​PHONE CAMERA SETTINGS: HDR

Phone photography gets interesting with every new piece of information you get. I, for one, I love making good use of my phone camera and I always wondered what HDR does. I could click on HDR and wait to see if there is a visible difference but no, I did not see any so I went back to normal mode, and life moved on. But well, it did not disappear from my phone so I had to find out, what is HDR? How do I use it and when? If you are asking the same questions, well let’s learn about it together.

Courtesy of android pit: An image with no HDR. Look at the sky.

Courtesy of android pit: An image with HDR. Notice the difference in the sky.

What is HDR?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. In photography, dynamic range is the difference between the lightest and darkest elements of an image. HDR is achieved by taking multiple shots at a variety of exposure levels (usually 3-5) in quick succession and combining them with software. The software, having multiple exposures for the single image, it can produce a single shot with a higher range of colour and brightness pulling the highlights and lowlights in the right areas from each original image.

 HDR often makes up for the smartphone camera shortcomings especially that of small sensors that are unable to capture a wide dynamic range in a single image. It corrects exposure imbalances and enhances details in both the subject’s foreground and background. HDR photos are said to be saturated, high in contrast and rich in colour.

The problem in HDR is that each manufacturer does it differently and it could be sometime before one gets used to the intensity at which your phone processes HDR.

How do I use HDR?

It is quite simple. Open your camera app and click on HDR to turn it on or off.

In some phones, HDR appears on the icons when you open the camera app. In other phones, you can open your camera settings to find it. In others, it can be found on the shooting mode menu, camera scenes section or even on the smart modes menu. In other phones, it cannot be found. Worry not though because there is a number of apps on Google play that can help.

When do I use HDR?
There is actually no hard set rule as to when or when not to use HDR. As stated earlier, different phones handle HDR differently but despite this, there are a few tips on when HDR can be used to improve shots, i.e.:

• Wide range of brightness
• Landscape shots- HDR can be beneficial when taking a landscape photo when the sky is too bright and the subject has a dark foreground.

This is one of the photos taken at a high exposure level.

This photo is at a lower exposure level.

When combined using HDR, the exposure imbalance is corrected.

• Portrait shots- Such shots taken under sunlight or if the background is bright.

Android Authority: an image with no HDR, the background is brighter than the foreground.

Android Authority: an image with HDR. The foreground is brighter, more visible.

• Dim scenes. HDR can be useful in remedying low light situations. 

Android Authority: a dim scene with on HDR.

Android Authority: the dim scene with HDR.

• Sunset shots. When taking pictures of the sunset it may appear too dark or too bright. HDR brings out/ balances the contrast between clouds the sun to make the sun appear just right.

When do I not use HDR?

There are instances when use of HDR is not advisable, i.e.: 

• In super low light situations- In lowlight situations, the shots captured are of low exposure to a dull image. HDR may attempt to smooth out the shots but this will end up blurring the entire shots. While it lights up dim scenes, HDR does not create light when there isn’t.
• Motion- As said earlier, HDR captures multiple shots therefore a moving subject leads to ghosting around objects, streakiness instead of sharp lines and discolouration.
• High contrast scenes- Some pictures look better with strong contrast and as HDR reduces the contrast, the desired effect will be less pronounced.
• Vividly coloured scenes- HDR can bring vibrancy to lifeless colours in a scene. But if the colours are already much alive, it can make them look garish.
• Similar brightness- Areas of relatively similar brightness levels may lead to an image which looks fake and cartoonish due to over processing by the HDR.

The best tip however is to take the photo with and without HDR and determine which you prefer.

A night photo with HDR.

A night photo with no HDR. Which do you prefer between this and the one above?

Have you learnt something new? Do you use HDR mode on your phone? What tips do you think we should add in the use of HDR? Interact with me in the comments. When you try it, you can share your shots too. And as you learn, don’t forget to share ’cause that’s how it is!