HDR Photography For Dummies

I am not a professional photographer.  There, I disclosed.  I'm not good at being mediocre, though.  I'm either into something 100% or not into it at all.  Ask my mom..I'm an all or nothing kind of gal.

So since June of this year, I've been enhancing my skilllllz and trying to master this Canon 50D of mine and the four five lenses that I we have.  I say 'we' because my son has taken it up, too.  And just like other things gadget-y, he's much better than me and has mastered it. 

So my kid set my camera up so I can take HDR pictures.  High Dynamic Range if you're not into acronyms.  You can check out Google on the definition, but if you're the lazy kind..then HERE, I'll save you a click.  Basically I have a custom setting (C1 on my Canon) and when I take a photo, it generates 3 photographs in varying luminances like these below.  Yeah click, click, click in rapid fashion.

 

 

Now as you can see..none of these don't look really good by themselves.  Sure you can fix these individually in Lightroom or Photoshop but you want to bring out the color and all the highlights and shadows and make the photo come alive. That's where Photomatix Pro comes in.  You can read all about it in the link.  These three photos I took today are straight out of the camera, unretouched.

I uploaded these three to Photomatix...see the three files on the right. That's the 3 RAW files converted to JPG.

 

 

Then I hit "OK" and "Generate HDR Image" ~  the software crunches all three photographs (pardon my non techie language, the pictures are being cooked).

 

Boiling...let it cook s'more

 

Almost done, finishing touches..I just sit and wait (less than a minute)
Chromatic aberrations..uh huh.  Really? Makes you feel smart.

Initially, this is what you'll see.  Whoa, right?  No prob. Just hit "Tone Mapping"

You'll get controls like this to fix your image

 

 

Now this is where YOU (I) have control.  You move these sliders till you think you have an exquisite image exactly to your liking.  Kind of like Salt and Pepper to taste.

Hit PROCESS and then SAVE the image...voila!! 

 

 

Just like 20/20 Clear Vision!

You may click to enlarge

 

Now, dontcha love it? 

 

And there you go!  My (hideous) first photography tutorial in plain kitchen jargon that any layperson or cook can understand.  Thanks for reading!  This is how I learned it and if I can do it, so can you (and so can your Yay Grammie)!

 

Got questions?  Uhhhhm...okay, leave it here or comment..and I'll have my techie geeky smart patient and cool 23 year old son reply to you.  Cuz me...I'm more hands on than reading instructions.  But I do cookbooks!

 

Love thy camera.