Many photo apps are claiming to create great HDR images. But what exactly is HDR and which apps on the market actually deliver?
HDR stands for 'high dynamic range imaging' and basically describes a few different techniques that are combined to create a final image that has a greater range of light and detail than usual.
The final HDR images are created by taking around three shots of the same scene, which all have different exposures and then combining them into one. This then creates a final image, which often looks exaggerated, with a great deal of detail, colour and luminosity.
The main image above is a lovely example of an HDR photo, but you’ll find that HDR effects are like Marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.
You can take photos on many cameras with different settings and then use an editing tool to merge them together, or you can just take the easy option and download an app to do it all for you.
Apple HDR
If you own an iPhone 4, you’ll find that your mobile’s camera already has built-in HDR capabilities. When you’re taking a photo, simply switch ‘HDR on’ at the top of your screen to enable it.
The iPhone then takes three different images and combines them for you to produce a final one. It also takes a regular photo too, so you can compare the difference between the original shot and the one achieved using HDR.
Although some of the dedicated HDR apps do give you a better final result and Apple HDR’s results are quite subtle, it’s good to see that Apple has already integrated the functionality within the iPhone and judging from how many people make use of it every time they take a photo, I imagine it’s now here to stay in any future updates.
Pro HDR / Pro HDR Camera
Pro HDR has an automatic and a manual mode to allow you to make adjustments to the light and shadows yourself between each photo. However, I always find automatic works just as well.
I personally really like Pro HDR, as you can fine-tune certain elements, such as saturation and contrast, which is a really handy option, either to make your final HDR image subtle or push it to the extreme and give it a rather surreal quality.
The team behind Pro HDR also made Pro HDR Camera for Android devices, which is very similar, it just yields slightly different results.
Dynamic Light
Dynamic Light is a single shot HDR app, so it adds a filter to your photos rather than taking more than one image and merging them together. This means it’s a good option for quick and easy HDR effects, even though it’s probably not as authentic, but then again we are taking mobile apps here!
There’s a handy little dial at the bottom of the screen in order to alter the intensity of the “HDR-like” effects and you can also go into the settings and change things like the smoothness of the image, or give it a colour boost. To track the changes you’re making to the image, there’s also an option to toggle between the original shot and the one you’re currently editing.
TrueHDR
Like Pro HDR, TrueHDR takes different images and “tone maps” them to create just one.
It’s important you stay very still with this app, as movements mean the final image won’t be as effective. Unfortunately there’s no option to change the intensity, but you can choose between “natural” and “enhanced” in the app’s settings.
The main thing I noticed about TrueHDR is that it’s takes the longest to render a final image out of all of the apps above, yet produces some of the best results, so maybe the wait is worth it!
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer. She also writes for a number of international tech blogs, including Popgadget and The Future is Entertaining. You can read her personal blog beccacaddy.com or watch her rant on Twitter @beccacaddy.
Images via o b s k u r a’s Flickr, Apple and the iTunes store.