Pixiq

Here is a basic lesson in HDR.

The idea of HDR is to capture information such as highlight detail and shadow detail that a single exposure can not provide.

In order to create a higher dynamic range, there needs to be a series of overlapping exposures that capture details in both the highlights and the shadows of the scene.

Here is an example that shows the effects of blending a series of exposures and processing them through an HDR software package such as Photomatix Pro.

The above image shows three image captures that are spaced at plus and minus 2 stops. The middle image is normal.

You should be able to see that the N-2 image has more detail in the sky as well as the building. See red dot at top.

You should also see that the N+2 exposure image shows great detail in the shadow areas. See red dot at bottom.

HDR software blends these values to produce a composite image containing the critical details provided by these exposures.

Here is the result of a basic HDR blend before final color correction and other post processing.

In the final image above you will see the an expanded range that looks much closer in tone and detail to what we see with our eyes.

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