high dynamic range - it's not just for Saturday mornings

3 image hdr

I've never really gotten the taste for the typical High Dynamic Range images. Trey does a great job in that style, but it just doesn't connect with me. So I've tended to avoid HDR tools. Occasionally, however, I get presented with a scene which is beyond the dynamic range my camera can handle. Usually I'll bracket the exposure then mix the images later with masks. Recently I signed up for a beta program of a new HDR tool. Most of the default results from the tool have the typical extremely high local contrast look that seems so popular to add in the tone mapping stages. But it can be dialed back and controlled to give a less obvious effect. I found I was able to blend several exposures without too much trouble, to get something much closer to what my eye could see, but without the overloaded local contrast in the image.

2 image hdr

I'm no expert at HDR (I think I've been happy with three final images in total) but it can be a useful tool to have in the back pocket, particularly when it can be used without being such an obvious part of the final result.