Lightroom and Capture One offer HDR tools with a difference. They don’t create wild and exaggerated HDR effects. Instead, they create what I would call DNG ‘super-negatives’ with extended dynamic range that you can then exploit however you like.
Bracketing
Taking the same shot at a series of different exposures with the intention of choosing the best one later or merging them together to create an HDR image. Most cameras offer an auto exposure bracketing option. You choose the bracketing interval (the difference between the exposures, typically 1EV) and the number of frames (usually 3, sometimes 5 or even 7). Some cameras offer other types of bracketing, e.g. white balance bracketing or even focus bracketing.
How to use HDR merge in Capture One 22 – and how well does it work?
Capture One 22 brings an HDR merge feature that quickly combines several exposures into a single fully editable DNG file with extended dynamic range. But how well does it work?
HDR can work wonders on interiors: this is a church in Porto in Aurora HDR
HDR can work wonders on interiors. HDR is not just for high-contrast outdoor scenes or extended dynamic range photography. It can also give interiors a unique, rich and dramatic look.
Lightroom HDR: how the HDR Merge tool works
The Lightroom HDR merge option has been around for a while, so how does it work and how does it compare to a dedicated HDR tool?
Aurora HDR review
Verdict: 4.5 stars Aurora HDR 2019 can create dense, wild and dramatic HDR effects, natural-looking images, and anything in between, and with out the ‘glow’ effects and other artefacts that plague other HDR tools. It also goes way further, with local adjustments, even image layers and masks. Brilliant.
How HDR works: exposure bracketing, merging, tone mapping and effects
HDR is a technique for photographing extra high contrast scenes, but how does it work and do you really need to shoot several exposures?