Everything you need to know about editing HDR photos for real estate photography.
All photographers know how hard it is to take a photo that captures both the high and low ends of the light spectrum in one image. Too often, your photos end up washed out with an overabundance of light, or dark and blurry, thanks to the absence of light which leads to frustration and poor image selection.
The solution to getting a well blended photo is known as HDR Photography, and it’s easier to achieve than you may think. Let’s take a closer look at HDR photography for real estate photography.
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How to create HDR photos
The first step in HDR photography is known as bracketing.
Bracketing is taking a number of shots of the same scene in a short space of time but using a different F-Stop for each shot.
For example, you may capture four images at F.Stop 1.4, then 2.8, then 5.6 and then 11. That will give you a wide range of lighting options to work with.
It’s very important to set up your shot carefully using a tripod, before you start shooting.
Once that is done, then you input your photos into Lightroom as usual, and sort them out by file name.
How to edit HDR photos in Lightroom
- Select the photos that you want to use, and then right click.
- Select ‘Stacking’ from the drop down menu and then the ‘Group into Stack’ option.
- From the File menu, select ‘Plug-in extras’, then ‘Blend exposure using LR/Enfuse
- In the pop-up box which opens next, click the Auto Align tab and tick the box marked ‘Automatically align images before blending them’.
- Next go to the Output tab (number 4) and make sure the first three checkboxes are checked.
When you click Enfuse images, you will see the Blending process unfolding in the top left hand corner of your screen.
What is HDR photography?
The letters HDR stand for High Dynamic Range, which is referring to the amount of contrast between the darkest and the lightest areas of a photograph. Most regular cameras struggle to balance photos where there is a high contrast between dark and light. HDR photography is a technique that is used to blend multiple images, taken at different exposures, using software, in order to produce a pleasing, well-balanced image.
When is HDR photography used?
If you are a real estate photographer and find your photos are either washed out or too dark, thanks to the wide contrast in lighting in the room, then you should think about using HDR techniques.
It’s ideal for real estate photography because it works best on images where there is no movement; for example the exterior of a building, or a room with shades of light and dark.
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