For subjects with a very high contrast range, such as a bright sky and a dark foreground, which a sensor cannot fully capture in a single frame.

HDR Processing

Category: Capture

A technique that combines several differently exposed frames to render high-contrast subjects with detail retained in both highlights and shadows.

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. The technique addresses the problem that a camera sensor cannot capture the full brightness range of very high-contrast scenes at once – for example a bright sky above a dark interior.

To do so, several frames with different exposures are taken (bracketing) and combined so that both the brightest and the darkest areas remain detailed. The result is then mapped into the displayable contrast range of a screen or print.

In combination with gigapixel stitching, HDR requires particular care with moving image elements.