Fun With HDR

After HDR Processing
As you can see, there's a lot of detail in the
snow (foot steps) that is recorded in the data of the
image, but just wasn't visible in the original shot.

This shot was a single RAW shot, saved two copies with
+2 and -2 exposure, and then merged with the original into
a single HDR image via CS5. This is one of the reasons to
shoot in RAW format so that you have the option of doing
more in post production; should that suit you.

As Shot

HDR is a fun technique that can bring out a wider range of light-to-dark areas in your photo. It often also involves higher saturation, higher detail, and higher contrast. Sometimes the technique can be used in subtle ways to bring out more detail in shadows and clouds, and other times it can be used for very dramatic surrealistic effects. Of course, the success of the results is purely subjective, and is in the eye of the beholder.

The above shot was taken this past Christmas at Duluth. It was a single hand-held shot, in RAW format. The beauty of RAW is that the image file sometimes contains enough data to still use an HDR process on it in post-production. It involves saving two copies of the file; one with +2 stops of exposure and one with -2 stops. Then run the three images through a normal HDR process, and tweak until it suits you.

Many cameras now have the feature built in now; where when you engage the mode you will actually take three shots instead of one; and the merging will take place in-camera. A tripod is a must otherwise the images won't line up correctly and you'll get blurring when they're merged.