By Jack Howard
March 2007
Pages: 58
Series: Short Cut
Format: PDF
ISBN 10: 0-596-51017-9 |
ISBN 13: 9780596510176
(Average of 2 Customer Reviews)
A step-by-step introduction to one of the hottest new imaging trends. We'll walk you through making the best HDR images-from image capture to digital darkroom tips and tricks.
Browse within this PDFFeatured customer reviews
"HDR: An Intro" is a great book, but not for beginners at HDR, April 20 2007
Review by Carol Conti-Entin, North Coast Macintosh Users Group
Have you ever photographed a beautiful landscape only to discover that the print shows a washed-out sky (or, if the sky is a beautiful blue, the foliage is much too dark)? Have you found it impossible to photograph the interior of a building in such a way that you can also see the scenery through its windows? Such problems occur because a single photographic exposure cannot preserve everything from the whitest white to the blackest black in a scene that contains an enormous range of tonal values. Ansel Adams faced the very same challenge.
The digital solution far surpasses the techniques Adams had available. All you have to do is take a series of photographs of the identical scene, with at least one exposure capturing perfect highlights, another recording faithful midtones, and a third preserving ideal shadows, then merge them into a single image. How to perform these steps is clearly explained in this logically organized PDF document. One bit of good news is that you don't need a fancy camera — author Jack Howard intentionally chose for his examples 8-bit JPEG images that could have been taken with a point-and-shoot digital camera rather than a dSLR. If you have a tripod (or something almost as good) to hold the camera steady and already own Photoshop CS2 or CS3 Beta, you're all set. Otherwise (for example, if you own only Photoshop Elements), you'll need either Photomatrix Pro ($99) or FDRTools Advanced (€39). Most of the book explains how to use each of the three Mac-friendly programs to merge the low-dynamic-range source images into the high-dynamic-range output image.
As methodical, well written, and short as this eBook is, it is not for the beginner. The "Common Terms and Definitions" on pages 5 and 6 presume that you already know a lot of photographic jargon. You must be familiar with "digital darkroom" techniques (processing your photos using software). You will need to understand exposure values, underexposure, and overexposure, and if your camera does not offer an AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) feature, you will have to bracket manually by keeping the aperture and ISO steady while varying the shutter speed (which can be done in manual mode or by using Exposure Compensation). You will also need to focus manually. These techniques are explained, but briefly.
Assuming you do have the requisite knowledge, you can't go wrong with this step-by-step guide. Whether your aim is photorealism or fantastic creations, everything you need to know is here, and you can even skip the half of the book that covers the software packages you aren't using. One author-supplied note of warning: "HDR Imaging is addictive."
Quality, concise instruction, March 31 2007
HDR is quickly becoming an exciting new trend among hobby and professional photographers. I have tried several times in the past to play with this technique was buried results. Jack Howard is a great job in his publication covering this technique in all the necessary detail to understand how to get started and master the process. I appreciated how he cover the topic both for the beginner and for someone already advanced in photography without leaving either audience feeling bogged down by the coverage for the other. Coverage is provided both for DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras, and the post processing workflow is covered in a variety of different software programs. If you’re thinking of getting HDR a try, this is a great getting started read to point you in the right direction.
Media reviews
"This is a thorough help book by an expert who writes with clarity and authority on a very enticing photo trend that is very popular right now. As Jack mentions at the beginning of his book, "As of January 2007, there are over 100,000 images tagged 'HDR' on the Flickr photo sharing web site alone.""
-- Jennifer Apple, Photoshopsupport.com
"The author shows you how to create the best source images using camera bracketing methods. Since you are using multiple files to create an image, the author shows you how to organize your files in the most efficient manner. This is very important since you will be using raw files and things can quickly get out of hand."
-- T. Michael Testi, Blogcritics Magazine
"
This new item is not a book like I normally review, but it is a super publication that I highly recommend! If you want to learn how to take advantage of the digital HDR technique, this is the way to go. It is a downloadable “pdf” file that is 57 pages of how-to instruction on creating the best possible images using this multi-image technique, that is actually real easy to learn and use. "
-- Paul W. Faust, Apogee Photo Magazine
