So, I don’t know how many of you are familiar with HDR (or high dynamic range) photography, but it’s something that has caught my attention since buying a legit camera last month. Basically, there are a few different ways to do this, but the most straightforward method (the one I use…) is just taking a few pictures at different f-stops (letting different amounts of light into the lens), therefore getting a series of images of the same thing, but from light to dark (from as many photos as 3-5 (or a hundred I suppose…usually just 3-5 though).

In the end, after blending these series of photos, you get an HDR photo (using special, magical technology). Overall, it is designed to give a much more realistic view of the scene, adjusting to both the light and dark aspects of the photo, just as the human eye does. It’s a great effect, as as my buddy Rick says, it can make ’em look a little too cartoony at times. Either way, it’s simple enough to produce and with a little time and tweaking I’ve seen some amazing shots done with this process. Here are a few of mine that I’ve cooked up over the last few years…