HDR in a phone camera: what is it? What is hdr photography, what is it good for and how to get it.

HDR means high dynamic range, for shorter and more convenient use it is used English abbreviation, HDRI - high dynamic range image. HDR is a type of photography that allows you to create images with greater dynamic range than is normally possible.

To understand what it is and understand how to use it, you first need to understand what dynamic range is.

Dynamic range

Dynamic range is a measure of the spectrum of lighting at various levels - from the darkest blacks to the brightest whites - that can be displayed on a camera. Dynamic range determines the amount of contrast you can capture or display without losing detail.

The dynamic range you can capture with a camera is significantly higher than what can be displayed on your monitor.

Why is this so important?

Some scenes may be too contrasty due to certain type lighting. That is why experts advise avoiding filming at noon in bright conditions. sunlight, since cameras cannot cope with the full range of light. In low light, other problems may arise - the image will be too dim and lack contrast. As a result, the photo will have soft shadows, but the frame itself will be a little plain.

Midtone Image

Are there ways to avoid this?

When shooting digitally, these problems are much easier to solve, since the shooting result is instantly visible on the display. Depending on the resulting frame, you can change the camera settings or change the angle. We can also use flash to reduce the contrast on a sunny day and use a special filter to balance the difference in brightness between the sky and the landscape.

Moreover, there are processing techniques that can be used in Photoshop, especially if the shooting took place in RAW mode, which allows you to obtain images with maximum detail in the darkest and lightest areas of the frame.

How does HDR work?

HDR allows a greater range of brightness to be used in an image, and the range can be much greater than in a normal image. True Image HDR is created from several photographs of the same scene, taken with slightly different exposures.

Each exposure captures part of the tonal range. They are then combined into one image using special software.

What do you mean?

True Image HDR contains a much larger range of tones - too much, in fact, to display on a normal computer monitor or when printed on paper.

They are typically stored as 32-bit files, which can convey up to 4,300,000 shades of each color channel. By comparison, a standard JPEG file can convey 256 (8-bit) tones per channel, and a RAW file can convey between 4,000 (12-bit) and 16,000 (16-bit) tones per channel.

So what do you do with this very large file?

The next step for most HDR images is tone mapping. The program uses a 32-bit HDR image to create an image with a contrast range that can be reproduced in print or on a monitor.

Each tonal value will be recalculated at a different scale. The result is a new image in which you can see all the details in both the brightest highlights and the darkest shadow areas. This is where the tonal mapping you can get from HDR is all about.

How to use HDR creatively?

Many enthusiasts don't just use HDR in combination with software, they go beyond that. They do not set themselves the task of creating a realistic image, they strive to create an original artistic image that no longer looks realistic. The resulting effect is similar to that used in the hyperrealistic style of painting. Some people like it, some don't.

Image at brightest exposure

What software is needed?

There are many programs that include HDR - including free ones. The most famous program is Photomatix Pro, but latest version Photoshop (CS5) has a built-in HDR center.

Typically HDR programs have a range of sliders to help you control the tone and give you the ability to make the effect the way you like.

How to shoot with HDR?

Essentially the process is the same as bracketing. The number of shots you'll need depends largely on the actual tonal range of the scene you're shooting. The greater the contrast, the more shots you should take.

Typically three photographs are taken, but depending on the shooting situation, you may need to take as many as nine photographs, each one or two stops different from the previous one. Some DSLR cameras have AEB (automatic exposure bracketing), which will allow you to do this without additional hassle.

Darkest exposure image

What other settings should I use?

The sequence of your shots should be as close in content to each other as possible (though obviously the brightness will vary). Any changes caused by motion can create a halo that your software then has to deal with.

What is HDR in a smartphone camera? In what situations can HDR on a phone significantly improve the quality of a photo, and when is it completely useless?

High Dynamic Range mode (abbreviated as HDR) appeared in smartphone cameras relatively recently. However, the novelty of the technology has not prevented HDR from penetrating both expensive flagships and mobile devices with more modest capabilities. But is this mode as good as marketers from smartphone manufacturers say it is? Let's try to figure out this issue and find out who and when will use High Dynamic Range?

What is HDR

High Dynamic Range is a special operating mode that starts shooting a series of frames with subsequent processing of the results. The result of the processing is one single image, assembled like a puzzle from the most successful pieces of the series.

The presence of the HDR mode in the phone allows you to take successful shots not only in ideal conditions. The fact is that each of the photographs in the series, disassembled into puzzles, is taken on different camera settings. As a result, one part of the frame turns out better, and the other - worse.

Then a special algorithm assembles from the most focused, contrasting and sharp puzzles actually perfect shot, suppressing all noise and increasing clarity and saturation. This is how the perfect shot is formed in non-ideal conditions.

How HDR works

HDR mode in a smartphone camera is implemented through the use of software and hardware. The former are responsible for post-processing, and the latter for information accumulation.

Of the smartphone camera hardware, the autofocus module is most involved in HDR. It is he who points the lens alternately at foreground objects and at background elements. In addition, the attention of the automatic focus is also attracted to the brightest/darkest objects, as well as elements of the frame with different indicators contrast. All of them are filmed both “in focus” and in defocus mode.

In addition, HDR also loads the mechanisms responsible for shutter speed and exposure of the smartphone camera. All frames in the series are filmed from different periods exposure, so together with autofocus, the electronic shutter also works to create the perfect photo. The varying intervals during which the shutter allows light to enter the sensor can enhance both the light and dark areas of the image. The former are shot with a short shutter speed, and the latter with a long exposure.

Example. When shooting a cityscape or landscape on a sunny day, as well as when shooting in the evening, one difficulty arises. Well-lit areas will turn out overexposed if you set the exposure for shadow areas, and vice versa, the “shadow” will turn out too dark if you optimize the shutter speed and exposure for light areas. HDR allows you to take several shots - some with ideal shadow settings, others with highlights settings - and then put together as flawless (as possible) a frame. As a result of all these dances with the tambourine, the light areas will turn out a little darker, and the dark ones will turn out a little lighter, which is clearly visible in the example of a picture from the Google Pixel camera. (HDR is turned on in the camera in the second photo).

After accumulating information, the second stage of HDR on the phone is activated - processing the resulting puzzle frames and forming a picture from them with ideal detail and clarity of the picture. For this purpose, special algorithms and programs are written, optimized for the capabilities of processor chipsets and camera characteristics (shutter speed and autofocus aiming, light sensitivity of the matrix, camera lens aperture, and so on).

After processing the puzzles, the user receives a finished photo with improved characteristics. In this case, there is no way to delve into intermediate frames; For the owner of a smartphone, this whole procedure looks like displaying a snapshot on the screen with a slight delay.

Disadvantages of HDR mode

Optimization delays frame formation and overloads the smartphone chipset, consuming computing resources. But you can live with these shortcomings. After all, almost all applications freeze and freeze the chip. However, the HDR mode activated in the smartphone camera has more serious disadvantages that limit its scope.

Firstly, we're talking about about the impossibility of fixing dynamic objects. Simply put, people, animals, vehicles and other moving animate and inanimate objects cannot be photographed using HDR on a phone. This way you will get blurry spots instead of a clear frame, because the object moves relative to the photographer.

Secondly, active HDR in a smartphone camera suppresses, or rather averages, the brightness of the frame. The simplest processing algorithm involves simply layering puzzle pictures on top of each other, so a picture without dynamic mode activated will have a brighter foreground or background than an HDR frame.

And the performance of a smartphone camera with active HDR suffers greatly. This is especially noticeable on gadgets with weak processors that cannot boast of computing speed. Some owners of such phones even claim that it is easier for them to take 5-10 simple frames and choose the most successful one from them, rather than wait for the HDR image to be processed.

All this, of course, imposes its limitations on the practice of using the HDR mode on the phone.

Who needs HDR mode and when?

You should enable HDR in your smartphone camera in the following cases:

• When staged portrait photography. In this case, the sagging brightness background can be presented as an artistic solution.
• During landscape shooting, when all the power of the hardware-software mode is directed to the background.
  When working with small objects - when shooting for catalogs and so on. In this case, the photographer can count on high detail, allowing him to see all the nuances of the lot or product.
• For street photography of static objects. Using HDR on your phone, you can take a great photo of the exterior of a building, a parked car, or any landmark.

An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the High Dynamic Range mode leads us to such conclusions. Well, if our readers have their own opinion, supported by practical experience, then they can complement our conclusions in the comments to this article.

If you've ever seen dynamic, rich photos with distinct shadows, skies or small details. All these photos were taken using HDR. Now, in any Xiaomi smartphone, the camera supports this mode. Now, dear readers, let's understand in more detail what HDR is and how this function works.

What is HDR in camera?

HDR is a software algorithm used to process digital photography, the principle of which is to add dynamic changes to the photo. If you have a Xiaomi device and want to learn how to take high-quality and dynamic pictures, then you need to understand what HDR is in a Xiaomi phone camera.

So, when using HDR, the smartphone camera takes not one, but several pictures at once. Each photo uses a different exposure. After this, a software algorithm combines the resulting images into one photo.

A photo taken using this method conveys light transitions much better, making them as similar as possible to what the human eye sees, and not the device’s camera. It is also worth noting that when shooting with this method, the phone takes more time to process the image. For example, Xiaomi camera Mi A1 will need 2 seconds to process the result.

What is HDR photography?

HDR technology is designed to improve the quality of photos. However, this method of shooting should not always be used, but only in certain situations.

So, first of all, HDR should be used when shooting landscapes, since in such photos it is very important to note the contrast between the ground and the sky. In HDR mode, the smartphone camera will easily cope with this task, highlighting all the details in the sky, while not darkening the ground too much.

HDR mode is also highly recommended for taking portraits in bright sunlight. Everyone knows that lighting is one of the most important aspects in photography. However, if a large amount of light falls on the face of the person being photographed, this may cause the appearance of unnecessary shadows, highlights, and other things that are not in the best possible way will affect the quality of the photo. Using HDR, you can easily adjust the amount of light on your face.

But, there are situations in which it is better not to use HDR. For example, when shooting moving objects, since they will appear blurry in the photo. It is also not recommended to use this mode when shooting high-contrast scenes and when there is large quantity bright colors.

What is HDR mode in a smartphone?

Do not forget that most Xiaomi smartphones that have photo shooting in HDR mode take two images at once, one with the HDR effect, the other without it. This way, after shooting, you can compare both images and choose the best one.

Photography is an art that always requires experimentation to achieve the best results. Don't be afraid to take photos and use the "HDR photo mode". Over time, you will learn to use it correctly and significantly improve the quality of your photos.

Some users, when taking photos using their smartphones, may encounter HDR mode in the camera settings. Many simply do not pay attention to it, but in vain, because this mode has a bunch of advantages that many smartphone owners simply are not aware of. In this article I will tell you what HDR is on a phone, I will explain when you should use it, and what its main functions are.

HDR is an acronym for High Dynamic Range, which is a measure of the spectrum of lighting at different levels. For example, the human eye has high level dynamic range, we see many details of a dark building against a light sky, but if we photograph the same building 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, dynamic range determines the amount of contrast that can be displayed in a photo without losing 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 the HDR feature does.

If you don’t know what Teletype in a phone is, description.

How to use HDR

Activate your phone's shooting mode, then go to the settings option (gear icon), go to "Effects", and select "HDR" in shooting mode.

Then point your phone camera at 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), so 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 (more old model), then you can install third-party applications 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 what working with HDR looks like can be seen in the video:

When to shoot in HDR

HDR mode is designed to capture images high quality in certain situations. Here are cases when you should not only know what HDR is, but be able to use it:

When not to use HDR

However, in some situations, using HDR can make your photo look worse. Here they are:

• Photo with movement. If an object is (or will be) moving within the frame, HDR increases the chance of a blurry image. Remember that HDR usually creates three photos, and if your subject moves between the first and second photo, you may end up with something awkward in the final photo. I hope you have come to understand what HDR is and when to use it and when not to use it;
• Scenes with high contrast. Some photos look better with strong contrast between the dark and light parts of the exposure. Using HDR can make the contrast less noticeable and this can have a negative impact on the image;
• Bright colors. Using HDR when shooting images with bright colors can cause the resulting photo to appear “faded.”

Conclusion

What is HDR in a smartphone? Using the HDR mode on your phone can add harmony to your photos, good detail and balance in the image. Use the HDR mode when shooting landscapes and stationary objects with great detail, while avoiding the use of HDR when shooting moving objects - and your photos will always delight you with their quality and aesthetic appearance.

You've probably heard that modern smartphones support HDR shooting mode. This article will let you understand what its essence is.

HDR technology wasn't invented yesterday. However, its appearance could not have happened in the era of film cameras. And the HDR mode could not be present in the first digital cameras and smartphones - they simply would not have enough power to process images at the required speed. Nowadays, such devices allow you to take a couple of frames in a matter of seconds. So, let's understand what HDR is in a smartphone camera.

Any digital camera, including one built into a phone, has a limited dynamic range. This means that if there are very bright areas in the frame, problems with dark objects begin. For example, let's say you take a photo of a building while in its shadow. Most likely, this will lead to one of two options for the resulting image:

• The clouds in the sky will be clearly visible, but the details of the building itself will be almost indistinguishable;
• The house will appear detailed, but at the same time the sky will turn into a white mush - in some cases it hides the roof of the building in its colors.

It is in such cases that the HDR function comes to the rescue. This mode allows, roughly speaking, to take two frames with different exposures, then combining them into one. As a result, the image will not have very dark areas, nor too bright ones. Detailing will increase significantly - absolutely all objects will be distinguishable. But you should not use this mode on an ongoing basis. The fact is that HDR photos often look somewhat unnatural. It is worth activating the mode if the device’s camera does not cope with its task. For example, you are shooting against the light of the sun or in the shadow of a building - then you can use HDR.

Pay attention to the area in the shadow: it is light and the details are clearly visible

It has been noted that owners of budget smartphones use the HDR mode much more often than owners of top-end devices. The fact is that expensive devices are equipped with a higher quality camera with a wide dynamic range.

How does this work?

When activating HDR, be prepared for the camera to take several pictures at once - two or even three. Therefore, you should not photograph moving objects in this mode; they may split into two, turning into a kind of ghosts, or become blurred. Photos will be taken at different shutter speeds and exposures. Specific shutter speed values ​​depend on the aperture of the optics, the size of the matrix and many other parameters. That is why full-fledged cameras cope with this task much faster.

Then the received frames are merged into one. The more powerful the processor installed in the camera or smartphone, the less time this process will take. Although we must not forget about the matrix resolution. Of course, 24-megapixel images are more difficult to process than frames with a resolution of 8 megapixels. In any case, even on budget devices you will see the result in a couple of seconds.

Another example of an HDR photo

When taking photographs, autofocus concentrates on areas with different brightness, contrast and distance from the camera. When overlaying frames on top of each other, the system analyzes their quality, selecting areas with the greatest clarity. Also, the final image will consist of areas with better saturation and less noise.

High Dynamic Range technology can be implemented in completely different ways in different smartphones. Somewhere the pictures are simply superimposed on each other and then slightly blurred. And on more powerful and newer devices the above process occurs.

How to shoot in HDR mode?

Now almost all “Camera” applications equipped with modern smartphones are equipped with the corresponding function. This means that there is no need to install any additional ones. The HDR icon may be in the mode selection menu. And in many cases, it can be found right on the main Camera screen, next to the flash activation. Be that as it may, you are required to touch this icon.

It's simple

Then you take a photo with the usual touch of the shutter button. But if a regular photo is created in a split second, then in the case of the HDR mode you will have to wait for some time. Try to hold your smartphone motionless for one or two seconds. This is important! Otherwise, you won't succeed.

Some third-party apps provide HDR mode settings. That is, you can choose how much the exposure will change when taking several frames. IN preinstalled programs“Camera” usually does not have such a setting.

The difference between a regular photo and HDR is obvious.

That's it, the HDR photo is ready! Nothing complicated!

Disadvantages of HDR

Let's briefly summarize. The main advantage of the HDR mode should be clear to you: all areas of the frame taken in it will be equally detailed and bright. What disadvantages does such a regime have?

• Taking multiple shots takes time- and the worse the camera built into the smartphone, the greater the chance of getting an output image with blurred objects.
• Unnatural lighting- the reality in the final photograph will be far from what you saw with your own eyes.
• You might miss the moment- processing images in HDR mode takes at least a couple of seconds. Continuous shooting is thus excluded.

Now you understand the benefits of HDR photography, as well as its main disadvantages. We hope that you learned something new for yourself. Be sure to share your opinion in the comments whether you use the HDR function and whether it is well implemented in your smartphone.