I typically combine these controls with the Contrast slider. The Presence controls generally affect the depth and color saturation of the image. Drag to the left slowly if the image lacks dynamic range.
From left to right: The original exposure calculated by the camera an image created from merged exposures the same image lightly adjusted using HDR tone mapping plus Tone controls HDR gone wild For the record, I strongly prefer the third image below. Don’t blame the tool for a lack of good judgement by the user. But it’s akin to assuming that Photoshop is only capable of examples like this or this. Sure, if we judge HDR by its worst examples, that’s totally valid. They cite garish examples where the colors and details have been pushed to cartoonish extremes. I encounter photographers all the time who tell me how HDR is awful. Why HDR Isn’t a Bad Wordįor many photographers, the term HDR (high dynamic range) causes their blood pressure to rise. There’s no right answer, as it really comes down to how much effort you’re willing to put in and the results you want to get. Toss in the limiting factors of your camera and shooting style and you’ll quickly discover that one size does not fit all. There are several ways to improve the dynamic range of your images: You can change how you capture your images, change how you process them, or both.
It’s about extending the histogram to ensure a full balance. Note that this isn’t just about moving the Contrast slider. Once adjusted, this low-depth image takes on a richer feel. In most situations, a photo with a wide dynamic range feels rich and deep. Proper dynamic range results in FULL coverage from left to right on the histogram. This image lacks full dynamic range, resulting in dingy blacks and whites. In simpler terms, are the black points rich and the white points bright? Here’s a simple example where you can see which gradient has a true black and white point.
The dynamic range of your photo is the difference between the maximum and minimum values. The photo On the right, created by merging five exposures in Aurora, is much closer to what my eyes saw. On the left is what the camera can see in a single exposure. What’s the problem? It’s all about dynamic range.
Your mind doesn’t remember the scene this way, but your camera sure does. You open up an image and it just feels flat. We’ll also take a look at Aurora HDR, which works as a plugin to both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. In this article, I want to show you several easy fixes (using built-in tools) - including some uncommon ones - that you should explore. While the problem is common, the solutions are many. We’ve all faced the same problem: photographs that lack contrast images where the shadows and highlights look flat and the details are muddy.