HDR ? What is it, and what does it mean?

Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 942 Location: Denver/Colorado

So maybe I have been out of the digital loop for too long. But I have been looking at some of images labeled HDR. (You take multiple exposures and combine them. ) Really thought the technique had some interesting results. Unfortunately I feel old and out-dated, because that word means nothing to me :(

My first question is, what does HDR stand for? (Henry, David and Randy? where Henry took a picture but came out under exposed, David was over exposed, but Randy got it just right?) Heh

Second, what is the method being used. I understand that the different exposures are stacked, but how are you treating them. And what are you using as the base? The correctly exposed image?

Thx

(oh and I'm using CS2 as my software of choice)

Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 350 Location: Ontario, Canada

High Dynamic Range images can be combined in CS3 as Smart Objects so that each image layer can be individually tweaked. I have not seriously used this function in PS. The function is called HDR Merge.

There are other programs available specifically designed for HDR combining.

Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 82

almost 200 views and only 1 reply. I trust you've found the answer by now, but if not, here ya go. HDR as the previous poster pointed out is High Dynamic Range. Essentially you take 3+ bracketed shots of a subject and then combine then all together in photoshop or other programs. Photomatix is a wonderful program to do this with. In your bracketed shots, you want to take one at a very underexposed reading (like -2), one at a properly exposed reading and one at an overexposed reading (like +2). You will need a tripod b/c trying to do it handheld will cause problems in the editing process. You can then tone map the image once it has been merged into one picture to further enhance it. The final product can tend to look very cartoonish if you over do it. The purpose of this type of image is to get as much detail from both the highlights and the shadows while still properly exposing your subject. I have a few of these on my website under the "corporate" section where I have been working on a time lapse project of a new building for my company. I chose to use HDR on some b/c otherwise, they were just boring pics of a construction site.

Here's an example