What is HDR, and how does HDR work in a smartphone camera? HDR

For some, the first photographs with a digital camera were taken seven years ago, for others - last week. Almost all of us have asked ourselves the question: why often in photographs the blue sky turns into a solid white background, and in those photographs where the sky was not overexposed, all the objects in the foreground merge into a dark spot.

To understand why this happens, let's conduct a small experiment. Let's set the camera to aperture priority (AV) and point it at the sky in sunny weather. Let's assume that the camera showed the required shutter speed of 1/2000 second. Now let’s measure the required shutter speed based on the darkest part of the motif, for example, the clothes of the person in front of you. We get 1/2 second. This difference in lighting approximately corresponds to the so-called dynamic range of the motif. It is usually calculated in exposure steps, and in in this case it is equal to 10 steps. Let's remember that one step corresponds to a twofold change in exposure. In our case, this is changing the exposure time from 1/2000 to 1/2 second.

Human eyes can adapt to changes in lighting up to 24 exposure levels, so we are able to discern details in both light skies and dark clothing. But the camera sensor cannot adapt to the light. It has a fixed dynamic range, that is, the difference in illumination between the brightest area of the motif that it can capture without turning it into a white overexposed spot, and the darkest area in which the recorded information is not obscured by noise. The dynamic range of the sensor of most digital cameras is approximately 9 stops of exposure, which is much less than both the ability of the human eye to capture information and the ability of black and white film to capture information. dynamic range up to 11 steps.

With these restrictions digital photography it gives us the opportunity to manipulate pictures on the computer. Therefore, it would be quite natural to take several frames with different exposures, combining them into one, which would give us the opportunity to significantly expand the dynamic range of the image. One such method is to work with layers in Photoshop and will be described later. The second method - creating HDR - will be discussed now.

HDR, or to be more precise, HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image), refers to an image with a greater dynamic range than in regular photographs. Where HDR starts is a topic of much debate. In some sources, the limit is called 13.3 exposure steps, in others - 9 steps, which fit into a regular 8-bit JPG file.

From a technical point of view, HDR can be defined as a file in which the brightness of pixels is stored not in integer form, but in a floating point format. For HDRI, the most commonly used 32-bit Radiance (.hdr) or OpenEXR (.exr) formats are used. Since conventional monitors cannot display all brightness values in a 32-bit file, HDRI must be converted to an 8- or 16-bit image. This process is called tone mapping.

Speaking of what HDR is not, it's worth mentioning that 8-bit photos cannot be made into HDR, even if processed in special programs such as Photomatix. Also, an image obtained from one RAW file with shadows brightened and highlights darkened will simply be a photo converted from RAW, but not HDR.

2. Shooting for HDR

To create an HDR image, you need to take multiple photos at different exposures, capturing detail in both the dark and light parts of the motif. As you know, you can change the exposure different ways, but in the case of HDR this should be done by changing the shutter speed.

Most the right way shooting for HDR looks like this:

First, set the camera to aperture priority (AV) mode and select the desired aperture number.
Let's set the exposure metering mode to the minimum area that the camera allows. Spot or partial metering is optimal, but as a last resort For most motives, the centrally weighted method is also suitable.
Let's measure the exposure in the darkest and lightest areas. To do this, the area of interest to us must be in the center of the frame. Let's remember these values.
Let's install the camera on a tripod, switch to manual mode (M), set the same aperture number at which we took measurements, and take pictures, raising the shutter speed from the lowest value to the highest (or vice versa) with a difference of one or two steps when shooting in JPG format or two or three steps when shooting in RAW.

If space on your memory card is important, you can limit the number of shots you can take by checking the histogram. On the darkest photo, the histogram should not reach the right border, and on the lightest photo, it should not reach the left border. It’s even better if the histogram starts in the middle of the scale in the photo with the maximum shutter speed. Then we can be sure that the resulting HDR will not have noise in the dark areas if we want to brighten them.

In cases where a tripod is not available or cannot be used, exposure bracketing (AEB) in combination with continuous shooting mode can help. Setting the exposure bracket to +/- two stops is usually sufficient to create high-quality HDR. In this case, it is best to use matrix exposure metering. If possible, it is better to lean against a wall or column to reduce the difference in frames caused by movement.

It is advisable to set the sensitivity when shooting for HDR to the minimum value, since most HDR programs do not handle noise very well. If high sensitivity values cannot be avoided for some reason, it is better to use Photoshop, since this program does a very good job of removing noise in HDR.

3. HDR in action

Let's look at how to create HDRI and do tone mapping using the example of Photoshop and Photomatics - programs most often used for these purposes.

3.1. Creating HDR and Tone Mapping in Photoshop

You can create HDR in Photoshop from JPG, TIF or RAW files. To do this, you need to either select files through the File-Automate-Merge to HDR menu, or use the Add Open Files option if the photos are already open. If the shooting was done handheld, you can check the Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images option. Just keep in mind that aligning images takes a lot of time in Photoshop, up to 45 minutes for HDR from three RAW files. If the program cannot find EXIF data, it will ask you to enter it manually.

After the calculations, the HDRI preview window will appear. Since regular monitors are not designed to view 32-bit images, only a portion of the entire light range of that photo will be visible. On the right is a histogram of the resulting HDRI. By moving the slider, you can change the gamma of the image and view parts of the photo with different lighting. Leave the Bit Depth value at 32 and click OK.

Now you can convert HDR to regular image. To begin with, it is better to convert to 16 bits to reduce possible losses during further processing. To do this, select Image-Mode-16 Bits/Channel. A window will appear with four options at the top. For most cases, only the last option, Local Adaptation, is of interest. Besides the curve, which works like Photoshop's simple curves, there are two options in this dialog box: Radius and Threshold. While the curve is responsible for changing global contrast, these two parameters determine local contrast, the detail contrast.

Radius determines how many pixels to consider as a "local" area when changing contrast. Too low values make the image flat, too high values can lead to the appearance of light halos, especially with high values of the second parameter, Threshold.

Threshold determines how pronounced the local contrast will be.

Now all that remains is to work with the curve. In order to find out where the light value of an image area lies on the curve, you should, as in ordinary curves, move the cursor over this area of the image. As a last resort, you can take several images with different tonal mapping parameters, then combine them with different overlay modes or hide parts of the layers with masks. Before clicking OK, it is best to save the settings on the curve so that you can change them later if necessary or use them for images taken under the same conditions.

You can ask all questions about creating HDR images in the “Questions to an Expert” section. On the next page is an overview of the main programs for creating HDR.

3.2. HDR and Tone Mapping in Photomatix

Let's create an HDR file from several photos. To do this, you can select photos via HDR-Generate-Browse or open the desired images, select the HDR-Generate menu and check Use Opened Images. The second option does not work for RAW files, since Photomatix automatically creates pseudo-HDRI from them. If Photomatix cannot find the EXIF data, it will try to approximate it. Most often the result is not bad at all, but at this stage you can adjust the exposure data. As in Photoshop, it is better to provide the correct data here.

Once the files are selected, the following window will appear. It allows you to select different options to create HDR. If there is a possibility that the camera position was slightly changed when shooting, then Align Source Images can be checked. Photomatix, when you select the Attempt to Reduce Ghosting Artifacts option, will try to minimize differences in shots due to moving objects. If these objects belong to the foreground, for example, people or swaying branches, then it is better to select Moving Objects/People and select High from the Detection menu. In my experience, it is better not to activate the wave correction option; without it, the results are usually better. In the Tonal Response Curve settings at the bottom, it is better to leave Take Tone Curve Of Color Profile.

Once the calculations are complete, the image can be rotated using Utilities-Rotate-Clockwise/Counterclockwise. Regular monitors cannot display the full dynamic range of a created HDR image, but parts of it can be viewed using the HDR Viewer window. Via View-Default Options-HDR you can configure whether this window will appear or not. HDR Viewer can also be launched using the Ctrl+V key combination.

Now you can begin to transform HDR into a form accessible to normal monitors. Select HDR-Tone Mapping (Ctrl+T). A window will appear with various settings that will determine the final photo, how realistic or surreal it will be. In the Method field, select Details Enhancer. Another method, Tone Compressor, can give quite good and realistic results, but offers fewer control options for tone mapping.

Let's take a look at what the different tone mapping settings mean.

Strength- controls the influence of other parameters on the final result.

Color Saturation- color saturation of the resulting image.

Light Smoothing- is responsible for the smoothness of light transitions. It is she who is to blame for the ghosting that is characteristic of many HDR photographs. It is better to set this value to the maximum.

Luminosity- determines the overall light level of the photograph. Increasing this setting brightens shadows, distributing highlight values more evenly across the histogram, but at the same time brings out noise in the shadows.

Micro Contrast- determines light contrast in detail.

Micro Smoothing- reduces the local contrast of details, the influence of the previous parameter. Settings that are too high will result in a flat photograph with weak local highlight values, while decreasing this setting will increase noise and may result in dark gray spots in areas of average light.

White/Black Clip- defines the value after/before which information in light/dark colors is cut off.

Output Depth- for images that you are still going to process in a graphics editor, it is better to set it to 16 bits.

Some pretty useful options were added in version 2.5: Color Temperature- shifts the color temperature of the image relative to the original HDRI.

Saturation Highlights/Shadows- change the saturation of dark/light tones. These options work with the original HDR image, with the shadows/lights of the actual motif, so they are not the same as Color Balance or Selective Color in Photoshop.

Highlights/Shadows Smoothing- control the change in contrast in dark and light colors.

Shadows Clipping- darkens dark areas that usually contain a lot of noise in HDR.

Usually the local contrast of the resulting photo is lower than that of the preview. This happens because the tonal mapping is calculated taking into account the sizes of the local and global contrast areas, which vary depending on the size of the image. Difference between end result and the preview will be greater, the greater the difference between the image itself and its copy in the preview window.

In this case, or if for some other reason the result does not suit you, you can return to the HDR file using the HDR-Undo Tone Mapping option.

4. Exposure Blending

Besides creating HDR, there is another way to increase the dynamic range of photos. This method works for any number of photos taken on a tripod, but for simplicity we'll limit ourselves to two shots. In Photoshop, both photos are copied into one file as layers, and a mask is added to the top one.

In the simplest cases, when the light and dark parts of the image are separated by a straight horizon line, it is enough to paint the mask with a gradient from white to black, simulating a gray gradient filter known from analog photography. If you hold Shift while creating a vertical gradient, you will get a smooth horizontal transition.

Much more often like this simple methods It’s impossible to get by: the dark and light parts of the photo are separated by an uneven border or scattered throughout the photo. In this case, the mask will have to be adjusted to the specific case. To do this, place the layer with the darker photo on top and add a mask to it. First, let's make a rough sketch of the brightness distribution on the mask. This can be done in several ways.

First way:

Select a more contrasting layer and copy it (Ctrl+C).
In the list of channels of the top layer, select a mask.
Copy (Ctrl+V).

For the second method, the top layer should not have a mask at first.

Among the RGB channels of a more contrasting layer, select the most contrasting channel.
Select it by clicking the mouse while holding Ctrl.
Add a mask to the top layer. It will automatically fill with information from the selected channel.

After creating a mask blank, its contrast can be increased with curves or you can make a mask consisting only of black and white flowers filter Filter-Sketch -Stamp. True, it only works in 8-bit mode. Most often, after this you need to carefully adjust the mask with brushes, changing the transparency, size and blurriness of the edges of the brush.

Photomatix also offers several methods for combining exposures, which sometimes give very good results. To do this, open the photos and select one of the methods in the Combine menu. The best results are achieved by H&S-Auto and H&S-Adjust. In the second case, the Blending Point value can be used to specify which photos it is preferable to take information from. The higher this value, the greater the effect that lighter images will have on the results. The Radius parameter allows you to control how accurately the exposures overlap.

5. Post-processing

HDR images typically need to be processed after tone mapping to add contrast and correct colors. In addition, images obtained in Photomatix, at some settings, have one peculiarity: the shadows in them are lighter than in the lightest of the original images, and the light areas are darker than in the darkest. To make the image closer to reality again, you should open it in Photoshop, copy the lightest of the original photos on top in Darken mode and the darkest in Lighten mode. It is possible that you will need to add masks to these images and erase some parts with a soft-edged brush with a transparency of 10-30%.

Some programs that work with HDR may distort colors and color saturation in tone mapping. In most cases, this problem can be corrected in Photoshop: copy the original images as layers onto the resulting HDR image and change the overlay mode to Color or Saturation, thereby returning natural colors. In areas of overexposure and shadow, colors from under- and overexposed sources should be used, respectively.

6. Alternative programs for working with HDR

This article looked at Photoshop and Photomatix in detail, but besides them there are other programs that allow you to create HDR and do tone mapping. It is also worth paying attention to these alternative programs.

EasyHDR- a program with a convenient, intuitive interface and a large number of options. More flexible than Photoshop, tone mapping results look more natural than Photomatix results.

Artizen HDR- a graphics editor in which working with HDR is not the main function. HDRI creation and tone mapping are done quite well.

Picturenaut - free program for working with HDR. Does a good job of tone mapping, but with very high dynamic range it can be difficult to find appropriate settings.

Qtpfsgui- offers several algorithms that differ in parameters, results and calculation time. After tone mapping, the results are saved in various windows, which makes it possible to compare and select the optimal parameters.

Ulead PhotoImpact- famous graphic editor. Controlling the tone mapping carriages is not very convenient, but the results are more or less satisfactory.

HDR View- a small program for viewing HDRI. Allows you to increase and decrease exposure, save the image at the selected exposure in bmp format.

HDR technology can help photographers overcome the dynamic range limitations of digital camera sensors. Some programs also allow you to create images that look more like surrealist paintings than photographs. In what cases does it make sense to expand the dynamic range of a photograph, how realistic the final photograph will be - everyone decides for themselves. Working with HDR gives us this wonderful choice.

HDR means high dynamic range, for more concise and convenient use the English abbreviation is used, HDRI - high dynamic range of the image. HDR is a type of photography that allows you to create images with greater dynamic range than is normally possible.

To understand what it is and understand how to use it, you first need to understand what dynamic range is.

Dynamic range

Dynamic range is a measure of the spectrum of lighting at various levels - from the darkest blacks to the brightest whites - that can be displayed on a camera. Dynamic range determines the amount of contrast you can capture or display without losing detail.

The dynamic range you can capture with a camera is significantly higher than what can be displayed on your monitor.

Why is this so important?

Some scenes may have too much contrast due to certain types of lighting. This is why experts advise avoiding shooting at midday in bright sunlight, as cameras cannot cope with the full range of light. In low light, other problems may arise - the image will be too dim and lack contrast. As a result, the photo will have soft shadows, but the frame itself will be a little plain.

Midtone Image

Are there ways to avoid this?

When shooting digitally, these problems are much easier to solve, since the shooting result is instantly visible on the display. Depending on the resulting frame, you can change the camera settings or change the angle. We can also use flash to reduce the contrast on a sunny day and use a special filter to balance the difference in brightness between the sky and the landscape.

Moreover, there are processing techniques that can be used in Photoshop, especially if the shooting took place in RAW mode, which allows you to obtain images with maximum detail in the darkest and lightest areas of the frame.

How does HDR work?

HDR allows a greater range of brightness to be used in an image, and the range can be much greater than in a normal image. True Image HDR is created from several photos of the same scene, taken with slightly different exposures.

Each exposure captures part of the tonal range. They are then combined into one image using special software.

What is meant?

True Image HDR contains a much larger range of tones - too much, in fact, to display on a normal computer monitor or when printed on paper.

They are typically stored as 32-bit files that can convey up to 4,300,000 shades of each color channel. By comparison, a standard JPEG file can convey 256 (8-bit) tones per channel, and a RAW file can convey between 4,000 (12-bit) and 16,000 (16-bit) tones per channel.

So what do you do with this very large file?

The next step for most HDR images is tone mapping. The program uses a 32-bit HDR image to create an image with a contrast range that can be reproduced in print or on a monitor.

Each tonal value will be recalculated at a different scale. The result is a new image in which you can see all the details in both the brightest highlights and the darkest shadow areas. This is the importance of the tone mapping you can get from HDR.

How to use HDR creatively?

Many enthusiasts don't just use HDR in combination with software, they go beyond that. They do not set themselves the task of creating a realistic image, they strive to create an original artistic image that no longer looks realistic. The resulting effect is similar to that used in the hyperrealistic style of painting. Some people like it, some don't.

Image at brightest exposure

What software is needed?

There are many programs that include HDR - including free ones. The most well-known program is Photomatix Pro, but the latest version of Photoshop (CS5) has a built-in HDR center.

Typically HDR programs have a range of sliders to help you control the tone and give you the ability to make the effect the way you like.

How to shoot with HDR?

Essentially the process is the same as bracketing. The number of shots you'll need depends largely on the actual tonal range of the scene you're shooting. The greater the contrast, the more shots you should take.

Typically three photographs are taken, but depending on the shooting situation, you may need to take as many as nine photographs, each one or two stops different from the previous one. Some DSLR cameras have AEB (automatic exposure bracketing), which will allow you to do this without additional hassle.

Darkest exposure image

What other settings should I use?

The sequence of your shots should be as close in content to each other as possible (though obviously the brightness will vary). Any changes caused by motion can create a halo that your software then has to deal with.

prepared the material

Rodion Danilov

Owners of the latest smartphone models have probably seen that they have a photo application with HDR (High Dynamic Range) support ). More experienced users know what HDR is, but not everyone understands how and in what cases this function is best used. In the “Instructions” section we will try to clear up some of the confusion and show how to make the most of HDR when shooting with a mobile phone.

As you know, the human eye can see much more “high dynamic range” of a scene than any camera, let alone a cell phone camera. We can equally well distinguish small details of a dark building against a bright sky and, for example, an airplane flying high above it. But we all know what happens if you take a picture of a building with your phone: it turns out to be too dark with very hard to see details.

Photo with sky exposure

Of course, we could try to fix this problem by setting the exposure on the building itself, highlighting the area with it on the screen. With this approach, the decor of the building is visible well, but the sky in the photo has turned into an overexposed, blurry white spot.

Photo with exposition of the building

Our goal is to combine the best features of the two photos, creating one image where both the building and the clouds look great. This is exactly what HDR technology offers. Photos taken with HDR are essentially several shots combined at different exposures.

The default iPhone app for taking photos has built-in HDR functionality. You can enable HDR by clicking on the option button in the “camera”. When HDR mode is turned on, iPhone will automatically take HDR photos. Please note that this takes longer than normal shooting.

However, the built-in iPhone application gives rather “weak” results, and you can take much better pictures using special programs.

Photo taken with Pro HDR on iPhone 5
Photo taken using the default application on iPhone 5

One of the most popular and convenient photo applications with HDR function is Pro HDR(for iOS - 66 rubles; for Android - 61.75 rubles). However, there are also free versions with limited functionality.

The Pro HDR app offers two modes: automatic and manual. If you choose Auto, the app will analyze the scene, take a photo with a dark exposure (with detailed highlights, but less detail in the shadows) and a light exposure (with detailed shadows, but little detail in the highlights), and combine the two images.

Some photos may not look natural enough. To add realism to your photo, use five sliders in a simple and intuitive settings panel. They allow you to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, warmth and tint. Automatic mode is quite suitable for most situations; Manual mode is only necessary when shooting the most contrasting scenes.

Settings panel interface in Pro HDR

Please note that HDR photos do not always look better than those taken in standard mode. Try to save both HDR and “normal” shots so you can choose the best ones later.

It is inappropriate to use HDR mode when shooting in motion. Due to the fact that HDR combines multiple exposures of the same scene; and if these very scenes change, you will end up with the most unpredictable results. Try to shoot while leaning on something stable or using a tripod.

HDR photo taken in motion

More and more often I am asked how I get such HDR photographs and why I have such a strange processing “algorithm”. I decided to make a separate topic in which I will try to answer these questions.

1. Theory

What is HDR and why is it needed?

HDR - High Dynamic Range, or in Russian Wide Dynamic Coverage. Dynamic Range measured in " exhibition steps" (EV). Shifting exposure by 1 EV means changing the amount of light hitting the film or digital matrix by 2 times. For example, if the shooting parameters calculated by the camera are 1/50 sec (shutter speed) and f/8 (aperture), then exposure compensation +1 eV will result in shooting with parameters 1/25 sec and f/8 in aperture priority mode or 1/50 sec and f/5.6 in shutter priority mode.

Very often I see photographs with knocked out highlights and failed shadows, and almost always the Authors of these photos claim that " that's how it was". The problem is that the dynamic range ( DD) of the human eye (the ability to simultaneously see details in both highlights and shadows) is (at different people differently) approximately 20 steps, which significantly exceeds the DD of digital camera sensors.

It's sad, but DD has Canon"ov is a little behind Nikon"ov. In principle, this is not "deadly" if you take several frames for HDR, which is usually done. But, having a camera with a wide DD you can get quite high-quality pseudo-HDR from one frame and at least a couple of my latest shots from Prague can serve as confirmation of this.

Why is HDR needed? Then, so that the photo would be the same as the photographed scene was seen by the eyes of the photographer, i.e. details were visible both in the lightest areas and in the darkest.

HDR has both fans and opponents... some people like such photographs, others don’t. In my opinion, high-quality HDR looks great! Undoubtedly, the Master in this area is Trey Ratcliff. By the way, he is blind in one eye from birth, but this does not bother him at all!

HDR or not HDR - that is the question! If the scene you are shooting has a lot of contrast in lights and shadows, then it makes sense to take several photos with different exposures for HDR assembly. An example would be a city at night or abandoned buildings. If the dynamic range of the scene is not large, then HDR may be unnecessary.

2. Practice

What is needed to create an HDR photo? Need to find interesting place and grab a tripod if handheld shooting will be difficult due to long shutter speeds. Many digital cameras can take what is called Exposure Bracketing, which will allow you to take a series of frames at different shutter speeds, the first (depending on the camera settings) of which will be very dark, the middle one will be normal and the last one will be very light.

I read somewhere that for HDR image assembly programs it is desirable to have, say, 5 frames of bracketing in steps of one stop, rather than 3 frames, but in steps of 2 steps. Since the exposure increments on my D800 are 1EV, I usually shoot 5 frames of bracketing.

For those who film Nikon It might be interesting to watch a video on how to set up a camera that will shoot the entire series of bracketing itself with just one press of the shutter button. This trick is indispensable when shooting at night at long exposures - even if you shoot from a tripod, constant finger pressure on the shutter button at shutter speeds of 20-30 seconds can lead to slight camera shift/shaking and a ruined shot.

If the spread between light and shadow is large, then sometimes I shoot 9 frames in order to “capture” as much useful information as possible, such as in the next two photos.

3. Processing

For those who speak English, I would like to recommend reading the book, I read a lot of interesting things in it. Concerning " What is the best build program to use?"I think many will agree that Photomatix Pro is the best. Photomatics can work both independently and as a plugin for LightRoom"a and Aperture. A big plus of this program is the ability to use presets, of which there are sufficient quantities in the open spaces Internet.

I'll try to describe my processing process step by step.

1) I import all RAWs (if someone else shoots in JPEGs, drop it and switch to RAWs) into LightRoom;
2) and setting the same White Balance for all frames (sometimes there is a slight discrepancy in the BB);
3) Sometimes on some frames I move the Highlights & Shadows sliders;
4) I send all the frames to Photomatix.

If the HDR was made from several frames and there are moving objects, I control how well Photomatics “suppressed ghosts” (Ghost removal). There it is possible to manually indicate “problematic” areas and usually Photomatics “crushes ghosts” very well.

5) There I get a result that suits me, and I save it. LightRoom automatically “catches” the resulting result, which is almost immediately “sent” to Photoshop;
6) In Photoshop, I clean up various “garbage” and correct the geometry;
7) I use it very often Nik Color Efex Pro -> Tonal Contrast And Darken&Lighten Center;
8) I often apply noise reduction to the sky Nik Dfine;
9) Save and return to LightRoom;
10) "Adjustment Brushes" in LightRoom"e are very powerful local correction tools. Therefore, I almost always finalize the frame in LightRoom using adjustment brushes in various modes (darkening, lightening, Highlights, Shadows, Clarity (both plus and minus), Sharpness and Noise). I get a lot better with them It’s easier to work with than with adjustment layers and masks in Photoshop.
11) I export the resulting result (usually 1400pix in width), look at it and periodically find some shortcomings, return to LightRoom or Photoshop, fix them, export again, look and... and often this is the process of “look-see-finish” “It can drag on for a long time, until I’m satisfied with everything.
12) Very often I wait until the next day and very often I finish something the next day.

Well, this is my photo processing process ;-)

4. Video materials

This section will be of interest to those who are “friendly” with English and those who want to “deepen” their knowledge in the field of HDR. I highly recommend watching the entire video.

Happy HDR experiments everyone!!!

A quick guide to creating high dynamic range photos. The article discusses the main points of HDR shooting - choosing a scene, setting up the camera for shooting with bracketing, not done great review programs for merging HDR, provides alternative methods for expanding the dynamic range, working with filters, as well as shooting HDR panoramas and working in the multiple exposure style. The material is designed for beginner amateur photographers who know how to use a digital camera and have the skills to process images on a computer.

What is HDR?

Every amateur photographer who is interested in landscape photography faces the same problem - photographs of a picturesque place or city landmark are often far from reality and turn out either overexposed or, conversely, too dark.

In the first case, in the picture the sky with clouds is greatly overexposed or absent altogether; in the second, the sky is well detailed, but all other details of the landscape are so dark that they are practically invisible. Trying to change the exposure settings does not change the situation in any way. The fact is that, unlike photographic equipment, the human eye is capable of perceiving a wider range of brightness gradations.

The answer must be found in the limited dynamic range of modern digital cameras. The camera's light meter measures exposure either in light areas (sky) or, conversely, in dark areas (buildings, trees, ground). That's why the only way out from the current situation - shooting in exposure bracketing mode and then combining images in a graphics editor.

Technology HDR(High Dynamic Range) combines the light, mid and dark tones of a series of images into a single high dynamic range shot. Most often, the photographer does this using a special computer program; Some cameras have similar functionality built into them; they allow you to take HDR photos without using a computer.

In order for the program to correctly combine the images, it is very important that they are as identical as possible and differ only in the exposure parameters. When shooting handheld, even on a bright sunny day with a fast shutter speed, it is not always possible to hold the camera still, which leads to a slight shift, as a result of which the final HDR image will be blurry. Shooting from a tripod will help - the photographer will receive a series of images that, in theory, should match perfectly. However, in practice, the same pictures will only be taken in a deserted place with complete calm - the wind sways the branches of the trees, passers-by, passing cars, as well as birds and other objects get into the frame. In this case, software algorithms take over to help fight blur; in the language of the developers, this technology is called Ghost Reduction, or “fighting ghosts.”

If you don’t have a tripod with you, or the shooting conditions do not allow you to tinker with it (during an excursion, or if shooting from a tripod is prohibited), it is quite possible to shoot handheld in bracketing mode, if you find good support and hold the camera firmly.

Another option for creating HDR is processing one image taken in RAW format in 2 stages: first, a virtual copy of the file is made, then in one image they work with highlights, in the other with shadows, after which the two files are merged into the final image. And finally, another technique is to create a “pseudo-HDR” from a single file using processing in a specialized program, such as Topaz Adjust.

In any case, competently stitched HDR images look very impressive and undoubtedly attract the attention of viewers.

Should you take a regular photo or shoot HDR?

Determining whether a scene is suitable for HDR is very simple - just take a test shot of the landscape you like in creative mode, for example A, and immediately evaluate the result on the screen. Is the sky overexposed and the shadows in the picture littered, while in reality everything around looks stunningly beautiful? You can safely shoot HDR, this story is just our case.

Oddly enough, storm waves with a stormy sky come out very beautifully - despite the fact that the three exposures will be radically different from each other, when stitched together in Lightroom 6 you can get an unexpectedly dramatic and interesting photo.

It is quite difficult to shoot HDR at sunset, especially if there are beautifully illuminated clouds in the sky, often the sky is even traced by the rays of the sun through the clouds - in this case, the dynamic range of the scene is not so wide, the HDR technique is of no use here, a single RAW frame is quite enough. It’s better to concentrate on shooting and capture the moment before the sun disappears behind the horizon!

However, even at sunset, if you have a tripod with you, it always makes sense to take a couple of series, because you can get very interesting pictures by deliberately darkening the sky and highlighting objects in the foreground. In addition, a tripod will allow you to more carefully consider the angle, as well as close the aperture to f/11-16 and work more interestingly with depth of field.

Scenes that are not suitable for HDR shooting:

Portrait. There are exceptions, but in most cases a portrait should be shot using the portrait technique.
Night or evening city.
Fog. In theory, you can try shooting fog in HDR style, but only with a narrow lens and as an addition to regular shots.
Long exposure with tracers or mirror water.
Studio photography and all kinds of items.
Report, street, although street is a very broad and experimental direction, there may be options here.
Dynamics, sports, children's games, animals, macro.
Cloudy gloomy rainy weather with a milky sky, in this case it is better to look for interesting angles; most often, the HDR technique will not make the landscape more interesting.
Winter landscape. The plot is controversial, the author did not create a single interesting winter HDR, but it would be wrong to give up so easily and stop trying.

Expanding dynamic range undoubtedly requires creativity, experience and a willingness to experiment.

Setting up your camera for HDR shooting

Almost all digital cameras allow you to shoot with exposure bracketing; this function is available not only in SLR or mirrorless cameras, but also in many compacts, it has even appeared in smartphones. We will look at the settings using the example of Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Setting up bracketed shooting varies quite a bit depending on the camera manufacturer and model.

In any case, the camera should be configured like this:

Set to RAW format and aperture priority mode A, or full manual mode M.
Set the exposure as if we were shooting one frame. For example, for a landscape during the day it will be a sensitivity of ISO 100 and an aperture of F/11; the shutter speed in mode A will be set by the camera itself.
In the camera menu, select the order of shooting exposures (minus) - (zero) - (plus), this makes it easier to sort the series later on the computer.
Set up bracketing - select the number of exposures and bracketing. For beginners, it makes sense to first try 3 exposures with a bracket of ±2 or ±3EV.
Set a timer, it’s better to set it to 2 seconds - this time is enough; if the camera does not have a choice of several intervals, set which one is available. If you have a cable release with you, now is the time to use it.
Create a frame, perform automatic focusing (or focus manually), after which it is better to turn off autofocus.
Press the shutter button, let's go!

Canon cameras

Canon DSLR cameras allow you to shoot quickly, with bracketing, and with a timer at the same time.

There is no separate button to turn on bracketing; you need to enter the menu and select the exposure. Next, use the wheel to adjust the bracketing fork and press SET. Attention! Bracketing is turned on in this way, that is, there is no item in the menu like ON/OFF. The camera can remember this setting and will take bracketed shots until the photographer sets the bracket to zero.

The timer starts as usual: pressing the DRIVE button and turning the wheel allows you to select an hour with the number 2 or 10. You can use a cable to release the shutter. The three images above illustrate the Canon 5D Mark III camera setup.

Nikon cameras

Nikon DSLRs have a BKT button, you need to hold it pressed, then use the control wheels to set the number of exposures and the bracket (Step). To turn off bracketing, you need to set the number of shots to zero.

If you use the self-timer, the camera will count a certain delta in time between exposures, as a result of which dynamic objects may move from exposure to exposure. To turn on the self-timer, you need to turn the left control wheel to the clock icon (see photo below).

To shoot the entire series like a machine gun, without a time delta, you need to turn on high-speed shooting (Ch on the lower control wheel for selecting the drive mode, see photo below). Then keep the shutter button pressed - the series is ready, but you can easily move the camera, even when mounted on a tripod. In this case, you cannot use the timer, since high-speed shooting is activated by the same wheel as the self-timer.

Thus, it will not be possible to shoot with bracketing both quickly and with a timer on Nikon SLR cameras. Most likely, this will be fixed in future models. The examples above show the Nikon D610 setup.

Shoot with a tripod or handheld?

This example shows shooting of an urban HDR landscape. Shooting was carried out in exposure bracketing mode in increments of ±2 EV in aperture priority mode (A). To achieve good depth of field in the foreground and background, the aperture was selected at F/10. A tripod was used to perfectly align the images, since the minus exposure time turned out to be too long for confident handheld shooting.

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

The arch in the courtyard of a house on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg was not chosen by chance - using the example of filming this scene, the capabilities of HDR technology can be clearly demonstrated. Since the shooting took place during the day, the street was very well lit, while the space inside the arch was in shadow.

If you shoot, measuring the exposure of a house in the background, only the areas in the daylight area will be processed in the image; the dynamic range of the camera is clearly not enough to work out the highlights and midtones within the arc of the camera.

To expand the dynamic range, bracketing mode was used. There was heavy traffic on Nevsky Prospekt, a car passing by was caught in one of the shots, and pedestrians did not stand still and moved. Therefore, in order to achieve perfect merging of three images, it is better to choose the morning hours for shooting, when traffic on the avenue is not so active, or rely on automation when merging HDR, as was done in this example.

Many tripods, such as those from Manfrotto, are equipped with one or more level indicators - one on the tripod body, the other on the tripod head, which will allow you to set the horizon very level.

Of course, HDR technology involves shooting from a tripod, but if using a tripod is not possible, it is acceptable to shoot handheld, especially during the day. An image stabilizer will be useful here, as well as a good support, such as a column, railing, your own knee or other techniques. However, you need to carefully monitor the ISO sensitivity and not set high values, since nothing good will come of gluing together three “noisy” frames.

How many exposures should I take?

Beginners can be safely advised to initially choose the classic HDR option with three exposures and a bracket of ±2 EV or ±3 EV, depending on the scene or lighting situation.

Professional photographers who specialize in shooting interiors talk about 9 exposures, which allows them to work out maximum detail in highlights, shadows and midtones. Professional cameras easily allow you to shoot 9 exposures, and the photographer can shoot a series of frames in M mode, simply changing the shutter speed to get the number of exposures he needs. This technique is suitable for leisurely shooting indoors, when no one is bothering you and there is enough time. In addition, for important shootings, the photographer takes a computer with him, on which he can immediately check the result of gluing and make adjustments if necessary.

A classic example, with three exposures, and therefore classic because it is suitable for most shooting situations:

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

Five exposures will create an even wider dynamic range, which will allow you to more interestingly process the photo when stitching, very finely working out the details in the highlights and shadows. In theory, you can always make 5 exposures, however, firstly, three exposures are often quite enough, and, secondly, working with three is faster and more convenient.

-1,4	-0,7	0	+0,7	+1,4

The scene above was filmed in Pavlovsk on a Sony a7 camera, which can automatically shoot in a series of 5 exposures. Gluing in HDR Efex Pro.

Also, 5 exposures can be useful if there is a lot of detail in the deep shadows, midtones and highlights, as in the example of the stone bridge in the forest. Here you can’t see the sky with clouds at all, but the summer day was very bright, and the shadows in the forest thicket were deep, and the HDR stitching of five frames made it possible to work out all the halftones and get an image very similar to how we would see this scene with our own eyes.

This scene was shot in Sergievka Park (Peterhof, a suburb of St. Petersburg) on a Canon 5D Mark II camera, which cannot automatically shoot 5 exposures in a series, so different exposures were obtained in M mode by changing the shutter speed. In this case, the focal length is 17 mm, ISO 100, F/10 and shutter speed from left to right: 1/25, 1/13, 1/6, 0.3 and 0.5 seconds. Merging in Lightroom 6.

Now pay attention to the winter photograph of the same bridge. The shooting was carried out in the same place with the same equipment, but it was not possible to convey the winter mood; the photo was not interesting. Obviously, the HDR technique is completely useless here; you could just take one frame in RAW format.

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

How to choose exposure bracket?

First of all, it makes sense to evaluate the contrast of the scene, perhaps take a couple of test frames to visually assess the gaps in highlights and shadows. In practice, you most often have to choose between ±2 and ±3 EV. The abbreviation EV, by the way, stands for Exposure Values, exposure values, in the jargon of “feet”.

If we have installed a tripod and configured the camera, it is best to make two series - both with a ±2 and ±3 EV plug, and at home, when processing images, choose the best option, because it is always good when there is a choice. It may well turn out that some story will be better put together from photographs taken with a wider fork, and some from a series with a narrower one.

The professionals at HDRsoft recommend always using the minimum ISO value and a ±2 EV bracket. From the experience of shooting HDR, we can say that the first statement is beyond doubt, while in the case of a fork, various options are possible and there is a huge scope for creativity.

±3 EV plug

-3EV	0 EV	+3EV

The maximum bracket of ±3 EV should be chosen for high-contrast scenes in order to work out fine details in the shadows and highlights well. In this example, such a wide fork is completely unnecessary; ±2 EV could have been done. These settings were chosen intentionally to demonstrate the development of halftones.

±2 EV plug

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

The ±2 EV plug can be safely chosen for shooting any landscapes at any time of the year. In many cameras, you can set not only integer values, but also intermediate ones between 2 and 3, thus selecting the ideal settings for each specific scene, based on personal experience and intuition.

±1 EV plug

-1 EV	0 EV	+1 EV

The ±1 EV bracket in the case of HDR makes virtually no sense - the same effect can be easily achieved in a graphics editor when processing RAW, since within ±1 EV you can easily process any photo with virtually no losses. This option is useful if you are not sure about the exact choice of exposure pair, but want to work out the details.

Programs for merging HDR images

Adobe Lightroom 6

The HDR merging tool appeared only in the 6th version of this wonderful RAW converter, users have been waiting for it for a long time and patiently. In fact, with the advent of the ability to stitch panoramas and HDR in Lightroom, the need for Photoshop for photo processing has been virtually eliminated.

The dialog box is simple and clear, nothing superfluous, no settings. As a result, the program will create a merged file in DNG format (this is a raw data format developed by Adobe). The file will be in the thumbnail feed next to the original exposures.

When should photos be processed - before gluing or after? Adobe engineers advise processing after stitching, since all information from all exposures will be contained in the glued DNG, and we will have the widest possibilities for tonal processing of any area of the photo - both in shadows and in highlights or midtones. The profile for correcting optical distortions can also be connected after gluing, the same applies to editing the horizon and crop. Of course, any processing will be non-destructive; you can return to the glued original at any time.

Advantages

Perhaps the best HDR stitching tool to date.
Simple and clear interface, nothing superfluous.
In the dialog box, you can view the objects that will be processed by the anti-samaz tool in the form of a mask.
It will be simple and understandable for beginners.

Flaws

It is quite difficult to somehow influence the operation of the anti-lubrication algorithm.
In some places in the photo, artifacts appear in the form of stripes or noise, most likely due to the operation of this same anti-blur algorithm.

Adobe Photoshop CC

MacOS, Windows, subscription 300 rubles per month

The Merge to HDR tool of Photoshop CC, which is shown on the screen below, appeared a long time ago, in previous versions of the program, and served faithfully for a long time; it still works today, but with the release of Lightroom version 6 its functionality is greatly reduced.

The peculiarity of the tool is that all processing has to be done in two places - first in the gluing dialog box, and then the photo is processed until it is converted from 16 to 8 bits per channel.

Advantages

The ability to select the exposure based on which the program will combat blur; changes are displayed in the picture in real time.
An excellent HDR gluing algorithm that allows you to get professional results.

Flaws

There are few tonal processing tools in the program's dialog box.
The need for additional processing before converting from 16 to 8 bits per channel, for example using curves.
Skills in working with Photoshop curves are required.

HDR Efex Pro 2

MacOS and Windows, price 5490 rubles per set of programs.

HDR Efex Pro is a plugin and is one of several plugins in a bundle called the NIK Collection. The development is carried out by NIK Software, this company was recently acquired by Google.

Advantages

Large collection of ready-made presets. Import presets, create custom ones.
A large number of tonal settings for HDR fusion.
Nice simple interface.
Plugin for many programs: Photoshop/Bridge, Lightroom, Apple Aperture.
Working with “smart filters” - it is possible to use Smart Filters in Photoshop.
Local adjustments.
Perfect for beginners for their first steps in HDR merging.

Flaws

Uncertain work with a monochromatic section of the sky with no clouds - this section will almost certainly turn out to be a dark spot.
Ready-made presets often make the picture too rough, too obvious pronounced effect HDR.
The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing is not always successful.

Oloneo PhotoEngine

Windows only, price $150.

Advantages

Fast work, all adjustments are made almost in real time, no slowdowns.
Advanced work with color.
The program works both as a plugin for Lightroom and as a standalone application.
Along with traditional HDR stitching, the program has a unique HDR Re-light technology, which allows you to stitch together several photos taken not with different exposures, but with different backlights.

Flaws

The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing is depressing; in fact, it simply isn’t in the program.
The application is released for Windows only.
The program is quite complicated for beginner amateur photographers.

Photomatix Pro 5.05

MacOS and Windows, price approximately $100

This program can safely be called a pioneer in working with HDR, because the company HDRSoft sari released the first commercial application back in 2003. By the way, the program’s interface has hardly changed since then; it is designed in the style of early versions of Windows and evokes a smile and nostalgia, but at the same time it is very convenient and simple. Another thing is the principle of operation of the program. Photomatix Pro is probably one of the most in-depth programs in terms of fine user settings, and despite the simplicity of the interface, it is not easy to understand. Beginners need to mandatory watch several training videos that are presented on the company’s website or on YouTube.

Advantages

A huge number of gluing settings, including various algorithms and methods.
The settings work fine, you can very, very accurately work out the desired parameter, for example, microcontrast, details in the shadows, and so on.
Two operating algorithms (Exposure Fusion or HDR Tone Mapping) to choose from.
The program works as a standalone application, or can be used as a plug-in for Lightroom/Photoshop Elements.
Availability of interesting ready-made presets.
Possibility of batch processing of several series.

Flaws

The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing does not always work successfully.
The program is very difficult for beginner amateur photographers.

HDR Expose 3

MacOS and Windows, price approximately $120.

Developed by Unified Color, it is available both as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Lightroom, Photoshop and Apple Aperture.

Advantages

Possibility of batch processing of files.
Possibility of batch gluing of HDR panorama.
Nice work.
It is possible to select a frame on the basis of which the program will fight blur.
An excellent algorithm for combating blur; it worked perfectly on all test frames.
There are a large number of adjustments for gluing settings; the sliders work accurately, allowing you to fine-tune the desired parameters.
Availability of versions for both Windows and MacOS.
Availability of both an advanced version (HDR Expose) and a version with reduced functionality (HDR Express), the difference is $40.
The program can be recommended to beginners; it is not difficult to understand.

Flaws

The interface is not always user-friendly at least, in the version for MacOS, - some inscriptions overlap each other.
A small number of ready-made processing presets.

Luminance HDR

Linux, MacOS, Windows, free.

This program is worth mentioning because it is probably one of the few designed for all three platforms and is the most popular HDR stitching program in operating system Linux. The issue of choosing an operating system goes beyond this study, however, using the example of the Luminance HDR program, one can clearly demonstrate why photographers, and indeed creative people prefer MacOS or Windows.

The interface, functionality and overall principles of operation in the Luminance HDR program are very different from its competitors; here you won’t be able to work using the “scientific poking” method, simply going through different settings to suit your taste. The program has anti-grease algorithms that could not be tested in practice, however, it was not possible - the program crashed.

Advantages

The most popular HDR stitching program for the Linux operating system.
A large number of tone correction settings.
Several different gluing algorithms.

Flaws

Very leisurely work (the test is carried out on a mid-price office laptop, Ubuntu 15.04 system). To put it simply, the program slows down.
The result of changing parameters is not displayed on the photo in real time; you need to press the Tonemap button and wait.
Step-by-step algorithm of work. In other words, you will not be able to control the anti-blur method in the HDR merging dialog box; this function can only be enabled before merging, in the previous step, at the stage of selecting photos.
Complex operating principles that even experienced users cannot understand without a description or instructions.
Inconvenient and confusing interface.
This program can be recommended for beginners if they have a task to work exclusively under Linux, and also as a good puzzle game.
When I tried to enable object alignment and the anti-smear function, the program thought for about 15 minutes and crashed.

When working with the Luminance HDR program, I constantly had the desire to stop the torment and launch Lightroom 6, in which the same operations can be done an order of magnitude faster, several times more convenient, convenient and with a more predictable result.

DSLR Remote Pro

Speaking about programs for HDR stitching, we cannot fail to mention the DSLR Remote Pro program, which allows you to control the camera from a computer. With other undoubted advantages, the program allows you to automatically shoot with bracketing up to 15 frames in a series. Moreover, it is compatible with the above-mentioned Photomatix Pro program, in conjunction with which it can automatically create HDR images. Of course, Photomatix Pro must be purchased independently of DSLR Remote Pro and installed on your computer.

For the purposes of this study, there is no point in looking at the DSLR Remote Pro in depth; several years ago I wrote a large review of this program, it is a very interesting and unique product of its kind. I recommend that anyone interested visit the Breeze Systems website, find out the compatibility of the program with your camera and try the demo version in action.

Processing one photo, or creating “pseudo-HDR”

Almost without exception, programs for creating HDR images, along with their direct function, also offer the function of creating a so-called “pseudo-HDR” image. The essence of this method is that the program allows a user who does not have a series of HDR photographs to create a photo effect with an extended dynamic range from a single photo.

The most common example is shooting in gray cloudy weather, shooting from under an arch, and so on. In this case, the sky will almost certainly be the color of milk, and the foreground will be dark. Of course, competent shooting of a series of pictures with a tripod and subsequent gluing would save the situation, but often we simply do not have enough time, patience and perseverance to do such things. A group of tourists leaves, friends call to keep up, the barbecue gets cold, and walking companions are most often very annoyed by a companion who is constantly fiddling with his tripod, isn’t it? Surely many have felt this themselves, and more than once...

Here it is appropriate to note once again that shooting in RAW format is needed specifically for subsequent image processing. The size and resolution of the camera’s matrix also matters; modern full-frame matrices produce a very wide dynamic range, often allowing light and shadow to be “pulled” over a very wide range.

HDR Efex Pro 2

Price 5490 rubles for a set of programs.

The main purpose of the plugin, of course, is to stitch together HDR from several exposures, but you can also process a single photo.

The screenshot above shows an example of displaying two states of a photograph on the screen simultaneously - it was/was, which in the case of traditional HDR stitching does not make sense, since the “was” state does not exist. You can choose one of the ready-made presets and modify it.

Topaz Adjust 5

MacOS and Windows, price $50.

Perhaps the most effective plugin from a well-known software company. Available for Windows and MacOS and can be purchased either separately or as part of a whole package of plugins.

The main advantage of the plugin is a huge number of ready-made presets, sorted by processing topic, one might say, for all occasions. Having selected a preset, you can immediately modify its action using sliders. You shouldn't expect any special miracles from the plugin, but the processing capabilities are amazing. The disadvantage is the fact that the HDR effect in most ready-made presets is too strong, exaggerated, the processing immediately catches the eye.

HDR panorama

We often shoot both wide panoramas and breathtaking HDR, but what happens when you combine these two techniques? That's right, you'll get a beautiful panoramic photo with a wide dynamic range, that is, well-developed details in the shadows, midtones and highlights. Shooting such scenes is difficult, since you need to simultaneously use your experience of shooting in two different techniques.

Here the classic approach will come to the rescue - shoot a panorama of three series of three exposures of each frame with a bracket of ±2 or ±3 EV, depending on the lighting situation of the scene. You can make more series, but then it is very difficult to work with such a huge number of pictures, in addition, the space on your hard drive is instantly consumed, the computer slows down, your nerves are on edge, and the result is unpredictable.

The second difficult point is the presence of dynamic objects in the frame. And if you shoot a panorama from 5 HDR frames, each of which is stitched together from three, you will end up with 15 frames, in each of which tree branches move, cars drive, people walk. And a situation can easily arise in which the same object can appear in all five frames in different places. In this case, you can either rely on the gluing program, or carefully work with a stamp in each image. In the example below, you can see that the person was moving and changing his pose, but Lightroom 6 coped with this task.

The example shows a panorama stitched together from 5 HDR photographs, which in turn are stitched together from 3 exposures each. Lightroom 6.

Automatic HDR shooting methods

Many modern cameras allow you to shoot and post HDR automatically. The camera in this mode will usually take a series of frames, after which it will stitch together the final HDR. In the vast majority of cases, shooting must be done in JPEG format, and at the output we will also get a ready-made JPEG, which cannot be “re-glued”.

Some cameras allow you, along with the stitched JPEG, to also record the original exposures on the memory card, which you can try to stitch together on your computer at home. Whether this or that camera supports this function, you need to look in the instructions or carefully read reviews; the specifications usually do not reflect such subtleties.

For example, the Pentax k3 camera does it differently - it stitches three exposures into one file in RAW (DNG) format, the volume of which is close to 100 megabytes. The raw format and large amount of data will allow you to edit the image within a very wide range if desired. Moreover, the proprietary Digital Camera Utility is capable of extracting individual exposures from this file, after which the photographer will be able to “re-glue” them again, using different algorithms than the one used by the camera. Of course, it is impossible to test this functionality in practice without having the camera itself in your hands; you just have to take its word for it.

Active D-Lightning

This is a feature of all modern Nikon DSLRs. There is no particular drama in the photo, and when processing RAW in a graphics editor, you can easily achieve more interesting results. The six images below were taken with a Nikon D610.

ADL AUTO	ADL moderate	ADL normal


ADL reinforced	ADL super reinforced	ADL Off

And another strange point: this function has no effect on the raw file, only on JPEG. Or rather, not quite like that: when you open NEF in Nikon’s program, Capture NX-D, information about Active D-Lightning will be read and the file will be displayed according to the specified settings for this parameter. If you work with this NEF in any other editor, there is no point in using this function; it is better to disable it so as not to waste energy.

HDR

Many cameras have an automatic HDR stitching mode, it is included in the menu and only works when shooting in JPEG - the camera itself will take a series of several frames and stitch the finished file. IN Nikon cameras In order for the camera to remember the fact that this mode is turned on, you need to set it to “series”, otherwise before each next HDR-style shot, this function will have to be re-activated in the menu.

Extra High	High	Normal	Low	OFF

You can adjust the bracketing (in the menu it’s called “Exposure Differential”) and the processing hardness (for some reason it’s called “Softening”). As practice shows, you shouldn’t expect any special miracles from shooting in this mode.

Special effects

A special scene mode or special effect will allow you to take photos in the HDR style, but they are unlikely to be interesting except for fun. A similar special effect may be called something like “HDR painting”.

Nikon D5300	Sony a5000

Shooting in automatic mode will help a novice photographer when choosing a shooting angle, and will also allow him to quickly decide whether it is worth shooting the selected scene with exposure bracketing. Having seen an interesting angle, you can quickly shoot an example, look at the screen, and if the result turns out to be interesting, set up a tripod and make a series slowly and thoughtfully.

Multiple exposure

This technique goes back to film days, most likely someone once forgot to translate the frame and got an interesting artistic result when one image was superimposed on another.

When shooting on film, the photographer could take the first frame in one place, then not transfer the film and take the second frame at the same place on the film, being in another city even a week or a month later, and so the number of times he needed. Of course, the result can only be seen when this film is developed.

Most modern Nikon DSLRs, such as the D7200, Df or D610, can take multiple exposure style shots. Overlay of 2 or 3 frames is available (in Nikon DF - up to 10 frames), and you can shoot in RAW. By default the maximum time between exposures is 30 seconds, this time can be increased using a custom setting. Just like for HDR, you can set it to On in the menu. (series) or On (single shot) - in the first case, the camera will take one multiple exposure, and you can start shooting the next one, while in the second case, after shooting one multiple exposure, the camera itself will switch this setting to Off mode.

There is also such a parameter as “Auto Gain”. This setting needs to be adjusted to your taste; the instructions do not give any specific recommendations in this regard, except that it suggests turning off auto gain if the background is dark.

Shooting multiple exposures is a challenging creative endeavor. If in the case of HDR you can at least roughly imagine what the future frame will look like (for example, mentally darken the sky and lighten the shadows on the ground), when shooting Time Lapse you can mentally accelerate the movement of clouds in the sky or the course of any events, then in the case of Multiple exposures make it incredibly difficult to imagine the future frame.

Anyone interested in multiple exposures can be recommended to study the works