After last week’s post on HDR, and especially my inability to fully grasp it, I decided to give it another try. Just before the observatory lecture began, I grabbed a 3-exposure bracketed shot from the parking lot, looking across to a small farm on the next hill.
The plan had been to run it through Photomatix, but it seems that when I switched computers, I lost the install file. Due to several years worth of updates, the Photomatix folks will only sell me the most recent version at a discount – since I don’t use it enough for that, I tried Photoshop’s built-in HDR feature. It took a few tries to figure out the settings, but I finally got a feel for it.
Still don’t think I have the hang of it, as I’m not sure the HDR version is really any better than a single exposure. I suppose it’s just something I’ll have to keep working on, as the opportunities present themelves.
Brent Pennington is a professional photographer and the driving force behind The Roving Photographer. When he’s not working with commercial or portraiture clients, he’s usually out in the field pursuing nature and wildlife shots.
