Digital photography is a compromise.
It’s a compromise between what your eyes record and what your digital camera is capable of recording.
HDR photography helps bridge that gap. Digital cameras simply cannot record and maintain a full dynamic range of tonal values. In comparison, the human eye is capable of recording all detail from the deepest blacks to the brightest whites. It’s the reason a lot people are disappointed with the outcome of their scenic photographs. Have you ever heard the comment…? It looked so much better in real?
HDR literally allows photographers to work in lighting situations they would have previously avoided.
Creating HDR images is a two step process.
In the above photo.
In the first step you use your digital camera to record as much tonal range as possible. This is accomplished by taking at least three separate photographs where you use each photograph to record as much range as possible.
In the second step you use software to “merge” the three images into one HDR photo.
There are a handful of HDR products and PopPhoto recently reviewed FDRTools.
After reading the review I was convinced this software was definitely something that was priced right and it has capabilities that more expensive programs do not have.
Note: We are not affiliated with FDRTools.
