| Brand: | Adorama | ||
| Average Rating |
|
It’s the latest and hottest technique, made possible only through digital. High Dynamic Range photography is the process of taking several pictures of a scene at various exposures, then merging them into one file. So the entire photo can look crisp and detailed, from highlights to midtones to shadows—and photographers needn’t sacrifice any part of their image. And the best way to master this exciting technology is with this thorough, easy-to-follow, and visually spectacular guide. No other title does justice to these cutting-edge techniques, which actually take the viewer into worlds far beyond normal photography—sometimes even beyond normal human perception. Ferrell McCollough, a widely respected photographer, pushes the boundaries and inspires others to pursue their artistic vision, too. The amazing results simply can’t be achieved any other way.
more info
Related Products
Previous post: Operational and Calibration of the NPS Ultraviolet Imaging
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Not Academicaly Right But You may like it…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
There is a concept that most of the amatours call HDR and its realy not fit the real meaning. This book is good for pop culture, but most of the pictures (I say picture, not photogrphy,) you would probably like and also you would like to know how people do that.
I must just warn you the book is not academicaly right.
If I were the writer, I would name the book: Complete guide to manipulate dijital photography (and creating illustrations) by using High Dynamic Range Method…
Conclusion:
Good book for people say: I wanna do that colorfull, beautiful things I don’t care what is it…
Not suggested for: I’m a photography (or visual enginnering) student-, and I need to know the Literature and what does HDR means…
Redundant information
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The book is well written, but there is no new information for me here. It’s all been covered many times before. There are a wealth of inspiring example images printed in the book, but reading it was not a learning experience for me.
I’ll add it to my library of photo manuals but I won’t be using it as a reference. And if someone wants to borrow a book on HDRI this is the one I’ll give them because I won’t care if they don’t return it.
A very good beginner’s guide to HDR
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I agree with several of the reviews: It’s a great introduction to HDR. Read it slowly to get a good understanding of the principles. I took it to Cape Cod and sat on the beach for two days reading it. A good experience. The author covers the bases well.
keep it handy
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
A nice book to have around studying and developing hdr
Quite a lot of shots are not my favourite to much color saturated or a bit freaked out but that is personal
Nevertheless a book that should definitly take a place in your library
3.5 Stars: Probably the Best General HDR Reference; Still a Bit Thin
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I’ve looked through and read four or five different titles relating to HDR photography and all of them (except this one) have some pretty serious gaps or flaws in their approach. This is a young book market, because the technology itself is pretty young / still evolving. I like the many inspiring examples (wonderfully reproduced) in this book, and I like the fact that all of the core tools one might choose for HDR imaging are presented.
However I feel this book sets you up to be a jack of all trades and a master of none when it comes to using HDR software. I would’ve preferred that the author choose the two most popular programs and really delve into them, to the tune of another 20 or 30 pages worth of instruction, showing step-by-step progressions. Still it is a valuable HDR reference and the only one I would recommend to my students, but there’s room out there for something more.
Outstanding
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Easy to read. Awesome examples. The Photomatix version in this book is not the latest one, but still is close enough.
High Dynamic Range Photography
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Awesome book with fantastic photos. These easy to understand directions will give photographers a whole new dimension for their photographs.
HDR demystified for the amateur photographer
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoy a writer who understands his topic this well and doesn’t underestimate my intelligence or overestimate my knowledge.
This book provides the practical, step-by-step instruction I’d been looking for, and includes outstanding examples of HDR photos in beautiful color detail.
I’ve read it three times now and continue to make notes to myself in the margins. That’s always a sign that I’ve gotten my money’s worth and will add the book to my permanent library rather than pass it along to another reader.
I highly recommend the Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Best book on HDR
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a clear, concise and easy to read book on HDR. I had purchased another book first and it was so complicated and confusing that I gave up. This book is absolutely the best on HDR
Inspiring book
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is an inspiring book for the photographer attempting HDR techniques. It’s really more of a reference book, with beautiful HDR photographs and many before/after photos. It has made me aware of what’s possible. I wish there was more instruction regarding how to get the best results with “details enhancer.” I recently purchased Photomatix (the software most recommended in this book) and I’m happy with the results I’m getting overall, though like anything else, it takes practice.
HDR
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
While I found this book to be helpful, I thought that it was a little behind the curve as far as being current to the Photomatix software that I wanted it as a tutorial for. With recent updates to the that software, the instructions in the book for Tonemapping photos tend to be a little out of date. The sliders have changed and the number of them has increased and so some are just not mentioned in the book. That said, it isn’t a bad place to start as it talks about capturing the image, ghosting, and other subjects. The photos in the book are very helpful illustrations.
The best book on this subject I know of
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
One thing is definitely true of HDR processing: There are lots of sliders, controls and options. Knowing which ones are useful and which to avoid is half the battle. And since HDR software uses terms like Highlight Smoothing and Micro Adjusting local contrast, the topic needed a little demystifying. That is what this book does.
As one reviewer here points out, this book does lean heavily toward Photomatix as the HDR processor of choice, but there is plenty here for users of FDR Tools and others. The real trick is finding one or two packages and learning which controls you need to get the images you want. The software makers themselves don’t really tell you what each of these various adjustments actually does. McCollough could do more in this area, but he does a pretty good job.
I fault the book in one small detail. McCollough refers often to a technique in Photomatix called Highlights and Shadows –Adjust. It’s a good technique for more realistic images and the author uses it to good effect. However he completely fails to mention how to find it, how to use it, what the controls are or anything else. He goes into tone mapping in great detail, but offers nothing on this. It isn’t even in the idex. In fact, this important technique doesn’t use an HDR image at all, but rather blends the exposures of a series of images directly into another standard DR image.
All in all, this is a great book to help you feel more comfortable with all the aspects of this interesting photo technique. You will still have to discover a lot on your owm. HDR works in mysterious ways. But this book is never obscure and is very readable. Highly recommended.
Buy this book
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Pros:
-some very nice pictures – most high quality
-compares various programs
-good writer, clear, intelligent prose
-has artists show their work
-tells how to run programs
-goes into workflow
-goes into various “modes” – architectural, outdoors, etc.
-goes into details of good images, noise, movement, etc.
-Price is good
-has good esthetic eye
-systematic approach
-obviously has done his homework
-will be an immediate help for hdr beginner or experienced
-is thorough, probably best book out there on hdr
-book has large format and many photo examples
-did I say the writer has made everything clear?
-shows photographic exposures for many shots
Cons:
-would have liked to see more on portraits mode
Powerful Photography
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Good examples of HDR photography. Shows how to make an ordinary scene an award-winning photo.
Now I get it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although I’d read three books on HDR, I needed this one to bring everything together. I couldn’t figure out how many exposures it is best to take, and how much to bracket, let alone how to combine them all into one finished HDR shot. This book has everything you need to learn HDR, and the examples are great, too.
However, you should also check out Practical HDRI: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers. I found this book to be useful, as well. It’s only a beginner’s book, and has just 175 or so pages, but it explains things in a very clear way. Once I’d absorbed the basic material, I was ready for Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book). If you’re a beginner, you need both.
Worth every cent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this book right after I bought Photomatix HDR software, and they’re a great combination. The book provides detailed instructions how to get the most from the HDR software.
Great pics, good coverage of a rapidly-advancing subject
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
When you look at professionally shot images, they always seem so rich and saturated, with incredible end-of-the-world-is-nigh skyfields, and detail jumping out of the shadows. I always assumed such shots were because of pro-quality gear that I could never afford, or because of pro-level attention in Photoshop that I would never have the patience to learn.
Not so. You can shoot these images with any point-n-shoot, with a couple of clicks of post-processing with free software at home. This book tells you how to do it.
The trick is so simple that the primary value of this book is as an art resource. With this powerful technique, you can get amazing photos in places where regular photography stands no chance at all – like deep inside a railway tunnel, or shooting directly into a sunrise while still capturing foreground shadow detail.
There are many resources on the web. The author’s own website is an excellent place to start, and may cannibalize sales of his book. Also, this is a fast-moving subject. The book (so far I could find) makes no mention of Qtpfsgui, a free tool that does a nice job of merging the exposure stack. The results are so dramatic that hdr-ready cameras with built-in mergers can not be far away. It is unfortunate that this book will be technically obsolete fairly quickly – but it will always have a wonderfully inspirational set of images to admire.
Impressive photos!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There are some very impressive photos, which should easily persuade you that HDR photography is worth investigating. All the major software packages are examined and their virtues compared. Workflows and ways of circumventing the problems associated with the technique are amply described.
The science behind the process remains a mystery and the operation of the software is largely intuitive, essentially involving moving the various sliders up and down until you get a result that you like. Consequently, the need for a book such as this might be questioned. However, on balance, I think that there is sufficient background and guidance to justify it. Also, as I say, the photos sell it on their own!
Dennis
Very interesting
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
HDR photography is very interesting. In this book you get a good primer and several examples of great shots. The shots look different from normal photography and you will have to decide if this is a technique for you. I only give the book four stars because there is a litte too much on different computer software (which change too quickly anyway).
I just bought my first DSLR camera. I bought ten photography books on amazon. I’m evaluating these books from the perspective of a semi-advanced amateur. (On things I’ve learnt is that book by the same author tends to be very similar. So make sure you vary your authors when buying more than one book. Rather than saying this author is good, let me buy more from him/her.)
complete guide to high dynamic range digital photography book
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Like most books called complete guide to whatever it falls way short. The book favors phto matrix., and leaves you hanging if you use another brand. Showing mostly after shots and little how to get there.
Step By Step………
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Outstanding book for HDR. Great Step By Step explanation of reaching your goals to present the best photo possible. Awesome before/after photos that show the power of HDR.
Only down side (and sometimes humorous) was the gross mis-spelling of some words. Nobody used Spell-Check?
Grammar aside, this is an excellent walk-through reference for jumping into HDR!
HDR Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The book provided the missing information about the HDR process.With switching from film to digital.I wanted to be able to capture the tonal range and richness that film provided only in digital.this book provided such information.The book is well written,easy to understand and it’s processes easy to execute.I was under the impression from reading other books on the HDR process that all images had to be captured in raw and the use of jpegs would not work with HDR.A fact disproved in this book.Simply stated ..If you want to learn the HDR process ..this is the book for you.
This makes HDR Imaging Easy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What a great resource book! Before I purchased this book my HDR technique left much to be desired. I was using Photomatix Pro and basically moving sliders this way and that and never really understanding how the workflow of HDR manipulation should proceed. As pointed out by one reviewer, the tips on how to reduce noise, particularly in the sky are worth the price of the book. In addition, the best tip of all is to make sure you never shoot at greater than ISO 100…this in and of itself does more to improve your final HDR images. Further, the print quality and selected photography in the book was top notch in getting across key points! From my experience, you should know your camera well before venturing deep into the HDR “pond”. Example, if you have the latest and greatest D-SLR that has fast continuous shooting (greater than 3fps) combined with AEB (auto exposure bracketing) you can ignore the limitation of a tripod and shoot HDR handheld most of the time.
In conclusion, this book has opened up a lot of spontaneous HDR imaging opportunities for me. The only recommendation I’d make is I’d have liked more direction on some post-processing tips. The HDR software does not in all cases give you a 100 percent final product. But, overall, this book is a must have and I guarantee it will reduce the learning curve in creating stunning HDR images…it did for me!
This book explains it all
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been shooting some HDR photos (well attempting too) but have never really been able to ‘connect’. I have read from many online websites but never really got the concept. This book explains the whole process from from start to finish, goes through a review of the more popular software packages out there and thoroughly covers the subject of HDR. I can’t wait to get out and start using what I am learning in this book. This is an UNQUALIFIED BUY THIS BOOK review.
you won’t be sorry.
Best book for Beginners
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this book Several Months ago. I can now do HDR Photography and the process. This book is Very informative and very good at teaching the HDR novice! I Highly recommend this book if your wanting to learn how it’s done. This is the only book i’ve used and have some very good HDR work now, that i’ve done myself. For proof you can go to flickr and hopeparr