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Christian Bloch
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The HDRI Handbook 2.0: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers and CG Artists 1st Edition

by Christian Bloch (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 119 ratings
See all formats and editions

! BONUS DVD ONLY WITH THE PRINT EDITION (NOT AVAILABLE WITH eBOOKS) !

In 2007, The HDRI Handbook was the first book to present this revolutionary new field to a larger audience. These days HDRI is a fully mature technology available to everyone. Real estate and landscape photographers have adopted it as part of their regular workflow, it has become one of the hottest trends for ambitious amateurs and creative professionals alike, and the modern movie industry would be completely dysfunctional without it.

Now The HDRI Handbook 2.0 redefines its own gold standard. It has been completely rewritten and is packed with practical hints and tips, background knowledge, reference tools, breathtaking artist portfolios, and inspiring interviews. The book includes dozens of new step-by-step tutorials. Beginners will get a methodically solid introduction and advanced readers will be able to refine their technique to perfection.

Topics include:- Understanding the foundation of HDRI- HDR software comparisons and evaluations- Capturing HDR images: today and tomorrow- Tonemapping for creating superior prints- HDR image processing and compositing- Shooting and stitching HDR panoramas- Image-based lighting and CG rendering

2.0 updates include:- New cameras, sensors, and HDR beamsplitter rigs- Open Camera Controller for endless auto-bracketing- Correct RAW pre-processing and ghost removal- Dozens of practical, easy-to-follow tutorials- A structured approach to tonemapping, inspired by Ansel Adams- Set etiquette and tips for capturing HDR panos for visual effects- Seven artist spotlights showing unique perspectives on HDRI- Seven crossword puzzles: a fun way to test yourself

! BONUS DVD ONLY WITH THE PRINT EDITION (NOT AVAILABLE WITH eBOOKS) !

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  1. ISBN-10
    1937538168
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1937538163
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Rocky Nook
  5. Publication date
    January 14, 2013
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    8 x 1.4 x 10 inches
  8. Print length
    672 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christian Bloch is a visual effects artist by trade and a photographer by passion. He lives and works in Hollywood, California. During the 11 years of his professional career he has created effects for the television shows Star Trek Enterprise, Firefly, Lost, 24, NCIS, and Chuck, as well as several theatrical movies. His work has been rewarded with an Emmy Award as well as a nomination for the Visual Effects Society Award.

Bloch also holds an engineer's degree in multimedia technology. Years of research went into his diploma thesis about HDRI, which was honored in 2003 with the achievement award of the University of Applied Sciences Leipzig. The HDRI Handbook was the successor to Bloch's diploma thesis, rewritten from the ground up and heavily expanded, and now available in six languages. Bloch has rewritten the book once more to produce The HDRI Handbook 2.0, incorporating so many updates that it has doubled in volume.

Many hints and tips in this book originated from Uwe Steinmueller, Dieter Bethke, and Bernhard Vogel. As respected digital photography experts they contributed tutorials to the first edition, and their personal roads to HDRI left heavy footprints all over this book. The HDRI Handbook 2.0 also features up-close interviews with seven exceptional photographers, each one spearheading a different frontier of HDR imaging:

  • Shooting star Trey Ratcliff from stuckincustoms.com
  • Jazz producer and portraitist Luke Kaven from New York
  • Real estate photographer Michael James from Florida
  • Flickr phenomenon Anthony Gelot, a.k.a. AntoXIII, from Paris
  • Professor Kirt Witte from the Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Gigapixel pioneers Greg Downing and Eric Hanson from XRez
  • Visionary researcher Paul Debevec, founding father of HDRI

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rocky Nook; 1st edition (January 14, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 672 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1937538168
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1937538163
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 1.4 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 119 ratings

About the author

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Christian Bloch

Christian Bloch

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Christian Bloch is a Visual Effects artist, who works and lives in Hollywood, California. During the eight years of his professional career, he has created effects for the TV shows StarTrek: Enterprise, Smallville, Invasion, Lost, 24, and Chuck as well as several movies and commercials. He has been a pioneer in the practical application of panoramic HDR images in postproduction, specifically under the budgetary and time restraints of TV production.

Bloch is the author of the HDRI-Handbook, where he shares all his knowledge about shooting, stitching and using panoramic HDR images. Years of research and development went into this book. It is roughly based on his diploma thesis, which was honored with the achievement award of the University of Applied Sciences Leipzig, and then heavily expanded with hands-on tutorials and practical workshops.

Bloch also runs HDRLabs.com, which started out as the companion website to the HDRI-Handbook. Later it turned into a buzzing hub of HDR-related software projects from several enthusiasts.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
119 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's information and examples thorough and comprehensive. They appreciate the well-written, detailed content on HDRI lighting techniques and lighting design. The writing style is described as structured, beautiful, and well-documented with rich images throughout. Readers describe the book as a technical read made readable, well-thought-out, and high quality.

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36 customers mention "Information content"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's information and examples helpful. They say it provides thorough coverage of HDR photography, with detailed explanations and examples. The book is described as comprehensive, an invaluable resource for learning HDR photography. Readers appreciate the author's clear writing style and current information.

"This is possibly the best book on digital photography that I have read to date. It is a technical book but not one that is obtuse...." Read more

"...It contains loads of specific technical information as well as a solid overview of the underlying principals of this specialized area of..." Read more

"...This book is far more thorough, and I believe Christian Bloch really knows in detail the history and technical aspects of HDRI photography...." Read more

"...Bloch is an excellent writer, making every chapter understandable. He also has a great sense of humor that I appreciate...." Read more

23 customers mention "Writing style"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing style engaging with well-crafted descriptions and rich images. They describe it as a technical read made readable, with excellent typography and depth. The first chapter provides a well-crafted description of digital photography limitations. Overall, customers find the book well-thought-out and presented with great HDR presentation.

"...The first chapter gives a well crafted description of the limitations of digital cameras, sensors and the output (LDR images)...." Read more

"...It's very clearly written, well organized and well illustrated...." Read more

"...Bloch is an excellent writer, making every chapter understandable. He also has a great sense of humor that I appreciate...." Read more

"...From front to back it is filled with detailed, well written and explained examples and knowlege on every aspect of the art and science of HDRI...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Charles K Leja
    5.0 out of 5 stars The deinitive book on HDRI.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is possibly the best book on digital photography that I have read to date. It is a technical book but not one that is obtuse. The first chapter gives a well crafted description of the limitations of digital cameras, sensors and the output (LDR images). From there a thorough discussion of the HDRI process with a descrption of most if not all the current HDRI software. There where hints here which improved my source images immediately. Merging a set of images into an HDR image is only the first step. Tone mapping is the next step. As is explained in the book tone mapping is the process of converting an HDR image to an LDR image. Christian Bloch explains the need for this process and gives a tutorial on a number of the HDR software packages. Also covered is the use HDR and stiched images to created a panorama image. A single reading of this book is not enough. When I started I was looking for specific information to take better source pictures and get more out of photomatrix pro. Now that I have satisfied that need I realize that a number of topics discussed early on have a greater importance to me. I will probably start reading it again too fill in holes that I left.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • S. Burg
    5.0 out of 5 stars It's All Here and Then Some
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Quite simply, this is THE definitive book on all aspects of HDRI photography. In setting about trying to photograph and put together my own HDRI panoramas, this book answered every question I had, and tackled every problem I ran into. It's very clearly written, well organized and well illustrated. It contains loads of specific technical information as well as a solid overview of the underlying principals of this specialized area of photography.

    This is the kind of book you can pick up, open at random, and learn something new and valuable. I'm not sure what I was expecting, exactly, but what I discovered was a volume that is probably one of the best overviews of the technology of digital photography I'm aware of. And it manages to be that while never losing sight of its primary focus on HDRI images specifically.

    Whether you want to shoot your own images, work with pre-existing HDRI resources, or simply gain an understanding of what it's all about, this book is simply terrific.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Pio Valenzuela
    5.0 out of 5 stars Textbook of HDRI
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I have bought and read other books on HDR Photography, but I wanted to learn more. When I saw this on Amazon.com, I glanced through the contents, because I was looking for evaluations on various software programs that are available to help me decide on what to purchase.
    This book is far more thorough, and I believe Christian Bloch really knows in detail the history and technical aspects of HDRI photography. I am reading my way through this chapter by chapter; there's a quiz at the end of each chapter, and interviews with HDRI artists/practitioners. Christian Bloch has a sense of humor that some may miss on cursory reading. I find myself taking notes as I read, and the book stimulates me to have other ideas.
    As I read through this book, I find myself agreeing on the importance of taking the time and care to create HDR raw material before going to Tonemapping. He has suggestions on workflow to achieve this. The CD included with the book is loaded with a lot of resources.
    For the reader who is looking for a quick cookbook recipe and brief reviews and pictures on a sample of selected software, this is not the book for you.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Black Adder
    5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Yes it's technical and yes it's probably more than you will ever want to know about HDR but if you are into this type of photography this book is invaluable. The more you progress (and you will do it faster using Bloch's book) the more you will appreciate having this reference. Bloch is an excellent writer, making every chapter understandable. He also has a great sense of humor that I appreciate. A DVD is included that contains examples so you can work along with the chapters as well as access to the various programs used and discounts to purchase. If you have made HDR photos Bloch shows you how to go far beyond what you thought possible and you will find that it is not that difficult. A great book and a great teacher.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Clint Aust Centre
    4.0 out of 5 stars Steady development that makes the book user friendly
    Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Up until this book I had been trying to shoot HDR shots and found that my images were uninspiring. I used the book as a training program and steadily worked through the chapters and slowly my shots improved. The handbook lacks the razzmatazz of other HDR books that I purchased but in the end this is the one that served my need to learn the basics well before moving on to the sizzle. I am sure that a more experienced photographer could skip a chapter or two and still get good results. Some books that have heaps of images are hard to use on Kindle but this one worked seamlessly. Over all I am impressed.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Thomas
    5.0 out of 5 stars It also comes with excellent software and Internet resource links to great tools you ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The HDRI Bible. Whether you are a photographer, VFX guru, graphics artist or computer game designer, you NEED this book. From front to back it is filled with detailed, well written and explained examples and knowlege on every aspect of the art and science of HDRI. It also comes with excellent software and Internet resource links to great tools you can use to enhance your HDRI work. I have a huge library covering photography, VFX and computing yet this book is never far from my desk - it's the one you will go back to time and again to answer those HDRI questions that pop up while working out details within your own pipeline or linear workflow.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • David McAllister
    3.0 out of 5 stars Vast - more than the amateur needs
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book is not for the photo hobbyist who wants to go out and snap some HDRs while on vacation. It's a mammoth exegesis and contains everything knowable about the art and science of HDR. May be good for your purposes.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Jeff G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent resource.
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  • Max
    5.0 out of 5 stars Per sapere tutto su HDR
    Reviewed in Italy on November 1, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Il libro spiega in modo esauriente come fare HDR, presentando numerosi software disponibili e spiegando come utilizzarli in pratica.
    Certo non è una lettura facile o per principianti, ma di sicuro un testo di riferimento per chi vuole imparare a fare HDR.
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  • C. Ehrenstein
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well balanced between getting a complex matter across and giving very helpful insights
    Reviewed in Germany on May 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This (e-)book belongs in the (virtual) shelf of any digital imaging enthusiast.

    Christian Bloch very skillfully gets a pretty complex matter across – never before have read a technical book that connects dot after dot after dot, giving me countless a-hah moments when suddenly bits and pieces of (half) information I had gained before formed a meaningful picture through the author's explanations.

    Christian Bloch convinces the reader that HDRI photography isn't merely a fad, but an inevitable shift in technology. Sooner or later, everyone with an interest in digital photography will have to deal with HDRI – this book gives the reader a head start.

    A perfect mix between theoretical background, practical tips (even an elaborate overview of available HDRI software!), and a refreshing dose of humor.

    Well done.
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  • _mg_
    5.0 out of 5 stars All you'll ever need for HDRI
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I have the first version of this book on Kindle and hesitated to buy the physical product at first, but I'm so glad I did.

    The book is substantial and has many new additions that newcomers and owners of the first edition will benefit from. It is exhaustive in it's exploration of the subject matter but not exhausting. The author writes in an entertaining and engaging style and it's hard not to be won over by his passion for this subject matter. Aside from the business of making HDR images there are tutorials, software, image examples from the bracketed exposures to the sIBL library all included on the DVD and even open source projects to improve the functionality of your camera.

    If you're interested or exploring HDR for Tone-mapping, panoramas, CG-Relighting this will take you from knowing nothing, to shooting and producing excellent results.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars HDRIに関する膨大な情報量
    Reviewed in Japan on May 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    3DCGで使用するためのパノラマHDRに関するあらゆる情報が載っています。
    色々な言語で販売されているのに日本語版がありません。
    それだけが非常に残念です。
    kindle版は同封されているCDのデータがありませんが値段が低く設定されているようです。
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