{"id":17417,"date":"2016-10-18T11:55:54","date_gmt":"2016-10-18T15:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/?p=17417"},"modified":"2021-12-04T02:37:03","modified_gmt":"2021-12-04T02:37:03","slug":"how-many-shots-do-you-need-to-make-an-hdr-merge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/17417\/how-many-shots-do-you-need-to-make-an-hdr-merge\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Answers To The 5 Most Asked HDR Exposure Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nHow many shots do you need to make an HDR merge?<\/strong>
\nThe most common answer is three.
\nThe real answer is \u2026 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.
\nMany scenes only need 2 exposures. Most scenes need 3. Some scenes need 5. Only a few scenes need 7 or more.<\/p>\n

How far apart in EV (exposure value) should separate exposures be?<\/strong>
\n1.5 stops. (Really any value between 1 and 2 stops.) While you won\u2019t get better image quality if you use more shots separated by less exposure value (less than 1 stop), you also won\u2019t compromise it. While you can also use higher increments (more than 2 stops) be careful \u2013 you may produce banding in smooth areas, particularly those with gradations.<\/p>\n

Do you need to make HDR merges more frequently with some cameras and less with others?<\/strong>
\nYes. Cameras that have a greater dynamic range can capture a higher contrast ratio and so don\u2019t require HDR bracketing as frequently. While this can make a difference for images that would require two and occasionally three shots, for scenes with more extreme contrast ratios HDR merges will be necessary for all cameras.<\/p>\n