Digital Home Thoughts: High Dynamic Range Photos with Dynamic Photo HDR

"Our eyes are very adaptive and they are also more sensitive to intensity than color. It is estimated that our eye can see over a dynamic range of nearly 24 f-stops while a digital camera can capture a dynamic range around 6 to 9 f-stops. The High Dynamic Range Imaging is a set of techniques that has been developed nearly 20 years ago to overcome the limitations of electronic devices by combining multiple exposures into one great looking image. Using HDR technique we can combine the different exposures to create a single image that shows details in both sky and the land. A HDR photography can be created by taking few photos with different exposure, then combining them in the software into a high dynamic file."

High Dynamic Range Photos can be really great in that they bring out the best of both bright areas and dark, shadowy areas and can really make images pop. The only drawback is overdoing it - if you do, your photos would like plastic and Disney-esque. I have used a competitor's HDR demo (Photomatix) to enhance a landscape photo I took near downtown Dallas and I can tell you HDR does make a difference. This software has many controls to get the best out of your photos. And, it has won several awards, including of Pop Photo's 2008 Outstanding Product Awards. Check it out!