HDR (A Quick How to Lesson)

HDR (high Dynamic Range) is a technique in photography where 3 (or more) pictures are taken of the same subject with DIFFERENT Exposure values.


 [There are ways to pull off this look with only ONE image taken, known as FAKE HDR, which can still look nice when done to the right image, but the REAL HDR will undoubtedly ALWAYS look better!] (simply because the details being emphasized are actually there in REAL HDR, where as in FAKE HDR its more of tricking the viewers to think the details were actually there....)


After editing the 3 pictures down into one, you end up with an image that most accurately represents how the human eye would see the world, OR, the effects can be exaggerated to bring out the details even MORE and create a surreal effect... 


If you don't know how to set your camera to shoot 3 pictures with different exposures, here's a quick lesson on it (Canon users - Nikon Losers ... no jk it should be pretty much the same on both DSLRs) 


Set the camera to "M" and set your picture, adjust your setting and all that stuff you would normally do for a normal picture, once you get an average set up, press the "Q" button and navigate to the Exposure Settings and click "set"

The thingy circled in green is the exposure menue, select it and roll the dial on the top of you camera to set the bracketing... the more the bracketing the more dramatic the difference will be between your shots...

for Magic Lantern users, simply turn HDR bracketing "ON" and that's all you'll have to worry about! >:P 

Now your camera is ready to shoot 3 pictures at 3 different exposures! You might want to add a delay/timer so when you press the button it takes a while before the camera actually takes the pictures 


(to prevent shake in the photo from when you press the camera - and also cause the 3 different pictures have to be EXACTLY the same in terms of composition) 

anyways BLAH BLAH BLAH! in the next post it'll be time to learn how to go from the 3 pictures above to this: 

This is a more exaggerated look, the details seem to POP in a surreal look, there are tons of different effects you can go for, so don't feel like all HDR images will look like paintings...