Image editing : case study HDR

Abstract

When a photograph is taken, a single capture can represent only a specific amount of information from the captured scene when comparing what a human eye can detect from the same scene. A single capture cannot record the whole dynamic range of shadows, details and colors with only one exposure. The same problem continues when the image is reproduced on a display or on a print. That one print simply can’t show everything that a human eye sees when looking at the same scene. People have become used to how a picture and a photograph look like, but it’s actually quite far from the reality of the same scene. Technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging makes it possible to capture all the highlights and shadows from several different circumstances and can achieve impressive tonal and color results.

HDR is quite new technique in the field of photography and image editing. It is where photography and heavyweight computing unites. There are two parts to HDR imaging: shooting and processing. The shooting phase is usually consistent, but the processing phase varies widely according to the software in use and also on the different alterations that are made to the image.

This thesis is an investigation into the world of HDR imaging. The purpose of this thesis is to go through what is HDR, what is it for and how it can be produced. As a part of this thesis there is a case study that goes through part by part the whole imaging processes from shooting to final image.