



The dark areas appear in different areas of the shot than the bright areas.There’s a wide difference in dynamic range within the shot - like very bright highlights and very dark shadows.Just remember, to get the best results, it’s best used when the shot meets the following criteria: It works wonderfully for landscapes, interesting weather situations, establishing shots, and transitions. The final result almost looks like CGI, and it was very quick and easy to create.Īs we’ve seen here, HDR is a pretty straightforward process, but not suitable for every shot. What we’ll be talking about today is the third, and most recent, way of creating HDR, a technique similar to the previously mentioned photography method - using multiple exposures in a video camera to overcome the ten-to-fifteen stop limit of the LOG footage. Because of the cost of the equipment needed, it’s been slow to be adopted by mainstream studios. To take advantage of this technology, which was built into the new UHD Rec 2020 standard, you needed to master a separate HDR version of the film. Next came HDR screens that were able to display brighter whites and more vivid colors than had previously been possible. Photography HDR, which first cropped up in the 1990s, used multiple exposures, at different settings, to create an effect that was somehow “more than real.” And, while still used, it’s widely seen as dated. Most of the confusion surrounding HDR stems from the fact that multiple technologies have emerged, all calling themselves the same thing. Nonetheless, with the arrival of HDR technology, we’re getting closer than ever before. Essentially, it’s the difference in life-like results and, well, actual life. Unfortunately (and in broad strokes), even the most sensitive cameras simply can’t compete with the human eye’s high dynamic range and the human brain’s real-time processing power. Ever since cameras were invented, photographers have dreamed of capturing images that are closer to what’s captured by the human eye, images where light and darkness and a wide range of color are balanced in a way that makes every detail truly pop. Let’s take a look at how you can pull off a densely complex image with HDR (high dynamic range) using nothing but a simple DSLR.īefore we talk about the how, let’s talk about the what. However, with just a little planning and editing, there are ways to capture footage that looks truly cinematic and screams “high production value.” Well, our camera’s sensors and capabilities only extend so far, as most of the equipment we can afford is fairly limited in terms of image quality. One of the trickiest parts of filmmaking is capturing light in ways that might not be possible with the camera you have. Let’s look at the surprisingly easy, effective way to pull off HDR looks in post-production.
