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Combating bright sunlight and shadows Messages in this topic - RSS

dsefcik
dsefcik
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11/14/2012
dsefcik
dsefcik
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Some of the challenging desert photos for me are during the day when there is very bright sunlight and dark shadows all in the same photo. The bright sunlight will "white" out the sky and the shadows will look very dark. My camera has and HDR mode that will take several photos with different exposures and blend them together to get a well balanced photo. I just saw a friends Android phone that had an HDR mode on the camera and it worked very well!

You can take manual photos with different exposures and blend them together with software but if your camera supports HDR mode you should give it a try first.

Here is an example before/after photos with HDR applied
(Rancher Shack in Mason Valley)

Normal Photo


Blended HDR Applied Photo


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surfponto
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11/14/2012
surfponto
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Are SLR cameras the only cameras with HDR mode?

Daren Sefcik wrote:
Some of the challenging desert photos for me are during the day when there is very bright sunlight and dark shadows all in the same photo. The bright sunlight will &quotwhite&quot out the sky and the shadows will look very dark. My camera has and HDR mode that will take several photos with different exposures and blend them together to get a well balanced photo. I just saw a friends Android phone that had an HDR mode on the camera and it worked very well!

You can take manual photos with different exposures and blend them together with software but if your camera supports HDR mode you should give it a try first.

Here is an example before/after photos with HDR applied
(Rancher Shack in Mason Valley)

Normal Photo


Blended HDR Applied Photo


--
https://www.anzaborrego.net/



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dsefcik
dsefcik
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11/14/2012
dsefcik
dsefcik
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surfponto wrote:
Are SLR cameras the only cameras with HDR mode?



No..! My friends Samsung Android phone had an HDR mode and it worked great! I am guessing most new cameras have an HDR mode and most people don't know what it's for. HDR can take much better photos when there is extreme lighting contrasts.

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hikerdmb
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11/14/2012
hikerdmb
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My iPhone 4 has HDR. I usually take the pics so I get a regular and an HDR version of each shot and then keep the better of the two photos.
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tommy750
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11/14/2012
tommy750
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Daren, does it stack photos well handheld or do you need a tripod? Tom
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dsefcik
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11/15/2012
dsefcik
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tommy750 wrote:
Daren, does it stack photos well handheld or do you need a tripod? Tom


Great question, as far as I know all HDR photos use 3 or more images and blends them together so that means the camera will take several photos as fast as it can. It is recommended to use a tripod but I can't say I ever have, I always do mine handheld. If you are using HDR mode just remember the camera will take several photos so keep your hand steady and if the subject is moving HDR may not look to good.

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surfponto
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11/15/2012
surfponto
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I just found the HDR setting on my iPhone,Gavel
Also just figured out it has a panorama option
Only took me 6 months to find it

Thanks David


hikerdmb wrote:
My iPhone 4 has HDR. I usually take the pics so I get a regular and an HDR version of each shot and then keep the better of the two photos.

edited by surfponto on 11/15/2012

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dsefcik
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11/15/2012
dsefcik
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One easy test for HDR mode is inside your house. Find a room with windows and bright sunlight coming in. Take a picture of the room looking out the bright windows. Usually the photo will look all washed out in the windows and very dark inside the room. Try the same photo with HDR and you should see photo looks much better with the exposures correct for both the windows and inside of your house.

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surfponto
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11/15/2012
surfponto
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Thanks Daren,
I will try that with my iPhone
Bob

Daren Sefcik wrote:
One easy test for HDR mode is inside your house. Find a room with windows and bright sunlight coming in. Take a picture of the room looking out the bright windows. Usually the photo will look all washed out in the windows and very dark inside the room. Try the same photo with HDR and you should see photo looks much better with the exposures correct for both the windows and inside of your house.


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