HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a cornerstone technique in property photography. It allows you to capture the full range of light in a scene — from bright windows to dark corners — in a single final image.
What is HDR?
Your camera sensor can't capture the same range of brightness that your eyes can see. In a typical interior, the view through a window might be 10+ stops brighter than a dark corner. HDR solves this by taking multiple exposures at different brightness levels and merging them together.
How to bracket
- Set your camera to aperture priority or manual mode
- Choose your aperture (f/7.1-f/11) and ISO (100-400)
- Enable auto exposure bracketing (AEB) in your camera menu
- Set the bracket range: I use 5 exposures at 2-stop intervals (-4, -2, 0, +2, +4)
- Use a 2-second timer or remote trigger to avoid camera shake
- The camera will fire all 5 exposures automatically
Merging in Lightroom
- Select all bracketed exposures in Lightroom
- Right-click → Photo Merge → HDR
- Enable "Auto Align" and "Auto Settings"
- Set Deghosting to "Low" or "Medium" if there's movement (curtains blowing, etc.)
- Click "Merge" — Lightroom creates a single DNG file with the full dynamic range
Avoiding the "HDR look"
The biggest mistake beginners make is over-processing HDR images. The goal is a natural-looking image with detail in both highlights and shadows — not a surreal, over-saturated mess.
Rules for natural HDR:
- Don't push the shadows slider past +50
- Don't pull highlights below -70
- Keep clarity/texture moderate (under +30)
- Maintain natural contrast — flat HDR images look cheap
- The final image should look like what your eyes saw, not a painting
When NOT to use HDR
- Rooms with no windows (no dynamic range issue)
- When you're using flash to balance the exposure
- Scenes with lots of movement (people, pets, curtains in wind)
- When you're shooting the flambient technique (covered in the next lesson)
Key Takeaways
- HDR merges multiple exposures to capture the full dynamic range of a scene
- Use 5 brackets at 2-stop intervals for most interior shots
- Lightroom's HDR merge is quick and produces natural results
- Avoid over-processing — the image should look natural, not surreal
- HDR isn't always necessary — skip it when using flash or in evenly lit rooms
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