Pixiq

Photograph © John Neel

Here is a basic HDR technique for shooting holiday lights that works for me.

To produce the image above, I used a Pentax DSLR with a Tamron 10-24 lens, a tripod, Photomatix Pro and Photoshop.

I try to produce a natural looking result when I create HDR. To me, natural is an approximation of what I see and feel at the time of shooting.

Try to preset most of the following before going out to take pictures. On cold nights, your fingers can get cold while you are fumbling with the controls. It is best to prepare ahead. Wear proper clothing, take a tripod, use gloves and bring along a flashlight.

I bring a small LED flashlight along when working at night in order to check my focus and other controls and for focusing. The focus is not very easy to set when the scene is dark. Pointing a flashlight at the subject will allow you to see where to focus or allow the auto focus to see a dark subject.

Make sure you are shooting RAW format.

For shooting HDR at night with most holiday lights outdoors, mount the camera to a good solid tripod.

Set the camera focus to  - Manual and focus on your subject. In Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) mode, it is possible to use auto focus, however if you need to make a second set of exposures, the lens may refocus on a slightly different object which will produce a difference in image registration. If using Auto Focus (AF) in conjunction with AEB, the camera sets the focus with the first exposure and maintains that focus throughout the sequence.

Do not move the camera, change the aperture or alter the focus during your HDR sequence.

 (see below)

Set the camera white balance (WB) to Tungsten and use a low ISO such as ISO 200. While tungsten is the best place to start with Holiday lighting, you may find that other light balance settings will produce interesting results. Low ISO settings will reduce the chance of noise in the final image.

The use of a tripod will allow you to capture the scene throughout the series of long exposure times without camera movement. It is recommended that you use an electronic shutter cord to fire the camera remotely.

It is also a good idea to use the in camera Noise Reduction setting to help minimize image noise produced by the under exposed images within the sequence.

While you can use aperture priority, I prefer to use Manual. Shutter priority will change the aperture for each shot and will cause additional problems with image alignment.

Depending on the camera, set the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) to produce anywhere from three to five exposures at increments of 1/2 EV upwards to 2 full stops apart. More exposures can be produced by altering the shutter for a second round of shots. At times, I shoot a second sequence at in-between settings, by altering the initial shutter speed by 1/3rd to a half stop. This provides a larger selection to choose from for HDR processing. again, do not move the camera or alter the aperture or focus while making this adjustment.

Set the camera to manual and use an exposure somewhere around 10 - 15 seconds at f/16 as a starting point. Generally, you want the center exposure in a bracketed series to be a proper exposure for the scene. This is not always the case, but is the general rule of thumb that I follow. Exposure placement can vary depending on the overall light within the scene and the amount of detail desired.

Allow the camera to complete the series and check your exposures to make sure you have a good spread. You should have three to five different exposures that will represent the various ranges needed for your HDR. Because the images are RAW, the extremes will appear to be way over or way under which is exactly what you want. The over exposures will provide the shadow details and the under exposed will provide details in the highlights.

Process the files in HDR software. I use Photomatix Pro.

I always complete the image in Photoshop using a number of enhancement tools including Layers as well as Dodging and Burning.

Note: In most outdoor settings at night there are probably more than one type of light source lighting the scene. When shooting RAW, you can later rebalance to the light of choice. It is best to be at least close if possible. Judging the types and temperatures of light sources is something that you learn with experience.

Here is a basic color temperature chart of the most common light sources:

Have Fun!

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NOTICE:    THIS POSTING AS WELL AS ALL PHOTOGRAPHS AND GALLERY IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT - © JOHN NEEL AND ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR ANY PUPOSE WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE WRITER, THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR PIXIQ. THE IDEAS EXPRESSED ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND/or THE AUTHOR.

Please read more of my posts regarding Digital and Analog Photography on Pixiq.

 And buy my book as a great holiday gift!

The Library Journal named it a Best Book for 2011. Best Books 2011: Rethinking Digital Photography

"Rethinking Digital Photography - Making & Using Traditional & Contemporary Photo Tools"

BUY the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble in the USA, Chapters/Indigo in Canada and other fine book stores in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries worldwide.

"There is a retro trend evident in current fashion, in the renewed interest in vinyl records, and in smartphone apps that take crisp, high-resolution digital images that look like they were taken with a Brownie box camera and developed in a darkroom. This book is just the thing for retro camera app devotees who want to go a step or two further. Fine-art photographer Neel presents all manner of camera equipment alteration projects, alternative processes, and playful photographic tricks, often combining digital and analog processes. This is a modern guide that incorporates older tools with great creative effect." - Library Journal 12/11