What Has Happened To HDR Photography?

[DD.]

What on earth is happening to HDR Photography?!?!

About a year ago, I happened upon some photographs on a site which looked absolutely amazing, the tonal range and richness of colours were staggering. Looking into the technique behind them led me to discover HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography.

Since then, Its popularity had steadily grown to become thought of as the next generation of digital tweaking. Yet another indication that we are getting ever closer to the skill and art of photography being replaced with how good you are in Photoshop.. which is a shame.

Whilst browsing the HDR flickr group i had come across photos done by amateur photographers. The comments from group member were along the lines of
“great one! i love people HDR and this is really cool!

Take a look for yourself…



And...



They look like extras from a living dead remake. Great one?!?! Really Cool?!?!? Beautiful?!?! Jeeez…

In fact, Flickr has many examples of what happens when a great image enhancing technique gets brutalized.

So what is HDR photography? Well, I am not going to go into detail, there are many sites that explain it better than what I could. Basically, you get one picture with dark bits, then take the same picture with light bits.. then using magical elves you merge them creating a nice picture with not so dark bits and not so light bits.. like this…



Get It??


Personally, a great HDR photo is one that does not look like it has had the HDR makeover. It has to feel natural, something you feel you could see yourself. Cue good HDR example…



This does not have the over the top, halo layered cartoon like colours (read the comments, sigh) that some people have mistaken as what HDR is all about. It has taken a potentially difficult scene at different exposures and merged them together to create this scene where all parts are visible. (Not one of my favourites, but you get what I am banging on about).

So put your money where your mouth is then Khan!

Ok, Ok, here is my first attempt. Still a long way to go, suppose I have Flickr’s HDR group to thank for showing me which way that wasn’t. So here you have it, a pair of wrinkly elephants arses…. enjoy.

Before:


After:


Words and Pictures Courtesy From:
NextBigLeap.com - Photography

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I hope you all read this. This is a very interesting article.

I've seen alot (too many) of people not getting the concept of HDR photography. Its becoming more of a style, fad or seeing how good you are at merging pictures in photoshop, photomatix...etc.

Thanks for looking fellow photographers of TR!

-Darrell

[nocomply540]

Good read and great info!

[.:Chris:.]

DareDevil brings the knowledge!

Great write-up Darrell. I tried to explain this to someone in a previous thread somewhere, I absolutely agree with you.I really like the example pic you posted, it shows a huge amount of tonal range without looking weird.

As long as computers are responsible for merging exposures we will have pictures with that weird halo effect. Once someone develops a camera that is capable of recording a high dynamic range in one exposure this will become mainstream.

Again, great write-up Darrell.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Wow -- that subway photo is absolutely amazing.

Great post.

[SaturnTypeR]

Nice. Thats one thing I have not played with yet.

[Mars_302]

I think the next step will be on camera HDR merging or rather multi-ISO sensors

[JDMGeorge]

people that think there doing hdr are not they are just adding shadow on ps

real hdr is made with 3 images in aeb bracketing or one raw combined to make one image that is tone mapped to give the affect

[Steve C.]

+1, great write up!