HDR Imaging - What It Is and Why You Should Insist Upon It

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E C O N O M I C A L -- P H O T O G R A P H Y

HDR Images
HDR Imaging - What is it? Why should you insist that it's used whenever practical? Here's an exerpt from Wikipedia: High dynamic range imaging (HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDR is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows.The desirability of HDR has been recognised for decades but its wider usage was, until quite recently, precluded by the limitations imposed by the available computer processing power. So what does that mean? Basically, it’s a compositing process that allows the photographer to ensure that a finished photo has the best visible spectrum balance possible given almost any lighting situation. It allows us to make sure that a room – or almost any situation really - that would otherwise have under- or over-exposed areas when using only a single snapshot has the spectral range broadened, thereby eliminating spots of darkness or wash-out. No more harsh areas and the attendant shadows cast from flash photos. No more loss of detail in areas with low lighting or high-contrast situations (which is to say almost every scenario). The advantage to you is a warmer, more vibrant image that showcases the subject with a more faithful color and lighting balance than can otherwise be captured by a simple picture or the naked eye. What are the drawbacks? Well, it's not for everybody or every situation. Sometimes a little artistic license and playful use of lighting and shadow is desirable - not really what HDR imaging is designed for. It's also best used for photos where the subject matter is completely still. If there is the slightest movement of any of the elements of an image in relation to each other from one exposure to the next, the resulting composite will have "ghosting" of the edges of objects where movement was captured. Mouse over the images below to see the difference between a single standard exposure of a scene and the HDR image composited from differentially exposed images of the same scene. Please contact us if you have any questions about the services we provide or for details about our pricing. Click anywhere on the page to close this window.