HDR

Does HDR steal my soul!?

Only if you still have one.

Might one suggest that that is more accurately the definition of a technophobe?

As a relative newcomer to digital after a long break from film, I think HDR is yet another useful tool/function made available to the digital photographer. Choose to use it, or choose not to.

When you are no longer a relative newcomer we shall not hold it against you if you retract that view.

As I suspect you will.

G

I like to differentiate between exposure blending and HDR. I have found bracketing to be usefull sometimes, especially before I bought some grads but tended to simply merge the exposures rather than go over the top with the tone mapping. I have seen some great images using HDR but as I get more experience, the initial wow factor soon fades. I am especially getting fed up with the amount of HDR being used in broadcast TV at the moment, last series of Top Gear (for example) was rife with HDR, used to only be Top of the pops that the cameramen were allowed to play around ...

I see a lot of grad filters in broadcast TV these days. It does make skies, or even foregrounds look rich and contrasty.

Sort of Lightroom for video

I take a very keen interest in HDR which I use in my set up as a matter of course. I do not look to achieve the surrealistic look that others like to go for as I am very keen on keeping things realistic.

I use different techniques (and software) on occasion but the following link shows a few of my latest shots :....

I've done a quick test with my K-5. Daughter against a bright window. Basically, the HDR managed to retain detail in the window that I couldn't achieve with a "normal" exposure that didn't plunge my daughter into darkness. Only problem is that you have to settle for jpeg. So I will pursue...

Tony

Hi Tony,

I too tried the jpeg HDR in camera option to see how it looks but of course I have not found it to be substitute for bracketing option with RAW files then using Photomatix and CS5 to PP. It remains the best way to get a complete DR. However, that is not to say that I was unimpressed by the in-camera solution, I found them extremely usable for hand held shots.

Dave