High Dynamic Range Imaging

High Dynamic Range photography is a process in which a photographer maximizes the range of luminance between the darkest and lightest areas of a photograph. The most advanced camera is unable to capture the ranges that the human eye can see, which often leaves your images lacking. Ever wonder why when you return from that vacation and the breathless beauty you saw was not reflected in the photographs you brought home? The colors just don’t “pop” out the scene or are muted? It is because your camera is unable to render the vast range of colors available in the spectrum.

Artists compensate for this by creating High Dynamic Range images. A process of taking at least three images of the same scene (some tips) and fusing them together… each photo is captured at a different exposure to capture the entire range of the scene. The first photo is properly exposed, the second is under exposed by at least one f stop (1/2 the light) and the third photo is overexposed by one f stop (2x the light). The images are combined using rendering software to produce those magnificent colors and high tonal range.

In this example below, I was inside the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. around mid morning where the sun was beaming through colorful stained glass windows, reflecting wonderful colors on the columns in the cathedral. Having been disappointed in previous photo shoots when my images did not look as I saw them in person, I was prepared this time. I took three exposures, each 2 f stops apart. Blended them and the final product looked just as I remember it that bright sunny morning!

A very important tip to remember is to always use a tri-pod for two reasons, 1) it ensure you capture the exact same image in photo exposures you take, and 2) it ensures your images are sharp

Stay tuned for more examples of High Dynamic Range images by Original Fotografie

David ‘Abu’ Martin,

Photographer