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HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography has long been a quest of mine since I began seeing samples of it last year in various photography magazines. While I will admit, my natural works I have done as of late, do yield a much higher dynamic range than the original exposure, but nothing like the stunning samples I have seen published.
After many trial and error attempts at making an HDR image (mostly just error), I had all but “almost” given up on the idea. But then I would continue to see more and more stunning examples done by other photographers and thus causing me to sit down at the computer and have a real crack at learning this technique.
I did some research on the web and tried to find as many tutorial type articles as possible on creating this HDR style of image. Then began with this Smoky Mountain scene I captured a while back.
I began with the image 1 stop under exposed, 1 stop over exposed and of course the normal exposure. But this time instead of experimenting with huge full resolution files, I resized them down to only 800 pixels wide so that the editing wouldn’t take as long. As I have found from my previous experiments, that each little curve adjustment seemed to take a few seconds even on my fairly powerful old G5 Mac.
When an HDR image is first generated either using Photoshop, Photomatix or some other application, the image is quite undesirable. Then you need to apply some tone compression or detail enhancements by adjusting, curves, saturation, luminosity, highlights, shadows, and the list goes on and on. So the end result is actually what you like best.
In the case of the Smoky Mountain image, I deemed that I liked the one posted here quite a bit. When compared to the original image shown below it, you can see why I have been so intrigued by this HDR stuff.
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After several more experiments, I thought I would convert one of the images I had displayed in the gallery that I created a couple years ago.
The image “Autumn Dodge” has been a fairly popular piece to both male and female audiences alike. Shown here is the original image, the version I created for the gallery and two versions of it in HDR.
I found that a lot of the end results has to do with the original images you are merging. Not all images will end up with the same results, so you can’t really expect to get teh same repeated style and effect like you would using a Photoshop filter.
But then that is actually a good thing. Since each resulting image will be more unique and not just a push of a button. Thus, two different photographers could take the very same original images and not end up with the same results like they would if they just used a third party filter.
Then if you were to mix your HDR results with some of those third party filters, you would add yet another unique dimension to the final image.
Of course this technique is not for everyones taste, and that again is a cool thing. And its the rage right now, but could not be quite so popular next year.
For me, I know that the version I have available in the gallery will sell more than the HDR versions. From the comments I have gotten by those that have purchased a print of “Autumn Dodge”, I know that a lot of it had to do with the coloring of the fall leaves and the details of rust and mold on the truck.But as for the Smoky Mountain scene, I feel that I would have sold more of an HDR version than the original or even a version I may have created using my traditional methods. And thus, thats why I have never produced that image for the gallery before. It simply just isnt dynamic enough. But now that I have seen what I can do with the HDR technique, you better believe that the image will be available in the gallery soon.
I have learned several things from these experiments into HDR. For one thing, I will not go back and try to reinvent the wheel and remake any images I have already produced as fine art pieces. This technique will only be used on new works I will produce to keep the originals in tact and remain as low number limited editions. And that doesnt mean that all new works will be HDR, but it will depend on the image and of course the mood I am in at the time of processing.
The results from creating HDR images can be so varied, that I know there will be lots more experimenting before I feel I have a good handle on this technique. But so far, I am excited about the possibilities it may open up for some of what to me may be an image not worthy of producing in my traditional methods. But yet may have possibilities in HDR.