Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)
by Ferrell McCollough

Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Ferrell McCollough
Brand: Adorama
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-06
ISBN: 1600591965
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Lark Books

Book Reviews of Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

Book Review: The best book on this subject I know of
Summary: 5 Stars

One thing is definitely true of HDR processing: There are lots of sliders, controls and options. Knowing which ones are useful and which to avoid is half the battle. And since HDR software uses terms like Highlight Smoothing and Micro Adjusting local contrast, the topic needed a little demystifying. That is what this book does.

As one reviewer here points out, this book does lean heavily toward Photomatix as the HDR processor of choice, but there is plenty here for users of FDR Tools and others. The real trick is finding one or two packages and learning which controls you need to get the images you want. The software makers themselves don't really tell you what each of these various adjustments actually does. McCollough could do more in this area, but he does a pretty good job.

I fault the book in one small detail. McCollough refers often to a technique in Photomatix called Highlights and Shadows --Adjust. It's a good technique for more realistic images and the author uses it to good effect. However he completely fails to mention how to find it, how to use it, what the controls are or anything else. He goes into tone mapping in great detail, but offers nothing on this. It isn't even in the idex. In fact, this important technique doesn't use an HDR image at all, but rather blends the exposures of a series of images directly into another standard DR image.

All in all, this is a great book to help you feel more comfortable with all the aspects of this interesting photo technique. You will still have to discover a lot on your owm. HDR works in mysterious ways. But this book is never obscure and is very readable. Highly recommended.

Summary of Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

It's the latest and hottest technique, made possible only through digital. High Dynamic Range photography is the process of taking several pictures of a scene at various exposures, then merging them into one file. So the entire photo can look crisp and detailed, from highlights to midtones to shadows-and photographers needn't sacrifice any part of their image. And the best way to master this exciting technology is with this thorough, easy-to-follow, and visually spectacular guide. No other title does justice to these cutting-edge techniques, which actually take the viewer into worlds far beyond normal photography-sometimes even beyond normal human perception. Ferrell McCollough, a widely respected photographer, pushes the boundaries and inspires others to pursue their artistic vision, too. The amazing results simply can't be achieved any other way.

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