With all the technology growth in fields like space travel and
gene mapping, isn’t it about time photography took a real step
forward? HDR or High Dynamic Range
Imaging promises to do exactly that quite literally democratizing
the production of digital images.
High Dynamic Range Imaging, the practice of ‘bracketing’, or
combining in Photoshop, a properly exposed image with both
underexposed and overexposed versions of the same image, creates
stunning, surreal photographs.
The above landscape shot of NYC’s
skyline at night is perhaps the most well known example of
HDR Imaging. Yes, it is NYC. No it is not a CG promotional image of Gotham
City for The Dark Knight (though it certainly could be). It is
merely 3 photographs, taken on a tripod at different exposures, and
last year it won 2nd place in Wikimedia Commons’ Picture of the
Year Competition.
I know that FutureBlogger isn’t exactly a photography site, but
this imaging technique shows real promise in putting professional
quality photography into the hands of the masses.
While this practice may seem daunting to all but a few highly
experienced photogs, it is not as complicated as it looks. Many
entry level Digital SLR’s already come
equipped with automatic HDR modes (just
look in your menus), and as shooting time lag (time between shots)
continues to decrease, and on-board camera processors continue to
speed up, HDR imaging could eventually
become something your camera does for you automatically.
In-Camera HDR would eliminate
underexposed shots by automatically taking the bracketing shots for
you, and this could happen within a few micro-seconds of your
initial shot, eliminating the need for a tripod. An on-board
bracketing algorithm would eliminate the need for time-consuming
manual bracketing in Photoshop. (cont.)
Continue Reading
