HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. An HDR image typically combines three photos of the same scene at different shutter speeds to create a bright, medium, and dark version of the photo. Then, a software process combines the three photos to enhance shadows and highlights.
Shooting HDR with the 5D Mark II
- Go into Menu, and select AEB.
- Select three exposures. For our purposes, we chose -2, 0, and 2. Hit Ok.
- Take a picture. The timer counts down to fire off a round of three pictures: a bright one, a dark one, and a medium one.
- Combine these pictures in a program like Lightroom.
Using Light Room
- Select all three, and then go to Photo Merge ->HDR.
- Light Room creates a preview of the new image. Allow it to Auto Align and Auto Tune.
- Look at your Deghost Amounts. In this case, the water changes from shot to shot. Go through your options to see which one you like best. We went with Low.
- Light Room creates your new image.
- Play with the Levels until you find a balance that you like.
- Go the Lens Correction below Levels, and chose a slight vignette.
- Export the image.
HDR lets you capture all the details of an image without sacrificing one element over another.
