HDR Photography Photo Workshop, Second Edition

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Dynamic Range and Digital Photography

Dynamic Range

Practical Effects of Limited Dynamic Range

Blown-out highlights

Details lost in shadow

Traditional Solutions

Adding lighting

Using filters

Contrast masking

Exposure blending

Tweaking shadows and highlights

Dodging and burning

Fill Light and Recovery

Processing camera raw exposures

The HDR Solution

Shooting exposure brackets

Using single exposures

Merging brackets in HDR software

Tone mapping the result

Chapter 2: Gearing Up For HDR

Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize

Common Camera Types for HDR

The dSLR

Compact digital cameras

Important Camera Features

Shooting modes

Auto Exposure Bracketing

Speed

Photo file types

Useful HDR Accessories

Tripods

Monopods

Remote Shutter Release button

Filters

Lenses and HDR

Everyday zoom

Wide- and ultrawide-angle

Prime

Telephoto

Macro

HDR Photography Software

Photomatix Pro

Other HDR software

RAW File processing and photo management

Lightroom

Aperture

Photo Editing

Photoshop

Photoshop Elements

Corel PaintShop Pro

Chapter 3: Selecting and Photographing Subjects

Selecting a Scene

Becoming a better photographer

Light

Time

Looking for high contrast

Details

Trial, error, and persistence

Setting Up On Location

Stability

Using filters

Configuring the Camera

Choosing a shooting mode

Selecting an aperture

Manual versus autofocus

ISO

Auto exposure bracketing

Drive mode

Taking Photos

Auto bracketing

Manual bracketing

Using exposure compensation

Chapter 4: Generating and Tone Mapping HDR Images

The Big Picture

Processing Camera Raw Exposure Brackets

Generating HDR in Photomatix Pro

Tone mapping in Photomatix Pro

Mechanics

Styles

Single-Exposure Pseudo HDR

Converting a single exposure to brackets

Dropping a single camera raw exposure into Photomatix

Additional Processing Solutions

Reducing noise

Correcting color

Making histogram adjustments

Chapter 5: Landscapes

Bringing Landscapes to Life with HDR

Evaluating the scene

Shooting the brackets

HDR processing

Tone mapping

Finalizing

Composing Effective Landscapes

Rule of Thirds

Leading lines

Using other fore- and midground elements

Working with Natural Light

Shooting at sunrise and sunset

Haze

White balance

Capturing Great Skies

Working with clouds and HDR

Capturing wide-angle skies

Working with fast-moving clouds

Chapter 6: Buildings and Structures

Approaching Structures

Bridges

Piers

Grand architecture

Capturing Structural Details

Including the sky for dramatic effect

Surfaces

Lines and angles

Using The Sun To Your Advantage

Urban Construction in HDR

Dealing with City Lights

Shooting Buildings with Compact Cameras

Chapter 7: Cityscapes

The Wider Picture

Correcting distortion and perspective

Replacing filters with brackets

Finding the Right Vantage Point

Leading lines

Reflections

Finding angles

Shooting high

Shooting low

Chapter 8: Interiors

Understanding Interior Spaces

Size, shape, and space

Natural light and shadow

Extreme contrast

Shooting Large Interiors

Traditional architecture

Contemporary architecture

Other venues

The Smaller Picture

Less drama, more detail

Problem solving with HDR

From the Inside Out

Buildings

Bridges

Aircraft

Chapter 9: Odds and Ends

Creating Panoramas in HDR

Taking panoramic photographs

Creating the HDR image

Stitching the photos together

Fun stuff

Reflections

Out for a walk

Ships

Cars

Shooting small-scale HDR

Working with Movement

Getting Creative with Pseudo-HDR

Creative processing

Balancing exposure

Chapter 10: Creative Possibilities

Thinking in Black and White

What to look for

The focus

Shooting on overcast days

HDR landscapes

Understanding color channels

Converting HDR Images to Black and White

HDR first, then black and white

Converting an image in Photoshop Elements

Toning Images

Enhancing with color

Warming things up

Creating toned images in Photoshop Elements

Cross-Processing

Applying the technique

Examples of cross-processing