Digital images just can't capture both the high and low values of a scene with contrasty lighting. If you expose for the shadows, the highlights are blown out and if you expose for the highlights, the shadows are black and without detail. Negative film was much better at this.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging is a technique of combining multiple photos shot at various exposures into one that has the full exposure range of the group. This gives you the details at both ends of the luminance range. To do this, you basically bracket your exposures an equal number on either side of 'normal', taking a total of 3, 5, 7 and even 9 images. You shoot the number you need to get the full exposure range of the scene from white to black.
The trick is keeping the camera steady and a tripod is usually used. This image of the patio is a composite of 5 images, hand-held. There's some movement in the tree branches but it's not bad. I had the advantage of using the D300 and was able to use a small aperture and still have enough light to fire off the 5 shots in about second, bracing myself against the door frame.
Then, after the merge, I played around a bit with the colours. I think it has a "painterly" feel to it. Fun stuff.
This is the straight shot. You can see there's no detail in the patio stones and the shadows in the evergreen in the centre are completely black.
4 comments:
Could you do the same thing with multiple copies of the same image, making different adjustments to each and then merging those?
One thing missing from your image... burgers!
Those colours are psychedelic, man! Blows my mind. Actually, it reminds me of some painter only I can't think who.
I've actually heard of "one image" HDR, skylark, but I don't know how it works. It might be a faux technique that fools the eye into thinking there's data in the highs and lows. (I think there still IS data in dark shadows even if you don't see it.) Shooting multiple images at settings that cover the range ensures you have all the pixels you need.
It's 5:30 and all I can think about now is burgers! :)
The colours are bright, juliar, and I can now see it's easy to become seduced by them. I actually had them throttled up higher and then backed off. The posted image seems tame to me now.
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