Tuesday, December 08, 2009

BoB_07_2009 Jerico Beach HDR Dec 03 2009_DSC9076_77_78_79_80_81_82_tonemapped

Here is another High Dynamic Range composite of a cool misty December sunset with Pt. Grey and Jericho Beach in the foreground.
English Bay produces spectacular sunsets year round but during December the twilight is so short it's like nature needs to pack an hour of spectacular colors into just 5 minutes. Conversely during the summer the sunsets are very typical in their westcoastness - slow and mellow.

For those new to High Dynamic Range photography (HDR) the technique while not without its pitfalls I honestly believe will be the normal way to take photographs 5 years from now. This image for example was created from 7 digital exposures with 1 image exposed at settings the camera's computer felt was optimal and then 3 shots underexposed at various settings and 3 overexposed. This series of photographs is then merged into a composite image that greatly expands the dynamic range of the picture. In effect it creates an image closer to how you see it rather than how the camera, with its limited dynamic range in a single picture, can 'see' it. Once I've created the 7 exposures I then use software (Photomatix Pro in my case) to create the HDR image.

If you have a camera that lets you adjust the shutter speed while keeping the aperture fixed (aka aperture priority) then you're half way to creating HDR images. Be warned though. Once you've create a few 'omg that is so cool' images you'll be hooked.

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