I’m exploring Art Basel for the next four days.
Follow me as I share art, thoughts, opinions, questions on …
1 exposure
scenes like this won’t benefit from HDR
3 exposures
scenes like this may be made with 1 exposure but benefit from more
5 exposures
scenes like this require HDR
How many exposures do you need for HDR images?
It depends.
It depends on the contrast ratio of the scene you’re photographing.
And, it depends on how many corners you’re willing to cut.
There is a case to be made for rendering all images with bracketed exposures. If the best data in a file is in the top stop of the dynamic range of a camera, then making one exposure per stop of dynamic range in the scene, each weighted to the top stop pf the camera (ETTR), will give you ideal data in every stop of the rendered scene, once the exposures are merged. So, ideally, you’d make one exposure per stop of dynamic range in the scene. In your first exposure place the shadows in the top stop of the histogram (to the right), without clipping. Then in subsequent exposures reduce exposure in one stop increments, making a new exposure each time, until the highlights are placed in the top stop without any clipping. Then stop.
Workshop
Black & White Mastery
December 12-16, 2016
Test the latest Epson printers, inks, and papers. They’re the best ever!
Learn the heart of Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop including the latest advances.
This workshop closely follows the content of my most popular workshop, The Fine Digital Print Intermediate, diving more deeply into black and white imagery.
The Fine Art Digital Printing workshop series offers the most advanced digital printing workshops available anywhere. You’ll learn more in one week than you learn in a semester in college.
Save 10% / $160 – Register By Nov 18
Alumni, save an extra 10% / $160
Enjoy this collection of quotes on visualization.
“Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose.” – Bo Bennett
“Visualization and belief in a pattern of reality activates the creative power of realization.” – A. L. Linall, Jr.
“Try out your ideas by visualizing them in action.” – David Seabury
“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blue print, and begin to build.” – Robert Collier
“Having a mental snapshot of where you are, where you are going, and what you are moving toward is incredibly powerful.” – Sara Blakely
“The harder you work… and visualize something, the luckier you get.” – Seal
Read More
Don’t miss out! Browse + Bid on exceptional works by 36 leading and emerging artists. A great way to support The Center For Maine Contemporary Art / CMCA and contemporary art in Maine. Auction online through Paddle8. All proceeds directly support CMCA.
Participating artists include …
Bo Bartlett, John Bisbee, Katherine Bradford, Emily Brown, Tom Burckhardt, Tom Butler, John Paul Caponigro, Caleb Charland, Ann Craven, David Dewey, Lois Dodd, David Driskell, Betsy Eby, Inka Essenhigh, Linden Frederick, John Goodman, Ken Greenleaf, Peter Halley, Charlie Hewitt, Tanja Hollander, Yvonne Jacquette, Alex Katz, Rollin Leonard, Amy Lowry, Kayla Mohammadi, John Moore, Paul Oberst, Winston Roeth, Kate Russo, Peter Soriano, Aaron Stephan, Joyce Tenneson, Don Voisine, Todd Watts, William Wegman, Dudley Zopp
My free October Desktop Calendar features an image from Death Valley, California.
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Find out more about this image here.
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My free enews Insights features an extended video on mastering black and white photography … plus more resources on optimum exposure.
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How many shots do you need to make an HDR merge?
The most common answer is three.
The real answer is … it depends. First, it depends on the contrast ratio of the scene. Second, it depends on the exposure value (EV) increments you use between exposures. Third, it depends on the camera you use.
Many scenes only need 2 exposures. Most scenes need 3. Some scenes need 5. Only a few scenes need 7 or more.
How far apart in EV (exposure value) should separate exposures be?
1.5 stops. (Really any value between 1 and 2 stops.) While you won’t get better image quality if you use more shots separated by less exposure value (less than 1 stop), you also won’t compromise it. While you can also use higher increments (more than 2 stops) be careful – you may produce banding in smooth areas, particularly those with gradations.
Do you need to make HDR merges more frequently with some cameras and less with others?
Yes. Cameras that have a greater dynamic range can capture a higher contrast ratio and so don’t require HDR bracketing as frequently. While this can make a difference for images that would require two and occassionally three shots, for scenes with more extreme contrast ratios HDR merges will be necessary for all cameras.
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Sale ends at 12:00 PM (PDT) on October 19, 2016
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5 Day Deal’s 2016 Photography Bundle over $2700 for $97.
Videos, ebooks, ecourses, presets, textures, software, more.
Plus 10% goes to charity!