HDR

HDR, or High dynamic range imaging, is a set of methods in image making and photography to capture a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image. HDR images can represent, more accurately, the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, from direct sunlight to faint starlight, and is often captured by a plurality of differently exposed images of the same subject matter. This is called bracketing. Non-HDR cameras take pictures at one exposure level with a limited contrast range. This results in a loss of detail in both the light and dark areas of the image depending on whether the camera had a low or high exposure setting. However any camera that allows you to control the exposure setting can create a HDR image. HDR compensates for this loss of detail by taking multiple pictures at different exposure levels and intelligently stitching them together to produce a picture that is representative of both light and dark areas. 


I tried making a HDR image using just one image in photoshop and here is how i did it.

First I opened the image in photoshop, then i made an under exposed and over exposed version of the image. 

This was the over exposed image. 

Then I opened the images up in Adobe bridge and I Merged them to HDR using photoshop. 

I selected all three images, chose tools and selected 'Merge to HDR'.

The image didnt really work very well and this was my end result.

My end result wasn't the result i was looking for. I dont know what happened to this image.

I tried to do this with another image, and this was my process and result. 

I was very happy with my final result and i think it worked very well!

Split toning

Split toning is an effect which has its origins in the days of film. It involves tinting the highlights in a black and white image one colour, and the shadows another colour. The best results are when you use opposite colours for each, such as yellow and blue or green and magenta. 

To create the effect in the darkroom: There are many different ways to tone and image in the darkroom. I think the more professional way to do this is with toners such as sulphide and selenium. I think the most common way of toning in the darkroom is with stuff like tea bags where you simply run the bag over the image. This gives an almost sepia effect.

To create the effect digitally: To create the effect in Photoshop, start by converting the image (if not already) to greyscale. Do this by using a black and white filter or by turning down the saturation of the image. To create a split tone, use a colour adjustment layer as it lets you isolate the highlights and shadows in the image and apply different colours to each. Adjust the colour sliders until you reach your preferred effect. 

Here are some examples of split toning: 

Dodge and Burn

Dodging and Burning are terms used for techniques used during the printing process to manipulate the exposure of selected area(s) on a photographic print. In a darkroom print from a film negative, dodging decreases the exposure of areas that the photographer wishes to be lighter, while burning increases the exposure to areas of the print that should be darker. Any material with varying degrees of opacity can be used, as preferred, to cover and/or obscure the desired area for burning or dodging. One may use a transparency with text, designs, patterns, a stencil or a completely opaque material shaped according to the desired area of burning/dodging. Many modern digital image editing programs have 'dodge' and 'burn' tools that mimic the effect on digital images. 

Technique: By using a completely opaque material as a cover over the preferred area for dodging or burning will let absolutely no light pass through as a result and an outline of the material may be visible on the print. One way to prevent obvious cover up lines is to slightly shake the cover material over the area while it is being exposed. Another way to prevent obvious cover up lines is to use a slightly less opaque material which is closer to the outline of the area being covered to produce a more subtle, faded effect.

Burning: To burn-in a print, the print is first given a normal exposure. Next, extra exposure is given to the areas that need to be darkened. The preferred material is held between the enlarger and the photographic paper in a way as to add light only to certain parts of the image.

Dodging: The preferred material is held between the enlarger and the photographic paper in such a way as to block light from certain parts of the image that need to be lightened. 

Many photographers use the dodging and burning technique to level out the contrast in images. An example of this is lens flare, or adding a vignette. If part of an image is lighter or darker than the rest, a viewers eye can be drawn to that part of the image which might not be the photographers intent. 

Here are some examples of Dodging and Burning: 

Example of the process in the darkroom

Example of dodging and burning in the darkroom

Example of dodging and burning digitally