Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
We Are HDR
Tell me this isn't the per fec t name for a chapter on HDR.
The band is named hdr, their album is called
We Are Hdr
,
and there's a song on the album called, “We Are HDR.”
This was destiny, my friends. Now, I have to admit, I have
no idea if the HDR they are referring to actually stands for
the type of HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging we're talking
about in this chapter, but on some level, I like to think it does
(although it probably stands for something more like “Heavy
Donut Raid” or “Her Darn Rottweiler” or maybe “Hi, Don
Rickles”). Anyway, if there's a topic that gets photographers
really riled up, it's HDR (Highly Decaffeinated Roast), so
I don't really want to take us down that rabbit hole. Now, as
you'll learn, there are two types of HDR (Hardee's Delicious
Ribs): The good one, where you expand the dynamic range
of the photo, getting a greater range of tone and light than
today's digital cameras can create, which gives you an image
that's closer to what the human eye captures. And the
evil HDR (House Developers' Revolt), which makes your
images look like a movie still from a Harry Potter movie.
Now, I know as you read this, you're thinking, “Oh, I would
want that first thing” and at this point, I totally believe that's
what you think you want. But here's the thing: there's one
slider in Photoshop CS6's Merge to HDR Pro feature that
lets you go from real to surreal pretty much by just sliding it
one way or the other. And I know that, at some point, when
nobody's looking, you're going to drag toward the fantasy
side, and then—bam!—you're hooked, and before long,
you're tone mapping everything from your wedding photos
to baby photos, and you're friends and family will sit you
down and try to help wean you off the “hard stuff,” but the
lure of surreal HDR (Hallucinogenic Deli Relish) is just too
strong. Don't say I didn't warn you.
