Before I get into my workflow in more detail, I first want to make a few comments regarding tools/equipment. The whole premise here is to keep things as simple and pragmatic as possible to achieve really good results. And for me this mainly applies to the time spent on a computer… photography should be about being behind a camera, not a computer!!
Out in the Field
Camera
You really want to be using a DSLR or at least an “enthusiast compact camera” as you want to be shooting in Aperture Priority or full manual modes, you want to be using RAW image files and be able to take control of some of your camera settings. Also: most DSLRs, and some enthusiast compacts, will have an auto-bracketing function.
Why should I shoot in RAW format?
The RAW image file is your uncompressed digital negative. It will contain more detail esp. in the under- and overexposed parts of an image. As you are shooting a sequence of varying exposures you will be capturing the details also with JPEG images, so yes: JPEG is sufficient for HDR.
However: The advantage of shooting in RAW is that it opens up amore options in post production. If you can: shoot in RAW, if you can’t: no problem!
Additional Gear
A tripod is really a must have to ensure you have sharp images. As you are going to be taking a series of photographs with varying shutter speeds you really do want to minimize the possibility of movement! Use a remote trigger/cable release to avoid camera shake. Alternatively, you can use your camera’s self-timer.
Do I really need a tripod?
On a bright summers day, i.e. short shutter speeds also for your overexposed images, you can get away shooting handheld. But of course only if your camera has a good auto-bracketing function. My old Nikon D90 could only do 3 exposures, so a tripod was really essential to capture a broader bracket. The Nikon D7200 allows for brackets of up to 9 exposures and I do find myself shooting handheld quite a bit.
Post Processing
At this stage I do not want to discuss the question what the best approach to creating an HDR image is, but point out what are to tools I use that have enabled me to have a what I believe is a very efficient and effective workflow. I will provide some additional comments also on alternative tools you may want to look into.
Adobe Lightroom
Lightroom is such a comprehensive tool that it is too difficult to give it justice in a short descriptive paragraph. For me, Lightroom is my “Control Room” where I check all exposures after I have imported them from my camera’s memory card (assign keywords, synchronize settings, histograms, etc.). And from here I export to Photomatix Pro as Lightroom supposedly does a far better job of converting raw files than Photomatix.
I will also use Lightroom to edit the HDR image after the merge using Photomatix Pro. It really depends on the complexity of further editing needs if I use Photoshop or Lightroom. In any case I will usually use Lightroom to sharpen the image as the last step in my workflow.
HDRsoft Photomatix Pro
Photomatix Pro is probably one of the best and most used HDR software tools around. It integrates nicely with Lightroom (plugin included), handles alignment of handheld bracketed exposures really well and also has a very good ghost removal tool. Most importantly, Photomatix Pro allows you to apply different processes to merge your images (see also https://www.hdrsoft.com/support/faq_photomatix.html#differences):
- Exposure Fusion identifies the properly exposed section of each of the input photos (highlights from the underexposed, shadows for the overexposed) and combines these. The fused image is therefore a weighted average of the source images.
- HDR Tone Mapping merges differently exposed photos to a 32 bits/channel unprocessed HDR image (ie an image that contains all the details in highlights and shadows) and then applies the actual “tone mapping” to make highlight/shadow details visible (on monitors, prints, etc. which have a low dynamic range).
There are two categories of Tone Mapping algorithms:- Global mapping where the brightness value of a pixel in the final image depends on its brightness value in the original image, as well as global image characteristics (but not on the pixel’s spatial location)
- Local mapping where the brightness value of a pixel in the final image varies depending on whether the pixel is located in a dark or bright area in the original image. Local mapping requires longer processing times but is better at producing a “good-looking” photograph
- In Photomatix, the Tone Mapping methods named Details Enhancer, Contrast Optimizer and Tone Balancer belong to the category of local mapping and Tone Compressor to the category of global mapping.
Adobe Photoshop
The most renowned digital photo editing tool around… While I mentioned above that Lightroom is also a very powerful editing tool, the key benefit of using Photoshop is to be able to use layers. I also use Topazlabs products (Mask AI, DeNoise AI, Adjust AI as well as Sharpen AI) which can either be used stand-alone or (more conveniently) as filters from within Photoshop. When I describe my workflow in more detail, I will address for what type of edits I really do prefer Photoshop.
A personal comment: I use the old stand-alone versions of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop which are not available anymore. Old-fashioned as I am, I simply do not like the idea of paying a monthly subscription. I do not need more functionality than these older versions offer and my cameras are fully supported.
For Lightroom there is, in my opinion, simply no alternative. Instead of Photoshop you could use Photoshop Elements, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) or a similar photo editor that allows use of layers for non-destructive photo editing (and is able to use the TIFF files that Photomatix will create). But the cost of the Adobe “Photography Plan” that includes Lightroom and Photoshop is the same as the Lightroom only plan – you just get only 20GB of online storage instead of 1TB, but you can of course work predominantly on your own PC/Mac .
Topaz Labs photo editing tools
While you can do most things with Lightroom and Photoshop – and/or maybe use other tools such as the free Nik Collection of plugins for Photoshop, I use Topaz Labs tools because they delivery great results and are very, very easy to use. And as that of course is exactly what I want for a pragmatic workflow!
- DeNoise AI is the one tool that is practically a must have in my HDR workflow. Most HDR merging processes/algorithms will increase image noise, so a good noise reduction tool is essential. And Topaz DeNoise simply is very good!
- Mask AI simplifies the process of creating a layer mask. If you are very skilled using Photoshop, you may not necessarily need Mask AI, but it is just so simple to use and produces great results so quickly that it has become my preferred solution.
- Adjust AI is another tool that I tend to use in my HDR workflow (not always, but sometimes). A great and quite comprehensive tool to enhance colour, control exposure or bring out detail in your image. You can even use Adjust AI to create an “HDR-like” photo from just one image… bottom line another tool that is simply good to have in your repertoire.
Mindful Snaps Photography 