Some of the users, taking photos using their smartphones, may find the mode in the camera settings HDR... Many people simply do not pay attention to it, but in vain, because this mode has a bunch of advantages that many smartphone owners simply do not know about. In this article I will tell you what HDR is in a phone, explain when it should be used, and what its main functions are.
HDR is an acronym for High Dynamic Range, which is a measure of the light spectrum at different levels. For example, the human eye has a high level of dynamic range, we see many details of a dark building against a light sky, but if the same building is photographed using a smartphone, then in the photo this building will turn into one dark spot, in which most of the details are simply lost. ...
Accordingly, the dynamic range determines the amount of contrast that can be displayed in a photo without loss of detail.
In an effort to avoid loss of quality, many photographers try to photograph only the dark or light parts of the image. Well, what if we could take pictures with an emphasis on the light, and then on the dark parts of the image, and then organically combine them into one balanced image? This is exactly what HDR does.
If you do not know what is Teletype in the phone description.
How to use HDR
Activate your phone's capture mode, then go to the settings option (gear icon), go to Effects, and select HDR in capture mode.
Then point your phone camera to the center of the screen and shoot. Remember that in HDR mode, the shooting process takes a little longer (the device takes several photos with different exposures), therefore, there should be no movement of objects in the lens, and the phone itself should be held almost motionless.
If your phone does not have this HDR mode (older model), then you can install third-party applications for yourself that allow you to work with HDR. I would recommend apps like Camera HDR Studio, HDR Camera, Ultimate HDR Camera, Snapseed and others.
What it is and how it looks like working with HDR can be seen in the video:
When to shoot in HDR
HDR is designed for high quality images in certain situations. Here are the cases when you should not only know what HDR is, but be able to use it:
When not to use HDR
That being said, in some situations, using HDR can make your photo look worse. Here they are:
- Photo with motion. If an object moves (or will move) in the field of the frame, HDR increases the chance of getting a blurry image. Remember that HDR usually creates three photos, and if your subject moves between the first and second shots, you may end up with something awkward in the final photo. Hopefully you get a sense of what HDR is and when to use it and when not;
- High contrast scenes. Some photos look better with strong contrast between light and dark parts of the exposure. Using HDR can make contrast less noticeable, and this can negatively affect the image;
- Bright colours. Using HDR when capturing images with vivid colors can make the resulting photo appear “faded”.
Conclusion
What is HDR in a smartphone? Using HDR on your phone can add harmony, detail and balance to your photos. Use HDR when shooting landscapes and still subjects with great detail, while avoiding HDR when shooting moving objects - and your photos will invariably delight you with their quality and aesthetic appearance.
