High Dynamic Range imaging (HDR) fad

The following are photos taken by my hubby using Sony A200 for the first time. My brother who's into photography and media arts commented that the photo could be improved using the high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) technique to enhance the color of the scene-the railways, steels and steel buildings found in the background.As newbies in photography we don't have any idea about HDR so we googled for it. HDR is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight.

Here's an example of a photograph processed through HDR:

Sun on the steel building by Dave DiCello

My hubby's determined to learn the art of HDR. The tools needed are a RAW editor such as Aperture, RawShooter, or Photoshop. Secondly, the HDR program. We've been told to use Photomatix. Using software like Photomatix you can create images with a more detail in the highlights and shadows than you can with a normal photo from today's digital cameras. Its similar to the old technique of exposure blending. Taking one photo for the sky and one for the ground, then merging them both together in Photoshop. HDR takes it a step further by increase the amount of detail in the image and allows you to create some unique photos. You can use it carefully to create natural looking photos or you can use it creatively to create atmospheric and emotive photos. The choice is yours as to how you process the end result.