photograph:

• Mounting your digital camera on a tripod, preferably using a cable release, you take 3 to 7 aligned photos with different shutter speeds. Interestingly, if you shoot a single RAW image, it can be processed varying the exposure control to achieve somewhat similar results.

• The only variable you change is the shutter speed. For 7 frames, you take 3 under-exposed, 1 right on, and 3 over-exposed. Keep your aperture constant. With an aperture of F11, and assuming your camera meter shows 1/32nd as the correct exposure, you would bracket your shots at 1/4th, 1/8th. 1/16th, 1/32nd, 1/64th, 1/125th and 1/250th of a second.

• Download your images and process in your chosen software. Once learned, the technique is so simple that it is automatic. This year HDR sensors are quickly being integrated into digital cameras.

Seeing good examples of HDR imaging will extend our vision by giving image makers a fresh awareness of this novel imagery process. These copyrighted images are used by specific written permission of their owners. Each image contains a link to more work by that photographer. Click the image to explore it.

 

Go to Part 2.

About The Author: Jim Austin M.A., A.C.E., has written on digital photography for ten years. He was a commercial photographer in Denver, taught digital imaging for Metro State College of Denver, and has shown work in galleries for 3 decades. His online work is here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/69383322@N00/sets/. Austin wishes to thank all the photographers who contributed their expertise to these articles.