First attempts at HDR

I think I have the HDR bug, if there is such a thing. Since discovering HDR photos on Flickr, I have been wanting to try my hand at the effect, as I think it looks really neat! If you don’t know, HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Here’s an explanation from Wikipedia:

HDRI provides the opportunity to shoot a scene and have total control of the final imaging from the beginning to the end of the photography project. An example of this control is that it provides the possibility to re-expose. One can capture as wide a range of information as possible on-location and choose what is wanted later.

What I did was use the auto-bracketing feature on my Canon Digital Rebel to produce three shots – one over exposed, one normal, and one under exposed. I then followed a couple of the tutorials I found on Flickr and used Photomatix and Photoshop CS2 to produce the final images.

I am not entirely satisfied with the results, but I figure the two HDR photos I made (which you can see here) are a good first attempt. I found that images with the sun directly in them (you know where you get that glare?) do not work well. Also, you really should use a tripod or at least have the camera on something solid so it doesn’t move.

I’m determined to get good at this (as I just love the final result of some of the photos out there) so I’ll follow that common refrain – practice makes perfect! Practice and experimentation. If you have any tips, I’d love to hear them.

UPDATE: What I am striving for, is a photo as good as this one.

Read: HDR First Attempts