HDR

[sleigh]

The iPhone camera's not the greatest, but it's certainly adequate for taking a quick photo when you don't have a better, dedicated camera with you. And I've come across an app that really makes a difference when taking photos with heavy contrast.

Since our eyes see a wider range of light than the typical camera, a building against a bright sky will come out with either the building well-exposed but the sky washed out, or the sky well-exposed but the building mostly a silhouette against it. I picked up the Pro HDR X app, which takes three different exposures of a scene in rapid succession, then combines them into one image. (Yes, the iPhone has HDR capability, but the app does it better and you can make adjustments afterward.) Works very well with landscapes; doesn't work well, though, with moving subjects or if you can't hold the phone still.

Here's four sample shots taken a few moments ago on our deck: two shots each, first with the regular iPhone camera, then another using Pro HDR X. The difference is pretty dramatic to my eyes...

Comments

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's pretty dramatic. Added to my wish list!