WHAT IS HDR IN PHOTOGRAPHY? (A SIMPLE GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS)
Have you ever photographed a scene where the bright areas look too bright, and the shadows look too dark? That is where HDR comes in.
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range.
It helps your camera keep all the detail in both highlights and shadows—especially when working with contrasty lighting.
When HDR Helps
Use it when you are photographing:
A bright sky + a dark foreground
Interiors with windows
Cityscapes at sunrise/sunset
Any scene with extreme contrast
How HDR Works
Your camera takes:
One bright photo (for the shadows)
One dark photo (for the highlights)
One normal photo
Then it blends them together into a single balanced image.
Left: Exposed for the sky — the buildings are too dark.
Middle: Exposed for the buildings — the sky is blown out.
Right: HDR blends the bright and dark shots, keeping detail in both the sky and the buildings.
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When to Turn HDR Off
Skip HDR if:
The scene has even lighting
You are photographing moving subjects
You want a clean, crisp fashion/portrait look (movement can cause ghosting)
As always, best of luck!
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