Mastering HDR Photography: Combining Technology and Artistry to Create High Dynamic Range Images (Paperback)

~ Michael Freeman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

High dynamic range imaging, or HDR, is the latest challenge for those who are serious about digital photography. But with that challenge comes an opportunity to expand skills and repertoire into exciting new areas. HDR, originally developed for use with computer-generated images, captures the full range of tones in a scene, reproducing human perception down to the finest detail without lens flare, burnout, or underexposure. Mastering High Dynamic Range Photography explains exactly how to shoot specifically for HDR, and how to use the new software that lets the photographer combine several images into one glowingly accurate final photo. Step-by-steps and sample photographs reveal how to apply these techniques to many different genres, producing results that are part photograph, part work of art.

About the Author

Michael Freeman is an acclaimed international photographer and writer. Well known for his work in Photo District News, Smithsonian magazine, and many other journals, he is the author of more than two dozen books on photography. He lives in London.

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Product Details Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Amphoto Books (April 15, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0817499997 ISBN-13: 978-0817499990 Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,307 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:  (4) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 3.7 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 53 of 58 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Compares poorly to other books on the subject, bad print quality, July 11, 2008 By  ThomasH (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase Having already Christian Bloch's and Ferrell McCollough's texts on HDR imaging, I was intrigued by the accolades given to Michael Freeman as a writer by some of the readers here, and I got this book as well. In fact, this book does not stack up to the both other works on the subject. Author often meanders into philosophical issues of composition, like the "Gestalt theory", instead of analyzing the issues of high dynamic range. Bad are the example images, in many cases almost in the size of a post stamp. I could not make up any details in many of them, they are often that small. This problem was amplified by the print technology used by the publisher. Do you remember the early color print, in which you could see strange hexagonal patterns of color dots? Well, you can see them here too, and when such artifacts appear on these tiny images, their practical value is close to zero. Some other critiques here called this book too technical. I am sorry to disagree. On this aspect I am on the very opposite side of the scale: This book is virtually devoid any technical details. It is the "blah blah" type of text, to use the vernacular. Take rather Ferrell McCollough (not too technical, fantastic photography) or Bloch (technical and very comprehensive, rich in detail). You can skip this book. 25 of 28 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Sad what could have been, June 23, 2008 By  Richard D. Greenwood "Photographer" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    It's sad that Michael Freeman's Mastering HDR Photography wasn't handed over to a publisher that cared more about the reader. Freeman manages to pack a lot of information into the text, but the type--it's an ultra light sans serif type that my middle aged eyes had trouble reading in all lights--kept me from reading all the material. There are reasons why there are so many fonts available; the publisher should give them some thought. I wrote to the publisher, but received no answer. That tells me they don't value their readers' input. I gave up on the Freeman text and went back to Amazon for McCollough's Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography and am completely satisfied. McCollough offers a different approach to HDR than I had used, and it makes complete sense. Even nicer, I can read his text. 24 of 29 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Pursuing the Range of Light, May 23, 2008 By  Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       The human eye is so much better then a camera. It can see details in shadows and bright areas that would just be pure black and white to a camera, whether film or digital. Photographers have been trying for years to extend that range. High dynamic range photography (HDR) is the latest iteration of these efforts. It involves capturing a series of images at different exposures and then combining them in a computer to get a greater range. Michael Freeman's work is a surprising volume on HDR because it reveals a far broader set of options for the photographer interested in HDR then one might have guessed existed. In the Photoshop-centric mind of many photographers, Photoshop appears to be the only HDR tool, but the author points out there are at least five different pieces of software to handle HDR, each with different approaches, and pros and cons. In fact Photoshop may be the weakest tool. Freeman lays down the basics of HDR, talks about capture and generation, describes the different software and then follows workflow for each. He even tells you when HDR will work, and how to deal with certain problems created by multiple exposures, like moving subjects, that might at first make a scene seem inappropriate for HDR. Since I had none of the other software, I was primarily interested in Photoshop. Freeman not only told me which sliders in PS were of greater or lesser use, and how to use the useful ones, but also told me what other adjustments to make in Photoshop to make a better image once I had finished with the HDR facility. I examined several other general PS CS3 books and none of them included the follow-up steps suggested by Freeman. I followed Freeman's suggestions, and lo and behold, I was able to create HDR images with an extended range of light. What else can one ask for? Some people suggest that HDR can be used to create images that go beyond what the human eye can see and create strange special effects. Freeman's approach is to use HDR to make pictures look more like what the eye sees. Freeman suggests that HDR may have a short lifespan, since cameras will eventually be able to see the same range of light as the human eye. Moreover, I'm certain that over the next few years, there will be improvements in the HDR facility. In the meantime, however, Freeman's book will serve as a good introduction to this technique.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars In depht HDR Technically,yes, but very clearly and thorough explained If you're interested in HDR this book is a must have Published 2 months ago by D. Heuvelink 5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what the tittle says. Very good reference for all you need to understand, shoot and tone map HDR images. Published 4 months ago by Daniel Rodriguez Molowny 1.0 out of 5 stars Possibly a great reference, ruined by poor writing and editing Although this book had great potential to be a good reference on the advanced topic of high dynamic range photography, I found the overly verbose writing and philosophical... Read more Published 10 months ago by Laserheart 1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of my money! More like a textbook for grad students than a lesson in mastering this technique. If you are looking for an understandable explanation of this technique, this is not the book for... Read more Published 14 months ago by S. Chamberlin 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent HDR Book. Detailed instructions. Covers multiple software packages. List of settings for each piece of software. Tells how to set-up and get proper composition for good HDR images. Read more Published 15 months ago by L. Lentz 3.0 out of 5 stars Broad and Buggy I liked this book for the most part. It covers HDR software fairly well, especially Photomatix, which is an industry leader. Read more Published 15 months ago by Darwin's Bulldog 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource Excellent reference for HDR photography. I use Photomatix but was unsure if I was using it's functions correctly. Read more Published 17 months ago by Carl Fisher 5.0 out of 5 stars Complex subject made simple Michael Freeman explores the mysterious and complex world of HDR, a must for the serious photographer. Read more Published 17 months ago by R. C. Gothard 4.0 out of 5 stars Good solid book on HDR I'm a fan of Michael Freeman's work, and this book is no exception. Its a good presentation of HDR as it is today and covers enough technical ground to satisfy most Photographers... Read more Published 18 months ago by Paul Wegemann 5.0 out of 5 stars Mastering HDR Photography The insights from your book are exactly what I needed to move my HDR photography forward. Really great and I mean that. Read more Published 18 months ago by Mark R. Scott Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817499997
• ISBN-13: 978-0817499990
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,307 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Compares poorly to other books on the subject, bad print quality, July 11, 2008

By	ThomasH (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Having already Christian Bloch's and Ferrell McCollough's texts on HDR imaging, I was intrigued by the accolades given to Michael Freeman as a writer by some of the readers here, and I got this book as well.

In fact, this book does not stack up to the both other works on the subject. Author often meanders into philosophical issues of composition, like the "Gestalt theory", instead of analyzing the issues of high dynamic range.

Bad are the example images, in many cases almost in the size of a post stamp. I could not make up any details in many of them, they are often that small. This problem was amplified by the print technology used by the publisher. Do you remember the early color print, in which you could see strange hexagonal patterns of color dots? Well, you can see them here too, and when such artifacts appear on these tiny images, their practical value is close to zero.

Some other critiques here called this book too technical. I am sorry to disagree. On this aspect I am on the very opposite side of the scale: This book is virtually devoid any technical details. It is the "blah blah" type of text, to use the vernacular.

Take rather Ferrell McCollough (not too technical, fantastic photography) or Bloch (technical and very comprehensive, rich in detail). You can skip this book.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sad what could have been, June 23, 2008

By	Richard D. Greenwood "Photographer" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's sad that Michael Freeman's Mastering HDR Photography wasn't handed over to a publisher that cared more about the reader. Freeman manages to pack a lot of information into the text, but the type--it's an ultra light sans serif type that my middle aged eyes had trouble reading in all lights--kept me from reading all the material. There are reasons why there are so many fonts available; the publisher should give them some thought. I wrote to the publisher, but received no answer. That tells me they don't value their readers' input.

I gave up on the Freeman text and went back to Amazon for McCollough's Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography and am completely satisfied. McCollough offers a different approach to HDR than I had used, and it makes complete sense. Even nicer, I can read his text.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pursuing the Range of Light, May 23, 2008

By	Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The human eye is so much better then a camera. It can see details in shadows and bright areas that would just be pure black and white to a camera, whether film or digital. Photographers have been trying for years to extend that range. High dynamic range photography (HDR) is the latest iteration of these efforts. It involves capturing a series of images at different exposures and then combining them in a computer to get a greater range.

Michael Freeman's work is a surprising volume on HDR because it reveals a far broader set of options for the photographer interested in HDR then one might have guessed existed. In the Photoshop-centric mind of many photographers, Photoshop appears to be the only HDR tool, but the author points out there are at least five different pieces of software to handle HDR, each with different approaches, and pros and cons. In fact Photoshop may be the weakest tool. Freeman lays down the basics of HDR, talks about capture and generation, describes the different software and then follows workflow for each. He even tells you when HDR will work, and how to deal with certain problems created by multiple exposures, like moving subjects, that might at first make a scene seem inappropriate for HDR.

Since I had none of the other software, I was primarily interested in Photoshop. Freeman not only told me which sliders in PS were of greater or lesser use, and how to use the useful ones, but also told me what other adjustments to make in Photoshop to make a better image once I had finished with the HDR facility. I examined several other general PS CS3 books and none of them included the follow-up steps suggested by Freeman. I followed Freeman's suggestions, and lo and behold, I was able to create HDR images with an extended range of light. What else can one ask for?

Some people suggest that HDR can be used to create images that go beyond what the human eye can see and create strange special effects. Freeman's approach is to use HDR to make pictures look more like what the eye sees.

Freeman suggests that HDR may have a short lifespan, since cameras will eventually be able to see the same range of light as the human eye. Moreover, I'm certain that over the next few years, there will be improvements in the HDR facility. In the meantime, however, Freeman's book will serve as a good introduction to this technique.