The September 2022 issue of Pixology magazine is now available, featuring the following articles:
Instant Object Selection – Learn how to use a powerful image-analysis feature of the Object Selection tool in Photoshop to automatically select various objects in a photo.
Framing with a Vignette – Get insights into the use of a vignette effect to help frame up, add drama, or otherwise enhance the creative look of a photo.
Video in Lightroom Classic – Discover how you can work with videos alongside your still photos in the Lightroom Classic catalog.
Assembling an HDR – Learn how to create great high dynamic range (HDR) images using either Camera Raw in Photoshop or Lightroom Classic.
Photo Story: Supporting Actor – Get the story behind a photo that reminded me that even a tiny element in the frame can provide support for the key subject of a photo.
Pixology magazine is included in the GreyLearning Ultimate Bundle, and is also available as a standalone subscription here:
In an Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter (http://asktimgrey.com/2019/04/04/hand-held-hdr-2/) I addressed a question from a reader who wanted to know if it really is possible to capture bracketed high dynamic range (HDR) exposures hand-held, rather than using a tripod.
The simple answer is “yes”, though there are some caveats I’ll mention in a moment.
The bracketed exposures for this HDR image were captured hand-held through the keyhole of a door in Rome, Italy.
It is indeed possible to capture bracketed exposures for an HDR without the use of a tripod. The software you use to assemble the exposures into an HDR image, such as Aurora HDR (https://timgrey.me/aurora2019), is able to align the individual exposures so all of the details are blended properly without any ghosting. In other words, the slight movement between frames captured as part of a bracketed sequence can be compensated for.
In the image below, for example, you can see the ghosted evidence of camera movement during the bracketed exposure sequence. The effect is especially obvious in the leaves of the hedges along both sides of the image. With HDR software, however, I was able to align the images to create the final image shown above.
In this composite of five bracketed exposures you can see the duplication and lack of alignment caused by camera movement while the bracketed sequence was being captured.
Of course, you do need to be careful with your camera settings to avoid other problems with hand-held shooting. With a bracketed exposure sequence you might have a significant range of shutter speeds, so that the longest exposure in your sequence might be too long for you to be able to get a sharp image without using a tripod.
In other words, HDR software can most certainly compensate for a degree of movement between frames of a bracketed exposure sequence. But you still want to make sure that all of those photos are of high quality. That means you need to consider all of your camera settings carefully, and in the context of hand-held exposures also making sure that the shutter speed for each exposure will be fast enough considering the absence of a tripod.
The September 2022 issue of Pixology magazine is now available, featuring the following articles:
