I was working on a moose image this weekend and had to use HDR software to bring in the mountains. I have learned to use my histogram to evaluate a photo's exposure. I especially watch for blown out sky highlights. When I can't get the dynamic range I need, I think HDR.
When I saw my histogram was pushed all the way to the right, I set up AEB (automatic exposure bracketing). I set exposure for 0,+2,-2 stops. The images I obtain don't look impressive, but when I pull them into Photomatix the results can be stunning.
A lot of my photos are taken with the camera handheld. To get the best HDR images you should use a tripod. One of the problems with taking 3 images is getting everything lined up. The software does a pretty good job even when hand holding the camera.
This was a series of photos I took on a tripod, but a breeze was blowing the tree in the foreground. It is hard to see on this small image, but the result was "ghosting". Just one more thing to watch out for while bracketing.
I use HDR to improve the range of my camera. I have seen a lot of HDR where the images are surreal. One thing HDR does is make cloud formations look interesting.
This was a photo I took looking down on Bonnie Lake. It was an uninteresting photo, but I had taken different exposures and decided to pull it into my HDR software. HDR really brought out the cloud formations.
This is a shot I took in Eagle, Alaska. I like the way the clouds turned out in this one. I try not to over do HDR, it is easy to get carried away with it.
Some HDR work does not look like HDR. This shot was taken hand held on a drive up to Tok.
I have found HDR to be another tool and may well be the future of digital photography.
Mike
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