What’s Needed for HDR
Chapter Two
of Captain Kimo’s HDR How-to Guide
In this chapter we will discuss the items you will need to create HDR photographs. You won’t need much… in fact you might already have most of it. Listed below are the three necessary items required.
- Camera -can’t have a photograph without it.
- Tripod -the key to great HDR photographs.
- Software -this will bring it all together.
Camera
 You won’t need a expensive camera. But you will need a camera that will allow you to adjust your exposures. Most digital cameras nowadays will allow you to this. However if you adjust your exposure manually you are likely to move your camera and you don’t want any movement. To avoid this you will need a camera that will adjust the exposure automatically. This feature is called AEB or Automatic Exposure Bracketing. AEB will allow you to shoot multiple exposures with a single push of the button. |
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Tripod
 A tripod is needed to keep your camera stationary. The most important part when photographing HDR images is that your camera remains still. There cannot be any movement while you are shooting your exposures. If there is movement it will result in a blurry HDR photograph. A tripod is ideal for keeping your camera motionless. |
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Software
 The last essential piece needed for creating HDR is software. You will need HDR software to merge your exposures together into a single image. There are several HDR software available, some are even free. I’ve tried them all and the one I recommend most is Photomatix. It’s the most popular HDR software of the bunch and for good reason.
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Optional
That’s pretty much everything you need to create HDR images. However to get results like mine and complete this tutorial you’ll need a few extra software.
Adobe Photoshop
For all my photo editing I use Adobe Photoshop. This photo editing program has always been the industry standard. I’ve used Adobe Photoshop professionally for over a decade and nothing comes close.
If Adobe Photoshop is out of your budget, you can use Adobe Elements, which is a more affordable alternative to the professional version. Adobe Elements is limited but it will get the job done. Personally I like using Adobe Elements myself. I love the user interface, it’s very simple and clean. If all you need is a basic photo editing program I highly recommend looking into Adobe Elements.
Topaz Photoshop Plugins
Among the many plugins within my Photoshop arsenal, the one I use the most are those created by Topaz Labs. Their Photoshop Bundle is loaded with 7 great plugins and I enjoy using them all. But there are two which I use on all my photos, Topaz Adjust and Topaz DeNoise. These two lpugins will be needed to complete Chapter 5.
You can download the trial version here.
Continue to Chapter 3 – Shooting HDR
so i come to your site all the time and have NEVER seen your videos..Ive been practicing the hdr based on what you showed me before you left …and the results have been..well..rather ugly and noisy. i just watched these videos and it all just suddenly ‘clicked’ in my head. hahaha. you have a great way of simplifying the whole process! great vids! betsy got home safe by the way
~ash
Can’t believe you never saw the videos, lol. Glad Betsy got home safe and sound. I need to post some videos. Especially of the ones with the monkeys.
Hi
I just found your site and think its great.
I haven’t explored your site in much detail so if this question has been asked and answered already, I apologize.
In your opinion what is the best free or open source HDR software? I am on a tight budget now, but I am interested in this technique.
Thanks
Rod
It really depends on what kind of HDR look you’re going for? Best free one would be Picturenaut it’s great for realistic HDR but for a more Dynamic look I would recommend Luminance HDR.
Hi Kimo
Great stuff and thanks again for all the info.
I recently got a “deal of the year” which included an Epson 7800 printer. I tested the printer with one of my HDR renders and the colors were way off from what I saw on the screen. Do you have a printer setup that you use? I never had to really worry about matching colors from monitor to printer. At work, if I need something printed I would send it out to a print shop. At home, I had a lower end printer that would be ok with a standard monitor calibration and standard print setting in PS. I just can’t seem to figure out this printing problem I am experiencing.
Getting into HDR recently, I feel that the outcome of my prints are more critical than ever. I think I may need a calibration tool. I am wondering if you use a monitor calibration tool maybe the Spyder Pro or Eye-One Display 2?
Thanks! Brian
Brian,
I have a Canon IPF8000 large format printer which does an amazing job of printing what I see onto paper. I worked 10 plus years as a graphic artist so I had my share of color calibration. You might need a profile for the paper you’re using. That usually solves most of the color issues I’ve had in the past. For instance, I’ve tried using glossy photo profile on my printer with Epson’s glossy photo paper and the colors came out way off. But when I used the same profile with Canon’s glossy photo paper it works great. Every paper is different so you have to be sure your printer has a profile for that paper. My suggestion would be to buy some Epson paper and use the profile they recommend to see if your image color improves. If the colors dead on than obviously the profile was the problem. Which means you’ll need to make a custom profile (pain in the ass), or use paper that your printer already has a profile for. I hope this helps.
Good luck,
Captain Kimo
Thanks Captain!!
Much better print. Geez-Louise… I don’t know how I overlooked the paper profile. I do think it could be just a little better. I may need to take a closer look at the color management print settings in PS now. Make sure I have those settings precise. Huge difference from the first test print. Thanks Again!!