Iphone Friday – using Pro HDR

HDR photography stands for High Dynamic Range photography – it is a method of composing a photograph using a number of photographs taken with different exposures. It is a great way to capture an image that has some particularily dark and bright areas. Here is a good explanation with photos to demonstrate it.

With my DSLR I always stayed away from HDR as it just seemed scary and over complicated! I am always about simplicity 🙂

However a while ago the Pro HDR app was recommended, and I gave it a go. I really only used it for the first time a few weeks ago at the start of our holiday to Florida – and I was hooked!

I took this photo as we were boarding a plane in Chicago

 It is SO easy, and the results speak for themselves (I hope!)

I certainly don’t use it all the time, but it is a useful app to have – non-moving objects work best. You just need to tap the Auto HDR button on the first screen.

Hold the phone steady, and tap the screen to start.

Hold as still as possible while the screen goes light/dark before your very eyes (a few seconds). When it vibrates, the images have been captured.

A few seconds later the composite HDR image will appear, along with the option to make some  adjustments  to brightness, contrast, saturation, warmth and tint.

When you have finished tweaking, just save the image to your Camera Roll, and press Done.

To illustrate the difference it makes here is a Pro HDR image I took earlier today

Here it is taken with a “normal” camera app (unedited)

and the difference it makes if you use the pro HDR app (slightly edited within the app – but nothing major!)

So – have you used an HDR app on your smart phone? If so, share what you use.

If you haven’t given HDR a go – go try it!

If you have some iphone pics you would like to share this week, link up below.

Come back next week for more iphone Friday